I'm not typically in Normal Heights and hadn't been to Lestat's in a while. I asked the cashier for her recommendation and said I'm not picky and like anything with coffee as long as it's not too sweet. She said ok, and didn't tell me what it was ... just rang it up. I paid and waited. She put it on the counter. I look at it a little puzzled . "That's it?" The color looked different. I tried it. OMG. So good. It was a coconut cold brew . Very refreshing and flavorful. Definitely will be ordering that the next time I'm back. read more

ADA Accessible!! And very ADA friendly. An automated door, large walkways and space, and no stairs. A huge coffee shop! I was shocked how large this place is when I finally came inside. Massive with lots and lots of tables. They also have a community posting board which I really appreciated. There's so much seating in here it's perfect to study, work, read, or whatever you want. It's open LATE too, one of the few coffee shops that still have good hours. I had the Milky Way drink and loved it! Though not super strong it was very sweet. I definitely want to come back here to read and try more drinks. read more

See all

I am beyond disappointed by the quality and taste of the Iced Matcha Latte that I ordered. There were clumps of matcha powder in the drink. The barista did not mix the powder with a whisk. She simply scooped some matcha powder into the plastic cup, poured water into it, and stirred it. The cup was 3/4 full at this point and she proceeded to add 1/4 cup of oat milk to the mixture. The resulting drink was powdery, bitter, and tasted like something I made myself at home in a rush. The matcha latte was also not sweetened at all even after she asked me if I wanted it sweetened to which I answered, "yes." The only suitable place to pour this drink down was into the drain. But, the ambience and service of Lestat's is wonderful. read more

Lestat's Coffee House - Iced Matcha Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Really good coffee, fantastic service, and fun ambiance! I had the Caramel D'Lish, which is made with expresso, caramel, vanilla, and cinnamon. My partner got the Mexican Mocha and he said it's the best one he has ever had in San Diego. They have a blackboard on the wall where they put a fun question. When I went the question was "What's the silliest hill you'd die on?" I had fun arguing over the responses with my partners. The staff even chimed in! They were super outgoing and friendly. There's plenty of seating indoor and outdoor and ample street parking. I'll definitely be back for a visit! read more

See all

I stopped in for a cup of coffee at the invitation of a friend. We sat on the patio in back because my friend had her dog with her. I had a nice cup of coffee with cream and sugar, nothing fancy. I can't comment on the price or service because it was my friend's turn to pick up the tab. There's a small parking lot in back and street parking is also an option. Great place for people watching which I didn't do much of since my attention was focused on my friend and her dog. A great place to catch up with old friends while enjoying a cup of coffee. I was so focused on my friend that I failed to take as many pictures as usual. Thanks for reading. read more

Lestat's Coffee House - It's me - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Matt made me a bomb iced espresso drink today. Service was friendly and top notch. He also knew I was lost looking for an event and directed me on where to go. Ambiance was chill. Seating was spread out with distance between chairs and tables to have private conversations. Large menu of food items and snacks for a coffee shop. I hadn't been to a Lestats in 25 years. I think I'm a fan again. read more

See all

Artsy, clean, comfy little space, good customer service, average prices and a decent matcha. A good menu to choose from with baked goods, breakfast and lite lunch options plus pizzas. I would come back and try something different when I have more time. read more

Friendly fast service. This place is what it is. You can tell it's been around for a while - in a good way. Gave me 2007-2011 coffee shop vibes which is very comforting to this millennial. So into it. Lots of places to sit inside and out. Lots of coffee and food options without feeling too frufru. Stoked to try the other Locations. read more

I have been going too this location for so many years as well as the other two later locations on Park Blvd and on university ave in Hillcrest. This is a great place to read or do home works. I love so much stuff here. The tea,the Italian sodas,the sandwiches,the cupcakes,the penutbutter bars,the lemon bars and the rice krispie treats too. I used to have my hats and jewelry displayed there once when they had a case in the other room. Local artists on the walls and a place to see flyers of what's going on around town. Also a great place to chill with friends. Staff is nice and helpful. I don't drink coffee but people tell me the coffee drinks a good too. read more

The service at the Adam's location was horrible. We came in 6/8 around 9pm, as soon as we get to the counter the employee started with "are you doing any work? Because I'm closing soon" And we were confused as to why he asked.(mind you we still have 2 hours left) We said yeah we're planning on studying. He said "I close even before the time we're suppose to just do you know. Like, I start telling people to packed their shit up at 10 and to get the hell out at 10:15" word for word. My fiancé asked if 10:30 was fine, since we were suppose to be there until 11 and he said no I'm going to ask everyone to leave no later than 10:15. Then listed all other locations and their closing times after we said we were just studying here. Disgusting attitude and experience. Definitely not coming back nor recommend. Should change their time to 10:15 since that's what he's working until. read more

Lestats is a big favorite of mine! The service is really good! They're really nice! And they have anything you can imagine for a coffee shop! Multiple drinks and so many different types of food!! They're a very cozy establishment, they are so friendly and welcoming! read more

Lestat's Coffee House - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I love how community-oriented Lestat's is! They're very involved with hosting and including events to bring people in the neighborhood over. The staff is caring & knows patrons by their first name. They're very warm & fast! There's couches and seating that make it feel cozy inside. I ate the tuna melt, which was good, but the prices are kind of steeper than just one dollar sign $. I would mark it as $$ for a coffee shop or cafe. They have a plethora of coffee options and a lot of seating outside and inside! It's a great place to work. They also stay later into the night, which I appreciate when I'm working from home read more

I really like this place and usually have a great experience, but there's one ongoing issue. One of the baristas consistently gets my order wrong. After it happened multiple times, I finally spoke up, and the interaction felt unnecessarily sassy and dismissive. He grabbed my drink, tossed it out, and remade it, but the attitude made the situation uncomfortable. I'll still come back, but I hope customer service can be more consistent and respectful. read more

I was pleasantly suprised. Good amount of menu options. Food tasted fresh. I got a sandwhich. Chai latte was amazing! I did feel bad for the guy working here. Place was extremely busy and he was solo. I think he could use some help to be honest. But he was handling it like a champ!. Place was clean. I will definitely be back. read more

Lestat's Coffee House - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

9:00PM: Friends and I walk in. Didn't even get to order before the rude barista went on this spiral about how he will be kicking everyone out an hour before closing. Why? Because he didn't wanna be there. Oh ok... then he starts being passive aggressive and sweeping near our feet and blasting loud music. Anywayssss, I used to study here late at night but, I will be taking my business elsewhere read more

The Vietnamese iced coffee is downright addicting. I decided to get the snickerdoodle "sandwich " Truthfully, I was on a sugar overload and couldn't finish my cookie but that just left me a second cookie for later! It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed my coffee and sweet treat on the patio as I waited for traffic to die down. I love it here! read more

Lestat's Coffee House - Large iced Vietnamese coffee with a snickerdoodle sandwich cookie - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

What a wonderful place to watch open mic on the back patio. When you first arrive, the coffee shop indoor seating is packed! There are so many customers that are socializing, studying, and enjoying their coffee, tea, cocoa, juice, or yummy bites. There is a sign that says, "Stage on Patio". The patio is in the back of the establishment, past the ordering counter, which is also in the back. We came to support my niece, who is an AWESOME guitarist and singer. They had 4-6 performers before hers. All had some great musical and vocal skills to offer. After the musical performances, the comedy sets started. The outside patio has plenty of chairs and tables for about 30-40 audience members, and there are also some spots that you can sit in or stand in to make the audience 50-70. The staff is very customer friendly and they are willing to help if you have questions about the menu. I took a couple of stars off because they definitely need to do some updates around the place to take it out of it's "grunge" look. Just a good window cleaning, fresh coat of paint on the inside and out, and possibly polish up the seating areas would be awesome. You have the vibe, the menu, and the customer base already. One more thing, the chocolate chip cookies sold at order counter have chopped up walnuts in them. They only tell you that they are "chocolate chip" so someone in our party contacted me this night to tell me that they are having an allergic reaction and that they have a whole cookie left (minus 1 bite) and that there are bits of walnuts in the cookie. Allergic patrons beware. read more

Lestat's Coffee House - Performance at Open Mic Mondays - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I've always loved LeStats Coffee on Adams. I usually only get coffee now a days. Thankfully now they have comedy shows again. I will be attending a lot more events here at night. Thank you for bringing the venue back. (: read more

Lestat's Coffee House - We can sir inside again. (: - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

One evening I came here to get some work done, thinking I would have a quiet, productive night. I ended up at a comedy show, but hey, my drink was free! I did have to pay the five dollars to get into the comedy show though.... wait a minute! 10/10 highly recommend for great staff, drinks and random shenanigans. read more

Great coffee shop. They have a comedy show next door. Their drinks are delicious. My favorite is the peppermint patty ice coffee. It's mint and has Ghirardelli fudge sauce. It is delicious and will definitely keep you up. My friend comes here often and gets the matcha often. I'm not a fan of their matcha lattes but if you like basic matcha you will probably like it too. Great ambiance and friendly workers. They have delicious looking desserts as well. read more

Staff is nice & helpful. I rather go here than Starbucks. They have a great variety of coffees.

My wife and I came in around 8pm last night in hopes to read and do a bit of studying. Before we even had the chance to order our drinks, the guy working asked if we were there to do work and if so, we should go to the park blvd location since they were going to close soon. At first we were confused because it had said online that the cafe closed at 11pm, it was only 8pm. We figured he had asked because it was a common occurrence for people to confuse park blvd's 24 hour store with Adams Ave hours. While ordering our drinks, I asked him how many pumps of caramel were in the Caramel D'Lish and he told me, "Oh I don't know, I've been working here 20 years and I just eyeball everything". It sounded a little bit concerning to me but I didn't let it bother me. We both asked for oat milk instead of regular milk since we're both lactose intolerant. After we ordered, my wife and I decided to get settled at a table which we then heard him complaining that he didn't want us to walk back and forth because he didn't want to mop "for the thousandth time", working in customer service myself, I understood but still felt as if I was intruding on his closing and felt as if I wasn't allowed to sit in the lobby. We ended up only staying for an hour and left feeling unpleased with the service. Following the other chain of events, my wife and I both ended up with stomach aches and were certain he added regular milk instead of oat milk as we requested at the register. Ambiance was nice though read more

Big love for Lestats! A great place to work on your laptop with some delicious food and drinks. Super friendly staff! Feels very homey with the couches and lots of places to sit both indoors and outdoors! read more

Lestat's Coffee House - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

My friends told me about the good things about this place, from the late night open hours to the fact Veronica Mars was filmed here. Here was my experience. AMBIANCE: Parking: Welcome to Normal Heights. There's some street and neighborhood parking but it gets competitive. You're best doing a ride share, public transportation or carpooling. Seating: Inside seating and patio seating. Since their stage closed down, it is open up for more seating. Vibes: Again, Welcome to Normal Heights. It's a lovely town with great activities and good eateries but the parking can be a bit chaotic. The place itself gives it that small-town open mic vibe/coffee shop vibe - eclectic decor, local art, decorative tables, with alternative music in the background. Most tables have outlets which is cool. A lightly dimmed spot keeping it simple for you to study or socialize. FOOD: Cubano (Recommend) Awesome! I'm usually used to a pressed delivery but perhaps the fluff made it extra fulfilling. The main ingredients were there from the seasoned pork and ham. The cheese, mustard, and pickles provided a pleasant sharp savory kick to it. Served with a side of chips for that complimentary delight. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Awesome! Friendly and quick service. TL; DR OVERALL: 4.5 Stars. Awesome! Great range of choices, good food, and a steady place to get work done. Some things were more costly than expected but I understand the cost of living and survival of small businesses. As I'm finding study spots in San Diego, I can see this place being on my list. Cheers Lestat's! Tips: * Check out their open mic sessions! * They have 2 other spots too! read more

Lestat's Coffee House - Cubano! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Customer service wise the workers are nice. Unfortunately, I found the management to be rude and could improve their customer service toward both customers and staff. Place is nice. Coffee is ok. Nice artsy locations. Matcha can be very sweet depending on who makes it. Not consistent with their drinks. read more

It's an institution that deserves high praise. Great food, drinks, coffee, friendly helpful staff & a place to work 24/7 at their Park Blvd location. Say hello to Uncle Ricky for me if you see him. seehearsound read more

I happened upon this place for lunch today. The menu looked good and I thought, based on the price of a sandwich, they would be hearty and good. Sadly mistaken. I added cheese for $1, bringing the cost of the sandwich to $18, which for any sandwich outside of a gourmet deli or restaurant is kind of insane to be honest. Again, at this point I was hopeful that at least the sandwich would be worth the money and I'd be happy about my choice. Wrong. No where on the menu did it specify that this was a hot sandwich. (BLATT - Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Tomato & Turkey) When my food was ready, I was sad to see it was a very frugal serving of bacon, a few slices of turkey, the avocado was almost nonexistent, and I did not see the Swiss cheese I added. I asked the man working at the counter if he'd forgotten the cheese and he said "no it's melted on there with the bacon". Which even looking at the bread where the supposed melted cheese was, was hard to find. Again, I didn't even want a hot sandwich and even the turkey was warm. Another pet peeve of mine is when ingredients are not evenly distributed on a sandwich...aka the glob of mayo in the center of the sandwich. Overall, I was pretty disappointed with the sandwich and it was for sure not worth the high price. Another thing that was disappointing about my experience was the guy who helped me. He seemed almost annoyed to help me. I mean, God forbid this is my first time there and I am not familiar with their menu or how they make things. Perhaps he could have been more welcoming and helpful instead of making me feel awkward for being there. I would never go back and I don't recommend others waste their time. Unless you live in the neighborhood and clearly frequent the place, don't expect a warm welcoming either. So off putting. Ugh. $27 wasted. (I even tipped) read more

Lestat's Coffee House - BLATT - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

The blended drinks are fun, this place is more about having a place to work than great coffee. They also have some nice baked goods.

Favorite coffee shop in SD! Well thought out drink options, flavor combinations, and the coolest place to chill and study. I had the Fiesty Horchata Cold Brew. It was the best tasting coffee drink I have had in a long time, and I go to a lot of coffee shops and drink a lot of coffee. There is spicy (there is a hit of cayenne), sweet, the bitterness of the cold brew, the caffeine kick. It is like the perfect drink. It was so good that I made a special trip back there the following day to get another one for the road before leaving town. My wife had the regular cold brew with almond milk and it was super smooth. They make a good cold brew here. The decor is late Anne Rice plus a little synthpop and dark wave mixed in. It's awesome. Come get a great drink, grab a chair, read your foreign philosophy book, and have a great time. read more

Lestat's Coffee House - Front window. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Shoutout to the guy working tonight (01/26/26): you didn't have to be an ass, but here we are. I understand being understaffed and overworked--especially in the service industry--and I get that being sick makes everything harder. That said, using profanity and being rude was completely unnecessary. All you had to say was, "Sorry, we're closing early tonight." We would've been understanding, left without issue, and even wished you a speedy recovery. Basic respect goes a long way. read more

My friend and I were on the hunt for a new spot to study and found this place since it was open late. Unfortunately, that's where the good part ends. The guy working in the afternoon looked like he just wandered in off the street, long, greasy hair, borderline feral energy, and the customer service skills of a raccoon digging through trash. He mumbled something about the hours, and when I politely asked him to repeat himself, he snapped, literally told me to shut up and listen. Not sure if he was having a breakdown or just really committed to being the world's worst barista. Rather than engage with whatever weird trip he was on, I walked away and took my business (and sanity) elsewhere. If you're thinking of stopping by, just be careful, you might get attitude served with your coffee. Or worse, end up in a shouting match with a guy who looks like he hasn't slept indoors in a week. read more

Cute coffee shop in normal heights. If you're coming from the hotspot flea market, it's very close by. There's indoor and outdoor seating and they close pretty late for those looking for a new study area. Indoor seating looked cozy and they have a huge menu! Wasn't able to try any of the food but the person on register was able to answer my questions and help order my drink! The coffee is solid, just wished that there was a bit more banana flavoring in my drink! Would still come back again to try more! read more

Lestat's Coffee House - funky monkey - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

I came in an hour and a half before close and before I could even say "hello" the barista immediately went on a long rant about how they weren't currently serving anything, and that I could wait 15 min or go to the location on Park, but that they were done serving food for the night (didn't ask). He let me sit and wait though, which was nice, but I didn't stay long enough to order a drink. His attitude was extremely abrasive for no reason, so I'm not surprised by all the other reviews seemingly complaining about this same guy. Shortly after, a homeless man came in and yelled at him, calling him a m**herf*cker, which was the highlight of the experience for me :) read more

Absolutely love the vibe here!! The baristas are always cool and attentive. I've spent the last few weeks studying here and it made the semester more enjoyable. read more

Food quality & choices are pretty good for a privately owned Coffee Shop! Their coffee is "Much" better than 'StarChunks'...Inside seating is set for groups of 2-6 people. The employees are knowledgeable about their food and coffee types. There are 3 Lestats Coffee Shops total in the San Diego City area...All are worth going to. read more

See all

Coffee was great! Service was fantastic. I loved the outdoor area. It was very relaxing.

Wow. I used to love this place and wanted to come and support but don't bother. The guy ringing you up is higher than a kite and the goth babe barista needs an attitude check. My order was simple, an iced coffee with simple syrup, but 8 minutes of waiting cause the barista never looked at anyone but her friends she was gabbing with, we finally asked. We were the second customers to do so. And you got my order wrong. I'll never be back. And I'll never recommend. Such a bummer, you used to be a staple in the neighborhood. read more

I accidentally sat on one of the tables on the back patio was not aware 2 business "share"the back patio there are no barriers in between; a guy came out and let me know I was sitting on the wrong side and poited at the other tables (that were occupied) there was no people trying to sit at the tables on his side they were open. There should be a barrier if this is an issue. ...I heard this is usually not a problem I hope it was not racial thing I felt terrible; in any case if this is a problem there should be sings on the tables or a barrier separating the business. There are several Lestats I've frequent with friends and family I won't be going anymore. read more

I've heard great reviews about LeStat's from some friends, so I decided to check it out while getting some work done. I ordered the Iced Hammerhead (cold brew & espresso) and also the California Breakfast Sandwich, which is a sandwich consisting of egg, bacon, bell pepper, mushroom, onion, avocado, pepper jack cheese, all on a croissant. The service itself was amazing. Upon arriving to the store, I wasn't sure what to order as they have an expansive menu. The barista was very kind and helped me narrow down what I wanted by asking me questions on my taste and giving their opinion on what they think I would like. I was handed a buzzer and waited. The whole cafe is really nice & cozy. The seating is neat with some nice wooden tables. They have plenty of art on the walls from local artists (most, if not all, available for sale) at varying prices. Everyone else in the cafe is doing their own work, connecting with each other, having great conversations. LeStat's really hosts a welcoming environment. The food and drink were ready. I wanted a bit of creamer to ease the strength of the HammerHead so I added some creamer from their self-serving cart. The CA breakfast sandwich was amazing. The croissant was fluffy on the inside and perfectly cooked and flaky on the outside. The bacon was well-done and crispy. The avocado was able to cut the richness from the fried egg & bacon. It was overall well-balanced and was a very enjoyable experience and will very likely be coming back! read more

See all

I used to love this place and dropped in recently to find that it's really gone downhill. The cafe reeked of the smell of sewage. It was so bad that we had to sit outside. Our coffees were OK. The cheesecake we ordered tasted like it had spoiled. The bathroom was filthy and the water tap barely worked. Sad :'( Baristas were exceptionally nice though! Owners do better! read more