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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bagels
Neighborhood: Point LomaPasilla Chili stuffed with Turkey in Mole sauce. Topped with goat cheese or pepper jack.
Announced 6 days agoMon-Sun. 5:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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My wife and I were recently in San Diego for what I loosely call a "working" vacation. It turned out to be more of an exploration of the fantastic San Diego area in which we found incredible shops, food and people.
One of those places was Reds Espresso Gallery. We found it completely by chance on the last day of our visit while we drove around Point Loma for some final sight seeing. And what a find it was!
We parked in the back lot and entered through a private garden seating area. When we make it back here we'll be sure to sit outside in this peaceful spot. Inside, warm red walls invite you in and the decor is bohemian and artsy which is right up our alley.
Once we figured out what we wanted, it was easy sailing after that. I know that people often say that they've had "the best - whatever - they've ever had in their lives" but I really DID have the BEST chocolate muffin of my life! It was still warm from the oven and matched perfectly with the in-house roasted dark blend that I relied on to wake me up.
We both enjoyed the breakfast sandwich special complete with peppered bacon, egg and cheese on a fresh bagel. My wife went in another direction when it came to her drink. While I was begging for coffee she bragged about her special house blended chai tea latte topped with ground nutmeg and just the right amount of foam. She commented on how spicy the blend was which made it that much more enjoyable and after trying it I admitted to her that I was jealous of the selection.
Finding Reds on our last morning turned out to be the icing on the cake for a wonderful "working" vacation. We highly recommend getting down there if you're in town.
You won't be disappointed.
I am on a mission to drink as much Mexican Mocha as I possibly can for the weekend. There is cheering going on in my head that has been my positive imaginatory support.
The seating is intimate and there's a piano played by someone - my guess he was a customer. The MM was pretty good, still will take multiple tries to assess for the best, but Red's is definitely not below average. They use Ibarra Mexican chocolate and if you don't see MM on the menu, ask for it.
Here is another review from http://CoffeeRecon.com.
Reds Espresso Gallery has added new hours from 5am-12pm creating the best place to visit in San Diego.
You will be satisfied with fresh in house roast coffee and plenty of homemade bake goods. The sandwiches are unique and tasty with many snacks too choose from.
It is just like my favorite spot in Montauk New York on the end of Long Island a summer hangout.
Reds is a Wifi heaven with great coffee and the best muffins you can find on the West Coast. Recently I have tried the cranberry muffin with almonds and honey it is a toss up between that and the raspberry ones. Guess you will have to decide.
CoffeeRecon has traveled the world and has visited over 10,000 coffee shops.
Wow. That hot blond at Red's just made me the BEST MEXICAN Mocha I've ever had! Ali usually takes great care of all the customers,but while she was busy helping someone else I was offered their new Mexican Mocha..... and it was awesome.
They use the good Ibarra chocolate instead of that other junk. I highly recommend anyone that hasn't tried Red's Mexican Mocha to get in there and get one. The only bad thing is now I'm fully addicted..... :)
Solid place. Haven't had the food, but the coffee and tea selection are good. Ample outlets for the free wifi, outdoor patio in the back for smoking and the 2 times I went the staff was really, really friendly. Not just nice, but it actually seemed like they wanted you there and didn't have the typical barista kid mean attitude.
There's a piano in the main room for anyone who can play, they roast the beans right there and have a small retail and local art section.
Overall it's the best coffee shop in the greater Point Loma/OB area. At least they're open til midnight, not like everything else in the city that shuts down after sunset.
I absolutely love the feel of this place. Local arts and crafts for sale and on display. It's very eclectic. The staff here are very nice and friendly.
They roast their own beans on site. So I really expected a better Mocha. I had it on 2 different occasions and it was very weak and watery. Maybe I didn't order the right thing here. But, this is how I judge my coffee. I have a standard go to drink, if they mess that up, well then I most likely won't like the other drinks.
I really wanted to love the coffee here but it didn't do it for me. I did find a better Mocha right across the street at the Living Room
OK, so Red's recently changed ownership... I'd been once before, under the previous owner. It was good..
The new owner was there this time.. she was offering $1 shots of a new power wheat grass energy type of drink to everyone. They were a new product she was going to offer apparently. It made her very talkative she said. That much was obvious.
I ordered an ice white mocha and a shot of the wheat grass. Then a chocolate chip cookie to balance it all out. The cookie was good... the ice white mocha was too sweet for my taste and was average. The wheat grass was actually reddish and didn't taste like wheat grass... it was tasty.
The overall vibe is not the same as before. Not worse necessarily, just different. They still have a great selection of food and pastries to go along with the drink menu.
Overall, the place is a decent choice... they have free wifi and some good seating for groups of all sizes.
The chocolate chip cookies are AMAZING. Last time I was there I got a fresh one. I tried to draw out the enjoyment, but when my hand went to get another piece of cookie amazingness two minutes after I sat down it came back empty. I tried to blame it on my dog, but she was sleeping soundly under the table. The mexican mochas are also excellent.
The outdoor patio area in the back is cute, but it overlooks the parking lot, which detracts from its charm. Maybe if they have a few more, or a lot more plants, they could isolate it better. The inside it a little dark but cozy, and free wifi is great.
I'm thrilled and delighted by this Point Loma coffee shop. First, they have about a zillion sugar-free syrups for coffee. I'm enjoying my first skinny *chocolate* latte ever in a charmingly chipped coffee mug. Second, it's Sunday morning, typically a time period too bustling to be able to work in a coffee shop, but the place is quiet, cool and relaxing. Bummer for their bottom line, but I'm happy, and it means I'll spend some more money when I buy my lunch here.
Finally, someone just turned down the cafe music to play the piano... well! Delightful. This could well be my new favorite place to work.
Reds is awesome! (Note their website name, pls) SEXY BEANS!
I never noticed it until my most recent visit to the Living Room and saw it when I was stepping out -- it looked like a charming little coffee shop, maybe a perfect place to find an unexpectedly delicious cafe lunch. So, I followed my nose to Yelp and aside from a hater or two, people here seemed to be raving about it. Made a lunch date with my sis and the next day, here I was at Red's.
Service: Awesome -- the guy behind the counter was friendly and not at all annoyed when I did my usual standing at the counter but eyes at the wall while I tried to narrow down my decision on their enormous menu.
Food: Awesome -- 6.99 got me an enormous veggie wrap with hummus, feta, tzadziki (hey Yelp, add that one to spellcheck, would you?) tons of veggies, a side of fruit and a side of bagel chips. Pretty good coffee. A lady asked us if we were enjoying our meal - in a way that made me think she may have been the owner - but then she walked out the door so maybe it was just a curious customer. But yes! We did enjoy our meal.
Atmosphere: We hogged the plush reading chairs, but I could also see the longer table in the back being perfect for busting out a board game or a book club, there was patio seating too it seemed... I didn't really explore the cafe seating options but it did seem a lot bigger than it appeared from outside. They were playing pretty great Squirrel Nut Zippers-esque swing music. Reminded me of an old favorite haunt in Chicago: Don's Coffee Club
Location: Easy to find, easy to park.
Moral of the story: I will definitely be back!
Seriously, any business whose Web site is http://www.sexybeans.com is a winner in my book. But even if Red's didn't have the most awesome Web site name ever, they'd still be one of my favorite coffee spots in town. I used to live a couple of blocks away and even though I came pretty often, I could kick myself for not having spent every morning and night here. I love it here that much.
Red's is positively charming with lots of comfortable indoor seating. There's even a cute patio in back with tables and chairs for you to hang with your doggy friend.
They have tons of delicious drinks, sandwiches, pastries and yummy breakfast goodies. The service is always spectacular and there's always lots of parking. If you're looking for the perfect spot to get some serious writing or reading done, Red's is your place!
I wanted to review something spectacular for my 50th, but I am so appalled by my recent visit to Reds, I had to Yelp it out of my system.
This place used to be one of my favorite lunch spots on the Peninsula... great coffee, excellent wraps at a decent price, and great daily specials. The place is just quaint enough to invite an extended visit, and the service is just friendly enough to leave you with a smile on your face.
Why the two stars, then? Well, after going on hiatus from eating out for lunch, I just couldn't wait any longer for my favorite turkey wrap with sprouts, goat cheese, and cranberries complete with home made bagel chips, and a sliced orange!
The utter disappointment was twofold and resulted in my own personal foodie tragedy, and subsequent divorce:
1. They've since raised the price of my favorite wrap from an affordable 5.99 to an exorbitant 7.99! This changes the quality: price ratio too drastically to make it a regular lunch place.
2. Someone decided to change their tried and tested wraps by removing all vegetables, adding a low-grade cheese, and sticking them on a panini grill. This might be one of the worst gastronomic faux pas I've ever experienced in my life... gone is the delicate progression of flavors, from tart, to savory, to sweet, and even spicy. Gone are the fresh vegetables, thoughtful ingredients. In their stead: a greasy, congealed mess of meat and cheese flattened into oblivion. I managed to get through about 1/3 of it while choking back vomit before I gave up.
1/2 star for the stellar service
1/2 star for the bagel chips
Food breakups are worse than actual breakups. Not only are you left with a broken heart, you're left with an empty stomach!
My local coffee shop. The Double Black Diamond brew is outstanding and not acidic. When I lived in New Zealand I would have my mom buy this coffee and ship it to me since nothing else compared. The decor is cute and comfy and they always have great music playing. A great place for me to bring clients and to get to know the community because there is a following of locals hanging out there.
This is the place for delicious pastries and great coffee. We love coming here. I really like the skinny mocha.
Red's is, as far as I have experienced, the best coffee in Point Loma, clearly superior to both The Living Room (across the street) and, of course, Starbucks (at least three local locations). Of the three, only Red's can claim coffee whose flavors have enough merits that one need not obfuscate them behind a haze of sugar and half-and-half. Furthermore, Red's keeps their coffee in insulators and not burners, in contrast with most of the competition. The inevitable result of keeping coffee on a burner during anything other than peak hours is, no surprise, burned coffee. I drink a lot of coffee, but rarely do I do so at peak hours so this is especially at issue to me. Red's deft use of insulators avoids this situation entirely.
Red's attracts a notably grisled clientele. Not that all sorts don't come here, because they certainly do, but at any given time at least a third of the patrons are of the sort that would be equally at home using their calloused fingers and a rusty knife to gut a fish on the weathered deck of a barnacle-encrusted tuna troller. This used to stand out to me as an eclectic point of interest, but I've since come to view it as such an innate part of the Red's experience that it wouldn't be a trip to Red's without traversing the back patio and inhaling at least one breath of smoke from the unfiltered Camel's that these haggard, robust souls consume by the pack.
On a final note, I've always been happy with the service at Red's. The employees are all genuinely friendly and make the Red's experience an all around pleasurable one.
Wow, I am surprised no one has reviewed this place yet. My housemate took me there over the past weekend. She had been living out in Point Loma for a while before moving in with us; she claims this to be her favorite cafe around the area. Based on my visit, I would have to agree.
The charms of this place immediately captures you. The interior decor is blanketed with rouge (hence the name Reds). Seating areas are somewhat small but still intimate enough to keep your conversations from being carried elsewhere. There is an old upright piano that customers can play with.
Service is warm and just right. The surfer boy behind the counter we met was both engaging and courteous. Although on the day we went he seemed to be the only one working, he was able to provide service efficiently to several customers. The bagel sandwiches we ordered took a while, but we could overlook it since he did serenade us by playing the piano later on. :) We also had gotten white mocha as the surfer boy had suggested. It was sweet and surprisingly potent (I wasn't able to sleep that night).
Having spent a leisurely Sunday afternoon there, it was difficult to leave and return back to reality. Time just seems to move slower there, where you can abandon all cares away. It appears to be a place where many residents frequent but surprisingly has not caught the attention through yelp yet. Well, hopefully my review will do it justice. Pets are welcomed there, and ample parking spaces in the back lot.
Reds is a San Diego gem, and my fav spot in P-Lo. Awesome staff, fabulous coffee, and great food + smoothies. It has a funked local vibe that I totally dig -- and I bet you will too. Go there and enjoy!
p.s. Reds is exponentially better than the Living Room (the coffeehouse across the street). Go to Reds. You'll be happy you did.
I love this place. The atmosphere is great, the coffee is strong, and there's parking in the rear. Im only giving it four stars because they got rid of the Coffee Karma box. I loved picking up a cup of coffee and not have to wait in line or talk to anyone.... Still, this place is way better that the living room...
When I had some friends stay with me last month, we decided to explore Point Loma a bit, and came across Reds. From the outside it looked dumpy, but then you go inside it is a bit nicer. The guy working at the time was extremely friendly and nice, and that was the best part of our experience.
We were sort of hungry, but we wanted something quick, so we bought some sort of scone, and a muffin. The scone was extremely dry, and the muffin was very over-cooked. we all got coffees, and I guess the coffee was ok, but it wasn't very hot, and there were grounds in my cup. we were going to order some food, but we didn't really want lunch, and the prices seemed very high for a coffee house. As we were sitting there visiting, our table top nearly fell off as Kyla (one of my friends) leaned on one side....?!? I watched a few other customers order, and one guy seemed to be getting super impatient as his sandwich that he ordered was taking a long time to be done. it seemed some of the customers were confused as to where to order, and where to pick up. we actually never found the pick up window. The bus tub in the back was full, and over flowing, and the floor looked like it hadn't been swept in days. Oh, and the most important thing: The espresso drinks were crap. my other friend Spencer ordered a vanilla latte of some sort, and it was full of gross foam on top, wasn't even very hot, extremely bitter, and way too sweet.
Reds is a decent looking, decently comfortable place with a unique atmosphere, but the coffee sucks, food is too expensive and didn't look that good, and overall there it not a good vibe about the place. we will probably not be back again, even Starbucks has better drinks, and a more "regular" coffee house feel. (and I'm anti-starbucks)
While "lost" in Point Loma earlier today I found this place on accident. I drove past it, U-turned back & went in.
I found:
- A Clean Atmosphere
- Good Music
- A Chill Little Dog Friendly Patio
- Beautiful Photos
- Tasty Coffee
Mainly somewhere to go if your out with a friend and want a little intimate chat. This place isn't that big, which adds to it's overall charm.
This is what a cafe should be, except it should be open 24 hrs and have live music on weekend nights. Every detail is considered and the decor is great in every way: from the undersea mural in the bathroom to the integrated and international ad-covered tables, and all the walls and floors in between. It's a joy to be there. The food is passable, but I would eat before going. They have some unique items in there too so look out for them (micro-brewed ginger ale, Japanese white tea, etc.).
And starting April 20th they'll be open until 9PM every day. That's the right direction, but being open at least as late as the Living Room across the street might be a good idea. I'm writing this in the living room only because Red's closed too early. What's with these Californian's and their early schedules?
This Espresso Gallery is just what a coffee lounge is supposed to be.
They roast their own sexy beans on site, and the quality of the coffee reflects that. Good light foods and such.
Comfy chairs and couches, with a few small chess boards scattered about. A piano in the corner, often being played by a friendly fella who claims to have been playing that piano for years and who claims "the longest running gig in all of San Diego."
Nice photos on the wall.
There's a larger, franchise "Living Room" coffee shop across the street, but why would you go there when you could enjoy this cozy cafe?
First of all let me say that this place is a coffee joint and the fact that we do not drink coffee makes it hard for me to review its specialty. However, we were drawn into Reds by the sign on its window saying they served breakfast and when we went inside, found, that the only breakfast items they had were breakfast bagels and waffles.
Basically this is a coffee house (they roast their own) which serves some basic food items such as well, BAGELS, sandwiches, parfaits and salads. The stress is definitely on bagels and they do have a variety of fillings or schmeers to go with 'em.
Bagels weren't really what I'd wanted for breakfast, but I settled for the "Greek Fisherman" which was a bagel with smoked salmon, artichoke, kalamata olives, feta and egg with a touch of tzatziki sauce. It was pretty good, but I would've liked that for lunch better.
The reason why I couldn't give it 3 stars is because the service was atrocious! When I was ordering at the window the girl who took our order (probably new) was slightly confused with my order of OJ -- but that wasn't it -- and then when she asked me large or small, I said small, and the guy in the back had started to pour into a 'small' when I guess the girl had actually charged me for the large, so I said okay large.
There was a pause and then the guy turns around and with an irritated look on his face goes "large or small" and I replied "whatever she charged me for". I guess she had trouble with the till because she couldn't find where she could void the transaction and this guy was getting more and more irritated. Another lady then came over and told her to just give me a buck back from the till and be done with it. Fine, that's settled.
We went out to the back and sat down. It took a really long time but that was excusable too. The guy who was irritated brought out mine and lil guy's orders but didn't bring hubby's or his tea. We waited. When lil guy and I had finished our 'breakfast' hubby's order was still no where to be found, so he went inside and then after a few minutes came out with his tea. When I asked him what had happened to his order he goes "they're making it now". I'm like "did they forget", he laughed "yeah".
Okay, he's obviously more forgiving than me. First I get attitude, then they forget our food. This is why they only get 2 stars from me.
On a cold, icky Saturday morning, Red's seemed like the best place to stop for a cup of coffee and to get some very necessary grading done (oh the joys of teaching!).
Red's is an unprepossessing coffee shop located on Rosecrans right across the street from the historic Victorian home that hosts the Living Room: Point Loma. While I can see there being some competition, I think they both provide very different coffee experiences, and I like them both quite a bit.
I decided to try their mocha, which was well-crafted and a great mix of flavours. I also tried the "screaming green" breakfast bagel, which was a tasty but unorthodox mix of bacon, eggs, avocado, pepper jack cheese and spinach (i wasn't adventurous enough to have the usual peppercinis that come with the meal).
I squinted for a minute as I walked inside out of the surprisingly windy and cold Saturday morning air, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the slight dimness inside. I looked around to take in the overall establishment, and noticed that the main room was painted in the faded, eponymous red, which lent a decidedly home-y and welcoming atmosphere. I walked over to the adjoining patio area, which makes amazing use of improvised skylights to flood the area with natural light. I parked myself at a nearby table and sipped my coffee thoughtfully while my red pen darted quickly across the test papers, staining white page with crimson ink--strangely appropriate for a place like Red's.
I was also struck by what a genuinely community coffeeshop the place was. Old friends ran into each other, exchanged pleasantries, asked about life, and talked about topics ranging from community college, to surf reports, to the local church's most recent sermon. The baristas were cute and extraordinarily friendly, asking questions about my job and about teaching (i do love any chance to procrastinate when i've got a stack o' papers).
The main room also boasts a large piano which an older gentleman spent all morning playing. Hearing Mozart and Beethoven echoing throughout the charming coffee shop definitely raised my spirits and allowed me to let my students slide, particularly when they mixed up Franz Ferdinand and Francisco Franco (i mean, C'MON! They are in NO WAY similar!!!)
Red's bills itself as an "Espresso Gallery," and it's no idle pretense. They take their coffee seriously, and it's done artistically and aesthetically. I loved my first time here at Red's, and I'm certain to be back. After all, my American history students have quizzes I need to grade too, and I have a sneaking suspicion they're not going to be able to tell Marian Anderson and Mary McLeod Bethune apart. Sigh. Hopefully the piano guy will have some soothing melodies to accompany my delicious mocha. Red's, you make my day better. :)
Super cool little place. They do quite well considering they are almost right across the street from the Living Room -which is always packed ( and a bit overrated).
All kinds of local art dot the walls while you sip on some great self serve coffee and relax in one of the sofas. Its small with a mish mash of furniture but it really works. The last time I was there I was banging out some work on my laptop drinking my Joe while a local old dude cranked out some tunes on the piano.
The alley / patio seating area is funky and sort of has the feel of one of those tiny cafes you could discover in New York or San Francisco.
This place is a nice escape. I don't get to this part of town a lot. I do enjoy the back outside because the inside is a little cramped.
The coffee is pretty good, roasted on site. They have a wide variety of food but nothing too original and all too pricy.
The staff seems pretty cheery though--always good to see!
This is a nice Coffee Lounge -- sorry, I mean, "Espresso Gallery." (I think that title is awesome, by the way.) The coffee is good and the design, from the logo to the interior, is very cool. There is also a pretty big selection of books inside and I am a sucker for that type of thing, even though I always bring my own reading material. It's just nice to look at that, I think; A well-stocked book shelf sets an important tone in an "Espresso Gallery."
The specialty here is something they call the "Eggle" (basically just a neat way to say "Bagel-and-egg sandwich") which comes in a number of styles and makes for a very satisfying breakfast/brunch.
AV
My two friends and I stopped here after spending the day out touring around the Point Loma area. We ordered a couple of sandwiches and coffees. My coffee wasn't very hot so the lady behind the counter replaced it with fresh steaming coffee. It was really good coffee, not too strong, just right. Our sandwiches arrived in good time and were very tasty. We had a concoction of cucumbers, pesto, feta cheese and I forget what else. A bit messy but aren't the best foods the messiest ones? Seemed very California cusine to me. Reds just got in some new Greek baklava type deserts which were about the best I've ever had. Yumm! The ladies working there were very friendly and provided great service. That added to the quaint ambiance of the coffee house. The place is an ecclectic sort of atmosphere totally opposite of any Starbucks or big chain. I thought the price of coffees were extremely reasonable however the sandwiches are a bit on the expensive side (which is why we shared).
great wraps for breakfast - lunch or dinner
and smoothies to go with it, or coffee if you need to wake up
they even have salads=
everything is fresh -- 100% quality ingredients only
All coffee is roasted in house, organic, bird friendly, rainforest alliance. It doesn't get much better. The food is great. Easy to become a regular.
I had avoided this place in the past because it looked like a bunch of fleabitten hippies worked and congregated there not to mention the communist innuendo of the name. Then I stayed with my folks for a couple months and it was the first coffee shop I'd pass when driving to work at 6am so I took a chance.
They have a good selection of coffee in the morning (I don't generally partake of the lattes and such), but the real treat are the muffins. They are baked fresh at 5am and were still warm by the time I got there. You can really taste the difference between those muffins and the preservative packed gut bombs at Starbucks.
Service is good, but every once and a while one of the employees sleeps in and the place is locked.
When I moved Point Loma, I made a commitment to myself to avoid going to Starbucks as much as I have been known to do. I went to Reds once about three years ago, didnt think much of it then, but its growing on me. Between the Ibarra Mocha and the Blanco Mocha, I have been heading over more and more lately. The muffins are awesome along with the Everything bagels with just the right amount of creme cheese. The staff is friendly and attentive and the outside seating area in the back in pretty chill if you don't mind sitting at a table in a parking lot.
Who needs Starbucks crappy, over-priced, sugar filled, coffee when there are great "hole in the wall" coffee shops like this. I dare you to say Red's is not better coffee. Weekend mornings were made for Red's. I love their dark roast blends. Just what a girl needs to shake off the previous nights fun with a bottle of saki in a dingy interloping on Humphrey's Concerts! They even use the place as a gallery for local artists. We like Red's.
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