They allow smokers to smoke cigarettes right on the outdoor seating area tables, next to the wide-open window, so the entire cafe is flooded with secondhand smoke. read more

Grabbed two coffees here the other day, Barista gave me a funny look and asked "Really???" when I ordered a caramel white mocha. I guess that's not very San Franciscan of me... I dunno, so honestly that made me feel awkward. That's always a turn off for me, when someone who works somewhere makes you feel bad about what you like. That being said, my caramel white mocha wasn't so great, but my boyfriends Hazelnut Latte was DELICIOUS! The food also looked very very tasty, as I waited for the drinks I watched them pump out lots of sandwiches and melts. I'd probably come back and try them some day. read more

I've been to Java Beach at the Zoo several times, and they are top notch in both service and Food Quality! If Mr Pat Mcguire is there it a treat as he welcomes all customers as family!! I look forward to going again when this "2000 madness is over! Tim read more

Another update to my review, 5/9/13: Still 1 star, for the same primary reason--they have so atrociously laid out the seating plan here that approximately half of the space is totally wasted. In the last 6 months I have checked 3-4 times, and each time there have been zero available seats. Today I got the last one, and I can plainly see that if they laid things out differently they could fit twice as many people in here. Almost all their customers are using their laptops and working alone, and the other half of their tables remain empty and unused. To make it worse, in every corner they have made it so only one person can basically use it, whereas before they remodeled 3 or 4 could be there. I can't believe they haven't fixed this (I would think they could almost double their business if they just took a clue) ------------------------------------------------------------------ I have updated this review on 1/7/13 due to a response from the cafe's owner; see below to read about that. Here's my original post..... It is impossible to get a seat in this cafe now, the food and coffee are average, their prices are too high, and their wifi sucks. Since their recent 'remodeling'/re-shuffling of their space, my guess is that they roughly cut in half (or at best a third) the number of seats available for individuals showing up alone. The way their new, inefficient setup is, there are nonetheless lots of seats empty, but they're either crammed into a corner behind 3 or 4 people and nearly impossible to get to, or you'd have to sit across from a stranger and share a tiny table space (which I never see anybody do) the width of an actual surfboard (what were they thinking?!?). Since it seems that most of their customers are individuals, they end up taking up two seats, and I basically NEVER find a seat here anymore, and now find myself just leaving and going to another cafe 90 percent of the time (I have noticed that Beachside Coffee Bar & Kitchen a block away suddenly had a big spike in business after Java Beach re-arranged their seating, and I am not surprised). Not only that but they've upped their prices to an unreasonable amount. I think the only reason this place does so much business is there has been no competition near the beach. They aren't good enough to deserve so much business, or such a high rating. Oh, and their wifi sucks. It's always very low bandwidth, shared by many users, and usually multiple times per hour it goes down and you have to wait until a barrista has time to reboot their router. UPDATE, 1/7/13: A months ago I received a reply from this cafe's owner in response to my negative review. She agreed that the place can be pretty crowded with their new seating layout, and told me that they would be upgrading their wifi soon. She also had the audacity to tell me that if I came between certain hours when a certain manager worked there, "she will ensure you get a seat, and an espresso drink on the house as a way of our apologies." I take this to mean that since I gave a bad review they would somehow get me a seat in their overcrowded misused space (how?), and a $4 beverage on the house. So, what about all the other customers who can't get seats? Will they need to write bad reviews and wait to get special treatment? I am confused. I hear that for every person who bothers to register a complaint or give a bad review there are likely 10-20 others who had that same experience but didn't bother. I'm guessing that's the case for this place. read more

I did not have high expectations for this place because it was not crowded when I came, but I was impressed by their hot veggie sandwich! It was served hot, and the bread was a little hard to bite because it was so hard. Nonetheless the flavors were delicious. It came with cucumbers,sprouts, tomatos, avocado, and 3 cheeses. The small size is about 5 inches, but it's piled high. The one complaint I have is all the gnats inside the restaurant. The whole time I was there, my friend and I were swatting them away from our food and table. We moved from the bar to the table area, and but could not escape the gnats. I noticed other customers swatting them away too. I would return back here to grab a sandwich to bring to the beach or to the zoo! read more

I came here after a hard dragon boat workout with my team. I ordered the BBQ Chicken Sandwich (bbq chicken smothered in bbq sauce, melted cheese on dutch crunch, are you salivating yet?), chips, ice water, and a vanilla softie. Woo man that totally hit the spot for a Monday night. Service was good and I inhaled that large sandwich in no time. I usually like to go to places more than once if the place has some good eats. If it doesn't, I'd be telling you about it here with a 1 or 2 star review. Definitely a place to go to if you're down with just a salad or a sandwich. The bread comes toasted too. Yum! read more

This place was forever in my bookmarks so I decided to finally give this place a try. Tryin to steer away from your "typical" coffee and I always love to try new coffee spots. So today was my first time and man was it awesome. I ordered my typical vanilla soy latte (so I can compare) and cheese danish (which was huge btw). As I was ordering I noticed their bagel menu and low and behold I spotted a smoked salmon bagel sandwich! Hell yeah "I'll take the smoked salmon bagel as well!" (coffee and smoked salmon are 2 of my favorite breakfast items) The staff was very polite and inviting and I think she kinda knew I was a new face so she was very accommodating. As I was waiting I had a chance to scope the place out and they had beer on tap! Another plus was that they served Guinness Heyyy!! Their seating seemed to only be for 2-4 max but I can see they want to keep the chill vibe. I heard my name, grabbed my coffee took a sip and raised my eyebrows, mmm! Then I heard my name again, grabbed my bagel and couldn't wait to eat so as I stepped out about to head to my car I decided to grab a seat and eat outside. Love the atmosphere, the service and the food. Can't wait to come back for Happy Hour 5-7 to order a build your own sandwich and a pint of Guinness. Heck ya! (shameless plug) Team mom and pop shops! ~~organic coffee~breakfast~lunch~beeeerr!! read more

Just love there sub sandwich. Bread is fresh and with allot of meats. Yummy. And the espresso is must try.. Close to the zoo and close to beach.. Nice.. read more

A great little place we went on a whim. They had great breakfast choices ie many bagel sandwiches. My bf had their lox cream cheese bagel and it was really tasty. I had their hummus veggie bagel and it was so good and a big portion. If I am around this area in the city I would drop by again and try their baked goods. They had a great variety of coffee as well. I felt service was efficient even while having a crowd. read more

Java Beach is right around the corner from us, and while we only discovered it recently, I think it's likely to become one of our standard "places to go when we forget to thaw something for dinner." The café is smallish (you'll probably have trouble finding seating inside on the weekend, but if the weather is nice there's ample seating outdoors), but they have a large selection of salads, sandwiches, baked goods, and other items. I've pretty much settled on Stacy's Mexican Salad, a delicious if slightly overpriced southwestern style salad with - wait for it - Nacho Cheese Doritos delivering your necessary crunch. The build-your-own sandwich option is also great, as the café has a wide variety of bread, meats, and cheeses from which to choose (the fiancé swears by their pastrami). We've started sending our out-of-town guests here for their morning Joe (we don't own a coffee maker), and they've all enjoyed it, and Java Beach also offers smoothies, juices, and even beers and wines for the rest of us. Overall, this is a nice little place for a quick, casual bite after your trip to the Zoo, the beach, or that hip-happening Outer Sunset neighborhood. read more

Still a great little spot to grab a cup of coffee and sit outside amid the fog and the ocean breeze. The scones are good. Yet, arriving early in the day does ensure pastries will be fresh and plentiful. When I arrived later on in the afternoon yesterday, the selection in the window was limited. I will have to go back and try one of their lunch or meal specialties. This is also a good place to take in local flavor and atmosphere. It is very down-to-earth and unpretentious. read more

Nice place to visit when going to the beach! Amazing Root Beer Floats, and the food looks so yum. They always have smiles on their face. Great Environment ~ read more

Java Beach At The Zoo - Root Beer Float ~ - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

A great place for lunch after a trip to the beach or the zoo (across the street). - Great coffee. - Friendly and quick service. - I had the BBQ chicken sandwich - excellent! Downside: - laptop bums abound taking up seating. read more

Besides the amazing coffee and the GREAT service (All The Staff), THE MUSIC IS PATHETIC !!! It's a coffee house, not a motel lounge or an elevator. Please change it ... Give the staff some musical motivation. Let us want to hang out! Music effects people more than you know ! "Music is the one incorporeal entrance into the higher world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend." Beethoven ( unless you're at the Java Beach Coffee Shop ) read more

Cute little sandwich spot by San Francisco zoo. Came here on a gorgeous day and you can see the ocean outside, they have a big variety of made to order cold and hot sandwiches! I got a turkey pesto which was very delicious! read more

Java Beach At The Zoo - Tomato pesto mozzarella - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is my favorite coffee shop in Cali. The coffee and food are superb, and it's got a quaint neighborhood feel to it. I ordered the steel cut oarmeal for bfast, it was delicious and the presentation was nice (came with raisins and brown sugar + flax). Like I said the coffee is superb. I also got a veggie bagel here once, I just love how everything is very wholesome and healthy (it came with hummus spread instead of fatty cream cheese, right on!), yet it still tasted awesome. I could bring my laptop and sit here all day, or just people watch sans-laptop. Always a default pit stop for me when in SF, great place to stop by before surfing to pick up a hot coffee and snack! read more

My dissatisfaction will not make the slightest dent in the enormous patronage of this or the other Java Beach on La Playa. Nevertheless, today ordered pesto cream cheese and got something else. Staff brushed me off like it was a joke with long line forming already at 630 a.m. on a Sunday. Like the other location, this location is staffed by primarily millenials whose attitudes are those volunteering to man the bar at a private party. However, unlike the other location this location is for now not so encrusted with filth and the kitchen open and the staff not handling money and then food and then bussing all bare handed without washing or sanitizing between those activities. Both locations bad electrical outlet pads. I hope Irish Cultural Center finds a way to reopen and take some of this business. Both eating spaces are too small and too expensive. read more

While at the zoo, we passed by the Leaping Lemur cafe and became thoroughly disappointed. Nine bucks for a chicken basket? Please. So we asked around and zoo workers told us to head to Java Beach for a better sandwich. It was a short ten minute walk there: just exit the zoo and head right on to Sloat, then cross the street and take a right and you can't miss it. We got there and the line was out the door, there was a 20 minute wait for food, and nowhere to sit, which was kinda annoying. Our food came and we decided to walk back to the zoo and eat in front of the gorillas. We ordered: Blueberry muffin-- Moist and delicious, but I wish it was bigger Kelly's Cove-- Delicious, yet simple sandwich. The pesto was soooo flavorful! San Patricio-- meh my chicken was dry, but the honey mustard vinaigrette with avocado was good! Bonfire delight-- Best thing we ordered. This thing had more roast beef on it than Pamela Anderson. The sauce and bread all came together to form a delicious sub. All in all, it was a good experience, worth the 20 minute wait. I highly recommend coming HERE than eating zoo food!!! read more

Free wifi-, and outlets are available. The downside is that it's pretty small, and for some reason doesn't feel all that cozy to hang out in. They blasted the oldies the entire time I was there, which for some folks might be nice, but I quickly got tired of it :P read more

This place has taken on a sentimental association for me. I go here with my closest friends for our coffee breaks and study dates, as it's one of the more convenient, local spots. When the bf is in town, this is where we always go for two medium sweet Chai lattes, although the last time we decided to just go with the spiced, unsweetened version and found ourselves missing the sugar, haha. Service is always efficient, pleasant and polite. To get to other aspects of this awesome establishment, decor is bright and airy thanks to the ginormous windows facing the zoo, lots of tables, chairs and outlets for laptops; however it can get pretty hustle and bustle quickly. Wifi, solid.. ..But I prefer talking about my sentimental associations! The location lends itself to lots of little kid encounters (zoo, elementary schools within walking distance) so the atmosphere is quite cheery and family-oriented. One particularly sunny day, I look up from my laptop (with smooth wifi, did I mention?) and catch this 3 year old cutie making eyes at me. His dad tried to school him on tips to win over the ladies as they ate their sandwiches ("Subtlety, dude!") but to no avail. This kid knows what he likes. Food and drink from Java Beach and innocent flirtations, just like me :) read more

Free wi-fi, friendly cashiers, good coffee! Hours are great, I've been able to stumble out of here at 6am with a coffee and able to stumble in here at 8pm for a coffee. The sandwiches here are delicious and a great value, $10 for a sandwich that is one huge meal or two meals with a side of salad or chips. The bbq chicken sandwich is my favorite. The ceasar salad here is great as well ( although they add mushrooms to their ceasar, I just have them hold the shrooms). Their pies, muffins and donuts are great as well. Although their maple bars have some type of cream inside, whyyyyyy? 5 stars! Plus every now and then a group of hot firefighters will wander in, woohoo for the eye candy! read more

GET THE BLT. not the pesto and tomato. fun staff. Honest and down to earth and friendly. read more

Was a volunteer at the San Francisco Zoo for years, and was always saddened by the fact that I could never find good food in the area. The sandwiches at George's Zoo were always raved about by my co-workers, but it didn't have any "Wow" factor for me. Then... the Java Beach Cafe opened. The first time I saw it, I had to stop and blink. After all, it's a very bright blue. How could I not have seen it before? And I have to admit, the choice in paint job made me think twice before stepping inside. I walked in with a friend the first time. I noted the polite service and nice variety on the menu. I ordered the basic vegetarian sandwich, on a french roll with no cheese --- avocado instead (because I don't do animal products). And for a beverage, I got a large soy hot chocolate with strawberry syrup (they will do this upon request). Once I got the food, all I can say is WOW. Tastes great, comes with chips, and is reasonably priced... Does it get any better? I've gone back several times. In fact, the last few times I've been in the Outer Sunset is because of this place, despite the fact that it takes me an hour of public transportation to get there. Needless to say, nobody I have ever taken with me has thought badly of the food either. read more

I took my old roommate out for breakfast here after we discovered that the place we wanted to go eat at down the street was closed on Mondays. We ordered two identical bagels, and got different results because I think someone was stoned and forgot what the difference is between a poppy seed bagel and a sesame seed bagel. We rolled in the face of this tragedy and weathered on. the service was quick and friendly, and the coffee was pretty OK. I dunno... It was decent. I would go back. read more

It does the job. Sandwiches are good, not great. Can be a touch slow, but the staff here are AWESOME! This location is better than the one further north. More families, less dickheads on laptops. read more

Great neighborhood place. So happy there's a place where I can get a beer and my kids can get a hot chocolate after a long day at the zoo. Also nice to have decent coffee in the neighborhood, as Sea Biscuit is a little too far to walk when I need coffee (Shout out to Sea Biscuit, too. I like you but you're too far away from my house to walk). Yummy soft serve. I have two complaints #1 (admittedly my own personal tick) I don't like lettuce and mayo on hot sandwiches. it's gross, but it's standard there. #2 (which is the one thing that prevented me from adding one more star) The place gets too busy for the staff to handle apropriately and food comes out inconsistently. Some plates have chips, some don't. Wrong bread, wrong condiments, etc. Oh, and the menu on the chalk board is too confusing to read quickly. read more

Great cofffee and great food! Wonderful service. Near the zoo and ocean Beach. Sallads, sandwiches etc great variety. read more

I absolutely love this place. LOVE THE VEGGIE HUMMUS BAGEL & THE WHERLING DEVISH SANDWICH. everything is awesome here. good lattes. Good looking & friendly staff. love love love. also parking is plentiful, wifi is awesome here, andddd they have soft serve ice cream. read more

Horrible service and food will never go there and waste my money again! Ordered a simple grilled ham and cheese right off the menus and a ice tea... what I got was two crappy pieces of bread with cheese and no ham ... I went and Back to the counter and said I think I ordered a grill ham and cheese ... the food server then said nope I heard was cheese ... Then where's my ice tea ... she then said nope you never ordered one ... Typical don't give a Fuck millennial service from a pretentious establishment read more

I live like a block away and was sooo excited for this spot to open. It finally did and I love it. Theres finally a cafe spot with WiFi closer to me. Patrick the owner is so awesome. He hooked my friend and I up with some Soft Serve. Very Nice guy! The neighborhood needed a spot like this. I'll be back! read more

Very good food, tea, coffee, and service. Nice place to hang out and read or catch up on internet business. Wifi much appreciated.

Delicious foods with so many different options! I had a melted veggie cheese sandwich which was amazing and I've tried there coffee and I enjoy it. I love how close it is to the beach, I wish I could eat there more often! Definitely check it out though. read more

Hubby and I stopped in for a quick bite. We ordered a sandwich to share. Kelly's Cove sandwich with a side mixed green salad. Delicious! Then my husband noticed Guinness on tap! Score! Exactly what he wanted after navigating the traffic, detours and road construction. read more

This place was my fuel up right after the *free admission* day at the Exploratorium and before we *attempted* to attack the SF Zoo. I got myself a nice warm bagel, and the rest of the fam got sandwiches *gosh darn giving up meat for Lent!!* The coffee was also very nice! =) read more

One of the few places that DOESN'T fuck up a hot chocolate. Plus, it's so mind-blowingly quaint that I can never resist it when I'm in the area. A coffee shop with a wine/beer bar near the ocean where I can laugh at out-of-town surfers freeze their chachas off? Yes please. read more

Because I live close by, I come here pretty often. The location is pretty amazing since it's a couple blocks away from Ocean Beach and a block away from the SF Zoo. I'm not a big fan anymore. Weekend afternoons, especially Sunday and the first Wednesday of every month will be crowded. Parking will be a pain in the a$$. Parking should be fine every other day and time. I'm also not a big fan because of the fact that many people park their large trucks right in front of the cafe. You'll end up inhaling all of the smog that comes from the idle cars on Sloat. Besides the negative aspects of being at this cafe, I would like to move onto the food. Being spoiled by the great sandwiches from Ike's place, I thought I might get a mediocre sandwich from Java Beach because it was close by. I made a mistake... by ordering a toasted turkey sandwich and the crust came out as hard as a rock. Taking a bite into the sandwich the crust crumbles into your mouth like a dust storm. I ended up tossing the whole sandwich out. Besides the sandwich, I believe that most of their food comes from Costco. (Don't quote me on this.) I enjoy the fact that they have free Wifi, but there are always people at the cafe with their laptops setup. You'll probably end up sitting outside. I like that they have a bar setup with some of my favorite beers on tap. To recap, you can't go wrong if you order bottled drinks and some of the pastries behind the glass. Other than that, I would stay away from their sandwiches.. Don't make a special trip here. It's not worth it! read more

GOOD strong coffee. Moist and delicious chocolate muffins. Staff is friendly. This place is popular for a reason. Great neighborhood spot! read more

Java Beach At The Zoo - What a cool little coffee shop. Excellent musical selection, great muffins, inventive coffee blends. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Ive been coming to the place for a few weeks now and it is definitely my favorite place to study. I actually drive 15 minutes to get here! Theres free wifi with numerous outlets and decently size tables. Parking here has never been a challenge for me. The drink and food offerings are plentiful and not too overpriced. Ive tried most of their salads and sandwiches and nothing has disappointed me yet. (they're a little on the pricey side for a college student budget but well worth it in my opinion) The frozen yogurt, arnold palmers, hazelnut coffee, subs, and popeye salad are among my favorites. Another plus for serving beer and wine. The staff is extremely friendly and there is a good mix of people that come there. Im glad theyre open until 11 everynight as well. read more

I spend a LOT of time here. The building alone has made a great improvement in the neighborhood - from an area of blight and nothingness to a more lively and lovely place. I love the aesthetics, particularly at night - and the outdoor seating is a nice touch. My favorite thing in the whole world to get from here is an oatcake. Though sometimes even the cashier may not know what it is - it is hiding on the bottom shelf behind the newspapers. It is really like portable oatmeal, slightly sweet with dried fruit. Their coffee is pretty good, and their sandwiches and salads are super yummy -- they also accept cards for even the smallest of purchases. You should probably come here since it's basically awesome. But then I'm biased because I grew up on Java Beach on LaPlaya. I'm just stoked to have one on my side of town. read more

Java Beach At The Zoo - Vegan lentil pie, and a chai tea latte (half spicy, half sweet) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Fantastic laid back surfer cafe with great sandwiches and pastries. Java beach is a sunset institution. There are two cafe's in the chain, one by the zoo and the other closer towards the cliff house, just off of Judah. Both near the ends of muni lines and perfect for grabbing a little picnic to eat on, or to relax in after a little stroll along ocean beach. I love both cafés. They have relaxed atmosphere, are light and airy and ooze personality. I have to say I prefer the one just off of Judah, but that's because there are more places to sit outside and it's got the park opposite, so feels more load back than the one by the zoo which is on the main road. However there is friendly service, great food and consistency across the two locations, so there is little between the two locations and I would visit either. Perfect for a brunch, or using their free wifi, to sit and check your emails. I absolutely love the tsunami and bonfire sandwiches, made fresh and rammed full these are huge! And whoever thought of the beef and ginger sauce combo for the bonfire sandwich is a genius. Although I would recommend that you go for the mixed salad rather than the chips however with your sandwich order. I find them a little plain and lacklustre - and personally I am a huge fan of rocket (arugula here I the US). Also check out the pastries, the croissants aren't half bad, I found it so hard finding decent ones in the US, and whilst these don't live up to the ones from France, they are some of the best I found. I really liked the grilled ham ones. Cookies, muffins and cakes are also good and you get a good sized treat for your dollar. My only criticism is that I really am not a fan of their coffee. Have a taste yourself, they'll let you sample. The French roast I found to be the best, and they have pretty much EVER type of milk and sweetener that you could think of, but I just never really enjoyed it. They seem a bit raw and burnt to me. Also no free refills! read more