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    Lava Java

    4.0 (244 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Lava Java Photos

    Business Info

    LAVA JAVA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for working

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    Recommended Reviews - Lava Java

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    Inside
    Nichole E.

    Yumm!! If you are in SF and looking for a delicious coffee, Lava Java can help you out! I really enjoyed the charm of this coffee shop. It reminds me of old Sf so I personally loved the inside. Service was fast, friendly, and helpful! The Coconut Mocha and chocolate muffin we bought were beyond yummy! Next time I want a mocha it has to be a coconut mocha, it's changed my mind about mochas forever!

    Counter.
    amy T.

    It's a cute local cafe that has everything you need. Bagels, breakfast sandwiches, wraps, smoothies. I got two breakfast sandwiches to go and an orange juice. $20. Not bad for Cole Valley/Haight. The eggs in the sandwiches are microwaved fyi to fit the round of the English muffin. It was pretty good. They only take Venmo, cash, and Zelle. Probably easier for them. It's a tiny little cafe so don't expect it to be Starbucks which I prefer the local vibe anyway. They have puzzles and games. No bathroom.

    Caramel macchiato ($5.45)
    Courtney B.

    I found this little coffee shop on my morning walk near Golden Gate Park and UCSF medical center. It's small, but very welcoming inside. The lady working was friendly and helpful while I ordered! She made my caramel macchiato quickly and it was very hot. The macchiato wasn't "traditional", but it was pretty good. Would definitely recommend this place compared to any others in the area. They only take cash, venmo, or zelle for payment.

    Mushroom spinach egg wrap, Bacon egg and cheese on everything
    Madison P.

    Great little spot to take refuge from the rain and enjoy a quick brunch! My spinach mushroom egg wrap was yummy, but the two other people in my group said that the bagels are really good, so if I had to order again I would go that way. Heads up for other tourists that they only take cash/Venmo/Zelle!

    Vicky L.

    Very small mom and pop shop. I just got an iced soy latte. The latte is just okay it's not phenomenal, yet it's still $7.27, there wasn't any flavoring or syrup either so for a basic soy latte I don't think it was quite worth it.

    the loose leaf tea :)
    Kylie S.

    This place is amazing: the service, the bagels, the loose leaf rose oolong tea! I loved it here.

    Montage of images from Lava Java
    Ed U.

    I like the catchy name. I kept picturing a river of red hot magma flowing out of its front door with Polynesian island princesses running away in terror. But no, this is the Haight on the edge of Golden Gate Park, not Kilauea on the Big Island about to erupt. In fact, the only thing tropical about this compact cafe was the $5.20 20-oz Coconut Mocha, which provided a soul warming bliss on a brisk weekday afternoon (photo: https://bit.ly/3mxcP5W). I sat at a small cafe table in the corner watching a stream of regulars put in their orders, none of them in sarongs. Likin' the Lava. MOCHA - 4 stars...the coconut flavoring was a nice treat in their mocha AMBIANCE - 4 stars...cute and compact SERVICE - 4 stars...cordial and quick TOTAL - 4 stars...no molten lava but the mocha was piping hot RELATED - Exploring the Haight? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2YK1e99

    A friend lives near by so I stopped to get something. It is a cute little shop with the prices reflect the area and I had expected to get service reflecting that. However, the owner(?) was asking questions and being incredibly rude that I did not feel comfortable so I left. There is a sign saying no public restroom and there is no real parking as it is right by a bus stop.

    Ham cheddar egg bagel
    James K.

    One of my favorite things to do in the mornings is to come to this cute neighborhood coffee shop in Cole Valley. Perfect spot for breakfast! Gives those great small town feels. Love coming here for to go or to hang out a little. It's 5 minutes away from golden gate park, so sometimes we take our food there. Large coffee and breakfast sandwich for $11! Can't beat the value.

    Egg spinach mushroom wrap . Irish cream iced coffee , strawberry banana smoothie
    Erica N.

    Small local cafe , has so many options for a quick breakfast ! Decent price , i didn't mind paying about $25 for 2 sandwiches and 2 drinks . Strawberry banana smoothie : 7.5/10 .. fake strawberry taste but still solid Irish Cream Iced Coffee : 7.5/10 .. good no complaints Food was awesome !!! Egg Spinach Mushroom wrap : 10/10 so awesome , comes with salsa / tomato in the wrap . Delicious , would have everyday if i can Tuna Melt Sandwich : 9/10 .. awesome tuna , really peppery which was awesome . Big sandwich for the price!! So good Nice outdoor seating

    Iced Coffee
    Harvey K.

    ***[Pre-COVID-19 customer experience]*** Athletes are superstitious. So are referees! While I'm not as bad as some others, I do have a short list of rituals that some may consider superstitious. One of my less quirky ones is I must stop by Lava Java for a cup of pregame coffee whenever I work a game at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco. I've always had a smooth game whenever I do that. On 03/03/2020, I was assigned to work a state basketball playoff game at Kezar. As usual, I stopped by here for my pregame cup. This time, I got an iced coffee ($2.95). The taste was pretty robust and they didn't water it down like Starbucks does. Service was fantastic. The owner's daughter is running the show now and she was energetic and friendly. We ended up chatting for quite a while. When she saw me finish my drink, she told her employee to give me a refill. Her gesture was greatly appreciated. This is a great neighborhood coffee shop. Check them out if you have a chance! By the way, the game I worked came down to the wire. The #1 seed avoided a major upset by hitting a 3 at the buzzer to win the game! I will be back again next time I work at Kezar. :-) BONUS MATERIAL: - Cash only.

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    1 year ago

    Friendly service, great food. Great location, can't go wrong. My order is a blt on an Asiago bagel!

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    It's a decent breakfast sandwich from a cute neighborhood cafe that predates the modern cafe aesthetic. Reminds me a lot of Berkeley.

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    3 years ago

    Did not like my latte that much. But the good part was that you can pay with Zelle. The pastries looked good too.

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    3 years ago

    Ordered a breakfast tea latte, two Thai ice tea and tuna melt. All of the drinks and sandwich was really good.

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    3 years ago

    Cute little coffee shop. Friendly employees. Paid with Venmo as they didn't take card.

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    Sisterita

    Sisterita

    4.5(1.1k reviews)
    3.3 miFinancial District
    $$
    Locally sourced ingredients
    Casual dining

    Excellent service! My only advice is to come and see for yourself. When we called to ask about a…read morewait, they mentioned there was not wait... part of the reason they do that is because they don't keep a list. You either have reservations or you're a walk in and you stand in line until a table is available for you. At first this was strange, but I think it makes for a better experience. The team was incredible, they were so kind on a day that can be stressful for a small restaurant. We had incredible food. I was so happy to get my Eggs Royale and my husband said the French toast was the best he's ever had. (Even comparing it to French toast in Paris) No notes. This will be our Mother's Day place going forward next time with reservations.

    My partner and I decided to go to the city one weekend and decided we wanted brunch. After looking…read morethrough some place, we came across Sisterita and it looked very promising. It seems like this place is an asian fusion brunch place incorporating french dishes into thai/asian themed dishes which is up our alley. We made a reservation at 1:45 PM and we had to wait for about an extra 30 minutes before getting seated. Initially, I wanted to try their crab fried rice but unfortunately they were out of crab. We decided to get the Alcatraz Escape and the Brioche french toast which were recommended by the wait staff. The staff was generally friendly and accommodating but I can tell they were swamped and stressed out with all the people they were trying to serve. The food itself tasted decent, the Alcatraz Escape had a tasty flavor which incorporates tom yum paste (sweet, sour, tangy flavor) into their scramble with about 4 shrimps. The side of crispy chicken was good but nothing that stood out to us. The brioche was soft but there wasn't much flavoring besides the fruits and caramelized banana. It was served with evaporated milk which made the brioche soft but not adding much flavor to it. The price however was quite pricey. For two dishes as a side we paid around $78 with tax and tip.

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    Sisterita
    Sisterita
    Sisterita

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    Brenda's French Soul Food - 3 way beignets- plain, chocolate, apple

    Brenda's French Soul Food

    4.2(12.8k reviews)
    2.2 miTenderloin
    $$$

    I still love Brenda's!!!!!!!…read more I haven't been back in a few years, but I am happy to report: they are still just as great! It was my daughter's first time and she loved it just as much as I did. We came during restaurant week so we decided to get the Creole Sampler so she could try a bunch of different items. (Sampler included red beans and rice, collard greens, fried catfish, hush puppies, plain beignet and gumbo). We also ordered the beignet flight and shrimp and grits. Plenty of food for the 2 of us, plus we had left overs. I can't not order the shrimp and grits. It's just so damn good! It's so rich and flavorful! It came out SUPER hot. Grits and cheese still bubbling. My daughter and I were both surprised she liked the collard greens. She's usually not a fan. She also liked the red beans and rice and she doesn't usually like beans either. That just goes to show how amazing the food is here! We came in around 4something pm on a rainy Sunday. There weren't many people there, but by the time we left it was more than half full. Service was friendly, and there was a band playing, which was a nice touch.

    I am speechless! I saw the rave reviews for Brenda's French Soul Food and had to try them out for…read moremyself. And, my goodness, I was not disappointed. Let me start with the star of the show - the Shrimp & Grits. The flavors blended so well I did a little dance in my seat. Creamy, savory and delicious! I will be dreaming about the Shrimp and Grits from now on. The Bananas Foster French Toast melted in my mouth. So yummy. I wasn't a fan of the Crawfish Beignets. It was something about the flavor of the red powder/ seasoning that left me underwhelmed. All in all, one of my favorite stops while I was in town.

    Photos
    Brenda's French Soul Food - Dining area and entrance

    Dining area and entrance

    Brenda's French Soul Food - Shrimp & Grits

    Shrimp & Grits

    Brenda's French Soul Food - Their dark chicken and shrimp.

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    Their dark chicken and shrimp.

    Lava Java - coffee - Updated May 2026

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