Selva Coffee House is a little tropical escape tucked away in San Diego! With its lush greenery,…read morejungle-inspired setting, it's the kind of place that makes you want to slow down, settle in and stay for a while. The abundance of plants creates a peaceful oasis that's perfect for catching up with friends, knocking out some work or simply enjoying a leisurely afternoon pick-me-up. The Queenie with Strawberry Cloud Cream is a standout and definitely worth trying if you're a matcha lover or looking to venture beyond your usual coffee order :)

I stopped by here earlier this past Monday for my morning coffee with my mother-in-law. Whenever I…read morego on vacation, I try to hit up a new coffee shop every morning, and on this particular morning I ended up heading over to Selva. Selva is an interesting coffee shop because it is located inside Terra Bella Nursery. That means there are plants everywhere, including throughout the coffee shop itself. Actually, the coffee shop has quite a massive space, with multiple nooks tucked into different areas among the plants, as well as a large area with many unusual and random items for sale. Then, since it was October, they also had a nice display with pumpkins set up. When ordering here, they take both your name and phone number and text you whenever your order is ready. For drinks on this day, I went with a Minor Detail for myself and a To Die For for my wife. I also chose an almond croissant. The menu described mine as brown sugar, sage, espresso, and milk, while my wife's was pumpkin, espresso, pumpkin cloud cream, and a graham cracker topping. Our order took about 15-20 minutes to come out, with the drinks sitting there for about five minutes before they called my name and texted me. At that point, the almond croissant wasn't ready, so it took another couple of minutes. I feel like that last part was a problem, as the person working at the counter was waiting with no customers before eventually putting it in the oven after my drinks had already been called. As for the coffee itself, well, it was interesting. This one is on me, as I chose something that was more savory than sweet, and the flavor definitely delivered, with some sweetness and a dominant flavor of sage. For me, it was a bit too much sage, as it covered everything else in the drink, including the espresso. Meanwhile, my wife's coffee here was pretty good, and I especially enjoyed the pumpkin cloud cream with its flavor and sweetness. Then the almond croissant was good, as it was super buttery and the almond filling was tasty as well. The bottom line for me is that I might stop by here again in the future. While I wasn't a big fan of the wait or the amount of sage in my coffee, I did enjoy my wife's coffee and the almond croissant.

My favorite cafe in SD!! I highly recommend the hojicha cloud, which I've ordered probably over 20…read moretimes this year and it's always consistent. Their coffee-based drinks are also well balanced and it really feels like the owners are crafting creations that excite the tastebuds from independent coffee bean brands. There's usually a long line during peak times (like lunch rushes and the weekends) but the staff are very quick at making drinks without sacrificing on quality. You can usually grab a seat in the front or back area, which also has enough room to study. I love how they're throwing more community events to bring people together.

If you like clean lines, quick turnaround, and thoughtful specialty coffees, check out Easy Does It…read morein Kearny Mesa. The space feels open and uncluttered, with plenty of seating to spread out and take your time. Every staff member we crossed paths with was genuinely kind and eager to help. We warmed up with the La Breeze Mocha (that subtle orange-chocolate profile is delicious) and went iced for their Latte Week special, the Candied Hazelnut, which was nutty, smooth, and balanced. The Garden Party bagel on an everything base rounded it all out with great savory crunch. Tidy aesthetic, great crew, and inventive flavors done right!

POS is a little odd. Poor seating. Coffee is excellent. Would have preferred to be greeted with a…read morefriendlier response. Very fast.

So good! Matcha is such good quality and always consistent. I love the traditional iced matcha…read morelatte and it's perfect every time.

Super cool ambiance with the coffee shop sharing the space with the bar next door. Country music…read moreand football is viewable through the mini divider between the spots The cold brew is solid and there's plenty of seating. Fun "pot head" themed merch available as well. There's a couple locations around San Diego but this is one of the better ones

‼ DISCRIMINATION! RACISM! ‼ I had an extremely uncomfortable…read moreand upsetting experience here while picking up a large coffee order for a wedding. When I arrived, there was a very long line, but because my order had already been placed, I went to the designated pickup area. While waiting, I watched the employee behind the counter speak politely and normally to other customers. When it was my turn, I turned my phone around and politely said, "Hi, I'm here to pick up for" Before I could even finish my sentence, the employee looked at my phone, rolled his eyes, turned away from me, and went to retrieve the order. There was no greeting, no acknowledgment, and no basic courtesy. He handed me the order while staring at me, rolled his eyes again, and immediately returned to the register. The interaction was so noticeably hostile that I looked back at him and asked, "What's your problem?" He immediately turned away and began helping someone else. I then asked another employee whether there was a manager available and explained what had just happened. Her response was essentially that there was "a lot going on" and that they were busy. Being busy does not excuse treating a customer disrespectfully especially when I had just watched other customers receive normal, courteous service. What made this experience particularly concerning was what happened next. While I was still making sure my large order was complete, another customer approached the pickup area. The same employee who would not even allow me to finish my sentence immediately greeted this man with, "Hello, how can I help you?" and proceeded to speak to him politely and professionally. That was the exact basic courtesy I had been denied only moments earlier. As a Black woman, I cannot ignore that difference in treatment. I watched this employee demonstrate that he was perfectly capable of greeting customers, communicating professionally, and being courteous. He simply chose not to extend that same treatment to me. Based on what I personally witnessed, the disparity felt prejudicial and discriminatory. I then walked to the neighboring sister establishment to ask how I could contact management because I had not been provided helpful management information inside the coffee shop. Ironically, the employee I spoke with there was also Latino, and he treated me with complete respect. He listened, offered to get a manager, asked whether I was okay, and apologized that I had experienced something uncomfortable. That interaction is important because my complaint is not about anyone's ethnicity it is about the specific behavior of the employees who dealt with me at the coffee shop. What was also strange was that the coffee shop employees who had just explained that everything was so hectic suddenly had plenty of time to stand at the counter and watch me while I spoke with the neighboring business. They continued watching me until I got into my car. There had been an enormous line of customers, yet somehow the "too busy" explanation disappeared when it came time to watch what I was doing after I asked about management. That made an already uncomfortable situation feel even more hostile. The Smoking Gun needs to seriously evaluate who it places in customer-facing positions. Customers should not have to wonder whether their race affected the basic level of dignity and courtesy they received. If an employee is overwhelmed or having a bad day, take a break, ask for help, or work away from the front counter. What you do not do is selectively discard basic manners with one customer and then immediately demonstrate those same manners to the next. I came in to pick up coffee for a wedding. I was polite. I was there to collect an order and leave. There was absolutely no reason for me to be treated with hostility. I will be filing a formal complaint with management regarding this incident. I hope management takes it seriously, reviews what occurred, and provides its staff with appropriate customer-service and anti-discrimination training. No paying customer should be treated as though basic respect is optional. And yes, they can run the cameras back it'll be in there ! Then to ice the cake, they literally got the order wrong and didn't give me all the items for the party that I was taking it to! Could look me up and down but not look the orders up and down !

Love a coffee flight! My friend and I usually come here…read moreafter hot mat Pilates, def need a pick me up and love that this spot lets you mix and match matcha and coffee drinks. Service is always good, the barristas give you recommendations if you're torn between flavors. The room is decorated nicely, typically there's folks there working on work on their laptops so it's kind of cramped.

Em Coffee House has a great vibe to it. It is well lit and nicely decorated. I especially like the…read moremini indoor rock garden with the deer. Service was quick. Nothing to complain about here. I ordered a Spanish Latte which has condensed milk and milk foam in it. The coffee has the typical dark bitterness found in Vietnamese coffee. The bitterness is balanced out by the sweetness of the condensed milk. The oat milk adds a dimension of oat-y goodness on top of everything. Overall, an enjoyable and palatable drink.

When I'm in San Diego... LOVESONG…read more Street parking is super easy. Easy access in a morning rush is always a huge plus. Great part of town. Baristas are gems, Noah is a chill dude, always a pleasure to chat with a brotha while he's brewing up my go go elixir. Super well thought out space, not big, but curated quite nicely to appeal to the remote worker, the everyday chatters, or the grab and goers. Very clean, very cool, very TASTY. When I'm in San Diego... LOVESONG.

Always buzzing and busy! Although the line may look long, it moves pretty quickly. Wait times after…read moreordering are incredibly fast as well. I ordered my Bodhi boy iced matcha and got it within 5 minutes. Absolutely delicious too! Perfect balance of matcha with just a sweet hint of lavender and vanilla. Really enjoyed browsing their market too! They had a fun collection of items and GREAT gifts/gift ideas. Can't wait for my next visit already!

Really loved visiting The Forum Coffee in Clairemont! The interior is amazing, super cool, modern…read moreambiance with plenty of space to sit down, plug in, and get some work done. The staff was super friendly and made great recommendations, too. We ordered the JavaScript matcha (jasmine green tea topped with matcha foam) and the Banana Bread latte, and both were delicious and uniquely crafted. Definitely one of the best study/work cafe spots in the area. Will be back for sure!

Strawberry Matcha Matcha Biscoff Pumpkin Cream…read more The Forum Coffee is a wonderful place to socialize or do work in! There is plenty of seating and some chargers if you're by a wall (which most seats are against a wall). They have a good selection of flavor options and have their seasonal fall flavors right now! The drinks were actually really good and the foam was super delicious. The drinks also came out pretty quick! I definitely recommend this cafe in SD!

This was the perfect choice for a warm, hearty meal paired with an adorable ambiance. My friends…read moreand I came on a Wednesday evening and we were sat outside due to the inside being packed full. The staff were super friendly and accommodating, offering to move us as soon as something inside opened up, but the night was beautiful and we loved the outside vibes anyways. Throughout the meal, the service was also top quality. We were checked on consistently and everyone was very kind. For drinks, we tried the strawberry soda, matcha latte with whole milk, and the iced earl grey lavender milk tea. The matcha had a satisfying earthy flavor to it, but my favorite had to be the milk tea. Those earl grey and lavender flavors were vibrantly present with each sip, complementing each other deliciously. After serious debating, we ending up with four food options: The hayashi omurice, chicken karaage, tuna mayo bakudan onigiri, and the hatsuzakara curry. The omurice was definitely my favorite of the night, followed closely by the karaage! The only thing I wasn't satisfied with was the onigiri which just fell on the bland side in comparison with all the other amazing food. Still, the filling was tasty once I broke through the mountain of rice! Overall, this was a great experience for my friends and I, and we would definitely recommend others to try it out!! It was the perfect place to be for some warm comfort food.

We visited Hatsuzakura around 1:30 pm on a Saturday and waited over an hour to be seated and…read morereceive our food. Apparently, our table had been ready, but the previous party had already paid and refused to leave. The staff eventually let us sit separately while waiting, and I appreciated how communicative they were throughout the situation. Food: We ordered the Hayashi Omurice, Salmon Onigiri, and Karaage. Unfortunately, the food was pretty disappointing. The Karaage was alright and probably the only dish we somewhat enjoyed. No one was a fan of the Hayashi Omurice, and while the Salmon Onigiri was much bigger than your typical onigiri, it was about 90% rice with barely any filling. I also found it pretty lacking in flavor. The presentation was definitely cute, but the food itself didn't live up to it. Service: The staff was kind and communicative throughout the long wait, which we really appreciated. Ambiance: Very homey and comforting inside. The space and food presentation make it a cute spot for pictures. Unfortunately, the service and ambiance were the highlights of our visit rather than the food. It's a shame because the place is really cute, but I don't see myself coming back.

Love the service by the Bobaristas today: Valencia, Alee, Julia, Jin, Alice, and Gabi! And the…read moreMango Sticky Rice drink is so yummy!

I really enjoyed this spot the last time I came here for boba. This spot is authentic and the tea…read moreflavor is strong. What I love about the spot is that you can sample all the different drinks. The ones that I've tried, the Dark Phoenix was the best, but I really liked the Duck Shit as well. The boba shop is really cute overall and it's a good study spot if you need one. Thank you to Lena, Julia, Justin, Joshua, and Izzy.

Food/Coffee: The bagel sandwiches are what keep me coming…read moreback! My favorite is the Thighmaster, add sausage, on the serrano habanero and jack cheddar bagel. The bagel alone is delicious, but that combination is SO good! It's also HUGE and definitely worth splitting. The McLovin is another flavorful option. The Cado Toast was just okay and not particularly memorable. I've had better avocado toast elsewhere, so I stick with the bagel sandwiches. The coffee is okay for me. I've tried the cold brew, iced Basic Sitch, iced Cinn-Bee, and iced dirty chai. The Basic Sitch is too sweet for my taste, and I like adding an extra shot to the Cinn-Bee. The iced dirty chai is probably my favorite, but I'm definitely coming for the bagels! Service: Always friendly and happy to answer questions! Lines can get long, but once you order, the food and coffee usually come out quickly. Ambience: We've been so many times, and this is my favorite Spill the Beans location! Right on the water with a beautiful view, it's a regular stop during our walks along the bay. Being near the convention center, it gets busy on weekends and some weekdays, but the sandwiches are worth the wait. A little pricey, though the generous portions and waterfront setting make it worth it!

Scheduled my day to make sure I could stop by their anniversary celebration before heading to the…read moreairport. Left, extremely disappointed... When I arrived a few minutes before opening the lights were off, turned the corner to find things still being unloaded. Waited, until 6, nothing, waited 5 more minutes, some movement but still not open. Finally ask what the situation is and they said they were running behind and needed maybe 15 more minutes. I didn't have confidence that would actually happen, and left hungry to fend for food at the airport. Not worth waking up early and planning for.