I love coming here! This is one of my favorite places to come with my friends. You walk in, choose something to paint, pay at the front, and have unlimited time and access to all the paint and supplies to paint your item. I always come here with my friend every month and we get our snacks and drinks and chat and paint! The staff is really friendly and helpful. We always discover something new, like you can use supplies like rulers and stencils from the front, and the staff can even help match what paint you use. Speaking of that, they have a hair dryer to help speed up the drying process! I highly recommend coming here for a date night, girls night out, arts and crafts date, anything really! read more

CeramiCafe - Party & Event Planning Near Me - La Mesa, California

The staff were wonderful! So sweet and very helpful. Everyone was so friendly and were checking on all the different groups painting. The assortment of items to paint vary from figurines, containers, kitchenware, and home decor! There's plenty of seating, a large variety of paints, and lots of fun stencils/stamps. Very excited to pick up our creations in a week! read more

Really friendly and helpful staff. I picked up and project to take home and paint for Father's Day. I paid and grabbed all the paint colors I needed, painted it at home, then brought it back to be glazed and baked. It only took a couple days and I picked it up. Super easy and fun! read more

CeramiCafe - Finished product - Party & Event Planning Near Me - La Mesa, California

This was such a fun family experience and we love how our ceramics turned out! Everyone was very friendly and helpful. read more

CeramiCafe - I painted this cute incense cabin - Party & Event Planning Near Me - La Mesa, California

My piece came out amazing! August helped out with great recommendations on layering and textures. The firing really made my colors pop and it made for a great holiday gift to my boyfriend. read more

CeramiCafe - Vase - Party & Event Planning Near Me - La Mesa, California

Love coming here! Always a clean Enviroment and Everyone is always so helpful! So much variety for ceramics and the return time is usually very quick ! The workers are always so kind, especially Maribel, she always gives the best feedback back on how to execute certain designs / obtain certain colors! She is the sweetest and so helpful ! read more

I went to Ceramicafe on two different occasions and enjoyed my time for both! The second time, I visited the store to buy a gift card for my best friend's birthday because I thought it would be nice to do a fun painting experience together! I was able to load a card with $40 which would pay for a bowl or plate as well as many other small trinkets. We went at nighttime about an hour and a half before closing on a rainy day. Maybe it was because of the rainy atmosphere but it was so cozy and warm inside. It was the perfect atmosphere to catch up while having our hands do something creative and expressive! It was slightly loud for a brief moment because there was a group of children in the party room celebrating someone's birthday. They were singing Christmas carols! Despite this and despite my aversion to gaggles of loud children, I still had a lovely time and look back fondly on my experience. When we were done painting our bowls, we dropped them off and they told us that they would call when they were ready for pickup! It was relatively quick, less than a week, and we were so excited when we saw how amazing the bowls turned out! We use the bowls for our dinner + movie nights. read more

CeramiCafe - Party & Event Planning Near Me - La Mesa, California

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My lovely daughter and I painted a cute mug at this location. The first thing I noticed was the selection. They definitely have a great selection of pottery to paint. The issue I had was the cost. For this one simple mug, it cost us $43. That means that a simple day out for the two of us, if we both wanted to paint our own mug could be upwards of $80-$100 just for two pieces. There are no prices on their site, except for "starts at $10" which is absolutely NOT a good reflection of how much the pieces will cost to create. I would suggest a bit more transparency when it comes to cost, for one. Second, all the extra materials were out. Pencil? Missing. Q-tip? Gone. All the things that you may want, aside from glaze and brushes had not been replaced, including even paper towels. My daughter and I resorted to wiping our brushes on our aprons in between colors (after rinsing, of course) because we had nowhere else to wipe them. In all, the studio is cute, the selection is good, but the prices are much too high, especially if they are going to forget to stock basics. read more

CeramiCafe - Axolotl mug and paint palette - Party & Event Planning Near Me - La Mesa, California

Mt friend recently showed me this spot and I absolutely love it! I think it's a great idea for a fun and creative time. Whether you have older kids that like to paint or you come here for a date night or girls night, it's a good time for sure. They play cool music, you just purchase your ceramic piece and they provide the paint and everything else you need. When you're done they help clean up the area and everyone who works here is very friendly. It's good to make a reservation because all the tables can fill up. We'll definitely be back. read more

CeramiCafe - My Ghibli inspired bowl I painted - Party & Event Planning Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Had a wonderful experience painting pottery here. The employees were all very helpful and nice. Great selection of pottery to choose from and a wide variety of paints too. Would definitely come here again! read more

Ceramic Cafe is a beautiful place; the ambience is lovely, the staff, I had Maribel helping me & she made me feel so comfortable as it was my first time, she showed me the ropes and I ended up bringing my entire family and had her again funny enough, we loved out pieces. I took my grandma Celida before she passed and I kept the little bird she helped me paint. So incredibly special , thank you Maribel & Ceramic cafe read more

This is a hidden gem in the Grossmont Center. A perfect place to bring your friends and have a girls night or a date or your family. The workers are extremely kind and showing you how everything works and there's just so many options the price includes all the paint and everything that you'll be using and you can also bring in food if you'd like . Like most ceramic places, it might be a little bit pricey for some however to me it was a perfect price . I would expect to spend around $30 or more per head. I had such a fun time, making my creation pictured below, and they had it ready within three days, they do let you know it might take anywhere up to a week ! If you're looking for something fun to do in San Diego, I would recommend this place read more

CeramiCafe - Party & Event Planning Near Me - La Mesa, California

I love this place. The people are really nice and it was a fun morning with myself and my daughter. Only downside is how expensive it is. The price includes everything but we did two very small pieces and it was $75 out the door. I miss the days when things like this were more affordable. I'd consider going again though. read more

I painted something for a friend! Great experience, all the materials needed and was ready in time!

I hadn't been to CeramiCafe in a few years. I went with my son recently, and one of the smallest figurines was $29 total. That is a dramatic increase in cost, maybe double give or take based on my recollection. For that cost, I'll buy a ceramic from Hobby Lobby and we can paint it at a park. Update - the owner has advised the prices went up $2. Firstly, I went through reviews and two separate reviews indicated a mug in 2017 was $18, while a mug 2023(?) was $43. Secondly, I used to take my daughter here for years about 2012-2019 give or take, about monthly or every other month, just as a fun afternoon activity. I don't recall exact prices, but I know I would never have repeatedly taken her if the same figurines were $27. It's your business, so charge what you like, but as a mom, I would now only take my kids once a year for their birthday. read more

The ceramic options change constantly, which is nice if you don't find anything you like the first time around. Lots and lots of options too. While the price is a bit much, you don't have to pay to sit or to use the paints, so the price makes sense. I was surprised that it took 2 weeks for them to fire up my mug and have it ready. Seemed like a really long time. Would recommend this place for any type of single or group activity. read more

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Awesome place to get crafty with exceptional service. You just pick the ceramic piece you want to paint and CeramiCafe provides all the supplies you need. About a week later you pick up your glazed masterpiece to see the final results. Highly recommend! read more

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Lowest price figures are $25. This includes the studio time and paint and firing. You can get 10% off for birthday/celebration visits. I was hoping to get something cheaper to take home and paint and fire in my sisters kiln, but they didn't have didn't pricing for just buying a figure and not painting it. read more

Okay, so these sixteen year olds have worked there for a very long time? Maybe the org that relegates child welfare and work refs should pay you a visit. When I asked you for help, you blew me off without a second look. It's lucky you get birthday parties, or you would not get any business at all. I can't see people returning to your place where every time you get color on your brush - and set it to ceramic - someone shoves into the table. Have you tried not packing so many seats and tables in, or is it all about the money? Clearly, it's not about customer service. Liar. I was not rude to your employees, I don't do that in front of my daughter. Liar. I'm in healthcare and those people had been on the streets for a while and we're doing aggressive panhandling. So, what, the mall bussed them in to panhandle? Liar. I forget what you4th point was...I just know it was as untrue as the rest. You should have just said you are working to solve the issues and outlined how. You are a franchise owner who leaves kids to run your business and instead of being a standup business owner, you are trying to maline me. This is what someone who knows nothing about customer service does. Better hold onto that job to support your business because the way you run it, it won't be long before people stop coming back entirely. There is no music, and you can't play your own music - that would be rude. It's glum. Years ago, I did have a birthday party for my daughter there. We had 10 kids there. There was no one there to help us, everyone was busy checking people in and getting other people their ceramics after the kiln. There was no music, no balloons, nothing festive. Other birthday companies leave balloons tied to the chairs and streamers up. Your place is very glum. The only cheer there is what people bring with them, and your place sucks it out of them as they try to do things (that should be done by your teenagers) for themselves and their questions go unanswered. You should use small paper plates for paint. This way people can add on what they need instead of putting paint into those tea spoon size holes. And then you go to get another plate, or clean yours, and someone chases you out. I wonder where you guys do clean your plates, aren't there EPA rules? For Godesses' sake, please use paper plates - get them from Costco. You spend half your time waiting for a clean plate to show up, or for someone to get more paper towels to clean the paint out, or to clean up paint on the floor your people have neglected to pick up. I am going by there soon, going way out of my way, and taking photos of your brushes. Let's see how much you care and are working to change things. I encourage everyone who reads this and going to the mall for anything else to stop by and take pictures of the brushes. Good or bad - post them! Get a consultant and get some wall covering that absorbs noise. It is so loud , so many people there - I wonder what the fire dept number is for the number of people you have in there at any given time? Unusually restaurants and movie theaters have it posted. Do not try to make me look bad, or post that I was rude. You did try to get me to come back "for free," why would you do that if I was so rude and I'll behaved? You know nothing about business and taking care of the people who come into your place of business. The mall is bad enough, you should reward people for coming in - you should give them a good time and offer them quality products. You have huge things there to paint, give those people a small Chinese tea cup to put there paint in. You make everything so hard. You do not put yourself into the sandals of your customers - you just pack them into a sardine can and charge them a lot of money to do everything themselves. People don't even know about the pop paint - it's kept behind the counter. The noise of a crowd is killing my head just thinking back. Be a good owner and stop blaming everyone else for your bad business methods! Grow up. read more

Cute fun place. I was annoyed that they wouldn't let me reserve a table same day, because I was bringing in a huge group of kids, but it ended up being fine, I just think that "rule" is silly. read more

I was here today to celebrate my little sisters birthday today! I just wanted to give a huge shout out to the girl who helped us out today. I feel so bad that I forgot to catch her name, but she had a couple of nose piercings and brown hair. She did a wonderful job working with the little ones and always asked if we needed more paint. She always offered us drinks too! She also loved and complimented my sister's wacky skull potion bottle hehe. She was incredibly kind and sweet and she deserves to be recognized! I had a quick chat with her afterwards and she was just a joy to talk to. Thank you so much to her for making my little sister's birthday so memorable :) read more

CeramiCafe - Sister's Birthday Party - Party & Event Planning Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Today, I was helped by Elise Peeples, the manager of the CeramicCafe La Mesa. She was incredibly friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. She went above and beyond explaining the details I needed while juggling quite a few other customers and phone calls. I appreciate her great customer service and look forward to coming back with my Grandchildren to create some artwork. read more

Such a cute place, and so much fun too! I took my daughter here for her friends birthday party. She had a great time! There are so many beautiful ceramic figures to choose from, we will have to come back to paint all the ones we liked! Perfect idea for a play date, or a fun family activity! The place was pretty easy to find at the mall, using my maps app. It's not too far of a walk from the parking garage (perfect to park during summer so the car stays cool). The employees are nice and helpful. Seating is limited, especially in the party room. Other than that, this place is great! We will be back! read more

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I love this place. I've been coming here since I was in middle school and its so great. Such a great selection to choose from and the staff there are super nice. Plenty of colors to use, lots of brushes, and Fridays is wine night!! You can't go wrong here. Its A great place to go with friends, date, and just to also make something awesome. read more

CeramiCafe - Pencil case - Party & Event Planning Near Me - La Mesa, California

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This is a regular weekly haunt for a core group of my friends. Painting is so therapeutic. It's fun for kids of all ages- from 2 to 102. The staff is always amazing, especially if you're lucky enough to visit when Kelly has a shift. The vibe is completely welcoming and unpretentious. Without this venue, I'm not sure where I'd be. The outlet of visiting and expressing creativity through ceramic painting is difficult to describe without sounding like insincere gushing. My friends and I had been going weekly for about a year and a half before quarantine. When I had Covid, one of the things that kept me fighting for my life was the idea of returning to "real life." That life included visiting the CeramiCafe once a week to paint with my friends. I'm not saying this place saved my life; I'm just sayin....... read more

Went on Friday with my two kids. The staff were friendly but It was very expensive in my opinion. For each to paint two small trinket boxes it was $156 . Very disappointed. read more

Was in for the first time with my sister n law. Her first time. Lots of fun items to pick from. Lots of room, great music :-D. Baby boomers, LOL. Paint and all what you could need to do your project was there for you to use. Clean up was taken care of... Very happy with the results of our art time. Sure, I'd go again. Thank you for having this fun place for ART. read more

I enjoyed my experience. My boyfriend and I came and painted plates which turned out so cute. We're in our early twenties and have no kids, but we thought it was odd this place sells 21+ items when everyone around us did have kids. It's an odd business choice for sure bc idk why you'd want to attract people who would come in and paint a bong in front of several 5-10 year olds maybe I'm the weird one, but if you don't want to potentially have to explain drugs to kids maybe skip this place read more

My daughter and I love coming here. Lots of selection of items to paint. Clean and relaxing.

Absolutely amazing! They were so accommodating with our special needs daughter that loves to run around which makes it very difficult to do activities like this. They had everything set up for us and were so kind and patient. We can't wait to come back and paint our Christmas presents! What an absolute wonderful experience for our whole family, thank you so much! read more

CeramiCafe - Starting on our project! :) - Party & Event Planning Near Me - La Mesa, California

Love this place! I held a small "Paint & Sip" event here in their private room (around 11 guests) and the staff were very helpful, accommodating, and kind. They gave us the run-down and explained everything crystal clear. They were always available to answer questions/provide guidance and they made our overall experience absolutely wonderful. I would definitely re-book again in the future! read more

The staff was very helpful with how to paint the ceramics. Lots of choices to pick from and a great location to roam around after you're finished painting. We did this for our friend farewell and now we all have a little something to remind us of our friendship. read more

CeramiCafe - My questionable creation. Haha. - Party & Event Planning Near Me - La Mesa, California

such a lovely experience! girls were so nice and it was so quiet and peaceful. there were lots of options and paint options as well.

It's a fun experience the staff are nice but the prices are a complete rip off.i remember going as a kid and having a blast but the price of the items makes it very hard to enjoy and almost impossible for me to take myself and 3 kids and keep ot under 150$ read more

I've come here multiple times over the years and I always enjoy myself. My son loves to come painting and has a lot of fun picking out his item and his paint colors. He has the freedom to paint his item however he wishes and it gives him a chance to see how colors mix and make an interesting design. The store offers a nice selection of pottery items and it seems they bring in new items regularly so you can come in one weekend and a month later there will be new items. I appreciate this so we don't paint the same things over and over. That being said if you like an item don't count on it being there next time. Purchase it during the current visit. The employees are always very friendly and helpful. I only have two gripes about this place. One on the weekends they need to have more than one person working the register, helping customers and retrieving customer's completed items. I have waited in line for 20 minutes to be able to purchase my items and with a 4 year old, that is a miserable 20 minutes when all he wants to do is paint. Secondly I don't like how the bottoms of the pieces are marked with numbers so they know which items belong to which customer. I've been to a few of these types of pottery painting stores and this is the only one that does this. On some items I don't mind but on larger serving items I don't like it and it looks tacky. They need to come up with another way to distinguish orders. From time to time they offer Groupons, this is a great way to try them out and see if you enjoy painting your own items. read more

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Recently held my daughter's 10th birthday here. Was able to book 2 time slots allowing for painting in the first slot and then food, gifts, and pictures in the 2nd slot. It was just the right amount of time. Staff was courteous, helped with set up, clean up, serving, you name. Plus, I ordered a custom frame painted by their artist and was able to get everyone's names and thumb prints in attendance. Adding a group picture once we get the frame back. Would absolutely recommend Ceramicafe. Thank you so much for making my daughter's birthday so special. read more

Always a welcoming and friendly place! Prices are all inclusive so you don't have to pay extra hidden fees, and for the overall experience of handpainting your own ceramics its totally worth the price! Especially when compared to other ceramic painting locations around San diego this is the most friendly and affordable spot. Liberty Station for example is crazy expensive compared to here. I recommend a reservation on weekends to secure a spot since they get busy! read more

CeramiCafe - They have cute murals too! - Party & Event Planning Near Me - La Mesa, California

Had a great time with my girls here, lots of options and different paint colors to choose from. We came around Halloween time this year and made some spooky creations. I've been coming here since I was a little girl and it's a fun memory to share with the generations. Will continue to go to this little gem for years to come. read more

Great activity for a single person, families with small or big children, couples, and friends! Staffs are knowledgeable, helpful and friendly; selections are interesting and prices are reasonable. Highly recommended! read more

CeramiCafe - Sea - Party & Event Planning Near Me - La Mesa, California

I'd take my little niece back here! The little Queen enjoyed herself and the artsy fartsy part of me had my fun too. read more