VERY good açai bowl. Very tasty coffee. Great location. Generally quite pricey though.

It was not a dark or stormy night.... In fact, like many before it... it was a warm and sunny day... the ocean breeze blew a near-invisible sheet of sand across the coastal road... Chad (that's me... momentarily d-baggin it up in the third person, but bear with me...) spied a coffee oasis in the distance. he whips around a block and finds parking in front of the building... succumbing to its siren's song in the form of aroma. Walking in, he is greeted by the first challenge: a cute, smiling Batista girl that queries him: 'WELCOME! HOW ARE YOU TODAY?' she boomed. 'Hey! I'm great! how about yourself?' 'Doing awesome! Thanks for asking!' Having overcome the first challenge, I begin to survey my surroundings... 'I really like your shirt!'. says the first Batista. 'oh! thanks! I always go for the ultra-geeky ones.' Okay... back to surveying... 'What do you usually get?' Batista one asks. 'Usually an almond milk mocha.' I intoned in response. 'Well... all our almond milk is made in house, and our coffee is roasted across the road at that roasting company. Astonished, I spied yon dragon's cave across the street... organic goods... and it turned out the goodies as well... locally sourced and in-house made... what trickery is this?!? My disbelief mounted. Knowing that any moment, the sky may fall, or evil ninja may descend on me from the ceiling, I return to the menu. Aztec... mocha... it has cayenne. This den of the coffee deities must have done its homework.. as that is indeed my ambrosia. 'ooo ooo yay Aztec mocha that's what I want! you brilliant people make it with cayenne!'. I slurred at these apparitions. 'what goodie do you recommend?' The shadows returned: 'I like the butter croissant... but these almond ones are good too.' Drawing a line in the sand against this rising tide of darkness I cried, 'Almond!' Realizing that my fate was sealed... my last recourse was a single counterstroke... 'What is a subject that any of you are good at?' I wondered. Another head of the four-headed Batista Cerberus replied: 'why dost thou asketh?' 'Demon! This is how I tip!' 'Then bringeth thy best in the realm of science... for we are mighty!' said another head of the beast... 'but wait for this guy to get back from taking out the trash... cuz he is amazing!' After the return... the challenge was made: What does a.t.p. stand for in terms of human biology. Without hesitation, the answer was spat ... and I was bested once more. The beast wrested its $20 tip... And so it was that I sat and enjoyed the best cup of love I had experienced in a good bit... and a tasty treat. Visit this gem. Nothing rough about it... you will love it regardless of your coffee-snob score. Thanks lofty coffee! read more

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Incredibly friendly here!! Pet friendly and good amount of organic options. There dragon pearl jasmine tea is delicious along with there croissant sandwich. They have free WiFi and very nice atmosphere. I would recommend this cafe to people who are looking for organic options and great service. read more

Lofty Coffee - Dragon Pearl Jasmine tea - Desserts Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Got the Nola iced. Amazing drink, not too sweet. Food was also super tasty. The outdoor setting on 101 is nice as well. Will definitely return soon. read more

I've been a supporter of our local coffee shops for a long time. Between the prices of lofty coffee and their in attention to waste, I've been disheartened. I've gone to the coffee shop 3 x in 2 months. Each time I asked for the coffee for "here" but each time I'm given a paper cup with a lid. I'd really like to see the business owners take more accountability in contributing to the single use plastic epidemic. I think lofty can do better. read more

Dairy sensitive people-- don't get their house made milks. I've had their home made coconut, oat milk and almond milk now and I don't recommend any of them. However, after I got an oat milk latte, I asked them if they could remake it because the milk made my drink really lumpy. The staff was really understanding and gladly remade my drink with whole milk. It was amazing second time around! Their coffee is seriously some of the best in San Diego, and their set up is really cute! The staff is really friendly and I appreciated their friendliness. read more

A perfect piece of paradise ! Amazing coffee selections, freshly baked goods and light fresh açaí bowl. Lovely experience staff.

It's a must stop coffee place in Encinitas! Every time we go to this beach we know that we are going to this place! My favorite is Turkish Latte! read more

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This is my FAVORITE coffee place! Love the good vibes and menu! The coffee is served to you with beautiful foam art. I am always impressed. The location is perfect since it is by the beach! Great place to go to at anytime of the day you need your coffee fix. Parking can be a pain on busy beach days but it is worth the walk. You can also get your order to go and walk about and see the shops near by. This place is very dog friendly too!! read more

The coffee is so delicious I have considered building a line item in my budget for it. It gets busy at peak hours so maybe this place isn't for you if you're in a hurry, grumpy or don't like to wait in line. Outdoor seating good for cyclists and dog owners. Re: food. The breakfast sandwiches are yummy but pricey for breakfast sandwiches. The hard poached egg w/ toast and hummus are delicious. They don't have hot sauce but I would recommend ordering a side of Dijon to spice it up! read more

This place should not serve food. Last week I came, and they said their kitchen was closed, perfectly understandable. This week I come and was served by a very nice gentleman and I kid you not me and my friends waited 45 minutes for avocado, toast, sausage, and potatoes. Absolutely outrageous. Don't serve food. read more

I paid over $45 for 2 of bags their recommended coffee beans to try as I have never been to their place. I told them that. I was hoping that they would tell me the recommended grind for each type of bean but after the sale, the staff went back to talking amongst themselves. The 1st bag of beans was weak on my 1st grind. I tried 2 more finer grinds to get some better flavor and it was better but not great. The 2nd bag is very weak using the grind I found to help the 1st bag. Overall, nothing impressive about these 2 bags of coffee. I am throwing out the 2nd bag as it is not worth the trouble of grinding it. read more

Great coffee and pastries before you go to the beach. The ham panini was really good and their croissants were rock solid. After ordering you can go to Swamis and eat with a beautiful view. read more

this is my favorite lofty location. the bakery seems fresher and everything tastes better. people are pretty nice and the seating is was makes it stand out, over looking the 101z read more

This is a great local coffee shop deserving of all its stars. It has great coffee, food, teas and an awesome meeting spot or place to whip out your laptop. Definitely give it a go over the other national chains read more

Lofty Coffee - Almond milk flat white...yummmo - Desserts Near Me - Encinitas, California

It isn't easy to find a place that specializes in roasting their own great coffee AND has great brunch choices, but this place has it all!! read more

Lofty Coffee - French toast and DIY Eggs and Toast - Desserts Near Me - Encinitas, California

Service isn't great, WiFi wasn't working, bathroom was not open (under construction so this is forgivable but it just made a mediocre experience that much worse). The decor and location is lovely but honestly I don't think I'll be returning. I ordered an avocado toast and it was literally half of an avocado sliced onto a piece of bread for $7. Meh. read more

This is my favorite local coffee shop. The wait can be a little long, but man is it worth it. I always order something with their almond milk because they make it there. My favorite is the Salted Carmel Latte. My husband loves the Aztec Mocha and that's my runner-up. The flavor of the coffee itself is rich and balanced. When it comes up, whether you stay there or get it to go, it's always artfully presented with designs in the foam. Parking is very hit or miss, but it's so good that I make the extra effort to look around 5 min if I need to. Also, with the beach right down the street, it's lovely to grab a cup and walk there. Makes for a delightful morning. read more

Great coffee and love the atmosphere. I usually go to Peet's but happen to be in the neighborhood.

We visited here a few times, the hot coffee and cold brew were excellent. I was not a fan of the Iced Aztec Mocha, the cayenne pepper held on a little too long and did not make for a refreshing drink. I drank about half of it, then ordered something else. The cinnamon rolls were also delicious. It is apparent that the staff is serious about their coffee and everyone was friendly and pleasant, and created some lovely latte art. read more

Lofty Coffee - Desserts Near Me - Encinitas, California

5/5 Customer Service 5/5 Cappuccino 4/5 Nitro Cold Brew Haven't tried their drip coffee 5/5 Gluten Free oatmeal chocolate chip cookie - i didn't even know it was gluten free, i wanted a second one. Slightly crisp exterior with buttery chewy interior. 3/5 Croissant - nothing special, wouldn't order again 2/5 French Toast and I added "poached" eggs on the side. Not sure the eggs are really poached, but the inside is nice and runny. The French Toast was soggy from the syrup. They offered to re-make it immediately, put the syrup on the side, and even gave me a coffee-refill. Taste wise the french toast still wasn't that great, I wouldn't order it again. But, I was quite pleased with the level of customer service! Thank you guys for that!! read more

Lofty Coffee - Nitro, French toast, and Poached eggs - pretty good not great - Desserts Near Me - Encinitas, California

Coffee Quality is based off their Cortado. 1-----2------3------4-----5 |------+------+------+--x---| :: Coffee Quality/Consistency |------+------+------+x-----| :: Art/Presentation |------+------+------+-x----| :: Service/Baristas |------+------+------+x-----| :: Ambiance/Seating |------+------+------+x-----| :: Food/Menu Variety read more

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Delicious and refreshing hibiscus ice tea. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. And really happy to have found beans from Zambia. read more

Lofty Coffee - Desserts Near Me - Encinitas, California

Good food but getting the food is much harder than it should be. The sign on the table said to order online. Tried. Their program didn't accept the CVV code from either of two credit cards. Went to the counter but none of the three ladies behind the counter were interested in taking my order. Eventually I got some help and explained about my problem ordering online from the table. "Yeah, we've been like having trouble like with our computers like..." Well why don't you remove the signs from the tables so as to not waste people's time? Crickets. Tried to order a pastry that was on their online menu. "Oh, yeah, like, we're like, outta those." Aargh. I placed an order. Will you bring it to the table? "What? No, you have to come pick it up over there. But don't worry, we'll call your name." They never called my name. (No surprise). After an inordinate amount of time, I went up to the counter again. My food done? "Yeah, it's like over there." You said you were going to call my name. "It literally just got put there." (Not true.) Well, then you could have just literally called my name. Aargh. Half a barista should be a simple job. read more

Hands down the best coffee in San Diego. I've tried them all! Also: they open at 600am, so I can get my caffeine fix before work. Their espresso machine in the location on the east side of the 101 is the most sophisticated, state of the art machine in Southern California. Love you guys!!! read more

Lofty Coffee - Cappuccino perfection. - Desserts Near Me - Encinitas, California

Expensive for what it is. I had poached eggs that were overly cooked. It looked like poached eggs but tasted like hard boiled eggs. My favorite coffee is the Aztec Mocha with a little kick of cayenne. The store off of El Camino Real has a nice patio seating but road is a little busy with cars whizzing by. read more

Can't go wrong with their Turkish Late. Perfectly balanced foam, milk, espresso shots with nice melodies of cardamon; and if your nice an artful drawing read more

Lofty Bean has been a favorite for years now, first tried them a few months after they opened shop. I look forward to their Aztec mocha every trip I make to Encinitas. Something about that mix of chocolate and cayenne is just heavenly! No other Aztec mocha or "spiced mocha" I've ever had evens comes close to being as good as Lofty Bran's. I've also had their Turkish latte which is awesome as well. The shop is cute and the coffee is good, Lofty Bean is a staple stop on all my Encinitas vacations. read more

I wish I didn't live so far away from Lofty! Not only is the coffee yummie, but the gluten free bread! OMG!! Amazing!!! Love the atmosphere of laid back hanging out drinking coffee! read more

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Best service in California. Beautiful, helpful, friendly humans work here. We are vacationing at the beach this week and this place has delicious coffee and a sweet location. read more

This is my favorite coffee shop in the San Diego area. Working as a barista for 6 years makes one a little snobby about their quality of coffee. I knew I was in the right spot when there was Geisha pour overs on the menu! I highly recommend the espresso, jasmine tea, and Chicory Cold Brew! read more

Favorite coffee shop in Encinitas! Has nice tables with umbrellas outside for working

This is my first 5 rating but I just had to because Lofty Coffee is my favorite coffee shop! I have become a regular at this place and I love it. I always come in for a half caf latte and a breakfast cookie. It makes the perfect treat. The breakfast cookie is made of oatmeal and chocolate chips that melt in your mouth. I get the half caf latte because their regular latte is too strong for me. This place also serves poached eggs and toast almost all day. You can get hummus on the side and cream cheese on the bread. It is really the perfect breakfast. The service is excellent here. The solana beach location has a different vibe but this location has very friendly employees. The manager (May) is usually in the cafe on the weekends and she brings a great positive energy. The baristas are always welcoming and serve to impress. If you are in Encinitas, you have to stop in! read more

Lofty Coffee - Here is the Green Moroccan Tea! How adorable is this tea kettle by the way? - Desserts Near Me - Encinitas, California

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I have visited a few times and I'm never disappointed. It's not my go to coffee shop but they have unique offerings and beautiful teas. It's mostly always crowded so it's popular. It is next to shops and restaurants. If you are looking for quiet, this is not the place. It's on a street corner with some traffic noise and few tables. But it's very cool. I will go back. read more

Can never go wrong with lofty! They have amazing quality coffee drinks and matcha plus delicious pastries! Staff is friendly and does an amazing job! Love using the app too :) read more

Amazing coffee! Would recommend this place to anyone. I love the honey oat latte. Give it a try!

I've been to this location and the newer one in Little Italy as well, and they are both lovely. I don't usually like sweet drinks but their salted caramel latte is not so sweet and delicious. I also had turkish latte but that one was a bit too sweet for my taste. Both places are a great atmosphere and nice place to hang out with good coffee. As far as food, I've had salad & sandwiches which was ok, they were nothing special about it. read more

When vacationing, I try to stop in at least once. The place is small with outside seating right on the PCH. Great people watching to see how the locals get coffee. If you're lucky enough to snag parking in front that is half the battle. The baristas are fast and will cater your drink to your taste. The ceramic mugs are a great touch. read more

You have to rate this place on what IS... and on what it IS NOT. When I keep to that guideline, the place has to rate 5 stars. So, while this isn't my normal way of writing a review, it seems appropriate in this case: What Loft IS: They seem to have very high-quality ingredients, mostly (or maybe entirely) organic. The milk (of many types - cow, almond, oat, maybe soy, maybe some others I haven't noticed), the food, the coffee, etc., all seem to be super fresh and healthful. I think they make a lot of it in house (oat milk, almond milk, chai). Given this, I understand that their pricing is a bit higher than Starbucks/Peet's/CoffeeBean. In addition, the Lofty people all seem to be pretty educated about the products, and I've seen them re-make drinks before they even get to a customer, just because they thought something turned out to be less-than-optimal. I've also noticed that there's usually somebody that seems to have a "senior barista" role guiding the other staff members in terms of drink-making techniques, and that comes through in their drinks. Also, the décor is nicely uncluttered and all of the locations have a good vibe. What Lofty IS NOT: They're definitely not going for the Starbucks model. The drinks are made very well, and have good stuff in them, but if it's crowded, they are not fast. They're always apologetic if there's a wait, and if it's crowded there is. There are no headsets involved, no automated stuff around where the drinks are made, and the food is actually prepared "live". About the only things that are already made when you walk up to the counter seem to be the juices and the pastries (and I think the pastries may all be made in house as well - they have some cool stuff). So, my mental summary of Lofty is generally this: - It's healthful, and has really tasty food/drink. - The staff is, without fail, friendly and good-natured, and try to go out of their way to get things right. - I go there when I think it won't be crowded and/or when I'm not in a hurry. They're not slow, but they have limited capacity, but I don't mind because I don't go there looking for the McCoffee experience. I'm not really a coffee drinker/snob, I just think it seems more authentic/real. Nice job, Lofty. Keep up the good work! read more

Have always loved Lofty! Especially their egg breakfast with gluten free toast...BUT WHY DID YOU CHANGE THE AMAZING GF ROLLS TO THE DRY GF bread?!? Such a bad decision. Please bring the original back?! read more