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Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: ExcelsiorMon-Sat. 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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I have to admit while their service isn't the best there could be, maybe because I'm not an old Chinese guy or something. They make great breakfast bagel sandwiches. Ham, cheese, and egg on a toasted plain bagel. Yum
I'm only giving 4 stars because of that bagel. If it wasn't for that I would definitely be putting 2 stars haha.
I used to come here on occasion a few years back when Claddagh was either owned or frequented by an Irish-American thug family -- Crocker Park, bro! -- but somewhere along the line ownership changed hands.
When the Irish mob ran this place, the coffee was decent and the Mongolian girl behind the counter cute.
The new Chinese owners have cut corners everywhere. The horrible flourescent lighting, however, was the final straw. I know our Mandarin-speaking neighbors are thrifty but c'mon...
The Excelsior has been struggling for decades now. Unfortunately, Claddagh does little to improve the neighborhood and perhaps even adds to the overall blight of the Dead Zone.
I don't have a fascinating story about this place whatsoever.
That may be part of the problem.
The coffee is on the right side of average, the cost is a dime more than it should be.
The staff are efficient and nice enough.
There's plenty of space.
Just, not for me I guess, I don't know - I've never managed to engage anyone at this place in more than a single sentence conversation.
Friendly enough, but they'd rather not talk to me, that much is clear.
I've come to this place maybe twenty times now, none of the staff recognize me, and they still don't know what I mean when I say "with room please".
But - again, nice enough with fair to midland coffee - so party on Garth.
I like this place because it's close to my house. I used to sit here with my roommate for hours, but, she moved on to a different house and local coffee stop. The coffee is inexpensive, which is nice in a city where it seems the price of everything is just a little too much. Don't drink too much of their coffee though because it will make you jittery!
just a plain old neighborhood coffee shop. i went in here to get a cup of coffee while waiting for my pizza next door at Little Ceasars. First thing I noticed was that there were a bunch of people outside looking like they were having a good time. i went in to get my cup of joe and was greeted when i came in, asked for my name, and was referred to by my name each time they talked to me!
that'll be $1, Ray!
do you want room in your coffee, Ray?
have a nice day and come back soon, Ray!
very nice people. good coffee. definitely a good place to spend your sunday morning. they have lots of chairs and a couple of couches and some books. i went back outside and realized why the people outside looked like they were having fun.
we don't have many coffee shops in the excelsior district, and so this place looks like it's a godsend for the neighborhood.
do you want
So, I love this coffee shop! I actually like hanging out there. The girls are super friendly and always recognize me and say "hi", the coffee is pretty good, and I like the atmosphere. Sure, there are tons of old dudes in there chatting it up all day, but there are also your regular cops, and young students who go in there too. Just a neighborhood spot, that's what I like about the Excelsior. Lets hope we can keep it that way!
The coffee and service are decent enough for such a place. The atmosphere, however, is not so decent as it seemed uninviting and cold - there's also a musty odor by the table next to the window. Ack!
Stay and hang if have to but I'd get anything to-go. There are regulars (the same way bars have regulars).
Mom says you might be watering down your regular coffee. And you've increased your prices! The main reason for lowering your rating, however, is not the items above. Instead, it's the increase in traffic you bring to this stretch of Geneva Avenue. It has gotten to the point of being unbearable, and I end up driving the other direction [which is actually FARTHER] just to avoid this 2-block stretch you affect.
Minus a star.
Since my last review in 2006, I've probably stopped in to study fewer than a handful of times. The construction crowd is even there on Saturdays, so I find studying at another spot more enjoyable [if that can be said about studying] and productive. They also close fairly early in the day.
Still have no idea why they are called Claddagh [http://en.wikipedia.or...]...
My mom LOVED this coffee shop. Ever since it opened up next to Geneva Bakery, we would go down there… Read more »
If I don't get my daily caffeine fix, I turn into a whinier, more lethargic version of the Incredible Hulk. I got a habit kid, and I got it bad.
I had the worst chai of my life here, but I've learned since then to stick to lattes, which warm me up like a steamy little teapot. I go for the basic non-fat latte and snag a spot on the bench out front as I take my first few engine-revving sips.
The general atmosphere of the place is lacking anything that would make me want to hang out longer than that, though they do have a few couches and a library for reading. I'd like to see them spruce this place up a little more. I think it really could be the diamond in the rough in this part of town for coffee fiends like myself.
Grew up in the Excelsior...still live nearby...and still can't pronounce the name of the coffee shop on the corner of London and Geneva streets...but their coffee is just right. It's perfect for morning pick me ups and hangovers...Claddagh's regular house coffee is smooth tasting, dark and has that woodlike smell to it. I'm not sure of the brand they use but I like to go here on Saturday and Sunday mornings and grab my cup of coffee for to run the thousands of errands I never get a chance to do during the weekday.
Absolutely not a Starbucks and not the place to order a kopi luwak or something fancy. But, they serve nice, strong enough house coffee (and of course...have the selection of mochas, lattes, iced drinks and pastries) Also, I appreciate that this is a family run establishment amidst the chain joints that open up. You just have to look for parking around the area (and has been difficult because of the crowd that Walgreens plus the other small businesses draw).
Claddagh closes early ...4PM on weekends and 7PM on weekdays...I pull late nighters and would love coffee like at 8 or 9PM at times so that's the inconvenience of it...'small potatoes' issue but overall, great coffee and service!
Pretty much the only good thing about this little spot (in a great location, right near misson on geneve) is the fact that it's a non commercial/local spot where the neighborhood's sleepy residents can meet up for a cup of joe and a nice paper read. That being said.... the coffee is meh at best. It's a bit wattery without much flavor, and the cappuccino my girlfriend bought was not only overly bitter, but had a weird sour taste to it. I work in a coffee shop, and I know first hand that the service you get can definitely turn a 2-star into a 4-star, but the worst part was that the two people working were mildly courteous at best. I got no more than a "Hi" and a "here ya go" which was kind of a bummer considering the best part about local spots is generally the people you meet.
I'll stick to making my own coffee or hitting up spots where you know the coffee will be flavorful and smooth =].
Oh shit, there is a coffee/espresso place right next door to Geneva Bakery. So Matt threw his coffee, which was bought from Geneva Bakery next door, in the "shit-cannon", and decides to give this place a shot.
This coffee-shop along the Geneva St. strip was packed with older gentlemen, chillin and bullshitting in the shop. Matt ordered a med (16oz) Depth-charge which cost $2.25. The coffee tasted a lot better than the Sanka coffee from the next door bakery. Matt had a little time to have his breakfast, and couple of the older men saw my uniform and chatted with Matt.
Matt told his 4 colleagues about this place, and we came back in afternoon for another quick perk for the rest of the day. Matt and 1 of them ordered the White Mocha, the 2 others ordered the Latte and the other one ordered the Mocha. All of our drinks, including Matt's morning Depth-charge were good. Next time, if Matt comes to the area, he'll definitely come back to this coffee-shop, only if the older men don't discuss about their lost love-ones from their homeland of China.
Update:
yeah.. they raised the prices :T meh.. at least i'm still not supporting a giant chain when i come here.. oh and i got the ok from the owner guy to bring my dog in while i picked up my coffee, so i don't have to leave her sad and lonesomeness outside.. there's another man who does the same.. so i know im not the only one..
h'OK my affair with claddagh began when i graduated and moved home.. the only decent coffee i found in the area was claddagh.. being jobless and all, i would come to claddagh to surf their free wireless, combing the internet for jobs.. i would sit/read/sudoku/ stare out the window for hours on end.. in the early mornings, it's bustling with nearby workers, and construction folks.. but usually there's an open table or they're willing to let you sit at their's. they have some local pictures from back in the day.. it's pretty neat to see what the whole crocker amazon area looked like. they also remodeled a while ago, so the tables and chairs now match.. i would refrain on sitting at the couches.. they seem funky.. not in a good way..
the couple who own the place are really nice. ive become a regular, so they usually know what i order. i went in once and didn't realize i was low on cash, but the guy was super cool about it.. so next time i tipped them more.
i wish i knew how to quit u.. ok, not really..
i actually wish you were on my way to work.... it's a minute drive from my house, but add in parking time, waiting time, it adds up..
Crap! It's Sunday morning, I'm tired (stayed out way too late again!) and I'm translating at church today! Man I need a fix! Ah, there's Claddagh on my way to my holy crib. Man, I swear I'll never do whatever it was that I did last night. At least not in the way that I did it! Anyway, gotta have my Cafe au lait (Soy lait, sounds like laid, sounds like lay!) Yes now you know I got leid last night. No, not that way filthy yelpers! Yes it was Hawaii in Westlake!)
Anyway, I love this place. Its rummage contemporary decor is just what I need to forget about all the pretentious, arrogant bastards who sip their joe with their pinky dangling like teabags! Give it up people be real! Anyway, the coffee is pretty good, and I feel so at home. OH SANCTUS FECES! I'm late for church. I'll write more later!
Ta-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da! (transition music from batman tv show.!)
Anyway, It's now about 11 hours since I started writing this. Arghhhh! No I'm too damn sleepy to finish typing. i wish Claddagh were open right now so that I could guzzle a cup and finish this stupid review! I want my coffee! Oh, free WiFi! Cool. Anyway, I think this is my lousiest review thus far!
There are only a couple coffee houses a convenient busride away from my inconveniently-located Portola District house. This is one of them. It is also, by far, my favorite.
Nice people, nice coffee, nice atmosphere for kicking back.
Our neighborhood may lack the potential to attract an abundance of hipsters in search of the perfect burrito (not a great loss), but this doesn't mean locals don't share in the dreams of yuppy America, creating a cozy corner cafe to call your very own.
Claddagh is Excelsior's answer. Weekday mornings, the Cantonese retiree Mah-Jong society scurries in and out of this place to get refills while parking themselves in the park bench out front and presumably discussing the old days. The friendly Chinese couple behind the counter smile when they recognize frequent patrons, and can often recall from your face exactly what you're going to order.
And the house coffee, on a weekend morning, somehow hits the spot in the way that my own concoction cannot.
Free wi-fi, an old Apple workstation usually adorned by a lonely Mexican housewife checking the weather in Guadalajara, and booming soft rock all add to the character of this place, our local anti-Starbucks.
good coffee and quick service...
Pretty good place and decent coffee. Like the bookshelf with books to browse and the comfy couch. Though they have weird rules about when the wi-fi is free and when it's not. Hey, it's a coffee shop, aren't you *supposed* to be able to hang out and surf the web?
Oh and on a cold foggy day I had the hot cider with the cinnamon sticks and it was awesome!
Living in the Outer Mission/Excelsior, a decent cup of coffee is surprisingly hard to come by.. I guess our area just isn't as trendy and hip, like the Noe Valley, the Haight, or even the Richmond, for that matter. I think the closest Crapbucks is either at Westlake in DC or on West Portal. Thankfully, this place opened in the neighborhood a few years back and solved the need for me to have to hunt down a place for my caffeine fix.
(What does Claddagh mean anyway?)
The decor of the place is rustic. The jazz station is always playing. The outdoor signs are hand-painted. There are always two benches on the outside and neither of them match the other. It's like they found them at a garage sale and thought, "hey, our customers would appreciate a place to sit outside.. who cares what they look like."
But regardless of the decor and the atmosphere, I've always found their coffee to be consistent. Which isn't to say it's particularly great, but still good enough that I wouldn't hesitate to come back for another cup the next day.
I call this place "JAVA ON GENEVA" and is the place to get coffee in the Excelsior & Crocker Amazon area. The staff is friendly and the place is cozy, although it does need some upgrades, but it does have its old world neighborhood charm. Coffee prices are pretty reasonably priced and even taste better than Starbucks.......in my opinion. Love the free Wi-fi.........and wish they got a flat screen tv to watch sporting events. Great meeting place to study & do homework. Great tasting coffee & pastries.
Yeah...............the best "Java on Geneva"..........I like that!!!!!!!!
It's a decent hang out spot. Not mind blowing but sometimes you just need to get a cup of coffee that's close to your house. Way better than the petrol-filled crap that I got a the wharf with some out-o'towners the day before. Place could use one more small table though.
Cozy little cafe. I dropped in for a hot chocolate, wasn't too bad. Took a while to make it though.
Nice spacious coffeeshop. If you're in the neighborhood, definitely stop in for some java, an Italian soda, or biscotti. It's more of a place to get your caffeine fix, rather than a scenester cafe. If you come on a weekday morning, you'll be sure to find neighborhood folks catching up with one another. Wi-Fi is available within and there are two large sofas for your relaxation. Make sure to check out the bookcase of eclectic donations for light reading.
Two stars just for having an awesome chocolate brownie. I could never see this cafe as a place to unwind at, though. The cashier did his job, but was cold. Plus, every time I walk by on my way to Walgreens, there are about 10 smokers hanging out at the front entrance. Oh, and I dislike their selling Aussie Bites. They've got every right to sell whatever they want, but a good cafe sells its own baked goods; they don't buy them by the box at Costco. :(
This place looks like a union meeting in the morning and an AA meeting at night. The coffe was OK and the sevice was fine- but can I say that their sign is an eye sore...(but both the businesses next to it have plastic banners for their signs.) Gawd my neighborhood sucks :P
As one reviewer said, this is not a cafe for hipsters, but it is a great cafe for us Excelsior types. It is very simple and has average coffee. But it is also quiet and nice for study because not that many people are there in the mid-day when I went.
Exam week open late til 11pm!
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