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Coffee Bar

4 star rating
based on 296 reviews

Categories: Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches, Desserts

Neighborhood: Mission
1890 Bryant St
(between 17th St & Mariposa St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 551-8100
Hours:

Mon-Tue. 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Wed-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Sat-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Attire:
Casual
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Price Range:
$
Good for Groups:
Yes
Good for Kids:
Yes
Takes Reservations:
No
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
No
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
Yes
Wi-Fi:
Free
Good for:
Breakfast, Lunch
Alcohol:
Beer & Wine Only
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296 reviews for Coffee Bar

Review Highlights   

user photo
"Radio Africa and Kitchen menu in the Evening." (in 21 reviews)
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"lots of light, great sandwiches, great coffee, free wifi." (in 38 reviews)
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"The Papua New Guinea Clover Coffee was outstanding." (in 36 reviews)
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Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites'
Photo of James G.

 

3

11

James G.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
10/27/2009

Excellent place to get some work done. So long as that work doesn't require a desk or a phone. Since Jimi Hendrix's greatest hits was just a bit too loud on the overhead speakers and every table and outlet in the place was taken.

That being said, wi-fi is free, location is great, couch is comfortable and staff is friendly. Oh yeah, and the coffee isn't too bad either. Taking into account that I'm not really a coffee guy, more of a free wi-fi whore when traveling, that's saying something.

Clearly, I'm not the first person to dig this place, but being from San Diego and frequenting a few coffee shops in my day, Coffee Bar did not disappoint.

Again... if I could only hear the person on the other end of the phone.

Photo of Jenny W.

Elite '09

120

292

Jenny W.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
10/26/2009

If I was funemployed, I would be frequently visiting Coffee Bar to scope out the hotties while facebooking, craigslisting for jobs, and g-chatting.

The coffee is DEEEELICIOUS (almost better than Blue Bottle, but not quite), the service is awesome.  I knew the Barista (a friend from Tulsa) and was chatting it up w/ the sweet girl at the register, who only made us pay for one latte instead of one latte and a mocha.  Could be b/c I knew the barista, but maybe not.  

Love the atmosphere.  They have a super cute large outdoor patio in the front that was filled w/ lots of puppies (Willie even came to say hello!) and your typical South of Market and Mission hipsters/skaters.   They have a large upstairs area too that was filled with great looking men and their macbooks.  

Apparently, they have a pretty sweet Happy Hour on Thursdays and Fridays with Radio Africa and Kitchen, who strive to create all  sustainable food options and methods inspired by recipes of the Mediterranean and Red Sea countries.  I would love to come back and try some of this food!

People thought this was:

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Photo of Dave J.

 

2

20

Dave J.

Oakland, CA

4 star rating
10/22/2009

Basically there is no reason for me to be in the neighborhood, but I was early to meet people at Circolo and would rather sit outside here and smoke and drink coffe than sit at the bar in Circolo. I Had intended to just get a small coffee, but was tempted away by the El Diablo. Don't remember all what was in it (at least four ingedients other than coffee), but I was sold on "chipotle infused milk".  Super good! I may come back just for this.

Also, I am a genuis. took my spicy coffee situation across the street, ordered a shot of bourbon, added it to coffee. Ultra good!

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Photo of Kristy L.

 

6

6

Kristy L.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
10/26/2009

Coffee Bar is a solid cafe. I can hang out here and write all day long.

Friendly, no-nonsense, and attractive baristas run a tight ship in this modern space with great light and air, roomy tables, good-quality yet unobtrusive dishware, and comfortable and varied seating, including a roomy front porch with potted plants and tables. The one-room toilet is clean and pleasantly decorated.

Patrons share communal tables, and most are working on laptops or meeting with someone. The atmosphere is youthful and professional. Free wireless works fine though it did boot me anytime I fell idle for a few minutes. Almost every seat in the house can reach an electrical outlet. Good tea and coffee complement a healthy and decadent if uninspired sandwich and salad menu with reasonable prices as well as fresh baked coffee-cake oriented dessert options. Yes, they have beer and wine.

This is a great place to camp out all day to write. I like that the floorplan puts me between my laptop and the outside door when I go to order another cup of tea.

Photo of Tyler V.

 

0

3

Tyler V.

King, WA

5 star rating
10/10/2009

OK I'm from Seattle, and this is  my first yelp review, but visiting this place today warranted signing up (after my SF native friend 'sold' me on yelp/social networking!)

Went in at about 1pm for a business meeting, strange service from the girl at the counter but the espresso was mind-blowing stellar. As in up there and possibly beyond Espresso Vivace in Capitol Hill, Seattle.

I specifically asked the barista for a 'long pull' 2oz espresso. He pulled my espresso freshly ground through a triple basket, at perfect temperature, in a preheated demitasse. A life-giving syrupy tempest of fruity bittersweet elixer! Then we talked about New Zealand which was nice.

Give me more Mr. Espresso di Carlo! Hands down the best espresso in my recent visit to SF. Beats the ish outta Ritual, Four-Barrell and Bluebottle espresso. Bluebottles drip and pour over coffees are obviously better and more interesting, but this review is for the espresso.

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Photo of Paul K.

 

133

246

Paul K.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
Updated - 9/12/2009 5 photos

Stopped in after the meal at Burma Superstar.  Since it's a Sat afternoon, I was surprised to find the place fully packed with most folks on laptops.  

I decided to try their drip coffee instead of the latte.  It was excellent.  Strong without being bitter.  The chocolate chip cookie was good too.  Next time, I am going to try their Dynamo Donuts that I read so much about.

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 5 star rating
    8/24/2009

    This is a cool cafe.  The coffee is really good and the space is cool.  

    I arrived at 2 in the… Read more »

Photo of Amy V.

 

3

31

Amy V.

Everett, WA

4 star rating
10/6/2009

Just attended a reception held there, it was awesome.  the atmosphere was so fun, the building is beautiful, and the food was so nice.

Interesting spot for a reception, but worked out great!

Photo of Andrei Z.

 

64

44

Andrei Z.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
9/25/2009

Great Coffee
plus
Tasty Food
plus
Dynamo Donuts
plus
Light, Airy, Open Space
plus
Outlets and the Fastest Wi-Fi of Any Coffee Bar
plus
Decent Music off iPod
plus
Clover Machine
plus
Radio Africa and Kitchen menu in the Evening
equals
Big, Big Win.

People thought this was:

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Photo of R R.

 

1

10

R R.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
10/7/2009

Wow.  It took 20 minutes from when I walked in the door to when I received my lunch order.  $9.50 got me the following:

1) A turkey sandwich (the loftily-and enigmatically-named "Diestal Ranch Oven"), consisting of three (yes, 3) slices of deli turkey on sourdough, plus two pieces of lettuce, 3 paper-thin tiny avocado slices, and 2 tomato slices.
2) A bowl of potato and cheddar soup with a layer of oil floating on top, that tasted suspiciously of canned soup. The temperature could have only generously been described as lukewarm.

On top of that, I probably stood in line for 5 minutes as the excessively slow person behind the register dealt with the two customers in front of me.  When it was (finally) my turn, he stood there on the phone without acknowledging my presence for at least a minute, then somehow seemed to not understand the words "iced tea", which last time I checked were part of the English language and probably something that a restaurant should be familiar with.

Photo of Kristen L.

 

18

110

Kristen L.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
10/25/2009

Good stuff, good place to come & do work or grab lunch with a friend. Plus they have outdoor seating area. Sandwiches are really good- fresh ingredients, good bread, at least 1 veggie option (sometimes more), and come with a side salad that is dressed in a really nice light dressing. Coffee is strong and good. Cookies are pretty good, nothing amazing though.

Photo of Ralph G.

 

22

43

Ralph G.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
9/7/2009

So _this_ is the place to get some work done in the Mission. The noise and turmoil of Valencia street coffee shops behind you, experience ample seating, chill ambient music, and *gasp* power outlets at almost every chair in the house!

I almost don't want to review coffee bar and suggest that more people visit it, the atmosphere is just so much more relaxing than other places in the city. There's nothing like being surrounded by other studious people, all working on their own computers and being rather quiet.

Bonus for having good coffee (three kinds of the iced variety), and a great beer selection (including my favorite Trappist ale, Chimay). A slight warning: they often have special "dinners" here and limit the seating to only a few scarce seats at these events, so be prepared on one of their "restaurant" nights. I've heard the dinners _are_ exquisite, so maybe it's worth sticking around?

P.S. I've noticed many reviews complaining about the price of the donuts. These are _dynamo_ donuts people! Donuts of the gods! The people's donut! They're deliciously worth it!

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Photo of S.K. Y.

 

0

35

S.K. Y.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
10/1/2009

4 1/2 stars ... a little room for improvement to reach perfection.

Hard to find location. Once you find it ... you won't regret it.

- Way above average coffee joint.
- Superior above average food selection.
- Daily food specials...makes food selection from being boring.
- Very computer user friendly. Power outlet almost everywhere.
- Pretty roomy... have the potential to seat more.
- Outdoor patio.
- Superior quality pastry.
- Generous natural lighting (best type for the eyes, especially for reading.
- Full kitchen and staff, rare find for a coffee place
- Radio Africa meals Thur & Fri
- Accepts credit card

-    ( I will remove the following when they fix the following problem )
Need to dust the platform where the keep the beer cups.
(Noticed the dusty platform where u could see clean cup dragged thru the dusty platform. I saw a poor bloke served nice cold beer in a salt rimmed cup...(ooppps ...dust rimmed cup)

Good for group(s) and kids only outside. Popular place...gets full inside easily.

Update. 10/22/09 - They had an "El Diablo" on the drink special...
        Chipotle Chocolate Cuppucino with Chipotle infused milk....
         It was very creative and delicious!!!

Photo of Kate H.

 

8

22

Kate H.

Oakland, CA

5 star rating
10/10/2009

I stood in line here yesterday and watched as a customer walked up to the counter and first asked the barista "do you take plastic?"  He said yes.  Then the customer said "good because I'd like to buy every single chocolate donut that you've got.  They are the best thing I've ever put into my mouth and I'm going to see my nieces who love chocolate."  I think that's a pretty darn good review in and of itself.  I didn't get a donut (there were none left).  But I did have a delicious latte and croissant and loved the high ceilings, up beat atmosphere, etc.  And, yes, I'm going back to try one of the chocolate donuts.

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Photo of Christina J.

 

10

91

Christina J.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
9/16/2009 1 photo

Came in here for the donuts surprised by how incredible quiet and packed this place is. Downstairs you'd think it's empty, walk up the stairs, every seat it taken!!

I'm happy they had donuts, the worker at Dynamo donuts said they sell their donuts (Dynamo was out!). The coffee bar only had two choices :( chocolate star anise & vanilla bean. I like the vanilla bean.

This place seems to have alot of options cookie/sandwich/coffee/wine/water etc-wise. Pleasent workers and accessable parking.

Photo of Trina A.

Elite '09

49

157

Trina A.

Hayward, CA

3 star rating
10/16/2009

This "dog friendly" cafe wasnt exactly what I was expecting. They only dog part about it was that they had an outside area. No snacks or water bowl or other doggys to play with for my little baby Pasta. But the drinks we had were pretty yummy. I had the Havana Latte, which was made with condensed milk...yumms. Jon had the Iced mocha which I didnt try, but he finished it so he must have enjoyed it. I do want to try the Africa Radio food they have on Fri nights...perhaps will return sans Pasta one day.

Photo of d'arcy n.

 

7

31

d'arcy n.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
9/14/2009

The place is lovely, inside and out. Latte was quite nice, barista was polite.

Cloudy at home but sunshine here. Why I no bring sunglasses? Mildly frightening to look up and see wall to wall macbooks, no room to fit donut. Think imma walk in there with my 4" thick DELL next week, nestle it in between macbook number 5 and 6, and get me some work done.

Photo of Paul S.

 

62

78

Paul S.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
9/8/2009

I came in to coffee bar for a meeting and a snack.

First thing I noticed: food's a bit pricy. $8 for a grilled cheese? That's one hell of a grilled cheese.

I attempted to order a soup. I asked the cashier to compare the sizes of a cup and a bowl. I pointed to a large mug and asked him to use it as a reference.

I then became trapped in a bad episode of the Twilight Zone (or perhaps Candid Camera) where he spent three minutes telling me about a bowl and I kept asking him for a cup.

What a jerk.

They get two stars because the soup was actually pretty good.

Photo of Jonny Bobby G.

Elite '09

32

125

Jonny Bobby G.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
8/7/2009

One visit and I'm a fan.
On a sunny SF afternoon, I decided to go explore the City and venture out from my typical stomping grounds. A quick search on Yelp and I found myself Potrero bound to hit up this joint. The area is both industrial and, in my own mind, in the middle of f'ing no where. There's not much around except for Circolo, Whisper and William Sonoma's corporate offices yet ironically, parking in the area (from what I can gather in my mid-week visit) is a b***h. Nonetheless, the place is worth the trek out.

First off, the place has a streetside front patio with ample seating. On that particular sunny day, it was hard to resist sitting outside at least for a minute. Second, the place is huge and offers a variety of seating that can accommodate practically every arrangement / group size. It was slammed at 2pm on a Wednesday (what was up with that?), but I managed to score a small table that faced the all-window front of the cafe/restaurant. It was cool to get my "work" done while at the same time looking out at the peaks of warehouse smoke stacks and then seeing the fog rolling in over the hills even further beyond. That and it has free WIFI. Oddly enough, the stark neighborhood and feel of the place made me appreciate the stuff I was doing and the time I was wasting away.

I had a large ice tea and their potato soup. The soup was great and a promising sign that the rest of the menu could also be well executed. The tea was alright but be warned, there are no free or discount refills... you gotta pay full price if you're going for seconds. As for price, it's averagely SF - meaning I think it could probably burn a hole through your wallet if you get carried away ordering.

Overall, I thought it was time well spent and definitely a venue I will be checking in on again!

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Photo of Sally M.

Elite '09

85

208

Sally M.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
8/4/2009

A perfectly splendid place to cowork (http://hatfactory.net/), tackle your to-do list, or just sip coffee and read or mingle. The airy atmosphere and natural sunlight - pouring through the plethora of windows - mixed with the modern, urban photography and contemporary design create a balanced, energizing ambiance. The coffee's good, as are the sandwiches and salads. I mostly liked the music, but prefer my Pandora stations.

p.s. this is more Potrero than the Mish.

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Photo of Stefanie L.

 

64

125

Stefanie L.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
7/26/2009

I'm sitting here at Coffee Bar and for some reason I feel like the world is my oyster.  haha!

I don't know if it's the full, open windows, good food and open space, or the coffee... I'm just the happiest camper in the world, right now.

Sitting here for the past three hours, I've written a blog, created a prezi, done a ton of marketing research and felt this overwhelming sense of happiness.

What an amazing place!  I'll be here all the time.  :)  All of my other wifi spots have just been replaced.

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Photo of julia p.

 

2

5

julia p.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
10/22/2009

I like the concept, and the space is seriously cool.  But the portions are a bit small, and last time I went there, I was having problems with the wireless, and when I asked for help one of the guys who worked there, he cut me off before I finished my sentence, barked something and walked away.  Not ok.  Not going back.

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Photo of Samantha M.

 

6

94

Samantha M.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
10/6/2009

Eh. Went in once for a couchsurfing meeting. I am so glad they moved over to cafe royale for the regular meeting place. I am not a fan of the Coffee Bar WHATSOEVER. First it's hard to even find the place. Secondly, didn't like the unfriendly looks I was being given by the staff when I decided only to order a soft drink. The upstairs area is spacious and beautiful, but that wasn't enough to make up for the atmosphere of attitude there. Plus the place closes WAY too early and our group always had to find somewhere else to go afterwards. I don't think I'll be going back unless I have a specific reason to do so.

Photo of Natalie l.

 

130

218

Natalie l.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
7/16/2009

I LOOOOOOOOOOVE Coffee Bar

Exceptional free wifi, sleeek/clean/modern atmosphere (none of that clutter or dirty couch that someone must have pooted), FRIENDLY barista (the owner is FABULOUS), full menu......some sick ass music. I love this place.

Perfect to get away from home and get some work done. Love ya Coffee Bar. MY KINDA SPOT!

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Photo of Tamas K.

 

2

23

Tamas K.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
10/8/2009

This place is amazing. The staff is super friendly, you'll feel yourself at home instantly. There is a sunny open place if you prefer to sit down outside and a very huge, spacey, classy interior where you can sit down and work or just show your latest mac for the others while typing randomly. Unlimited, fast free wifi comes by default. Highly preferred - the sunny, beautiful interior and nice people around will make you inspired and keep you motivated if you're looking for a coffe to work. The music selection is also superb. They have live music shows so sometimes they're shutting down internet around 6pm.

Photo of laura g.

 

48

186

laura g.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
7/27/2009

Excellent food and beverages, worker friendly with free wifi and outlets.
Yay!

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Photo of Kimberly B.

 

8

37

Kimberly B.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
7/28/2009

Coffee Bar is my favorite neighborhood hang-out, but I'd come here even if it were miles away.  Coffee bar is squeaky clean, has free wi-fi, and plenty of comfortable seating with large tables for working.  Also, I could be wrong, but it seems the baristas are the owners.  If you are looking for a totally perfectionist barista, look no further!  Also, they use Strauss Dairy's organic barista milk.  Strauss cows get to eat pasture for a lot of the year and roam around happy.  The milk most places are feeding you is from grain fed sad cows.

If you're here on a weekend morning and want some breakfast, try the french toast.  It's amazing.  Lunchtime?  No problem ~ their sandwiches are also incredible.  I also really love how I can order wine or beer here if it's evening and I'm not needing the caffeine.

Starbucks across the street on the corner is totally gross compared to Coffee Bar.  I can't believe they haven't run them out of business yet.  It seems like Coffee Bar was opened by a group of friends who got frustrated with sucky coffee shops.  I feel so lucky I only live three blocks from this place.

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Photo of kevin x.

 

0

23

kevin x.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
8/6/2009

Yay Coffee Bar!  They make excellent espresso drinks that, regrettably, blow the Atlas Cafe out of the water.  The sandwiches are great too, but the kitchen seems understaffed, so be prepared to wait (too long) for your food.  It's strange because there seem to be a lot of employees milling around, which makes you wonder just who's managing the place.  Otherwise, the fact that they take credit cards gives them the advantage over the surrounding cafes that do not, such as: Atlas, Pirate Cat, and Progressive Grounds.

The interior is nice, as are the employees.  The patrons, however, can be a bit ridiculous with the all the laptops and cheesiness... for instance, some guy in line behind me referred to a ham sandwich as a "ham sando"... come on, does it make you feel cool to call a sandwich a "sando", WTH man?  During the lunch hour, at least 50% of the patrons on are laptops or handhelds.

I've been an Atlas Cafe customer for over 10 years, and I'm sorry to say that I'll be taking my business to Coffee Bar for now on... they have higher quality espresso drinks, better food selection, a cleaner interior, generally better service, and if I'm short on cash, I won't have to pay ridiculous fees at an in-store ATM to get cash... cards accepted.

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0

22

Rudy R.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
7/2/2009

I like the coffee here!  They have variety and options.  They brew it well -- not burnt or overly bitter.  A few days ago, the specials of the day were from Kenya and Sumatra.

Oh, and I got a delicious donut with coconut flakes baked onto it.  The place is infested with laptop users, but they fear the glare of the outside, so you can usually find a nice spot to sit on the pic-nic tables outside.  People don't mind sharing their tables here.

People with dogs: you are welcome in the outside area.  :)

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Photo of Chaney R.

 

7

29

Chaney R.

Burlingame, CA

5 star rating
7/14/2009

This is my favorite place to work when I need to get out of the home office - and clearly I'm not the only one who feels this way. When I have plans in the City in the evening, I go up to CB and work for the afternoon, and usually by about 1pm almost every seat is taken by someone on a laptop.

I have been known to work here all day - and I don't even drink coffee! Very spacious, great light, good seating and the food is excellent. Also they serve Dry Soda, which I love even though my wallet doesn't ($3.50 a bottle!). Even better for me: it's not too loud to get work done but it's not so quiet that you can't make the occasional business call.

The perfect Internet cafe for any home-office warrior who goes stir crazy after too long in the house.

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12

142

The Girl D.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
7/18/2009

I come here a few times a week.  I heart Coffee Bar!

My drink of choice of is the Soy Cappuccino.  The world is definitely changing when I can stumble across a top-notch cappuccino in my neighborhood.  I prefer to go to non-chain shops.  

Coffee Bar has, by far, the best Soy Capp in SF.  

Everything about this place is good.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

oh and customer service is awesome!  They deserve every bit of success.

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Elite '09

279

82

Joe F.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
5/18/2009

Coffee Bar is a charming breakfast/lunch spot tucked away in one of the less busy areas of the Mission. I've been here a few times already and am always pleasantly surprised that such a spacious, modern, always-crowded coffee shop with a solid menu exists in such a random neighborhood.

The food choices here are not out-of-this-world, but they are satisfying. The Atrani sandwich is a personal favorite of mine: prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, basil, and balsamic vinegar on a warm & fluffy roll. The sandwich is light and tasty and comes with a nice side salad. Overall a very satisfying lunch.

The coffee here is also pretty good, although the restaurant does not have as extensive a selection of drinks as its name would suggest. However, Coffee Bar does earn bonus points for serving Dynamo donuts, the $3-a-piece greasy pieces of heaven that are so unbelievably delicious that you'll find them on countless SF-best lists (including 7x7's 100 foods you must try before you die). I had the orange ginger donut and it was fantastic. I have yet to try the bacon maple apple, salted caramel and spiced chocolate donuts, but those are definitely next on my list of things to try!

As for the intangibles, service is pretty good, there is a lot of space to eat/work/chat with friends upstairs and in the outside patio, and prices are reasonable.

All in all, I give Coffee Bar a B+. Don't make the trek out to the Mission just to eat here, but definitely stop by if you're in the area!

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Photo of James S.

 

0

9

James S.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
9/22/2009

Coffee Bar is great.  The location is very nice and the space is very inviting.

It is definitely in the top few places for working on your laptop.

The oatmeal is really good but that is the only food I have had.  For some reason I have not really enjoyed my coffee there yet.  I have had a soy latte, iced coffee and a regular coffee.  Something about it was just a little off to me and I am not sure why.  For reference my favorite coffee is Ritual Roasters and Blue Bottle.

I would highly recommend Coffee Bar especially for groups and for working on a laptop.

Photo of Jessa L.

 

0

13

Jessa L.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
6/8/2009

For a long day of sitting and reading/working/people watching, there is no better place.  The tables are huge (if you can get a place at them) and they have a nice selection of snacks and food to nibble on if you find yourself there for extended periods...as I obviously have.

The service as curt and efficient- they're not gonna chat you up to convince you to be a regular, but they will get you a refill for you tea.

The aesthetic is sleek with awesome photos of all things transportation. Be still my heart. There are also large windows so you can watch the day go from sunrise to sunset while not feeling as crazy as you really are.

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Elite '09

26

120

Cristofer P.

Berkeley, CA

5 star rating
6/25/2009

First of all, the only coffeeshop I found at the corner of 1890 Bryant was a Starbucks. I was like wtf? Then I realized that was just the mailing address. The physical location of Coffee Bar is actually on Florida and Mariposa, just down the block (right across the street from Circolo, one of my favs).

I'll admit I'm not really a coffee drinker, but I had a pile of donuts from Dynamo (I didn't know they already sold Dynamo donuts at Coffee Bar....that just makes them even more awesome!) and I needed something to wash down all the sugar.

What I found at Coffee Bar was a great, not-so-little coffee shop. It made me wish I lived next door cuz this would be a great place to read the paper, study, and hop online on their free wi-fi. The workers are super friendly and props to them for their excellent latte art. Again, I'm probably the last person that should be talking about the subtleties in the taste of the machiato and the cafe au lait that I ordered, but I thought they were good. I found lots of seating outside and upstairs and apparently the place turns into the traveling restaurant known as Radio Africa & Kitchen (Moroccan, Ethiopian) on Thurs and Friday evenings.

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2

5

Daniel F.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
7/22/2009

Just found coffee bar today as a result of a friends recommendation. Actually I'm there right now!

More often than not what I want out of a cafe is a good place to read or work and Coffee bar fits the bill. There is a lot of seating, free wifi, and good light. It also seems like it would be a good cafe to grab a coffee with a friend or small group.

It leans to the trendy side, but not too much. The food isn't cheap, but I do like dynamo donuts now and again. The outdoor seating area would be terrific on a nice day.

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1

James H.

Fairfax, CA

5 star rating
10/19/2009

Awesome space, light and airy, modern industrial decor. Lots of people working on their laptops. Animal Collective and Q-Tip for music while I was there. Great artfully crafted food and coffee. I had the El Diablo (mocha with chipotle espresso) which was delicious. Also a very smooth latte.  As someone else pointed out, a quality of espresso equal to Vivace in Seattle. For food I tried out the Cobb Salad and loved it. Great value, great quality- I would go back for that salad alone. Yum. I wish I lived closer so that I could make Coffee Bar a regular hangout. As it is, I will find reasons to go back, alternating between it and Revolution Cafe nearby, depending on my mood.  Although the edge clearly goes to Coffee Bar.

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Elite '09

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83

Kris O.

New York, NY

3 star rating
6/11/2009

Yes, just like Erma C. said, Coffee Bar is located on Mariposa and Florida. I repeat Mariposa and Florida. Decent coffee. Not so great food. But it is a great space.

Lots of room inside, modern decor, a great place to do work. You'll see at least twenty macs in there typing away...so its got that creative vibe lurking in the coffee bar.  There is outdoor seating as well.

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Elite '09

648

1301

Berna T.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
3/26/2009

Since I don't really hang out in the Mission-Potrero area, I am not hip to any of the establishments in the area, save for the monstrous piece of suburbia that is the Potrero Center (Quizno's, Safeway, and Jamba Juice, y'all) and the Sports Basement across the street.  So when I got my new job, I was hoping there'd be somewhere cool nearby to eat.  

I lucked out.

Coffee Bar is in my BUILDING.  

And they not only serve a kick ass cup of regular coffee, they also have their brewed-by-the-cup selection, as well as a nice selection of teas.  Their oatmeal is stellar, their pastries are great, and their sandwiches and salads are really good (I'm a fan of the ham and brie).  Coffee Bar also has a huge selection of wine.

But why minus a star?  

Cause everything except the brewed coffee is pretty pricey.  I feel pangs of yuppie guilt every time I step into the airy, loft-like space.  Considering the area, I feel like Potrero folks get screwed when it comes to restos...there are some nicer restaurants popping up in the area, but you pay through the nose for them.  

Nonetheless, I'd much rather go to Coffee Bar than to Starbucks (which is across the street) for my daily dose of caffeine.

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105

b h.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
7/22/2009

Keep hearing all the praise on this place so I decided to drop in. Love the decor they did with this space, cute outdoor area with succulent plants, modern artsy lofty feel. I was in the mood for a pastry...a donut to be exact, kept hearing these gourmet rave reviews about them. Uh, $2.75 for a single donut *cough* cough* one donut? It didn't help that gnats were swarming around the pastry case when it was opened. Perhaps I'll up one up with the stars as my experience improves with visits. Seems very popular with the surrounding locals so they have to be doing something right.

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Elite '09

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Naomi C.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
3/15/2009

OK, 4.5, but I am reserving a full 5 star review for when they change their coffee beans.  "Mr. Espresso" just isn't gonna cut it.

the greatness of this place also really depends on how many others think so. and yesterday, apparently the whole city thought so, which made it a terrible spot to try to relax and sit awhile.

for a place that serves beer and wine, and calls itself a bar, i think they can stand to stay open later than 8pm on a saturday.  They might also consider putting in some taps to serve fresh beer.   I like that they have all the right glasses, but bottled beer in their own signature glasses is still bottled beer.

but, they take AMEX, big pluses for that.

also, radio africa and kitchen does its thing here on thursdays and fridays, but i still have a problem with expensive african food, it just seems twisted, and it makes me feel guilty inside, like how many lives could i have just saved with the $25 dollars it took to get the appetizer plate??

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