If you're in the La Mesa area of San Diego and you need a quick caffeine fix, this little…read moredrive-thru packs a big punch. I was on my way to church and needed an early cup and was surprised how many shops were not open at 7 AM. I'm sure I could have found a Starbucks but that's always reserved for a last resort. Big props to this spot being open early on a Sunday morning, so I could make it to church prayed up and fully caffeinated. The barista opened right on time (7 AM) I loved how friendly she was for it being that early, and she got me my drink within 3-4 minutes. I am not a big coffee drive-thru guy, but if I lived in the area, especially knowing it is veteran owned, I might become one. Thanks guys and best of luck!

I've been feeling the deployment blues lately so I figured I'd grab a coffee from one of my…read morehusband's favorite spots to lift my mood a little. I've had Red White and Badass Brew one other time after my husband raved about this cookies and cream latte he got here. It's a small, local, veteran owned shop, which honestly makes supporting it feel even better. So, I thought getting his favorite drink would help, but turns out that was a seasonal winter drink... please bring it back, it was sooo good. I got in line around 8:30 and there were two cars in front of me. This place is so small and cute, I actually used to work in one of these drive-thru kiosk style cafes so I didn't mind the short wait at all as usually its only one or two people working in there. I do wish they had a menu visible from the line because I couldn't decide what I wanted while waiting. The only things visible were the specials like an avocado toast and a "no lucks given" drink. I ended up pulling up the menu on my phone which works, but it would be more convenient if they had something displayed out front like a sandwich board or something. The employee was incredible, super friendly, my order was taken quick and my drink came out even quicker. It is a little on the pricier side for a cup of coffee but you are supporting a local business. With tip it came out to over $9 for a regular size. I ordered the no lucks given, which is a chocolate Irish cream latte, and swapped to oat milk. My first sip was amazing, a medium dark roast that wasn't bitter at all with a rich chocolate flavor. You could see the chocolate coating the walls of the cup and I'm pretty sure there was a cold foam on top that made it extra creamy. The overall drink was smooth and well balanced, just a little too sweet for my liking but that's something I can adjust next time. I did have a kind of odd moment though. My second sip was great until I got hit with a sudden punch of salt. Like a full on salt crystal just melted on my tongue for a good 10 seconds. It was strong and definitely woke me up... which I guess is what the coffee was supposed to do, I just didn't expect a surprise salt bomb to help with that. After that I checked my drink and everything looked fine and the rest of it tasted great. Overall I'll definitely be back. The service was great, the drink was solid, and I love supporting a spot like this. I can't wait to come here more often, and hopefully one day come back with my husband when comes home from deployment, with his cookies and cream drink back on the menu.

The La Mesa area has a lot of different coffee options, I'm glad I found this one. When I moved…read moreback to San Diego six years ago, I had a meeting with someone at this shop, but because I've moved to a completely different part of the area I had not gone back. Recently, I spent some time back in La Mesa and thought I would go back and try this spot out. So much space, friendly staff, reasonable prices, with a bunch of gluten-free and vegan options when it comes to food. Plenty of parking, outdoor seating as well, and even when they were busy, I think I did not wait more than five minutes for my drink. I chose to use their honey syrup instead of regular honey, and was not disappointed with my iced oatmilk latte also, I have to point out something you don't typically see at a lot of coffee shops. Both times I went, there was an incredible mix of generations in that shop. From younger to older, it was awesome to see generations coming together. Great job guys!

I've been here a couple of times, and overall it's been a good experience. Their lavender latte…read moreseems to be a popular choice, so I gave it a try, but it just wasn't for me. When I let them know, the staff was incredibly kind and quickly offered to replace it with a regular latte, which ended up tasting great. They also offer free WiFi for up to two hours, just make sure to ask for a receipt to access it. Parking is plentiful, so that's never an issue. Overall, it's a spot I'd recommend checking out.

My new favorite coffee spot! I'm currently in my pandan obsession era and this place does it RIGHT…read more I've already been back more times than I can count. So far, I've tried the pandan, the brown sugar, and the sesame latte all iced w/ oat milk and they've all been a hit. The pandan is easily my fave, but if you're trying the brown sugar and don't love super sweet drinks I'd recommend adding an extra shot to balance it out. The drinks are consistently good and you can tell they really care about the quality. It's one of those spots you keep thinking about and end up going back to without even planning it. Customer service was solid and there's plenty of seating, which makes it a nice place to hang out or get some work done. Parking was also easy, which is always a win. Highly recommend checking this place out especially if you're a pandan lover like me!

This place gets a lot of hype for their scones, but honestly, that was the only thing special. They…read moreoverall they are very expensive and service is slow. Be prepared to wait, or order a mobile order for pick up. Cleanliness...could be better. Looks clean from ground level, but if you look up the plants and ac vents are covered in layers of dust. Scones were fantastic but not sure that makes it worth the wait.

First time discovering this small bakery tucked away in a spacious plaza of Lemon Grove. The inside…read moreis able to seat around 14 people from the looks of it and there is additional shaded seating outside. Staff that I met was extremely friendly (Grayson, Jules, and Dom), as well as the owner of the bakery Tanya. This bakery has been operating for about three years and there was a good crowd on a Monday afternoon. All the pastries are vegan and I tried the vanilla concha (pro tip get it warmed up) with their house made maple butter and the carrot cake. Both were amazing, I've never had a vegan concha and don't think I'll be going back to regular ones! They also have breakfast sandwiches that many people ordered that looks like it's on a thick piece of focaccia. The reviews speak for itself! Great pastries and coffee, friendly staff, and clean store what more could you want?! I'm glad I made this discovery and can't wait to come back, highly recommend you check out this place!

This place is a hidden gem! Elevated Coffee has such a cute vibe, and the staff is so friendly…read moreespecially the owner, Tanya. You can really tell they care about their customers and the overall experience. My coffee was delicious (I got an americano with cream and sugar), and I'll absolutely be coming back. Thank you, Elevated Coffee & Confections team!

I love Ultreya. It's a fun, cute coffee coffee shop that…read moreserves delicious treats. I've held many book club meets here and we've all been super satisfied with the food, drinks, and service. Plus, we never need to worry about parking. That is always a bonus.

Great coffee and a lively, fun environment. Unfortunately, the staff wasn't very friendly, which…read moretook away from the experience. Probably fine for a quick stop or a cute photo, but I wouldn't go back. Response: Not necessary. I appreciate the attempt to course-correct after the fact, but the experience had already left a sour taste. What stands out now is that no effort was made to create any personal connection--our name wasn't called when the order was ready, and I do not recall any greeting being offered. It did not feel accidental. Please understand that guests notice these details. Professionalism shows in the small things, and first impressions matter. Best of luck on your future staff.

My go-to bahn mi place! Everytime I've come to vinam cafe the service is outstanding, so much…read morekindness and such friendly hospitality!! I love the chicken bahn mi, always a 10/10. The kind lady there today recommended the egg coffee to me and it was delicious!!! So good 10/10 coffee. This place genuinely deserves to always be booming in business 100/10 service and 100/10 food and drinks!

The owner is so nice and sweet!! Service rating is 100/10. I got the pork spring rolls and there…read moreNOT CHEAP with their meat.

What is not to love about this place!!! Just a random stop in on our adventures today! I'm so…read moreimpressed!! Need to go back and snap some more photos because the 2 sitting areas are just as cute. So many people enjoying the space I wanted to be courteous. Coffee was VERY good! I'm all about a cold brew to really taste the coffee. Theirs is amazing!! Definitely a place we will be back to!

I'm glad I decided to stop here for matcha--it was delicious! I ordered the strawberry matcha cream…read morewith oat milk. The cream is dairy, but that was fine since I had lactaid on hand. Flavor-wise, it was excellent: the strawberry wasn't overpowering, and the oat milk didn't mask the matcha. You could still taste both the matcha and the strawberry. The consistency was just right for a cream-style latte. It's sweeter than traditional matcha, so if you prefer your matcha strong and slightly bitter, this might not be the drink for you. But if you like a lightly sweetened matcha where the flavor still comes through, this one is perfect. I'm curious to try their regular matcha next. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I mentioned my dietary restrictions (celiac), and they were accommodating, though there's always a possibility of cross-contamination, so keep that in mind. The shop itself is a great place to catch up with friends, study, or just relax. They offer light snacks like pastries, bagels, toast, parfaits, and acai bowls--unfortunately, nothing gluten-free for me, but still great options for others. Even though they were busy, the line moved quickly. Overall, this is a great matcha spot, and I can't wait to try more drinks next time I'm in town!

Came back and brought friends! Came on a Sunday right around 11:30 and it was busy but we were able…read moreto find a table right away. I decided to get the houjicha and I like that it comes unsweetened. It was well made and the flavor of the houjicha was strong. My friends got the chai, matcha and the breakfast sandwich and enjoyed them. The English muffin on the breakfast sandwich almost looked homemade. She did mention the sandwich was very cheesy but not in a bad way.

4-5 stars. I've been wanting to come here since I heard of their opening through Instagram. It's…read morecool that they opened up in La Mesa, as there's not a whole lots of coffee shops around there. First off, the interior is bright and minimalistic. The color combo of white and red really gives me Coca Cola vibes, esp with the logo font they went with. The mugs they have available remind me of those classic diner style mugs that have a good weight to them. The menu board looked promising and simplistic. If they could...I'd recommend, adding the price the house made syrups cost to the board. In the morning, around 10 am, I came here with friends. My friend ordered an Iced Matcha Latte sweetened with honey. And I had their 12 oz, Iced Dulce de Leche Latte, with whole milk. The price of two drinks came to be just under $14! My friend enjoyed the flavor of his drink saying that it wasn't overly sweetened and he could still taste the matcha. My drink was good as well, the first sip, you could really taste the coffee bean notes and it was amazing. I think I'd ask for half sweet next time. My 12 oz was a little overfilled and there were no napkins at the main bar where they had the drinks. After looking around, I noticed a coffee cart full of napkins, extra sweeteners, straws, etc by the door. A long walk of spillage that could have happened lol~ having a few napkins at the espresso bar drop off section would be handy as well! In the afternoon, before they closed, I ordered 12 oz Iced Latte with Vanilla Syrup. It was $5.75 & tax brought it up to $6.24... Anyways I think that it was a little bit of a surprise personally -- because the board mentioned $5 for 12 oz and didn't say anything about the syrups being .75 cents more. At least for vanilla syrup, I was thinking it was going to be .25-50 cents more minimum. Overall, the coffee shop was really nice and so were the workers. The guy working was very friendly and easy going with conversations~! They not only have espresso based drinks, but matcha, houjicha, parfaits, and breakfast sandwiches as well. According to the menu it seems like most items are under $8 which is pretty good, especially for breakfast items that tend to have outrageous prices at other locations. It's a cute addition to the neighborhood, open at prime hours of the day, I'd recommend swinging on by and checking them out!

Very friendly staff and great coffee! It is a smaller cafe so get there during non-busy times to…read moreget a table. Very cute and relaxing inside, great for work from home days. Dog friendly - I say there for a few hours with my dog and we had a great time! Plus Size - Seats do not have arms & sturdy. The stools at the counter are small and a bit unsteady, I do not recommend sitting there.

Unfortunately, this cafe dropped the ball both in barista customer service and response from…read moremanagement. Basically what had happened was i waited over 10 min for simple chai and inquired with barista about status update. We agreed to have it remade and she had told me next time "there's no need to be rude" despite never insulting, shouting, or making a scene. Wrote to management about this odd experience and I recieved a response from owner. He has said he will talk to staff and "apologies on that" but honestly it seemed half-hearted and not sincere at all. No attempts to try and make it right or acts of good faith which i would think is standard procedure for cases like this. Fortunately, there is a plethora of cafes in San Diego to try so I will keep discovering new ones until I find my favorite.

The owner is super kind and friendly and my coffee was delicious. He's into marathon running and…read moreeverything about the place in ambiance honors that passion. If dropping kids off at the YAT camp in Grossmont, it's a great stop.

Super friendly owner, very cool running theme throughout and most importantly- the coffee is great…read more Definitely spend a few extra minutes to get here vs the fast monopoly coffee chain. Worth supporting a local, small business. ‍ Honey lavender latte