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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Arts & Entertainment [Edit]
Neighborhood: Potrero HillMon-Fri. 6:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 7:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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"Gretchen T sure is writing a lot of coffee shop reviews these days," you say? Well, that is because I HAVEN'T SLEPT MORE THAN 4 HOURS STRAIGHT IN OVER 4 MONTHS! Motherhood is by far the coolest thing I have ever done and I adore my child like no one has ever adored her child, but Jesus H (wait, is he a Yelper?) am I exhausted. Sleep has now superseded a LOT of activities on the list of things I crave (not that activity, but CLOSE!). So, coffee is what keeps me going now more than in grad school, more than living in Milan, more than a long night (or week) of partying. Liam and I are now experts on the coffee scene of Potrero Hill.
And Farley's is one of our favorites. The customers are extremely friendly and varied--lots of people "between jobs" who are probably updating their Facebook status more than their resume, scruffy dog-lovers in clogs, newspaper readers, and then a whole clan of dark-circled breeders like myself, wearing their little love bundles in Ergo carriers for fear that if the babies weren't attached to us, we'd be so zombified we'd forget them somewhere.
The cappuccino breves are life-savingly hot and the foam is perfect. It's like they know I have been looking forward to this beverage since my little Liam wake up call at 5 am. The atmosphere is comfortable and kid-friendly, though the staff are kind of surly for folks who get to tank up on free caffeine all day. The huge magazine selection is fun. This is also my go-to spot for coffee-loving out of towners. All I can say is Thank You Farley's for keeping my batteries charged. I promise not to sue you when my child turns out to be ADD b/c I nursed him with cappuccino-laced milk.
Farley's is hands down the rudest business I've ever frequented, and the coffee is mediocre at best. I live on Potrero, but I'll gladly drive to Dogpatch to get my coffee any day.
The magazine selection is great, but the people behind the counter spoil the show.
I love Farley's. It's a great neighborhood spot. The dogs line the sidewalk, people sit at the tables with newspapers and laptops, or with some Hazel's sandwiches, from next door. And best of all, they make good coffee. Each can of milk is individually steamed, and you can see the baristas taking their time to make your coffee well.
This is not the place to come and ask for a vanilla latte. Even ordering a normal cup of coffee will give you a bit of an eye roll, but they do have it. Come here for standard coffee - lattes, espressos, cappuccinos.. you get my drift.
They have a great selection of pastries to. They have Anzac cookies, which I haven't seen anywhere else. And the strawberry-rosemary muffins that they have there are great.
This is a great place to come, relax and enjoy a cup of coffee. I have to say that the staff are sometimes downright rude and in a bad mood, but I just shrug that off. Usually, they are happy and friendly.
They are cash only, but there is an ATM in the convenience store, next door.
I've been a fan of this place since I was a bookworm of a kid. Now my lifestyle has changed slightly and in addition to printed materials I consume caffeinated, foamy milk at an unhealthy rate-- and my choices in life must reflect this. But this place satisfies my expanded appetite. Farley's has a really nice magazine selection and very good lattes. Their drip is disappointing, so beware. I must echo the other reviews here: the neighborhood feeling of this cafe is unbeatable. I didn't have a problem with the service but I don't frequent this place enough so maybe I just got lucky.
Latte was OK but not very strong and not a lot of flavor. The barista was a kind of rude one time I went, but for the most part people are nice. The baristas do have a good music selection at least the couple times I have stayed to enjoy my coffee.
Farley's is an anachronism-- the kind found only in the Pacific Northwest or college towns in the Midwest. But I don't mean to imply it's not progressive.
As I write this, there's a gentleman with a baby strapped across his chest reading whatever vegans read after they finish Omnivore's Dilemma, The Misfits are playing on the stereo (hardly a hi-fi, more like a glorified boom box... perfect for The Misfits), three dogs waiting obediently outside, the rejuvenating scent of coffee and pastries filling the air, and not a single non-Macintosh computer in the joint. My kind of coffee shop.
But, the anachronistic part lies in their sheer disregard of modern coffee shop convention (ahem, Peet's, Starbucks, etc.) There's a gigantic magazine rack sitting in the corner-- if only people actually read them!-- at least 10 people on their computers who haven't returned to the counter for seconds in over an hour, and none of the Crate & Barrel polish of the more chic San Francisco java hot spots.
The result? I love Farley's. Nestled in the greatest little area of the City by the Bay, it even overlooks the bay and downtown on a clear day, Farley's truly is a neighborhood coffee shop. It is MY neighborhood coffee shop... as long as they keep playing The Misfits.
I absolutely love this place and wish I lived closer. I had a meeting here a few weeks ago and absolutely loved the atmosphere and the coffee too. The people there are really great too!
Is there an east bay one planned soon? :-)
Farley was my childhood best friend.
Now Farley is my best friend on sunday morning.
Sunday morning is the only day of the week that I am aloud out of my house. (House arrest, investment banking scheme gone wrong, no millions for anyone)
So I drink lattes and sometimes cappuchinos. And I also I like coffee.
Now while i wait for farley to cook my drink i get to read farleys cool magazines. He also has nice art to look at and think about.
sometimes the art depicts the people of the neighborhood.
This makes me feel as though I know these people and then they smile down upon me from their frame.
Farley cooked a great coffee drink.
I never stay long.
Too many people are there and they always are looking at me.
Sometimes its nice to bring the dog to farleys. he can wait outside by the chairs.
i love this neighborhood cafe tucked away in potrero hill. they have an extensive collection of magazines and board games as well!
be aware of how strong their coffee is, i had a latte in the afternoon and i couldn't sleep until 3 am! farley's is also a great place to grab a cup of coffee on the go and walk around the neighborhood, or to sit down and enjoy there.
oh Farley's, I love you so. From your fabulously delicious double lattes (to go, please) to the free back issues of some of my favorite magazines (Black Book, InStyle and Food and Wine? no cover? NO PROBLEM!) and a nice place for me to study on a Friday night until 10pm.
Kudos to Farley's for hosting cool community events such as the Annual Pet Fest and Pet Parade! The current photo wall (photos taken by Christopher Irion) is wonderful!
http://junbelen.wordpr...
Tasty coffee. And even tastier treats like their chocolate cake and pumpkin chocolate chip cake.… Read more »
Good Coffee -- Remarkably unpleasant staff.
The coffee at this place is very good but you really need to brace yourself for the people behind the counter. Rude, unpleasant and lots of attitude. It has become a joke among some of my friends to see if anyone get them to engage or at least be nice. All unsuccessful so far.... Oh well. Get your coffee and get out....
Coffee that is strong, black, and bitter...I like my joe just how I like my women.
Farley's delivers every time.
I hadn't heard of Farley's until KTPower took me there last weekend before we went to a show at the Bottom of the Hill. Seems she had a date here a few months back and liked it so much, she decided to take me to check it out. We both love coffee and can be a bit picky, so knowing that she had given it the thumbs up, I was all set to check it out.
We each got the same thing, a soy mocha latte which was splendid from first sip to last. No whip cream here to mess up the cool leaf design the barista makes with the milk on the top of the latte! A great touch showing they just don't hire anyone off the street to be a barista at Farley's.
Being that it's fall and every which way your turn there is something pumpkin to be had, Farley's isn't missing the boat! We split a pumpkin chocolate chip cake that was so loaded with chips it should have been called a chocolate chip pumpkin cake instead of the other way around! Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that! So moist, so good, so yummy, we could have eaten a whole tray of them!
Farley's I wish I lived closer to you.... Enjoy!
the coffee is always excellent and the local artwork, neighbors, and selection of magazines to freely peruse is perfect. Yay favorite place!
The staff apparently has to undergo weeks of a-hole training before being allowed behind the counter. It had become a pastime for me to wait for my coffee (no other options in the neighborhood) and witness:
- Counter person greet incoming customers by staring at them without speaking.
- Grumpy barista getting increasingly pissed every time anyone asks him things like "Is this my mocha?"
I now walk over the (steep) hill to Piccino to get better coffee without the attitude.
Ref. Jeff R.'s comments last week on "the mean people behind the counter" -- today being a week later and also a Monday, I went into Farley's at 8:40 a.m. and ordered. The cashier was fine, but there was a long line of people waiting to get their coffee. After ordering, I waited and chatted with a friend. I witnessed the coffee-making person* rudely snap at someone asking whether their coffee was done yet, and when after four and a half minutes my cafe au lait wasn't finished yet, the guy snapped at me too: "It's coming!"
Perhaps this is a problem with the guy who makes coffee* on Mondays. Anyway, the coffee itself is fine.
One other problem. Monday mornings is street cleaning between 8 and 9 a.m. so parking is very hard to find. Frankly I'll avoid this place on Mondays from now on. As for the coffee-making clown* with the snippy manner: Listen, Chuck, anybody who comes into your cafe and orders espresso has done it a million times at a thousand other cafes. They know how long it takes a competent person to make espresso. And none of these people were rude to you. You are an ass.
* who doesn't deserve the appellation "barista"
This is what a coffee shop should be -
Located on Potrero Hill, so you have a beautiful view of the city...friendly staff, interesting patrons, and a nicely stocked magazine rack (I picked up The Economist, Utne Reader, and Harper's).
My iced coffee was great and the bar had organic cream and raw sugar (not in the little packets but bulk, better for the environment!)-
Congratulations Farley's for keeping it real!~
Their coffee is delicious: smooth and round. Dunno if those are appropriate coffee descriptions, but I *always* add boatloads of cream (wherever I am...must have been a milkmaid in a previous life) and love it.
It seems there are a lot of negative reviews regarding the staff, but isn't that typical of any coffee shop?
Try a dirt-bomb...it's some sort of cinnamon 'n sugar donut-muffin. Yummers.
Might as well face it, I'm addicted to Farley's.
I mean sure, there's caffeine in the beverages, and I'm addicted to that too -- but I find myself here as often as I possibly can, so at this point I think it's about more than just chemical dependence.
My checklist of requirements for a coffeeshop to be considered good is long and exacting, and Farley's pretty much checks them all. It needs to be within walking distance of my house. There needs to be kitsch on the walls, but not too much kitsch. The baristas need to be friendly, but not BFF's. The furniture needs to be well-used, but not ghetto. And so goes my well-checked list. And you can't argue with lists.
So if you choose to pop into this place, look around; there's a 40% chance I'm sitting in the corner booth with black coffee and a bagel from Hazel's next door, nursing all my addictions.
Although I don't live in the neighborhood, I enjoy coming here after work or after a weekend motorcycle ride. As mentioned elsewhere, the coffee is tops, especially their latte drinks.
Also mentioned elsewhere is the indifferent attitude of the barristas, but having made espressos for a living during my youth, the guys & gals at Farley's are pretty easy going & friendly. (I once told a hippie to "f---- off" when he wanted me to re-heat his latte, a latte he'd been sipping for over an hour.)
Sitting outside, it's fun to watch the local jocks at Bloom's Saloon across the street shout & swear as the 49ers fumble yet another pass, while munching on an excellent sandwich from Hazel's, located right next door.
The magazine rack at Farley's is both middle-of-the-road and eclectic, but -- alas -- they don't stock Penthouse Forum.
Great magazine rack, local hangout. Pics of the Halloween pet contest were on the wall- beautifully done.
Baristas were engaged in a fight/argument when I walked it- would be great if they could take it to the back or pay attention to the customer.
Tables a bit close together- found it a little chilly with the door open.
Great coffee, free refill.
No better way to kick back on a sunny day: grab an outdoor table, gab with your friends, and drink the delicious coffee that Farley's cranks out.
Before you know it, you'll be buying a Farley's T-Shirt to show off the caffeine molecule printed on it.
If you want food, Hazels next door has great sandwiches.
Decided they would add wi-fi which attracts the lap top sitter and non-fat milk. Still the staff is rude. Following is recent experience...
me: "um, my latte?" (ordered 10 minutes before)
hipster barrista: "Your depth-charge is right there" points to cup on counter
Me: " I didn't order a depth charge"
hipster barrista: "WELL, that's what I heard" ....silence...
me: "Well! I know I didn't order it because I don't even know what a depth charge is.."
hipster barrista: "sure about that? 'cause thats what you said"
me: "yeah, I'm positive"
hipster barrista: makes grand gesture of throwing depth charge away and sneers.
Perfect Coffeehouse Ambience --I Love to support my great neighborhhod coffee house that is… Read more »
Grrrrrrr to the mean people behind counter. Then there is nice customers and good coffee. Then there is mean people behind the counter. Then there is the nice space, magazine selection and location. I boycotted this place for about two years because of the customer service...came back. Its even worse. I miss Kyp (who worked there years ago, now a musician who lives in Brooklyn) He was great. My heart sinks and really become sad for the owner. I have met him and he is such a nice guy. Why does he hire such jerks?
My dream coffee house.
The selection of mainstream to special interest magazine selection is a huge plus. Any coffeehouse with "Adbuster" and "The New Yorker" gets a plus in my book.
I adore their tea selection. The tea can be served in a refillable pot which makes it convenient for group setting. The chai latte is creamy and spicy, how yum!
I like the outdoor seating- especially if you can get food from Hazel's kitchen. I can create new flavors- keemun tea plus vegetarian quesadilla.
Way back when I lived in the Lower Haight ('91), I used to come all the way out here for giant cups of coffee and the community journals. When I published my first zine ('93), Farley's was the first place to buy a few copies and put them on their magazine rack.
This has always been a great cafe with a truly neighborhood feel.
I go there very often as i live nearby. Coffee is ok, premises are great (lots of tables, magazines, etc.). The people behind the counter however, are more often than not grumpy and at times rude. There is only one size of cup so don t ask for a tall/large coffee or you will get a condescending remark. :-)
There are a few good guys though.
The music in the morning is often quite bad: punkish, loud, shouting music is not the best suited at 7am in my opinion but maybe it reflects the mindset of the grumpy barristats. :-)
For some reason, Farley's reminded me of Brooklyn the instant I walked in. This ain't no chain coffeeshop playing Dido or jazz, nor the artsy, over-decorated, bohemian neighborhood coffeeshop w/ the antique couches playing Sarah Mclachan. This is Brooklyn hipster. Think aviator sunglasses, skinny jeans (on men and women), beat-up vans sneakers, girls with bangs, v-neck cardigans (again, on men and women), a shelf of old-school used books, board games, and a corner of designer art mags. I didn't get the "Central Perk" vibe like another reviewer did - it's not warm and fuzzy, it's cool. Cool like Brooklyn. Very cool and simple, no BS or frills.
Like their menu. $1.75 for their house coffee w/ free refills. And it's damn good coffee. What more can I say? I love NY.
Farley's is a very cool neighborhood joint.
It has an aura that is very similar to the coffee shop "Central Perk" on "Friends" (the TV show) without the comfortable sofas or Gunther, but decent in space and unique.
My friend and I scored seating inside amongst other neighborhood patrons who came with their laptops to work. Due to those people, though - it's a bit hard to talk in this coffee shop at a discernable volume because with everyone solo at their tables, two chatty girls talking could be heard by basically all. We were discussing... uh... classified information.
What disappoints me about Farley's is that their coffee is mediocre. It's just nothing special - can't even hold a candle to Starbucks, in my opinion, never mind premium coffee like Blue Bottle. Some love Farley's coffee, so to each his/her own, but it just wasn't my cup of coffee. It was just OK.
Service was acceptable - - nothing warm or friendly but I can't say they were rude, either. It's unfortunate, though, because I am sure with outstanding servers, Farley's would be the preferred coffee joint in the neighborhood for many more people. I have been to Starbucks that make service much more personal than this place.
I've always made clear my love for coffee.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
And I'm inclined to live at a good coffee joint for half my day with a good friend and great conversation if the coffee is good. I've stayed at one coffee shop for up to 10 hours straight with various friends. I'm not kidding. (Yes, I am extremely sedentary!)
Farley's?
Good atmosphere, minimum service, and mediocre coffee. Not bad, but not particularly great, either!
Pastries are not so good. Croissants often taste like Wonder Bread inside. Their pastry supplier should be ashamed. Luckily they let you bring in food from the mediocre sandwich/bagel place next door.
Farley's runs a little cold. Every time I'm there, they burn an english muffin. The coffee grinder is loud which can interrupt conversation. But in Potrero, there aren't many hang-out spots with as much of a local feel. You'll definitely run into your neighbors here.
Farley's get the award for top wood floor to pass out on, since it seems likes crumbling/rotting out from under your feet.
Ok, I get the Farley's shtick: cantankerous coffee "experts" pull top-notch shots without any BS.
But when I stopped in for a cup early this morning, all I got was a rude coffee dude who made me a cappuccino that was really a latte.
Message to Farley's: stop by Four Barrel or Ritual if you want to taste a high-quality beverage. And, hey coffee guy, SMILES don't cost a dime!
More like 3.5 stars. It was time for a revisit since it's near the Mariposa St. exit off of 280. Like other yelpeeps reviewed, this is really a neighborhood/non-chain-feel style cafe, but I didn't receive any too-cool vibe or surly attitude.
The $2.17 Americano was strong and good, but the cafe's large open doorway cooled it quickly, so consider that if you consider lingering here. Many people really came in to just chat and catch up before heading to elsewhere; probably all the quaint eateries nearby. Oh, the restroom is upstairs to the right.
Being new to the neighborhood, I'm so happy I live here, so happy Farley's is close by. Fantastic mochas, great standard coffee, cool magazine selection and great music. As another person mentioned, the outdoor seating is great. Farley's makes me proud to live in such a great neighborhood.
Coffee shop heaven, essentially.
In the realm of neighborhood coffeehouses, I'd say this one definitely has a community-oriented feel. I enjoy it's super laid back atmosphere and consistent quality of coffee, which is pretty darn decent for my standards (and I am a harsh judge).
It really is a nice neighborhood hangout to do just about anything. Meeting a friend or two? Want to study or do some reading? Perhaps skim a few magazines? Your wifi at home is down (which is likely Comcast)? Farley's got your back.
My mom is Dutch and she knows three things, coffee, chocolate and cheese. Farley's let her down on two accounts. She ordered a latte and found it weak although topped by an exquiste latte arte de crema. She got a refill of regular coffee and couldn't finish it it was so phoo phoo. Her chocolate macaroon was provided by a 3P (I think) but it was also gummy and fatty.
I loved their wide tea selection and enjoyed the big cup of it, but found my scone to be sort of a Costco version. My stepmom's homemade should be on the market.
The crowd is worth it all, dipping into every age group and sub culture, all hovering around chitty chatty and sharing papers. The WIFI was drawing in the regular eye poppers. They have a album collection and regularly play vinyl, according to our server.
I like the neighborhood feel, and the big size with local art on the wall. Saw folks I would want to befriend, but can't rave about the actual fare....
Customer in front of me (CIFM): Hi, um, how fluffy are your croissants per say?
Coffee guy: (chuckles) You're f*cking kidding me right?
CIFM: No.
Coffee guy: I don't f*cking know. Buy one and find out!
Pros: I like the shelves of magazines, selection of teas and overall atmosphere.
Cons: Internet connection sucked, the people working the counter were in no particular hurry to fill orders and they didn't accept credit cards.
pros:
Smallish tables but we got one quickly. Had a bench to sit at-a plus for my g-friend.
Had a power strip for our computers.
Fine coffee-pretty designs in the foam.
Cute v-day cards and sweethearts candy (did I say we went on valentine's day? well, we did)
Fabulous vegan chocolate chip cookie
pretty easy parking
kind baristas
cons:
we unexpectedly were there for a comedy show. it had funny moments but jokes were often homophobic, heterosexist, fat-phobic, racist, made fun of incest. but it was free.
I am a cafe squatter - Farley's has really good coffee, free WiFi and Hazel's next store for an egg bagel or big-a** sammie.
Minus one star for no real size "large" coffee cups and only two hours of free WiFi access. Like I said, I bring my biz to the streets.
Nice Local Shop. Good Coffee and Great atmosphere.
Good place to just unwind or pick-up a quick cup.
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