What a cute coffee shop! I came here to grab a coffee and work for the afternoon. I ordered the Vietnamese coffee which is condensed milk with their cold brew and I really liked it! I expected the drink to be on the sweeter side but it wasn't. It was perfect and could taste the cold brew through the condensed milk. I also ordered a butter croissant and it's probably one of the best croissants I've ever had. All their pastries looked amazing so you can't go wrong ordering here! I'll definitely be coming back here! read more

Lightbulb Coffee - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Latte taste is average however the place is very cozy and nicely designed with books and very unique art. Service is fast and everyone is welcoming. read more

Lightbulb Coffee - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Food Quality: The turkey sandwich with white eggs had a pretty good flavor. It was light, the baggel was fresh, and turkey bacon was cooked just at the right crispyness. I think it had a little bit too much purple onions, but nothing you can't remove. Tomatoes, could it be a little bit more sweet, but it was ok. The cheese - just yummy melted. I love my spiced chai dirty iced. It will be hard to go back to Starbucks now. Environment: Good: Cute decoration, very cozy and perfect for a conversation with friends, a date, or even a business meeting. Parking was good at 9 am. I don't know later. Not so Good: If you come early, they might forget to turn on the music, but they did turn it on after. .. You will have to ask for the password for the WiFi. It is not posted. Service: The only reason for considering not giving them a 5 stars it was average service. No good morning or welcome or greetings, just tell me your order. The lady at the kitchen just acted whatever. Let me know when you are ready to order. A better approach will be if the clients don't know what to eat, the service becomes great by the staff asking if the client wants suggestions. At least they smiled and were not rude. Price: Fair (not pricey or cheap) for the size and quality food. read more

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Great cafe with funky decor in downtown La Mesa area! Pretty extensive menu with food and drink options. Lots of seating and a great space to study or get some work done. Friendly staff that turns out orders quickly. The German and Vietnamese lattes are personal favorites! read more

Came on a Sunday morning and was surprised how big the coffee shop is! Friendly and quick service. We ordered a lightbulb coconut coffee (like a latte) with coconut shreds, cold brew and an almond croissant. The almond croissant I got heated up and the filling was good but edges were a little too hard for my personal liking. I enjoyed the lightbulb coconut coffee. Lots of indoor and outdoor seating. Parking was super easy and it looked like they had delicious food options too. We would come back to try other things! read more

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Lots of space and nicely decorated... Good ambience. Large selection of croissants. However, they are completely unable to make a lightly sweet coffee. The first coffee I received tasted like I was drinking straight up syrup with just a splash of milk. I asked them if I could just dump out half of it and top it with black coffee, but they said no, they had to remake it. I asked them to please remake it at 1/3 sweetness, but the 2nd cup was still probably 80% syrup. I didn't ask for a third. This place would be great if you love super sugary coffee, but it is not for me. read more

I stopped here for a work afternoon and it was PERFECT! I got a Turkish Hazelnut latte which was fantastic but there are tons of other coffee and even non coffee options. So overall, fantastic menu. They have baked goods as well as a variety of food options if you want something more. The setup is awesome, there are big tables for groups, small tables for one/two, as well as some nice outdoor seating. Very spacious so it doesn't feel crowded even when there are lots of people there. WiFi was also fantastic and reliable so great place to work or study. Overall would absolutely recommend a visit for a quick coffee, or a study and work day! read more

I've been here a few times now and my opinions are pretty consistent: good pastries but flavorless and overpriced food, solid espresso drinks, but the preparation isn't anything special. This is a cute community cafe, the interior is really nice and it's a good place to study/work. However, the quality just isn't there to justify going back when there are places nearby that have better tasting food and drinks for near the same price if not less. read more

Light Bulb Coffee is a cute coffee shop in downtown La Mesa. The vibe there seemed productive -- people with their laptops out studying or working. My man and I visited to enjoy coffee after brunch. It was a nice place to sit and sip. I had the Turkish Coffee and my man had the Cold Brew. I LOVED the serving ware that my coffee came in. Felt like close to the real Turkish Coffee experience. They have plenty of other coffee options to choose from with milk options: oat, coconut, almond, and soy. I saw that some patrons ordered drinks to go in cute "light bulb" themed drinkware. They also serve food here - some hot sandwiches and sweet treats. read more

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This cute and spacious coffee shop offers the right space to be able to work on your laptop, read a book or catch up with a friend over coffee or tea. They have an interesting menu with a wide variety of coffee and non-coffee based drinks. I had the iced Turkish coffee as recommended by most of the Yelpers here. I wasn't crazy about the sweetness of this drink. It may have been more enjoyable if I ordered it with less sweetness. Another big plus about this coffee shop is that it has its own parking lot so parking is easy. read more

Love, love, love! 100% recommend the Turkish Espresso! Super comfortable place if you're looking to get stuff done. Super fast service read more

Lightbulb Coffee - Chicken Muenster - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Love this place in downtown La Mesa!!! Excellent semi-western modern atmosphere. However, the star here is the Light Bulb coconut latte, with real coconut. Hot or iced, nonfat, whole or oat milk...have tried all the variations and it is excellent! Have recommended and/or brought home to other coconut lovers, to rave reviews. Nothing like it! read more

Lightbulb Coffee - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Ok this is one of my go to spots around SD. 5 stars everything here. I enjoy specifically their Turkish Hazelnut Latte iced or hot The Matcha Lavendar iced A hot London Fog Any of their pastries and their sandwiches are all delicious. The renovated space is also super cute and inviting. Its very bright now and welcoming. The staff have always been so helpful and kind. I love asking their recommendations they're always on point. They'll never steer you wrong! read more

Lightbulb Coffee - Matcha lavendar - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - La Mesa, California

We ordered two hot vanilla lattes. One was skinny with almond milk and the second was regular. Both were the best coffees we have had in a very very long time. The coffee tasted fresh and without any bitterness. I later put mine (the skinny) in the frig and drank it later as a cold coffee. It tasted just a delicious. Highly recommend. BTW, go there hungry, they serve delicious cookies, pastries, açaí bowls and other goodies. read more

Perfect place to come study/work or read a book. Staff is friendly and the place is super cute. Would highly recommend this place!

Honestly the worst Thai tea, Vietnamese coffee and Indian chai I've ever had. The place was packed and the vibe was cool. But the drinks were just like milk with minimal flavoring. I've never had to throw 3 drinks away after taking a sip of each before. read more

The almond latte was delicious and the ambiance was good. However, the coffee shop was not busy at the time and it took more time than expected to get or drinks. The visit was a business meet up so I felt a bit awkward since I had recommended the shop. read more

My niece took me to Light Bulb Coffee several times while I was visiting. I do not drink coffee but I love food. I never knew what an acai bowl was until my first trip here. My niece and her husband were obsessed with them lol! And honestly after I took a bite I was too. And it's pretty healthy. I couldn't eat a whole bowl. Bonus, drinks were served in a light bulb cup which I thought was a cute touch. I tasted my nieces breakfast sandwich and it was delicious but not as good as my chocolate croissant lol! They offered several pastries in addition to breakfast sandwiches. One complaint, the service was very slow. And on one of our trips they forgot to make one of the smoothies. We waited nearly 30 minutes for our order and they weren't busy. read more

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Really, their espresso is smooth and rich: neither bitter nor sour: right down the center line--A bullseye. A close to "God shot", If only the milk hadn't been steamed to near- boiling.: it was 20 minutes before I could enjoy it without burning the roof of my mouth. Next time, I'll just say something about it in advance read more

Coffee's good, ambiance is nice. Love the sandwiches here. I got the one with the turkey and cranberry and it was nice. 10/10

I'm so happy I found a new favorite coffee spot in SD! Lightbulb Cafe has a beautiful, very spacious interior with lots of outlets (and good parking too!). I absolutely love the decor, music, and warm ambiance; making it the absolute perfect study or work spot. One of the employees, Sky, was so kind and pleasant, making my first visit here absolutely lovely. The menu did not disappoint. We ordered a Lox Bagel, Cinnamon Latte w Oat Milk, and Turkish Espresso. The drinks were both so delicious and had such rich, deep coffee flavor. The Lox Bagel had a wonderful texture and was exploding with flavor. I'm not a huge mustard fan but the light drizzle of mustard really complemented the rest of the bagel. I am looking forward to trying the rest of their menu! Will definitely be back soon. read more

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I decided to stop by this coffee shop near downtown La Mesa because I saw that they have lots of food options. I was pleasantly surprised! The inside of the shop has a cozy feel with lots of quirky, rustic decor. I'd say the volume level is medium, they have some nice music playing, and lots of people were there working on laptops, so it seems like a great spot for working or meeting up with friends! The plaza parking area is kinda tight, but there are always some 1 hour parking spots open, which is perfect if you are just stopping by. food ordered: - vietnamese ($5.50): ordered it half sweet and it was quite good! nice, roasty, and strong. - pitcraft turkey sandwich ($12.50): this was a super yummy and filling sandwich! I love the chipotle sauce, has a perfect amount of spice. The veggies were sliced thin, and the bread is a soft version of a baguette. I would definitely return to this shop! It's in a small-ish plaza so it could be easy to miss, but definitely try it! read more

Lightbulb Coffee - Pitcraft Turkey - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Coffee is really good. I got the iced honey cinnamon latte and the people at the cashier are super friendly!!

It was a very cute shop but the coffee was overpriced and didn't really taste like the flavors it was listed as. It was quick to get it but overall I'd say it's a good study spot if u are there. read more

I stopped by lightbulb coffee on a Saturday morning before an appointment. They have a cool vibe and a unique menu. The pros: ample parking, great location and plenty of inside seating. Cons: I had to wait a little bit, but I attribute that typical Saturday morning traffic. I ordered their lightbulb coffee and a lemon detox smoothie. The coffee was amazing and my smoothie was tasty & fresh. I recommend stopping by the next time you are in La Mesa. read more

Lightbulb Coffee - Interior seating area - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Absolutely LOVE this place. This place has become like a second home to us, and all the staff is friendly and always does more than they need to at times to help. The food here is amazing and you can never go wrong with anything you order. The pastries are always freshly made in house and the drinks are great. This place just feels so homey and welcoming. I love that I can drink at a local coffee shop vice Starbucks or any other mainstream corporation coffee shop. read more

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This was a fun place to meet up with my girlfriends. I love the different seating options available. My favorite is the black couch with "embellishments" on it. The coffee was good, and the service was good. I was really surprised and disappointed that they didn't have any baked goods available for sale. I was also surprised that all 3 employees couldn't tell me why the coffee shop was called Light Bulb . One of them even said, "that's a good question". We sat inside, but there was also seating available outside. A few people were enjoying their coffee at the outside tables with their dogs. I'd come back here to meet up with friends again. read more

I'll be coming back to try more items. Came here for pick up. Upon entering, the cafe is very cute and a nice spot to do work or read. I ordered the Turkey Pesto Panini, I give it about 3/5. It would be better if the sandwich was warm and if the peppers had more taste. Cute place, would visit again to try more read more

Lightbulb Coffee - Turkey Pesto Panini - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - La Mesa, California

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This review is based on very minimal experience so I hope it is taken with a grain of salt. Do NOT order the matcha latte here unless you are looking for dessert. I asked if the matcha powder had sugar in it and I was told "no" so I ordered one and drove away. Once I took a first sip, it tasted like cotton candy it was so sweet. I could even smell the sugar/sweetness in it when I brought the cup up to take a sip. I returned a half hour later and let them know this was undrinkable for me. They said they could not make it unsweetened which was contradictory to what they said when I ordered it. Unfortunate for sure. Now that we have gotten that part over with, the service was good. the staff was friendly and they offered me something else or a refund in place of the matcha. Great customer service! The interior is cute, I love the decor. I was here on a Saturday morning around 9am and it was NOT busy. There is plenty of seating and some comfy couches. The cafe is located in a strip mall so I am not sure if it is just easy to miss or what. It is across the street from the Farmers Table and has plenty of parking. read more

Food was good, a little on the pricy side and the coffee was worth stopping in for; very smooth and creamy! Glad I tried this place. I've never been served so fast in my life and the shop was extremely relaxing. Try it! read more

I usually love lightbulb coffee! The sandwiches are delicious, the hot drinks are great, and many pastry's are tasty. However, I went in today with my friend to show her the place after hyping it up, and ended up having a rather poor time. I don't know if we came in on a bad day, but we ordered a cinnamon bun iced latte, a strawberry matcha, and two cookies. One drink + one cookie and a tip ran each of us $20, so $40 collectively. I should've just asked for a refund. My chocolate chip cookie was definitely a few days old and very hard so we had to pass on it, and my matcha was essentially milk. I also was definitely given 2% when I asked for almond (I'm sensitive to dairy) so I ended up having to dump my drink out. It didn't feel good to lose out on $20, especially when it's your last $20 for the day. There's a new lightbulb opening on the SDSU campus, so hopefully it'll improve there, but until then, I won't be returning to lightbulb any time soon :(. read more

I have always loved Lightbulb coffee. My favorite is the iced lavender coffee with oat milk. I stopped in today for the first time in about a year. I noticed an eye catching display case of ornate pastries. I decided to try a cheese danish. The nice young lady who took my order explained that they make their pastries fresh on location. Well, let me say, if you want a treat that will brighten your day, try one of their pastries. The cheese danish was light and buttery, crispy on the outside and soft and delicious inside where the cheese filling is. It wasn't too sweet either. What a perfect delight of texture and flavor . My coffee was also perfect as usual. I highly recommend Lightbulb coffee. read more

Unlike these incompetent idiots I actually have a brain and can tell you this is the best local coffee shop i've been to. The service is great unless you're so idiotic and unskillful and dense. I love the nutella crossiant and food overall. This shop is so cute and comfy and only people who have the mental capacity can understand this. read more

They have so many options on their menu, decided to try their Spanish Latte with Oatmilk and Turkish Espresso. It was a little bit on the sweeter side, but still okay. If you like earthy, floral flavors I definitely feel like the Turkish Espresso makes a difference. Nice shop to visit and maybe do some work. If you're in a rush maybe try to order ahead. I ordered ahead and my order was set to be ready in 25 min. read more

Stumbled upon this coffee shop, so cute and cozy atmosphere. They have a unique selection of coffees, teas, hot and cold and a varieties of lattes. They have sandwiches & pastries. Family owned. Highly recommend. read more

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Came here to do some work outside of the house with a coworker and it was pretty busy for later in the afternoon. Service was very quick though which was nice. By the time I was done ordering and paying my coffee was ready and super tasty. I just ordered a cold brew with vanilla and almond milk and I loved that it wasn't overly sweet and still had that coffee flavor. I also got a muffin to snack on which I felt was really dense and a little dry but the top with chocolate chips was great and full of chocolate chips. The Wi-Fi connection was pretty good as well I had no issues getting on but this is definitely a spot for people studying or working with lots of tables and lounge space I would just come early if you want to guarantee yourself a set somewhere. read more

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Really enjoyed their Pistachio hazelnut coffee and their pastries are very good. Service was excellent too

Great selection of pastries, prob the best I've seen in SD. The decor and feel of the place are great, but parking is sparse. The service was definitely off today, I literally waited 18 minutes for a drip coffee. The teamwork and urgency need improvement. A simple coffee should be served immediately in my opinion. I hope they dial it it. read more

Lightbulb Coffee - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - La Mesa, California

Very expensive now! $6.50 for pastry and no sign for cost. All drinks $6.50 and up. I like to support local business but don't like the increase. read more

Favorite coffee shop in La Mesa! This spot has been here for quite a while now and it's an unassuming charmer. The interior has a ton of seating and is a great space to work. There are a couple of tables outside as well. I also love that there is a Resident bird (don't worry he's in a cage) named Mango. Just adds to the character! I've found very few places in San Diego do Turkish coffee, which I love, and this place does. I love their Turkish hazelnut drink if I'm in the mood for something sweeter, but honestly you can't go wrong with any of their specialty lattes. TLDR; favorite La Mesa coffee shop! Tons of unique and delicious coffee drinks. read more