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Caffe Central

4.2 (96 reviews)
Closed • Closed
Updated 2 months ago

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CAFFE CENTRAL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed

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Vietnamese iced coffee with a view.
Meghan B.

Stopped in here last Wednesday for a quick bite to eat and a cold pressed juice. Ordered the Sicilian sandwich and a Blue and Yellow juice. The sandwich was really good and had the best crisp to the bread. The juice was also really nice and exactly what I hoped for because I'm taking a little break from caffeine every day. The service here is always friendly and the dining room is clean, especially for the number of people coming and going all day. I really appreciate that the ucsf mission bay campus has such a nice cafe with fresh and healthy food/drinks.

Chicken Club & Pesto
Zoe G.

I've walked by this place multiple times and it's always so busy. My team finally tried it and it is a hit. I got the raspberry swirl coffee cake and double chocolate loaf. The chocolate loaf was rich and delicious and the raspberry coffee cake had a nice crumb with the raspberry swirled on top. I also go the chicken pesto club and it was so good. The ciabatta has a nice crunch on the outside but is so soft and fluffy inside. The chicken was tender and moist, the pesto was mixed in a creamy aioli, and the produce was fresh. Will definitely come back to try more!

Turkey & Avocado BLT + Acai Smoothie
Susanna L.

Caffe Central is a local cafe with multiple locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. What sets them apart from other cafes is their dedication to fresh ingredients and locally roasted coffee beans. Although their beans are globally sourced, the business partners with a local Pacifica business (Soul Grind Coffee) to roast their coffee beans (we love local businesses supporting each other)! This particular location is conveniently located near UCSF Mission Bay, UCSF Bayfront, and the Chase Center, which makes it a perfect spot to stop-by and great a bite to eat or a coffee to-go. I tragically forgot to bring my lunch to work one afternoon, but was fortunate to learn that Caffe Central was just a quick walk away from me. I placed an order for an acai smoothie and a turkey avocado BLT via DoorDash for pickup (to time it with my lunch break), and was notified when my order was ready to pick-up (right on time). Upon reaching their storefront, I was pleasantly surprised with how spacious and airy it was inside. There was plenty of seating and the wide windows let plenty of sunlight in, making it a great spot to stop and enjoy a bite. Unfortunately, I couldn't enjoy my meal in-store as they were closing, so I went on the hunt for somewhere else to sit and enjoy my food (if I had the time I would have definitely enjoyed my food in-store). Their turkey avocado BLT features smoked turkey, bacon, cheddar cheese, arugula and mayo-pesto all on an acme baguette (it comes with tomato too, but I took that out). The sandwich was perfect - exactly what you expect when ordering a sandwich like this. all the ingredients tasted fresh and delicious, especially when paired with the creamy mayo-pesto and the crunchy acme baguette. The acai smoothie was equally tasty, and the acai flavor wasn't overwhelmed by the other smoothie ingredients. I guess you can say I was almost glad to have forgotten my lunch at home on this day, since I was able to enjoy a delicious meal like this! I'd definitely recommend checking out Caffe Central the next time you find yourself at/near any of their locations and craving a bite to eat or something to sip on.

Iced matcha latte
Meiyi Y.

The iced matcha latte was decent. It was not as strong in flavor as I would have liked. They had a good selection of baked goods that I would love to come back to try out. The staff was nice, and the cafe was not too busy on a Thursday late morning. There were plenty of seating for dine in.

Spinach & Mushroom Quiche + Salad
Sophia H.

Came here this past Thursday for lunch. I got the Spinach & Mushroom Quiche + Salad. This was very good, and I enjoyed it. The quiche came out warm. Spinach and mushroom always go well together. The salad was refreshing. I liked that the dressing was light. The cafe is spacious with plenty of tables and chairs. This is located right down the street from Chase Center and right next to a Muni stop.

Tracy B.

Food and service is always good here. They make the BEST Americano. My husband really enjoyed his bagel sandwich. Its very filling.

The Marina
Bianca C.

I met a friend here at Caffe Central for breakfast on a weekday morning. I was dropped off on the Illinois St side which made finding the cafe inside UCSF a little tricky (it's easier to spot from the 3rd St side), but fortunately I was able to ask someone. We arrived before the lunch rush, so it wasn't crowded and there were plenty of available tables inside. The space is bright and airy with large windows that let in a lot of natural light, although there's not much of a view if that's what you're looking for. I ordered a coffee and The Marina on an everything bagel. The sandwich was hearty and satisfying, so it was a great option for brunch. It came with a generous side of fresh fruit - everything looked and tasted great.

Farmer's mkt salad

We stopped by for a quick lunch. My husband ordered the turkey BLT and I got the farmer's mkt salad. Both were fresh and delicious! Definitely come again!

Caffe Central heavily uses a lousy mix.

I just had the most disappointing chai latte from this place. Right after ordering, I noticed that the barista was using this chai tea latte box from Oregon Chai. It's a liquid mix. You can buy it from Amazon or the grocery store. It's so commercial and cheap considering they get multiple servings out of it. I just am really disappointed that they don't use better chai. The chai flavor was so minimal and the latte was way too sweet, which was frustrating since I asked if the chai would be very sweet and the register person said no. Well, my taste buds and the Oregon Chai's nutrition info say otherwise! I just think the latte was lame and lazy. The milk wasn't even that frothy. This is San Francisco. Caffe Central needs to up its chai game.

Steven W.

Bright airy cafe that's part of the hospital. The food is good and surprisingly cheap.

Avocado & Egg Toast
Lynn F.

8am Thursday: Ambience, sparkling clean, modern, plenty of seating with back support. Most of the patrons at this hour were wearing scrubs &/or ID badges, as the former shipping docks have been replaced by UCSF medical building village. I saw a few people outside walking dogs, they most likely live in those slick (expensive ) buildings nearby. Definitely well paid under 40 crowd. I'm sure I was the only person to foolishly drive here, having snagged the last street space 3 blocks away. I have an hour. I suggest arriving just before the 7am opening, otherwise be prepared for a long line. Best to take public transit, T 3rd line stop is a couple blocks away. Finding Caffe Central is not easy. Don't let your gps take you to the downtown Caffe Central. Yes, this Caffe is in 390 Illinois building, but the entrance is on 3rd street, & to further confuse their receipt says 480 16th street. On to the main event. Avocado Toast options 1- sliced avocado & boiled egg 2- sliced avocado & tahini 3- guacamole toast I'm a purist, so #1 please I probably should have ordered the guacamole, which has some kick. Too bad I didn't see the salt & pepper packet. Without seasoning the avocado toast was pretty bland. Those deli level tomatoes, no thank you. No chili flakes, pickled radish or pink Himalayan salt here. The bread was yummy & actually toasted, although this toast was not suitable for eating with your hands, as it was piled high with greens, avocado slices, tomato slices & what I think was a thin layer of melted cheese. Bonus points for the serrated, non-plastic knife. IMO this was a lunch item. In the morning I'm not in the mood for a pile of dressed greens no matter how delicious. I ordered a side of bacon, generous 7 small strips with that perfect combination of crispy & chewy. The menu has a lot of coffee & sandwich choices, the refrigerated case full of juices & snacks. Super friendly staff, 4 people working the counter, so pretty fast service. Bottom line, a solid choice if you're in the hood.

Brioche
Shawn B.

Lots and lots of sweet treats to satisfy your sweet tooth. I had this brioche pastry that was pretty goo. I also ordered a cortado; super rich, creamy and strong! Service was good; the cashier was patient with me as this was my first time ordering. Ambience is like a small intimate coffee shop you would find in Paris. Definitely will return! My stuff cost about $7 not too bad.

French Classic
Gee P.

Hands down, the BEST breakfast sandwich I have ever eaten. I don't know how they do it...had the classic French sandwich with perfectly cooked ham, on a warm toasty baguette, with melted Swiss cheese...and refreshing cold sliced tomatoes. It was...perfect in every way.

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8 months ago

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

Had a green brekkie. Fast service. Fresh food. Came with a side of fruit! Would definitely be back if I am in the area.

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

Really good BLT. but $30 for lunch? Sandwich and tea. Rent must be exorbitant on 3rd Street.

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2 years ago

Excellent coffee and breakfast foods. The service is friendly and always a joy to see in the morning.

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

Loved their latte and a marble cake to go with it! They generally have a vast selection of food too.

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3 years ago

A great quick stop on my way to work! Staff is friendly as well. There are many meal options and I loved the bagel sandwich!

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4 years ago

Farmer's Market Salad- wow, this salad is soooo good! Fully of flavor and both red and golden beets!

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

Coffee was incredibly good and the service stupendous. I will go back when i'm back in the area.

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Saint Frank Coffee - Yuzu macadamia cookie and orange cream latte

Saint Frank Coffee

4.3(1.1k reviews)
2.9 mi•Polk Gulch, Russian Hill
•$$

Cozy, upscale cafe located in the vibrant Russian Hill neighborhood…read more I went on a Monday afternoon and there was a great crowd there. Lively customers and staff, good vibes! There was a lot of natural light in the coffee shop, definitely a visually-appealing, 'aesthetic' place. I got an iced red tea and it was delicious. The tea was botanical, smooth and fragrant. Amazing experience! Excited to come back and try the coffee and pastries, which looked super fresh.

First time here for coffee! It's quite a popular shop and you see many sitting inside or waiting in…read moreline. Luckily we didn't have to wait a long line. It seems like there's also an upstairs but did not get the chance to check it out. I got an iced latte with their almond macadamia milk, and they're also so nice to do complimentary cold brew! So we got an extra drink for free. Trying the iced latte, it was pretty disappointing lol. I thought it would be similar to like a Hawaiian style latte with macadamia milk, but it was a lot lighter than I thought. It was definitely very nutty, but it also just tasted like water down latte. Honestly not much going on with the drink, but it does taste lighter in general. Crazy have to pay $1.50 more to add on this milk. Overall, its alright. I do like the natural lighting coming into the shop, but nothing too special.

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Saint Frank Coffee - Order counter and interior seating (from the entrance)

Order counter and interior seating (from the entrance)

Saint Frank Coffee - Coffee; Chocolate Banana Muffin

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Saint Frank Coffee - Black Sesame Kouign-Amann

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B Patisserie - Bostock ($4.25)

B Patisserie

4.6(3.8k reviews)
3.2 mi•Lower Pacific Heights
•$$

One of the best bakeries in the city!! Im sure many people would agree…read more Fresh pastries and excellent customer service. The Kouign Amann is my absolute favorite, Im always craving it and can never resist! :D

MORE FRENCH LAMINATION!!! thank you napoleon, mbappe, and fries: the three best frenchies of all…read moretime. anyway b patisserie is hyped like crazy like any other SF bakery that went viral on instagram. however it seems like ol B is popular among professional dessert snobs too. well as an ordinary flour snorter (the most french thing i've baked was choux), i checked it out and...it was good! not sure about hype, but good nonetheless. the lines are not bad, they move fast. ample seating and okay service! over the course of 3 days i got the banana, apple, & plain croissants as well as pain-suisse AND pumpkin kouign amann AND plain kouign AND pumpkin bread AND the passionfruit bostock. yes i am a glutton. yes i wanted to try everything. they are all a bit too sweet for my taste but pretty buss. i love the crunchy flaky sugariness of the kouign amann - i can see why it's so popular. the cream cheese and pumpkin combo was super balanced. plain one is simple and simple is FIRE!! the apple and banana croissants have REAL fruit! wow! so great and not artificial! (i sound like an american health influencer...oh wait i am american). anyway they're a bit too sweet but the frangipane tastes good. the plain one is boring in a bad way. pain suisse is okay too. it's ironic that their best croissants are the day-old ones since they are twice baked with frangipane pumpkin bread was pretty good! again a bit too sweet but spice and pumpkin came in strong like pow pow. bostock was good too - my first time. again a twice baked pastry except it's brioche and the syrup is passionfruit. the fruit flavor was slight but i wish it was stronger. super interesting to eat though i also wish that the heat and freshness of the pastries didn't vary so wildly. some days they're cold as frozen peas and other days they're nice and crispy and warm and fluffy and fireplace-y and hot-mug-y. sorry i have a lot of wishes. unfortunately big B may not be able to satisfy them. i wish i can go back to try the black sesame one but i'm too broke and i have an astronomically low attention span so i can't wait in line

Photos
B Patisserie - Black sesame Kouign Amann, reheated

Black sesame Kouign Amann, reheated

B Patisserie - Black sesame kouign Amman ends

Black sesame kouign Amman ends

B Patisserie - Chocolate Kouign Amann Seasonal ($5.75)

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Stonemill Matcha - Yuzu Fish Katsu Sando, Straw Yuzu-ade (08/2026)

Stonemill Matcha

4.2(1.7k reviews)
1.8 mi•Mission
•$$

I can't believe it's taken me this long to finally try Stonemill Matcha, but I can now agree with…read moreeveryone else that it is definitely worth the visit if you love matcha. Since Stonemill opens at 10 AM, I arrived around 9:40 AM. Shortly afterwards, a long line started to form behind me. Once inside, my friend and I placed our matcha orders and were seated in a cozy nook by the window. Despite the steady flow of customers throughout the morning, our drinks were brought out in about ten minutes. My matcha latte with oat milk was served in a large ceramic mug, and it was certainly one of the smoothest matcha lattes I've had in SF (where there is no shortage of contenders!). The matcha itself was slightly earthy, and the latte had a hint of sweetness to balance the flavor. I did not order food this time, but I saw several people around us order the Japanese breakfast set and matcha cream pie, which I will have to try on my next visit. Despite the constant line to enter the cafe, the ambiance inside remained relaxed and welcoming, perfect for savoring our matcha.

Ordered their iced matcha latte with oat milk, unsweetened as well as an iced hojicha latte with…read moreoak milk, unsweetened. Getting a pretty basic, straight forward matcha or hojicha beverage is always a good way to tell how a store's quality of matcha is. Of course just a plain matcha like usucha is a better way of telling but I like mine with oat milk. Upon first sip of the matcha latte, I could tell immediately that the matcha quality is of very low grade. It was extremely bitter even with the oat milk which was unfortunate. I sipped on it on my walk home and once I was back, I added more oat milk to the cup. That's how bitter it was! On the other hand, the hojicha latte was quite alright. Nothing to write home about but I didn't have to make my own alterations for that one. I'd come back for a hojicha latte but definitely not for their matcha. I can make it better at home..using a high quality powder.

Photos
Stonemill Matcha - 03.20.2026- Stonemill Matcha SF- interior

03.20.2026- Stonemill Matcha SF- interior

Stonemill Matcha - TO Hojicha Pumpkin Pie

TO Hojicha Pumpkin Pie

Stonemill Matcha - Strawberry Yuzu-ade, tamago sando (w/ pork katsu on the side (that i sliced and put in myself)) (02/2026)

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Saint Frank Coffee - Kaffe Tonic

Saint Frank Coffee

4.3(153 reviews)
1.6 mi•Financial District, SoMa

Goes without saying this place is just top of the line. Ambiance is great, lots of seating, fancy…read morewood tables, and full on upscale vibe. Coffee is great and staff is always super welcoming and have attention to detail. I always stop in for a bag of freshly roasted beans and doing so gets you a free cup of drip coffee or cold brew. The only thing that is slightly inconvenient is the constantly long line to order. On the bright side once you order you get your drink right away regardless of what you order. It's a solid assembly line operation they got going. Especially in my case when I typically only get a bag of beans to-go I wonder if they could change the system to allow me to forgo the line altogether, that would be a pleasant change. Anyways I highly recommend this coffee shop! High quality all the way around!

I looked at this place up on Yelp ahead of time and thought I might oder a drink and stay and read…read morefor a bit. Even on a Monday afternoon, it was packed and super loud. Instead of lingering inside, the move is to take your drink to go and head down to Rincon Park, whether there are plenty of benches and waterfront views. That being said, I found the barista helpful, as she advised me on which drink to get. I wanted something cold and tea based, and she recommended the iced house made chai latte. It was nicely spiced, smooth, and made with House made macadamia almond milk. Delightful!

Photos
Saint Frank Coffee - Croissant

Croissant

Saint Frank Coffee - Matcha Latte (Almond Macadamia Milk)

Matcha Latte (Almond Macadamia Milk)

Saint Frank Coffee - Competition Style Cappuccino

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Maruwu Seicha - mango matcha latte (10/2024)

Maruwu Seicha

4.3(759 reviews)
2.6 mi•Japantown, Lower Pacific Heights
•$$
Women-owned & operated
Certified professionals

STRONGGG MATCHA!!!! Super creamy ice cream(?) and customizable, strong-flavoured matcha lattes. I…read morewanna go back and try more!!!!! Sweet workers, easy ordering process and tucked away in a corner of Japantown. Honestly a good little pick me up if you're in the area for shopping and want something a little more authentic.

One of those places where I wish I didn't leave tips upfront. Absolutely pathetic service where…read moreworkers just getting by. I came with two little kids and asked if ice cream can be split into two cups. The guy at register said "sure, we can do that". Girl with purple hair hands me full ice cream and on my question if it's half portion with annoyed face gives me another cup. On my question if I can have a spoon was short "right there" not even pointing me any direction. By the time I found plastic sticks on the counter in a busy crowd handling two little kids crying for ice cream I was ready to throw it out. What a shame, I don't expect 5 star service but simply splitting ice cream, giving me a spoon or just pay any attention to me as a customer would be enough for those tips that they asked upfront. Lesson learned, never again, although we are in this mall often.

Photos
Maruwu Seicha - Hōjicha Latte Cheese Foam, 1/2 sweet ($6.30)

Hōjicha Latte Cheese Foam, 1/2 sweet ($6.30)

Maruwu Seicha - Matcha + Hokkaido Milk Swirl Soft Serve and Matcha Tea with Snow Top

Matcha + Hokkaido Milk Swirl Soft Serve and Matcha Tea with Snow Top

Maruwu Seicha - Hokkaido Latte with Snow Foam

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Hokkaido Latte with Snow Foam

Caffe Central - cafes - Updated October 2026

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