Ritual Coffee Roasters
Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: Mission1026 Valencia St
(between 21st St & Hill St)
San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 641-1024
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sat 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sun 7:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Wi-Fi: Free
336 reviews
Neighborhood: SOMA
"Granted, I was there with one of my favorite people, Lady K- but the place is gorgeous! We sat outside, staring out across the infinity…" read more »
681 Reviews for Ritual Coffee Roasters
All I'm going to talk about is the latte. It was wonderful. The flavor was rich and deep, but not overpowering. The roast was wonderful, followed by an equally strong effort by the friendly barista, who incidentally had no problems sharing some tips with my barista wanna-be friend who went with me. He took the time to make a magnificent latte. They used organic milk, which adds to the flavor and has an incredible interaction with the espresso. I'm not sure this is the best in the city, but it's close.
I love me some delicious espresso and, after a few mistrials on my recent San Francisco trip, Ritual, sweet Ritual, did not disappoint. Mmmm.
can someone PLEASE tell me where else to go i can get quality like this without the bad 'tude and business management?
i went there today. there was a very short line, involving only one person behind me and one person in front of me. the person in front of me was friends with the person working the register, so that person basically took her break right there on the spot to chat with her friend. not cool. especially because waiting for your coffee takes long enough on its own. no reason to make that wait even more painful.
that's another thing. if i have someone to be that requires being on time i cannot go to ritual, even if i allow myself an extra half-hour. the lack of predictability of the line length plus employee decision to blow off handling the line is too much.
i'm also tired of ordering the same thing each time i go and always being charged a different price. yes, i always bring my own container. yes, it's always two shots. WTF is the real price? and why do you fill my 17 oz container half-full for a 12 oz drink?
i keep coming back only because the coffee is so incredibly stellar and every place else pales in comparison. any suggestions as to where else i can go? especially in the mission?
i can't recommend this place in the way of efficiency or ambiance. only if you want a hella goo cuppa joe.
Yes, I am a little slow. You see this wanna-be hipster hasn't finished her soy latte yet.
First I noticed the absence of my beloved back-corner couch (at first I thought it may have been eaten by the guilty-looking burlap sacks, and then, regretably, briefly wondered if the coffee sacks were meant as seating. I warned you I am slow today).
Then my laptop battery ran low and while searching for an outlet, I knocked into not one, but two to-go patrons who, again regretably, lost a couple ounces of foam. I realize: the outlets are gone, some with wires hanging out like severed tendons.
The epiphany: I am not wanted here. I have been here for two hours on the price of one latte (albeit soy is an extra 40c). The seating is gone, as are the power sources - someone is trying to tell me something (eg you don't live here nor does your contribution help pay rent, get the hell out).
Ritual, you used to want me and I you and not to even discuss this and to be this blunt?
Sadly, I write this outside on the corner from my phone. My thumb is tired.
Ritual, your choice is regretable.
But I get it, I really do.
See you around.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Good:
-- Great-tasting coffee. They take time to make it right; make you a drawing.
-- Neat atmosphere with many hipster customers and hipster staff.
Could be better:
-- Recently removed the couches in the back area; hard to find seats.
-- Recently removed power outlets to discourage laptop users.
-- Long lines.
-- A little dark for studying.
With reluctance, I have to knock a star off my review of this place. I've been noticing that over time, they've been removing customer seating in favor of bags of beans and reserved coffee tasting. The coffee is still great, but my desire to sit down and read for a while wavers when I realize there isn't as much place to kick back.
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (1)
Cool (3)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
10/14/2006
This place opened up the same weekend I moved into SF (2 blocks away from Ritual). At first, before… Read more »
This place was my last stop on my latest jaunt through San Francisco.
I was hungry and wandering down Valencia looking for at least a coffee shop with something vegan to nibble on.
When I first walked by Ritual, the line was way out the door, so I just kept walking. I found no vegan nibbly bits anywhere else, so I browsed through Dogeared book store for awhile.
Afterwards, I went back by Ritual, and the line was reasonable, so I stopped in.
The coffee was excellent, and they had a fabulous array of vegan breakfast baked yummies. The plum bread was heaven. The atmophere was nice, though crowded (It was Sunday, so this is to be expected).
I will certainly go back on my next trip up there!
This is the place for coffee. I know there's a line sometimes, and there's tons of ppl with their mac notebook and it's difficult to find a place to sit to enjoy your coffee, but whenever I walk by, I'll go in there and grab a cup to go. They have all kinds of coffee from different regions, and they taste great!
ha ha
So, at the time of this review 156 out of 660 reviews mention the term "hipster" in a derogatory manner.
How do all of you over paid under worked insecure people live with yourselves? How do you find the time to categorize and insult strangers living in one of the most expensive cities in the country?
How can you even walk out the door into your hipster infested neighborhood? aren't you worried that you are too ugly or lame to even live in san francisco? hahahahaha
name calling and pigeon-holing strangers seems really lonely and limiting. if you must name call think about what it is that you dislike so much about these "hipsters" and be more specific. as it is this is a very vague expression of judgment. i mean, chances are, someone is calling YOU a hipster right now! hahahahahahahahahahahaha
GO HOME KOOKS! LOCALS ONLY!! CALIFORNIA RULES DUDES! HAHAHAH
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
The kids enjoyed the hot cocoa from Ritual. So earlier in the morning, we came here after my daughter's doctor's appointment.
As expected, every visit to Ritual, the kids wants the tasty and crafty Hot Cocoa and I got two 12 oz cups each for $3.00 for them to enjoy. Unfortunately with dad's busy schedule, we were forced to take the drinks to go. They usually like to drink the hot beverage indoors with their red mug and enjoy the heart shape foam-topping presented by the shop's artistic baristas. Oh yeah, going to Rituals has made their day!
I bought a large 16 oz. Café Latte. Yes, that is one damn tasty espresso drink for $4.00. I also bought a bag of whole bean coffee from Yemen for wife and I to enjoy for the next few days. The blend is Moka San'ani blend. The $12.50 bagged coffee is weighed 3/4 of a pound and is one of the coffee shop's milder and comforting blends. The fresh batch was freshly grounded on July 1 (with the date imprinted on the red bag).
I used my Visa for this morning's visit. And to nobody's surprise, this morning was crowded at one of Yelp's and my favorite coffee shop.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (2)
Cool (6)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
12/31/2006
Matt's final day off for 2006:
The four of us went to to Matt's colleague's crib to pickup tickets… Read more »
a bit hipster, but what isn't in the mission?
I was completely pleased with my tea, and my friend liked his cappucino...but one thing I did notice, as did another yelper apparently, that there is a huge space taken up by random bags of coffee in the back. call me crazy, but this place was super busy...it doesn't seem smart to take up all that potential seating space for bags of coffee that could be clearly organized in a more compact manner.
besides that, good coffees, good teas, nice friendly service. perhaps not the place to go during peak hours. I'll be back though :)
Yes, the coffee is good. That much is true.
I only go about once every two weeks, though. Why?
The wait ends up being about twenty minutes total for a frickin' Americano. Everyone there is ridiculously there to see-and-be-seen. The vibe is pretentiousness and stuffy. The decor is sterile and uninspired.
But, the coffee is good. Verrrry good. It's like a caffeine-induced orgasm for the mouth.
And they have vegan treats, which always makes me happy.
Only go if you have a half-hour of your life to waste and never gain back, then take your coffee to-go, buy a vegan tasty, and venture down Valencia to gawk at all of the hipster-infused window displays.
But, seriously: the coffee is good.
For their little cappuccinos and always being "on the way" to somewhere I'm heading to run errands.
Yeah, the wait can be a pain - but even when I'm in a rush, what's the rush? You want fast? Go to McDonalds. You want good? Come here
Good espresso, but way too much milk and not enough foam on my cappuccino. The cupcake I had was amazingly decadent, though.
I'm not sure what the logic behind dozens of coffee bags spread out all over the place and no power outlets is, though. More seating = more customers = more money. So maybe if they made room for more business, despite the rising cost of ... well, just about everything, they'd be able to turn the power back on for customers? Either way, it was a bummer to get here to do some business and have my laptop run out of juice.
My own fault, I suppose. At least there were pretty people (and some downright silly looking ones) to look at.
Where did the worm store that used to be here go? It's been a while.
I want my red wigglers!
I thought that they did a good job of latte art and the coffee is all right too.
The feeling that you are crashing a burning man planning committee meeting, or a Mac OSX beta group testing session, or a speed Yelp marathon writing contest amongst aspiring hipsters and the fashionably dressed unemployed just visiting for the summer from the mid-west crowd (difference?) is entertaining and even strangely comforting.
I want my red wigglers!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (2)
Cool (1)
The lines are long here for a reason. This place is up there with Blue Bottle as one of the only places in San Francisco that knows how to make a decent coffee. When I say coffee I don't mean drip. Drip is gross. No one anywhere else in the world drinks drip except in gas stations, or McDonalds.
Oh and hipster bashers get a life. Who cares if they like to flaunt funny hairstyles, and clothes and sweat up hills on their fixed gears. They are people too. For a town that seems to pride itself on accepting differences there's an awful lot of discimination going on here.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
As far as coffee goes, this place is awesome. Their espresso is thick and delicious and they are superb latte artists. The baristas here really know what they are doing--I mean, they do regularly send their baristas to national competitions. The gripe about the long lines... here is the thing about Syneso and La Marzocco machines: The baristas manually dose the amount of espresso into the filter, manually pack, or tamp, the espresso, then WATCH the shots whilst making other drinks; and that's just the shots side. Places like Ritual (and Intelligentsia and Lamille in LA) don't use huge pitchers to steam milk, like Starbucks and other chains, each latte has its own little pitcher of milk. Starbucks and other chains have ingrained in people that three minutes is the max wait time for an espresso drink--but again, this ISNT starbucks. If you're in a hurry, don't come here. It's a gourmet establishment--you're getting good shit.
Ambiancewise, if you like fixed gears, Mac books, and long, greasy hair, then you'll like this place. I don't like that stuff. The times that I have been here, I have never, ever wanted to sit anywhere in the shop.
But f!ck do they have awesome espresso.
Hey!!! Look at me!!! I'm so cooooool! I'm hanging out in "the Mish". I'm drinking Ritual Coffee and hanging out in "the Mish"!!! Wow... I never thought I'd be able to do this. I feel so cool!
Ok. Sorry. Had to get that out of my system. So anyways...
So I'm taking a class at the Mission Campus of CCSF. I'm mad early and in need of coffee. Jump on mobile.yelp.com and what do I find? RCR. Only a block away from my campus. Head on down. Wow.. I like this place. HUGE coffee bean sacks on the floor. Big giant contraption which I later learn is a coffee roaster. Lots of tables. Couches. and best of all...
FREE WIFI!!!!!!!!!!!
So on a school day, you can probably find me here. Sitting in "the Mish", sipping my gooooood coffee, surfing on my mac book, taking advantage of the Free Wifi. I'm cool. Yeah I said it!
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (5)
Cool (5)
Ok, I didn't REALLY order something here, but my coffee-lover friend got the espresso of the day (Finca Los Naranjos - vacuum packaged green from Huila, Colombia and roasted especially to showcase juicy berry and milk chocolate flavors). I'm not a coffee connoisseur but when we got the little tiny cups with the syrupy shot of espresso on the bottom, everyone's reaction was, "Is this it?! REALLY?? This is the smallest cup of espresso ever!" After tasting a drop (which was like half the cup) and almost dying from bitterness and instant caffeine rush, we added steamed milk and sugar and all that good stuff to it. That stretched it out a little more and the others swore they could taste the berry and chocolate flavors. Like I said, I'm not a coffee connoisseur so I just pretended to taste them too...
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Great coffee and love the leaf design layered into my latte! Free WiFi, but charge your laptop before you go because you will most likely not find a free outlet.
Yes! Real porcelain cups! I could really get some great studying and work done here if my laptop power lasted as long as my latte. It is crowded but pretty good food. Forget the hipsters - I get 3 things I want: good coffee, free WiFi and tasty baked goodness.
Dear Ritual,
You finally got your mention in the NYT. Please don't change, though.
Love,
Carla C.
PS - I love that you don't make your coffee too hot.
I love Ritual! This is the only coffee place I've found in San Francisco that reminds me of my coffee places in Seattle, so it's very comforting for me. They have great coffee and pastry options (vegan things too!) and service is pretty fast considering there's always a pretty long line.
Lots and lots of places to sit, I've never had trouble finding a table. And there's free wi-fi too. But beware if you've come here for a long day of work because there's no outlets to plug your computer into. I appreciate it because it keeps the tables turning over and I'm never here for more than a couple hours anyway.
Ritual coffee roasters is one of the FEW places in San Francisco that gets coffee right.
*They source the best beans, all of which are remain single origin up to the point of sale.
*All of their beans are roasted by Ritual and sold fresh. They can tell you the roast date on any of their selection
*Their espresso drinks are made proper. The baristas pull the shots into heated porcelain cups and steam the milk per drink
My favorite roast of theirs right now is the Brazilian Sao Joao. I made some of this for my parents, who are "International Delights" kind of coffee drinkers. They were hesitant, but surprised that they were able to drink it black and still enjoy it. When you have good coffee, you don't need to add to it.
Ritual Roasters is simply great.
I have a "Heavy Drinker" card here for a reason.
Bring your Macbook, kids.
Or better yet, don't.
Look at the rotating artwork, talk to the people around you, and break down the false barriers of conversation and interaction that seem to be self-created and self-perpetuated.
Order a vegan donut!
Go with their lattes; the fleur design on top gives me butterflies every time. :)
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (4)
Cool (5)
Love it. I am a coffee snob. They make excellent coffee.
They have snacks you actually want to eat. The boys/girls are cute. They are sometimes even nice. It's overrun with elitist A-HOLES on bikes, I know...but the coffee is worth wading in the shallowness. The seating is pretty good. I find that everyone is always looking at eachother there, so it is a good place for people watching as long as you know that the people will be watching you too.
FASHION SHOW!!!
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
Good things about RR:
- Nice coffee served in nice cups (but you have to ask for the cup otherwise you get cardboard)
- Nice nibbly things (the cookies are good)
- Nice, big, spacious interior
Not-so-good things about RR:
- Busy (like, a big line outside busy)
- A wait for your coffee (get in another line inside)
- Hard to find a seat
- A bit 'scene-y' - I always feel that my hair isn't asymmetrical enough to hang out here
If you just want a coffee, a sit-down and free wi-fi, I would head up the street to Muddy's, which is hardly ever busy and the most comfy spot I've found for a spot of solo coffee-drinking and laptopping.
I have to say, I really love Ritual's coffee. A lot. Their latte's are the perfect balance between freshly-roasted beans and perfectly frothed milk with a little Italian-style heart or leaf 'etched' on top. So pretty you almost hate to have to stir in your Sugar-in-the-Raw, 'cause you can see that this is true artisan-ship, made by a true artisan, and it's just so darned pretty! An invigorating work of art served hot in a recyclable paper cup. Truly a 5-star cup of Italian-influenced love.
But riddle me this: what gives with the lovely latte being poured 2-fingers from the top? Did someone accidentally write the secret code for "room for cream" on the side of the cup? Did you run out of milk leaving my latte a little short on the pour? Are you helping me watch my waistline by eliminating calories? (trust me, those 2-fingers of milk really aren't going to make a dent)
No. That's not the case, is it? In fact, you *always* give me a latte filled 2-fingers from the top, *don't* you, Ritual? You get some kind of sicko pleasure from making me ask for more milk! And you know it's not the cold milk I want, but more frothy hot milk your artisan hands must hold and transform into creamy goodness!! You know that I know that you hold the power -- the key to the makings of the perfect latte!
All I know is that for almost $4.00 for a large latte, y'all need to stop bein' so stingy with the milk, because no one needs room for cream in a latte, my waistline is my responsibility, and the power exchange business is, well, it's for the Power Exchange. Honestly, Ritual, it gets a little old asking for my cup to be filled every single time I come in. I hate asking, for when I do, you look annoyed and I feel lame.
And paying customers never like to feel lame. Especially if that customer was kind enough to stuff a dollar into your tip cup, expecting a full cup of latte love.
p.s. 3.5 stars, 'cause the dude at the cash register was genuinely nice to me this time. Friendly and nice. Something this customer *always* likes :)
p.p.s. uncover the outlet's already, will ya, or the stars get it!
People thought this was:
Useful (9)
Funny (9)
Cool (9)
The coffee here is really good. These kids know how to make a great cup of coffee. The only problem with this place is that its filled with douche bags and everyone looks like my friend kate. Get a haircut hipsters!
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
A friend and I came here to hang out the other night, and fully 1/10th of the seating had disappeared in favour of a collection of large bags of coffee beans. This completely made up for all of the hipsters.
I've never before been to any other café that could/would (1) have such a large collection of bags of coffee beans and (2) take away seating for said bags of beans.
After a while, my favourite sugary coffee-derived drinks start to taste essentially the same, but Ritual now ranks among my top five coffee shops in the world thanks to the unique experience.
The space is cool but really, it should be about the coffee.
My choice of joe has always been Americanos which is basically watered down espressos and should always be served hot (unless otherwise requested as an ICED Americano). So I've seen the line stretch out the door which is proof of their popularity but also of their slooooow service. So more than once I've had my Americano be served luke warm. I'm guessing they allow the hot water to sit until they get to making and unloading the shots for my coffee. Bad thing. I've also seen others complain about the temperature of their caffeinated beverage choice and asking the coffee maker to remake a HOT one for her customers.
so the last few times i've stopped by, it seems that they've made effort to "step up" the customer service. the truth was i was "shocked" that i was greeted and the Barista actually made conversation with me. great service with good coffee goes a long way with me and establishments that pride themselves with that will always have my business.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
06/04/2008
Everyone knows the Coffee/Espresso's are great.
It doesn't excuse the really bad attitude I get E V… Read more »
Dear Ritual,
Thank you for existing. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Me
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Ritual, despite its pretentious hipster fashion show aspect, has the best soy latte I've ever tasted. It's perfect as is--no need for sugar or anything else--and it's gorgeously presented with a perfect heart or leaf or whatever designed with the milk on top.
It's loud in there and extremely crowded, so not the most desirable spot for studying or reading, but any time I'm in the neighborhood and want a coffee I stop by and get a to-go latte, and they are ridiculously good.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
I dunno so much about the crowded hipster atmosphere, but I that doesn't stop this place from having reasonably priced, damn good coffee.
Hey! Did you know that there are these people called Hipsters? Apparently when one person is wearing oversized sunglasses and skinny jeans three sizes too small and really big neon sneakers and a semi-ironic 80's hair metal band T-shirt and one of those giant Palestinian hounds-tooth scarves, and they see another person who is also dressed in the same fashion, these persons will look at each other and scoff and mutter to their friends "Fucking Hipster."
Oh, and the coffee at Ritual is really, really good, as long as you can get your order in over the sound of all the people muttering "Fucking Hipster" under their breath.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Automatic 3 stars for free wifi.
1 star for AMAZING coffee.
But this place is OVERFLOWING with digerati. Who ISN'T blogging, or vlogging, or twittering, or yelping or playing Scrabulous on Facebook.
It's too crowded.
I know. I am a horrible person. How can you live in the mission and not like ritual? Well I do.
Their coffee tastes hella burnt, its kind of flat, and once I have wedged myself past neon hipsters in paint on pants and bikes, I am so pissed off I need more than coffee to right these wrongs.
The cupcakes are good though.
Great coffee, espresso drinks, and fresh roasted beans. If you can get past the macfixedbloggers you'll have a good experience. I just get mine to go, so I don't disturb their serious work.
Yes, Mission Hipsters, we get it. You're so cool. Traffic laws don't apply to you because you ride a bicycle. Your messenger bags are SO durable and SO unique. Your skinny jeans are SO tight. You too, Techies, with your Macbooks as you crowd around the milk and sugar, preventing everyone else from access. You are SO sticking it to the man by not supporting MS. We get it. The only thing I don't get is why you feel the need to smack it in everyone else's face when all we want to do is get some good coffee. I don't need to know how off-beat and cool you are; you already projected that to me when I was half a block away. I love the coffee here, and I will tough the crowds. Fragrant coffee, a wide selection of baked goods (hehehe, baked goods...), and free wifi?! The appeal is unquestionable. The lingering crowd, however, will make you think twice.
6/13/08: I picked up a couple pounds of the "sweet tooth espresso" and am looking forward to pulling some shots at home.
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
my old barrio
places i miss now that i no longer live in the… -
My Neighborhood
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,… -
Top Restaurants
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the… -
Java Joints
Where to find the best cup in the city or where to… -
Coffee
These are places that keep me from going into… -
