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Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMAMon-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Have been going here a few times a week for the past month. Hands down the best coffee Ive ever had.
I dont drink coffee black but their coffee is so good, I drink it black because putting anything in it would dilute the incredible flavors you get in their coffees. Yes the cups are small, but the coffee is very strong and this one size cup is all you need to get your morning going.
Best place since in northern california after Temple in Sacramento (I know right)
been looking for good strong coffee forever! :)
Bean there......... LOVED IT! Sight Glass will, in my opinion, grow into one of the more notable coffee roasteries and retail coffee merchants in the Bay Area and the West Coast.
On my way from Sacramento this AM, and on my way to the San Jose area, I made it a point to stop in the SOMA district and visit Sight Glass. I first heard about Jason and Jerad's operation through one of my coffee websites. Actually, they received publicity for receiving one of the first "Slayer 2-group Espresso Machines." I went to their website and read all about their new coffee venture.
If you're going to be in the San Francisco area, you'll have some notable espresso shops to visit; including Blue Bottle, Four Barrel, and Sight Glass. For an overall great experience, I personally loved Sight Glass. I believe I was there for about an hour, chatting with the brothers, the barista, and drinking in the newness of what I know will someday soon be a "Must Stop and Try" destination for any coffeegeek.
No seriously. Woohoo! As good as it gets! I love coffee, and I particularly love good coffee. This coffee is going to be one of your top 5 cups of all time. It is one of those upper echelon cups of coffee...the ones that are just the best...you've had a couple of them in your lifetime, and you may even have been lucky enough to live near a coffee shop that could provide the experience on a regular basis. That's the kind of coffee we're talking -- nuanced, delicious coffee that compels you to take the next sip.
Besides the coffee the people are nice, they asked my name...sincerely like...and even had water for my dog. How do you beat that?
Why weren't they open when I lived a block away and had to commute just to get a good cup of coffee?
Awesome Chemex into a glass pitcher process that yields a really decent cup of coffee, especially at only $2. If it was a biiiit stronger this would be a 5 star revue. I'm sure they'll get there.
Also, great service. The lady who served me my coffee was really nice, conversational and all that jazz. It's rad to get a good cup of coffee without the 'i am a barista with an espress tattoo and you should be so lucky as to have this latte' attitude.
Go here.
As I mentioned in my Blue Bottle review, I enjoy a hot, bold, smooth cup of coffee each morning. This past weekend my friend and I did a taste test of three coffee places (a tall cup of drip coffee), Sightglass was included. Bluebottle was one of the places we re-tried as well as Four Barrel Coffee.
My second choice out of the three was Sightglass. I felt the coffee was a wee-tad weaker than Bluebottle and I like my coffee strong, as I typically only have one cup a day. I would definitely recommend this place to others, as well as par-taking in a taste test, as it allows you to truly figure out the best coffee in the city.
The Guatemalan was fantastic. I'm not sure I tasted all the undertones in the description but it was powerful and effective.
Delicious.
Lush and slightly sweet from the whole milk.
Short and strong.
Friendly counterstaff.
My wife and I went out of our way to try Sightglass based on the Yelp reviews and were sadly disappointed. The location is in transition and will probably be very nice in the future, but right now it's just an espresso stand. This review in no way reflects the setting since I know that it is not permanent and I don't want to knock them while they get their location set up properly.
We were pleased by the service of the barista during our visit and the crema looked very appetizing in our americanos, but that is where our good experience changed. The coffee tasted very watery especially since our americanos were only in 8 or 10 oz cups (I can't remember exactly). They were the same size that Blue Bottle offers, but were just not even close to as good as BB. They of course were better than Starbucks, but not nearly as good as Peet's. My wife really disliked the taste of the coffee and had trouble finishing hers.
I wish we had found something great with Sightglass, but this place just doesn't do it for us. We drink ridiculous amounts of coffee all over the world and would not rank this place highly on our list.
The Hooker's* are a little bit pricey, but worth every penny! So grab a box to go along with you coffee.
*Sea salted Dark Chocolate Covered Caramels
First sip, and I was hooked!
I walk by on my way to/from work, and have been quite curious, but never had cash on me. Finally stopped in this morning (only to discover they take plastics- huzzah!), and it was an instant addiction.
Simple menu with an excellent base selection. Simple decor (but VERY well thought out- it just works). Guy at the counter was very nice, and made an excellent macchiato. Plus- the giant machines are fun to look at!
I'll be back every morning that I can afford too.
As my boyfriend and I planned a trip to San Fransisco, he knew he wanted to try some of the coffee.
Well, upon a recommendation from a friend, we stumbled upon Sight Glass, which ended up being his absolute favorite coffee in the city! (Mine too!) Plus, they have a Slayer (which means nothing to me, but is super cool and awesome in the coffee/barista world)
Nothing short of perfect! I got a baby latte and my boyfriend got a macchiato and a couple espressos. All of our drinks were made to perfection.
And...What a lovely bunch of people running this place! Totally nice every time, and we visited 3 times during our 5-day trip.
I can't wait to come back!
Stopped into look at some paint across the street and noticed two lads making coffee in a rather industrial looking space. Intrigued, across the street I walked and had one of the best lattes I've ever tried. Yummy!
Best cappuccino I've ever had, hands down... would definitely say they are better than blue bottle.
So glad to have this place right around the corner from work.
I find it interesting that I found this interesting coffee spot through one of my various SF Happenings email lists. It's an interesting find because the spot is literally around the corner from where I have dwelled for the past three years. Around a corner I hardly tread, but even so.
Currently SightGlass is merely a kiosk of coffee offerings here in SoMa with plans to expand into the currently storage filled space immediately next door. They are roasting their beans at a "friend's" roastery in Santa Cruz and seem enthused, if understatedly so, about the expansion and ability to roast their own in house.
They serve their coffee in one size and one size only. with no plans to offer any variety, at least when it comes to this aspect, in the future. Their thimble sized cups left me quizzical, because I , like many, have grown accustomed to a hefty sized cup while wandering around the city in the early morning hours. This cup is just, well, unimpressive.
But appearances can be deceiving.
I asked for an explanation of the different drip cup offerings and went with the one described by one of the owners as "blueberry Pancake" in flavor. Subtle, fresh, aromatic. Yum.
With Vega just opened about a block away and Wicked about to open in a week, I have to wonder at all this coffee brew-ha-ha here in SoMa. But SightGlass is definitely keeping the SoMa standard high.
My first Slayer experience. ;-) I thought the espresso was very good, but not as great as most Yelpers seemed to think -- slight bit too burnt/ashy for my taste. I spoke with the (very friendly) barista, asking her about how the Slayer functions. She explained all the benefits I read about, and also how complex it is to fine tune. To mitigate the complexity, she said that the owners set up the pressure profiles, etc. each morning (adjusting for the beans/roast), and she simply pulls the shots the same way each time. This may explain why I was a bit disappointed with the resulting shot.
According to the Slayer site (http://www.slayerespre...): "It gives you control over pressure in an entirely new and intuitive way. You can intercede in your shot at any point by changing pressure... It's a machine to prepare artisanal coffee BY HAND. You set those pressure deltas quickly and easily, and you use the machine by watching your shots." So it seems that Sightglass' configure-once/pull-all-day model is not what the Slayer guys had in mind. But it's obvious that these guys are serious about their coffee, and I'm hopeful they'll perfect their Slayer pulls in due time.
Damn, I got beat to the punch.
While this place is still a work in progress, it is nothing short of amazing for what is to come. I stumbled upon the joint while walking in SoMA, and so happens it is owned by brothers.
Justin and Jerad are working there butts off down there to make this the ultimate coffee roaster house, with a refined, and educated setting. They don't want you to come just to buy there coffee, they want you to learn, and understand it.
More to come, as it comes, but till then, stop in and have an amazing cup of joe!
I'm moving to this neighborhood and heard that the Four Barrel brothers of Blue Bottle roasting fame were onto their next project, Sightglass coffee on 7th St. What a welcome addition to the hood!
I had an Ethiopian drip coffee made in a Chemex, and despite the small serving size, it was a deliciously tangy cup. My loud and boisterous friend had an elegantly pulled cappuccino which he enjoyed while the owners humored his wild diatribes. They were polite and courteous and seemed like they hoped to build a friendly atmosphere.
Right now the space is just an open garage door with a fashionable bar that fits a 70s-retro espresso machine. But a peek around the curtain to their roast machine unveils a lofty wooden space into which they plan to expand.
For now you can take your coffee "for here" and use a bench or shelf to relax against. For later, I can only hope that Sight Glass expands with the same quality, friendliness and nonchalant attitude missing from the other micro-roast-houses in The City.
Another reviewer nailed it in saying this place epitomizes the SOMA vibe... Chill and understated but with an undercurrent of absolute awesomeness.
The place is still under renovations so when you walk through the "front door" you are going to see a bare bones set up carved out of a front corner of the actual space, which is tarped off...
But that basically makes it all the much cooler because it speaks to the fact that it's really the coffee that matters, and it is indeed the best I've had in the city.
The place is gonna be HUGE! It will definitely be a go-to spot for weekend wifi work sessions and the like.
This is the best coffee hands down I've had. I'm going to have to go back and downgrade all my other coffee reviews based on the delicious treats handed out here. Justin was working the counter and answered all of my annoying questions with a smile- and then rewarded me with a latte from heaven.
Can't wait until they can do their own roasting...
Wow, this place makes a great coffee. I usually go for the cappuccino and the best way to describe it is smooth and full. This is the first coffee shop in SF that has converted me from my morning tea to a morning coffee - Blue Bottle, Ritual and Four Barrel didn't really do it for me for a variety of reasons (like Goldilocks - too acidic, too watery, etc). Nice mellow vibe at Sightglass and the cutie owners/baristas are a plus:)
Ahh, fantastic so far! Great coffee, friendly service and amazing future plans. I am a fan already. Way to go, guys!!
Justin and Jerad are true coffee roaster who will be delivering more than a three minute store experience, if you catch my drift.
This will be updated as they build out their space.
Only been once so far, but will certainly be back. Excellent expresso.
Bluebottle without the hype and the pretention. Actually, I think it's better than Bluebottle. The owners are super nice and the shop is such a welcome addition to the neighborhood. I can't wait to see what it will look like post-renovation, with the roaster going and the coffee-shop area all set up. The Chemex coffee is great (I love how they use a Chemex as a flower vase btw - great decoration touch!). Also the baby latte is fantastic. Note that there's no place for sit for now, but it's totally the pefect stop-and-go coffee shop. And perfect for my afternoon coffee breaks. Also, they take credit cards on this cool new iPhone app. Enjoy!
My new favorite spot for coffee in the city, or at least tied with Cento and Four Barrel. Beans are roasted by Verve in Santa Cruz, which is an awesome spot, although it looks like they are setting up their own roaster.
i like this place better than Blue Bottle or Four Barrel but not better than Ritual (if you go when it's not slammed to the gills).
(I only order espresso or cappuccino so YMMV)
Brothers, not lovers.
Excellent coffee too!
This place opened up a few weeks ago, and is currently just a coffee cart in a garage front, but these guys have big plans (and an amazing space) for their roastery/cafe. Their coffee is amazing, reasonably priced, and the two owners are as nice as it gets (and they're seriously passionate about coffee). Stop by and help get this place off the ground. It'll be a much needed gathering spot for this "emerging" neighborhood.
Justin & Jerad are well on their way to creating a gem of a spot in SOMA.
Swung by today (7/16) and they are not open for business. They are working through the permitting… Read more »
Yes, this is among the high end. They are just getting started, but I am already hitting this place in on the way to work almost daily. On par with ritual in the bayview and four barrel and such.
I still think blue bottle is pulling a better shot, but these guys will probably improve over time.
I hope the growth of places like this motivates blue bottle to respect people's time and learn to process their lines efficiently.
The quality of the water these guys pour before you have a shot is something very nice I have never seen in the US....
Fantastic coffee paired with friendly, knowledgeable service and appropriate prices. I can't wait to see what the new cafe will look like when construction is completed. People with a passion for coffee simply cannot be disappointed at Sightglass.
Did the macchiato and feel like I learned what good espresso tastes like, and I'm not biased because the bros are cute -- it was actually the best espresso I've ever had. Definitely try the Hooker's Sweet Treats while you're there (dark chocolate covered, sea salted caramels), since it's one of the very few ways to get ahold of them at the moment. The flowers made me smile, although I did not purchase any. Looking forward to many a return trip.
I was rushing to 850 Bryant from civic center muni for the second day of jury selection and hoping to arrive on time enough to avoid contempt from judge J and then to get quickly dismissed. I went by sightglass at a walk/run and registered, what's that gorgeous espresso machine doing in that garage? 2 hours later, having avoided judge j's contempt, I'm so excited to get dismissed before noon that I forget all about the mysterious espresso machine and am walking back to muni on the east side of 7th when I see it across the street. Jaywalked through traffic and wow. Supreme espresso plus tasty info on the probat and tricked out machine that allows for manual control of pre-infusion pressure ("not just 9 bars"). I've been roasting my own beans and pulling shots at home for a long time, and it used to be I'd never dare espresso out. Then blue bottle and ritual and now sightglass and still-to-be-visited fourbarrel. It's great to see SF living up to it's rep for quality coffee.
Killer coffee.
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Neighborhood: SOMA
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