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Mamá Art Cafe
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Arts & Entertainment Coffee & Tea, Arts & Entertainment [Edit]
4754 Mission St(between Leo St & Russia Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94112
Neighborhood: Excelsior
(415) 586-8453
- $5 for $10 promotion lasts for 1 year from date of purchase. After that period, your Certificate is redeemable for the amount you paid. Not valid with other certificates or offers. Only 1 certificate(s) can be purchased for own use. Must use in a single visit. Up to 1 can be purchased as gifts for others. Subject to the Yelp Deals General Terms.
- Reg. Price $10
- Discount 50%
- Savings $5
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 6:30 am - 6:30 pm
Sat-Sun 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
74 reviews for Mamá Art Cafe
Review Highlights
"This place is totally cool for supporting local artists."
(in 7 reviews)
"Once in a while they have musicians performing live music."
(in 7 reviews)
"All of the coffee is organic and fair trade."
(in 4 reviews)
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74 reviews in English
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Review from Chia W.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2012
This place is really amazing. I'd go there for a cup of mocha even at 6PM in the evening! It's so delicious. Haha, the old woman who works behind the counter is so adorable, too. I like watching her as she slowly stirs the little cups till perfect before finally pouring it into the paper cups. For me, $3 for any drink is pricey, but here, it's definitely worth it. I DON'T EVEN LIKE COFFEE, LOL.
Though one time, I was in a rush (I'm sure she saw) and my friend and I ordered at the same time. She ordered a Caramel macchiato and I ordered my small mocha, but as I watched them make it, I saw her squirt caramel vigorously into both cups. HAHA, ohwell, though, I like caramel anyways. (: She looked apologetic, but just so long as I got my mocha! It's absolutely delicious. Once, she asked me how it was and I said, "It's delicious, way better than Starbucks." She starts laughing at the mention of Starbucks. Haha Starbucks cannot even be compared to this place. :] I am still waiting to go back to this place, soon! -
Review from Andrew G.
11/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Mama Art Cafe is a nice little cafe located in the heart of the Excelsior district.
The place has very good quality coffee blends from all over Central America. Bold to mild, you can find your niche here. Very well lit as well as plenty of seating so you can enjoy that latte and get some work done all at the same time. They have a variety of foods to munch on and they also incorporate local artists into the cafe by displaying art along the walls.
Also to remember, there is a $5 minimum for debit/credit card purchases as well as an additional $5 charge for wifi. -
Review from Ethan C.
San Francisco, CA
8/8/2011
Colorful, peaceful, comfortable cafe which really brings my humble Mission Terrace neighborhood to life. The food is simple but tasty. Clara and I sat on a comfortable sofa and had good, fresh bagel sandwiches (egg/cheese and veggie/cream cheese) and yummy chai and coffee. They also have lots of juices and fresh croissants. The owners are really friendly. They display beautiful art from local artists, host live music every week, sell fair-trade coffees and donate money to local causes. Great people running a gem of a cafe. I will be back regularly.
Listed in: Best Businesses in Mission…
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Review from Jean C.
San Francisco, CA
8/31/2011
This is a wonderful neighborhood stop. I don't patronize any of the coffee "chain" places, this is a cozy friendly place that offers fair trade and organic coffees. In 2007 this was voted Best Cozy Cafe in the SF Bay Guardians Best of the Bay issue. Each month there are art or photography exhibits from local and afar that you cannot miss!You will not find another place like here. Besides a vast selection of coffee and tea drinks, there are plenty of eats and sweets. Even if you don't live in the Excelsior/Outer Mission you just have to try this place. And if you're very lucky, the owner Paulo himself may be there, and maybe even his mom. They are probably the warmest people you'll ever meet, and so deserving of your patronage. And as well, in the past, they have been supportive of Community Events and often generous donors on occasion.
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Review from monica c.
12/10/2010
Super friendly neighborhood cafe. I came here all the time when I worked part time and had three hours to kill in-between my first and fourth period classes. Great place to grab a cup of tea and read a book or do work. Chill music and relatively comfy couches. A few fairly large tables that usually aren't all taken as long as it's not lunch time.
Their food is pretty tasty for the most part. My favorite is a bagel and a bowl of their delicious homemade chicken noodle soup. The past few times I've been, the soup was sadly absent. Hopefully it's not a permanent thing.
For coffee, I'd stick to Martha's down the street. Especially if you like it fairly strong like me. -
Review from Jennifer Y.
San Francisco, CA
6/29/2010
# Strong coffee, good chai tea
# Bagels, more bagels (variety?) :]
# Clean, artsy atmosphere you wouldn't expect in the area
# Warm service
# Quiet
# TV + free wifi with an excellent download rate
# Seating room
I'd be back to meet a friend and sit down over a cup of strong coffee. -
Review from Dina G.
San Francisco, CA
11/11/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Watch out for crazy people playing the piano poorly.
Incredibly slow service.
But I like the coffee and it's a really nice space. -
Review from Lolia S.
San Francisco, CA
12/27/2009 3 photos
My laptop adventures continue. I brought the laptop to Mama and was pleasantly surprised to see an unpretentious coffeehouse that supports local artists. The environment was pleasant for working and the wi-fi signal stayed strong throughout my visit. I wouldn't want to be in this neighborhood after dark though.
They had oatmeal, muffins, some pastries that looked Mexican (a couple were made with corn), and bagel sandwiches. The place is spacious with mismatched furniture, free wi-fi, bathroom, power outlets, an old piano, open kitchen and stacks of boxes. They sell coffee beans and spices. The coffee beans came in bags that said El Salvador on them.
* Latte (large, $3.50): it came in a gigantic cup, it was extra hot and strong, bold but with a sour taste. The foam texture was too airy.
* Bagel sandwich ($5): They use Noah's bagels. $5 for a bagel sandwich with 1 egg, cucumbers, tomato, American cheese, and red onions, is expensive. The bagel was chewy (could have been toasted longer) and they layered the ingredients nicely. Every layer was thin but equal in size. Tasty.Listed in: Confessions of a Coffeeaholic, Free wi-fi + Food in SF
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Review from Bruce R.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2008 1 photo
the church where I pastor - yeah shameless plug - just moved into this district from Portrero Hill where Farley's was our hangout. I knew the first think on the agenda was to find my new "office". I had always known about Mama's but had never really spent any time here until recently.
UM . . . YUM . . . WOW . . . AWESOME
First things first . . . quite possibly the best Egg Bagel w/Ham sandwich I have ever had. Certainly not good for you in the artery kind of way, but oh will your soul be grateful. Top it off with an iced coffee, get your free wifi on and you have yourself one heck of an Excelsior hang out.
And that is not even the best part - though free wifi and ice coffee are hard to beat - but the vibe here is all SF Excelsior district all the time. This district is a constant rock concert in my opinion and it's people are the stars. All the energy, color, edginess and beauty of the district can be found right here at Mama's.
Thank you Mama's it is great to know you!Listed in: Cafe Crawler
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Review from Matt G.
12/4/2007
After our solid Hawaiian meal, we were picking our meat from our teeth and walking down the streets of Mission to do a little window-shopping. Then a guy walking his dog with a cup of joe in his possession. His coffee was aromatic and can be smelled from a distance. Then Matt approached the guy and asked,
"Hey buddy, where you get that cup of coffee from?"
He responded, "Mama's. It is located next to the Burger King. I love their coffees!"
Without any hesitation, Matt dragged niece's hand and ran down to the coffee shop and check it out.
This coffee shop is very pleasant and has no sight of ruggedness in this cafe. Matt had a medium Vanilla Latte. And for $2.75, not only that it is cheap, the hot-drink was very tasty. The drink is good enough to revive Matt's struggle through the day.
Niece had a 16 oz White Mocha. Her $3.25 is also a winner. A smile on her face is proven evidence.
The coffee shop is a family operated business and a damn good one.Listed in: Matt's Favorite Coffee-Houses, Review #600-#700
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Review from George K.
San Francisco, CA
11/2/2007
FREE WIFI that actually works, and works well, since it seems underused and underappreciated in this neighborhood. Been here for the whole morning in this spacious cafe and saw only 2 other laptop people (and not at the same time).
Good yogurt parfait and egg bagel.
Jazz playing pleasantly in background. Cool photo-art on the walls.
Clean bathroom.
They have live latin jazz on Saturdays - check on the time. -
Review from Bella B.
8/18/2009
Sorry for this sucky review, but this place (IMO) blows!
I mean you have like nothing but bagles for "sandwiches" really? Oh no wait, you also have "croissants". I guess I am the only one not going there for coffee, but to me it seems they have nothing (aside maybe plain tea) that is healthy! And I must have came there on an off day because the girl behind the counter hardly could understand me (hey I speak some Spanish, maybe I should have went with that, but I don't think that was it either!) and it was really annoying how many times I had to ask her if the "sandwiches are pre-made?" I mean it seemed like a simple question to me, yet it took her (seriously) 8 times of me asking to finally say "no we do in here" as she pointed to the counter. Plus they are too pricey IMO.
Pass! -
Review from Jamaica Y.
Philadelphia, PA
9/30/2007
Don't you hate it when you order something to eat and you're all happy, then you see what someone else ordered and you wish you had ordered that instead? I definitely had one of those moments last week as I sat sipping on my white hot chocolate (tasty) and drooling over the soup that the girl across from me was sipping (smelled like heaven).
This place is totally cool for supporting local artists. In fact, the reason I was there was to see a friend and his group Active Crime Transplant (may as well plug it).
I like this place a lot. Not enough to go to SF regularly from Oakland, but I've never been to a cafe THAT good. -
Review from Christina C.
West Hartford, CT
12/28/2008
The staff is super friendly and makes you feel like you're family. It's a "everyone knows your name" kind of place. I walked in and was greeted by a friend and Camenita (aka Mama con acento sobre la 'a')!
They don't serve too much food, but everyone was friendly from the staff and regular patrons. I was with a resident of the area who was familiar with the staff and the regulars. But it was not long before we were invited by a fellow guest sitting near us to attend a poetry night and our night was filled with great conversations.
The free WiFi is spotty so don't expect to have a great connection at all times.
What a sweet place.Listed in: Caffinate and Navigate in SF
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Review from Mo P.
Brooklyn, NY
8/25/2008 3 photos
This was my first coffee experience in SF, but the staff made me feel like I was practically family. The place is sunny and warm, with artwork on the walls, a little bay of goodies to buy, and a great selection of food and drinks.
Unsure of which coffee we wanted, the cute little old lady gave us three cups to try each one--- all of which were yummy. We snacked on the orange slices set out for communal snacking, then flipped through a little bio of the artist they were exhibiting as we sat at a big huge table. The owner even came over and chatted, telling me about "Mama" and the summer festival they have in her honor, the cafe, and the artist. What an adorable family-owned and operated place, I wish I stayed in San Fran long enough to hit it up again!Listed in: Coffee, mi amor!, The San Francisco Treat, minus…
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Review from Elena M.
San Francisco, CA
3/13/2008
This is definately the only worthwhile place in the excelsior to hang out. They have delicious espresso drinks, and Mexican hot chocolate so good that you'll pee your pants with pleasure. The homemade chicken soup is also delicious and made to order; actually everything is made to order, so there's no disgusting reheated slop. The people working are all super friendly, and so are the other customers.
Come on Saturday for free local music. They have a different band/artist every weekend. Also, ask the people at the counter about upcoming events. They have cd release parties and art receptions. -
Review from feng t.
San Francisco, CA
1/18/2007
I'm a Mama's boy. Mama makes you feel like you are part of the family. The owners, people who work at this cafe, and the clients are all so easy-going and warm.
Fresh food; free wi-fi; live music every Thursday night and Saturday afternoon. A blend of Folk and Latin Jazz, and sometimes impromptu performances by local artists who are also customers. Attractive Latinas behind the counter, always with sunny, authentic smiles. Very cool yet down to earth. Walt Whitman would have loved this cafe.
The coffee quality can be improved, but I really just go there to make friends and see all the beautiful people. -
Review from Jen D.
Cambridge, MA
3/26/2008
Best chai I've ever had. Don't know how authentic it is, but it's spicy creamy goodness in a big, fat over-sized cup. I don't want to know the fat content because I'd never be able to get it again.
The folks are nice, and the food is uber-slow, but worth the wait. Not a place to go to when you're in a hurry. This is a place for when you have an hour to invest somewhere.
The space is airy and light, even on overcast days. A great place to sit and work. -
Review from Sarah M.
Brooklyn, NY
7/17/2008 1 photo
Mighty Leaf tea +1 star
Rotating artists +1 star
Free music on Saturday afternoons +1 star
Free wifi +1 star
The nicest friendliest staff ever +1 star
Even though it's Excelsior, I will be making my way out here more often it's that great!Listed in: Coffee/Cafe/Caffeine, Live Music
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Review from Monster B.
San Francisco, CA
7/19/2010
Fantastic!
Sincerely friendly service. Clean bright space. Great strong coffee. Simple cafe fare.
Another reason to explore one of the genuinely most vibrant and culturally mixed 'hoods in SF.
Oh yeah, afterward slip into the 99¢ store next door. Best stocked...ever. -
Review from Adrian L.
Eugene, OR
7/28/2008
Mama has by far the best coffee I've every had in my life. They have like 5 different roasts that they import themselves. All of the coffee is organic and fair trade. They also import a variety of spices which you can buy at the cafe or at various markets which carry them. The peruvian coffee is incredible.
There is live music pretty often, and usually some friendly cool people hanging out. the staff is great too, although they lost two cute baristas in the last few months, keeping me from issuing a 5 star rating. -
Review from Tedi O.
San Francisco, CA
3/8/2008
The first time i walked by this place was when i was getting off work and i saw (now my friend) Thomas playing. I stood outside and he motioned for me to come in. I came inside and ever since that day (almost 3yrs ago) I've been comin back. i love how home feeling it is when you're there. you got a couple of tables, a couch, wonderful people employees, AMAZING art from the locals on the walls, the food is always fresh, there are never any "surprises" showing up in my food or drink which is always a major bonus. occasionally i'll show up on a thursday night where they have live FREE music. some of the musicians that play are worthy of a record deal.
any one who is sick of the the burritos or entry fees, stop by here for a fresh change. -
Review from Rick C.
Berkeley, CA
8/9/2008
I've heard so much about this place for two years but I've only recently discovered and actually visited in the past year. Ever since then, I've gone back quite a bit.
Imagine a stereotypical trend-seeking, beret-wearing, art-infatuated guy in a coffeehouse. Cafe Mama allows you to get one step closer with the fantastic art, cozy atmosphere, and really great beverages and spices that they have.
I love getting breakfast there if I can spare the time. I recommend their pesto sandwich and their bagel and cream cheese is always good. How can you ruin a bagel and cream cheese? Although, they do put so much cream cheese that sometimes I really do have to wipe away all that excess fat. I haven't got too much of their coffee or espresso-based drinks though. Their freshly made orange juice, yogurt parfaits, and fruit cups are also a favorite of mine.
I like Cafe Mama and that it's a local cafe. The story behind the opening of the cafe is always really heart warming, as a guy opened it in tribute to his mother and grandmother. They lose money (most likely due to rent or Martha Brothers or perhaps a combination of the two) but it's still impressive that they continue to open just for the community. You can also find some art exhibitions or programs meeting in their cafe, which they endorse and advertise so they really are more than "that cafe around that corner on Mission." -
Review from James T.
San Francisco, CA
9/12/2009
We like this place and the people there.
They host events for neighborhood events and have a good coffee to boot.
Cozy and friendly, what more can you ask for.
Oh yeah, a lot less crazy drifters wonder in here - Martha Bros seems to get them for some reason.Listed in: Deep Mission Hangouts
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Review from Michael M.
San Francisco, CA
6/23/2007 1 photo
This cafe/art/music space is the best in the Excelsior. I'm amazed it's not more crowded all the time, but with the "name brand' of Martha and Bros. up the block, it's got competition. It's named for the mother of one of the owners, and she is often there behind the counter. A friendlier kinder Mama I can't imagine knowing. Many of the people who work here are family and friends, and the family-style attention really shows. The breakfast/lunch menu is small, but everything is always very fresh and made to order. The breakfast bagel sandwich is one of my faves - delicious!
The space is always decorated with fresh flowers and original artwork hanging on the walls. A beautiful custom mural decorates the back wall. Be sure to check out the bathroom and its quirky decor.Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Trish A.
Oakland, CA
3/4/2008
Is there any kind of unspoken rule on what's considered an acceptable length of time for your stay based on how much you purchase? I stayed about eight hours yesterday, a full work day for me, and the entire time I felt completely comfortable and welcome!
Their wifi works great compared to others I've tried, plus their food and coffee are delicious. I had an iced mocha, water, and a veggie bagel. Seriously one of the best bagel sandwiches I've had: avocado, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, salt & pepper, and cream cheese on a toasted asiago cheese bagel. Sooo good!
It seemed like a lot of people were getting the homemade chicken soup though. I definitely will be trying that out next time I come by here. =) -
Review from Monica G.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 8/17/2009 1 photo
This place is very active in the community. At town halls, they have donated coffee and pastries, its also a chill place. I have meetings with friends here, its nice they don't expect you to buy anything, if you just wanna come in and sit on their couch, go ahead. But I always get a drink or something cause I feel bad for being there and not buy anything.
Awesometastic!Listed in: #1 SF Best of the Best, Best of my neighborhood
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/14/2008
I love their sandwhiches, hot chocolate, wifi, home-y feeling, the style. Prices are pretty good,… Read more »
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Review from Warzie L.
San Francisco, CA
9/23/2007
I love Mama Art Cafe. First of all because they actually do have a commitment to supporting local artists. The walls are covered with a revolving display of local artists' work, and they sponsor live music regularly. Everything from the latest up and coming indie band to accordeonists, chanteuses covering torch songs, to jazzy bass mood music.
Like another reviewer I am puzzled that it is not more crowded. But maybe that's a good thing. There are always a couple people inside either chatting or working on their MacBooks... you never have to fight for a seat (and I LOVE the cushy couches to cuddle up with my computer).
Best coffee shop in Outer Mission (Martha & Bros is just a few doors down and is a close second but I prefer Mama's if I'm going to drop a few bucks to rent space for my butt for an hour) -
Review from Christopher T.
San Francisco, CA
3/14/2009
Oh my gawd..try the Tiger Chai Tea...to live for!
Sonia and I come here to play scrabble and the art work exhibitions vary and are beautiful! The bathroom overlooks a garden and the walls have murals as well! Cozy place with ample table space.
You'll find free parking on San Jose Ave...it's worth the walk to avoid the stress of getting a ticket on mission as you lose track of time at the cafe. -
Review from Soph K.
San Francisco, CA
4/15/2010
A good friend of mine and I decided to meet up for a cup of coffee and some sweet munchies and since we live in the area, we decided to venture away from our usual spots in Glen Park or Bernal Heights. We decided to wander around the Mission/Excelsior and found this place.
Open wide, spacious and quiet-- a nice place to sit down, have a conversation with a good cup of coffee. I really like the colorful tables and the artwork on the walls are interesting. The barista was very friendly; I'm a sucker for friendly service... love it. My friend and I did want a cookie with our coffee but they had nothing but bagels. However, there's a pretty good bakery right across the street, so we were pretty much set. We'll probably make this our local coffee and hang out spot. -
Review from Alexandra L.
Foster City, CA
7/11/2010
This place rocks. It makes me hungry just thinking about it.
The breakfast bagels are really good and filling. I want to go right now, infact. -
Review from Valdeir F.
San Francisco, CA
11/12/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I live right in front of it! Every Monday is coffee day from there.
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Review from Marina N.
9/3/2008
Clean, friendly staff and customers, good wifi.
Parking meters in front are 1 hr only. -
Review from Jason B.
12/28/2008
Things didn't start out well - the lady behind the counter had no idea about the 20% off deal mentioned on their yelp page, and there were no sugar free syrups for my coffee.
But things got much better.
Coffee was good, their parfait was jam packed with granola and fruit goodies (plus I had my choice of lowfat yogurt flavors), and my turkey and hummus sandwich was outstanding.
Free wifi adds to the draw, though the seats aren't all that comfortable.
Overall, a nice spot in an area that needs coffee shops such as this. -
Review from Jana T.
San Francisco, CA
9/7/2008
The coffee here is pretty bad - I mean in Austin, the quality would be four-star, but in SF, it's more like a one or two star.
But there is something to this sunny, well-lit casual space with cheesy pop music that has its appeal in the Bay Area, where it feels each cafe is trying to top each other in how hip it is. Getting nice service (the woman here is really friendly and has service with a genuine smile and wearing a t-shirt and jeans), having a calm non-outdoing each other atmosphere is relaxing to me.
Oh and free wifi! Lots of plugs. Good for doing a little bit of work on a sunny Sunday afternoon if you feel like the bike ride out to Excelsior. -
Review from Oscia T.
San Francisco, CA
12/5/2010
I'm at Mama's right now, studying. She's playing mellow instrumental and choral music, which I appreciate. It is slightly too loud for reading though.
Not too crowded, coffee is good, and the two couches are comfy. Overall, great experience.
I didn't give 5 stars because I tried to come the other day and there was live trumpet music. The place is not large enough for that nonsense. People go to coffee shops to quietly read or to have a conversation with a friend. Come on. -
Review from Annie A.
Olympia, WA
12/8/2009
The Excelsior can be a pretty shabby neighborhood but between the fast food joints, dive bars, and greasy spoons is this little treasure.
The food and drinks are great and everyone who works here is really friendly. I think one or two of the employees aren't totally fluent in English, but the Excelsior is a mostly Spanish speaking community, what do you expect? My drinks and food have always come out right (and delicious!) so I'm not complaining.
My favorite thing about Mamá Art Cafe is that it really is a legitimate art gallery. The featured artists are always changing and there are frequent events promoting artists. There are also musical performances about once a week I think.
The only thing that I could wish for is later hours! -
Review from Marlyn D.
Los Angeles, CA
1/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was expecting a little more local art but it is a cutie little place to hangout for a cup of Joe. Love it when locals support their neighborhood businesses
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Review from crutonic l.
San Francisco, CA
10/15/2010
really good organic coffees. nicest cafe in excelsior.
nice backyard but not sure if you can hang out back there. -
Review from Marcelo S.
Lafayette, CA
2/5/2009
I am always fascinated by "Mamá" Art; Orrganic Coffee and Fresh Spices.
This venue is decorated with colorful smiles, and International people.
I love my coffee from berkeley but Mama has never dissappointed me.
As a dancer instructor and a lover of life, I must admit that this is true cultural gem in San Francisco.
This is a genuine venue filled with inspiration.
Thank you "Mamá" for keeping us smiling :)
