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    Lofty Coffee

    4.3 (932 reviews)
    Closed 6:30 am - 4:00 pm

    Lofty Coffee Photos

    Business Info

    LOFTY COFFEE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for working
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Lofty Coffee

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    I changed up the toast to a GF variety with no problem.
    Jen B.

    Recently diagnosed with a life-changing deal, I'm suddenly That Person looking for food that meets my restrictions. I do my best to find places that have menu items in place that work already. In this case, I was visiting the area briefly and spotted this local favorite. Great find! Kick-ass staff working their butts off to get food out fast and to order, decent seating, good food and coffee that was a treat! I started across the street at this venue's roasting house because their locale looked nicer, more spacious, further from the road, but their breakfast menu is different. Rather than asking for special treatment there, I walked across the street to the corner café. The only change-up I had to make was swapping out bread for GF. No problem whatsoever. Was going to read, but locals were friendly and social, fine by me. Learned about the area over breakfast, got a little peaceful reading in over the last of my coffee, and now I'm off to adventure as recommended by locals I met here. Though they weren't chatty (No shade! Fine! They're at work!), I can't commend the staff here enough. Tip well. Tip often.

    Trendy industrial anesthetic.
    Kevin S.

    Baristas are friendly and make a dayum great java. The spot has an amazing perch. Breezy, relaxing, sunny, inviting, transcendent. Visit, sip slow, unwind before your day begins. Set your tastebuds aloft on a flight of richly brewed coffees. This is the place to start your day. Take care.

    Pastries
    Addy W.

    I met a friend here the other day for coffee/tea. I like that they offer both inside and outside seating. I ordered the hibiscus and lemongrass tea, and although I thought the presentation was cute, the tea was very disappointing. Very little hibiscus or lemongrass taste, and not sure if my cup wasn't cleaned well, but kept tasting something else. My friend enjoyed her Turkish latte and pastry. We sat at the counter so we kinda got a 1st hand look at how they prepare everything and I kinda wish I didn't. While my friend was chatting, I couldn't help notice how one of the baristas kept touching his face,and wiping he's nose with his bare hands. At 1st I was like ok, he'll wash his hands before making any of the drinks, but when I saw he didn't and kept touching his face and continuing to make drinks I got grossed out. I told my friend who then saw it too, and we got up and left. I don't get why it's hard to wash your hands, I'd say wear gloves...but sadly people don't consistently change them and would do the same thing in the gloves. Since it's definitely sick season, I have to say I probably will or be returning to the location.

    mocha
    Rocky B.

    Lofty Coffee is the perfect mix of good vibes and great coffee. Smooth espresso, amazing pastries, and a cozy atmosphere -- great spot recommended by a friend after a quick surf sesh.

    Oven Roasted Turkey & Avocado Croissant
    Charlize V.

    Cold brew was good with the foam mixed in, but I don't think I'd like to pay $9 for coffee. The sandwich was tasty, however I do think it would be more complete with onion. I did not enjoy their egg tart at all.

    Sacha B.

    Stopped by this little coffee shop right along the coast in Encinitas, and it was busy -- always a good sign. I'm not a regular coffee drinker (and only really like it cold), but I got an iced coffee here and it totally hit the spot. It had just the right amount of flavor without being overpowering or bitter. I also grabbed one of their salted chocolate chip cookies -- wow. Soft, rich, just the right balance of sweet and salty. Definitely one of the better cookies I've had in a while. Even with the crowd, the vibe was laid-back and beachy. A great little stop if you're in the area and want a quick treat with a view.

    Cedros

    Another one of my favorite places! Can't go wrong also love their iced tea!! Their cedros breakfast is my favorite but any of their pastries are SO good omg they have this lemon cookie soo great.

    Açaí Bowl
    Ashley H.

    A really expensive small acai bowl full of granola and half rounded small scoops of acai. The texture of acai brought me back to Hawaii, delicious but not enough.

    House Espresso
    Norman R.

    Lofty Coffee Rostery is perched above West Coast Highway in Encinitas. Very original tasting espresso at a reasonable price and you get a complementary glass of sparkling water! The espresso was more on the fruity side of the flavor spectrum rather than the nutty side, which is not my thing, thus the four stars. Great service, atmosphere,

    Jen D.

    Another great coffee place to experience!!! Rich and creamy!! Great staff and nice location!!Parking on the street! A lil hidden gem!!

    Latte
    Marta P.

    Rey nice location walking from our hotel 5 minutes excellent coffee dog friendly ,nice service by friendly employees

    Drip coffee
    A E.

    The perfect coffee shop. What more could you ask for. From the iced lattes to macchiato, breakfast sandwiches, everything is solid here.

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    6 years ago

    Love what they did with the site tho I do miss long board grotto. Nice ambiance. Grateful to have it in the neighborhood

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    11 years ago

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    9 years ago

    The homemade macadamia nut milk is worth the extra $3. Game changer. Simply amazing. Thank you for your effort. Nut milk is quite a task.

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    6 years ago

    Wow this Turkish and mocha was gross. Wonder is these reviews are paid reviews. Seriously stay away and stop elsewhere. Over $5 per cup!!

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    10 years ago

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    14 years ago

    Business owner information

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Their large cappuccino with in house made Macadamia milk is the most delicious $10 I have ever spent on a coffee.

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    11 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Turkish coffee on ice was delicious. Requested half the sugar and it was perfect with a hint of cardamom.

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    14 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Lofty is a strong candidate for my favorite SD coffee shop. Every location offers its own unique vibe. The food is also good.

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    13 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    14 years ago

    I am a coffee guy and this is the best place around. Maybe the best in San Diego.

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    8 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    Page 15 of 24

    Lofty Coffee Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Lofty Coffee

    Did they add oatmilk to their menu yet?

    Unfortunately, we have not! However, our almond and coconut milk are both house made, daily.

    View All 4 Questions

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    Atelier Manna - Spanish style French toast

    Atelier Manna

    4.6(298 reviews)
    1.3 mi
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    I am in love with this place: my only problem is that when i visit SD i go there more often than i…read moreshould in a short period so i experience the same menu and given that I'm a vegetarian it's extra limited but i never regret it nonetheless lol Staff is kind , and relaxed Food is locally sourced Music vibes are all over the place but when they play african music i love it This food does heal (chef goal) ; it's an absolute joy to dig into these salads and desserts! More of the spots I visit can be found on tiktok: @baybitesnsips

    I am very confused at the hype and reviews for this restaurant. It's an okay brunch spot at best…read more The attention for this place is driven by dishes catered towards Instagram and eating with your eyes, not the actual experience of eating with your hands and mouth. It's tough to get a table for a weekend noon. I booked our reservation a few weeks ahead of time. Parking is either near the train tracks across the street or on the curb. We got the egg dish and salad bowl. The yogurt for the eggs was deliciously spiced; dipping in the toasted bread into the gooey poached egg, creamy yogurt, and herbs was delicious! My issue with this dish were the herbs that were too large. Was I expected to stick a big piece of herb on my toast? The dish is saucy with the chili oil so my clothes were dirty with the oil covered herbs. Chop the herbs smaller for practicality! Another dish suffered from the execution. We got the bowl which I thought was going to be a grain bowl. Rather, it was a ridiculously-sized salad--as much leaves as a pack from the grocery store! There were toppings within like slices of avocado, pieces of orange, farro, and nuts. I felt like I was trying to treasure hunt to look for these pieces. The salad was comically oversized. It was dressed fine but suffered from the portion size. You could see this theme with the French toast too where you get 1/3 of a baked bread. I'm honestly confused by this chef who has amazing experience. Why do you construct dishes that are difficult and impractical to eat? Less is more. These dishes need extensive edits. How this place got Bib Gourmand is honestly surprising to me.

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    Atelier Manna - Main patio

    Main patio

    Atelier Manna - Spanish French toast

    Spanish French toast

    Atelier Manna - Main dining area

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    Main dining area

    101 Diner - Garden Benedict

    101 Diner

    4.3(880 reviews)
    0.3 mi
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    Who doesn't love a good diner? Peek inside and the place looks like it stepped out of the distant…read morepast, maybe the 1950s or the 1960s. Surely they are masters at greasy bacon and eggs, day old coffee, and probably little else. Wrong. Very wrong. This place may look a little ordinary from the outside but there is nothing ordinary about it. It may look like a classic diner inside but it does not sling food like an old diner. The menu is well-written and the food is high quality, excellent, and borderline gourmet. Do not order eggs, bacon, and toast here. Swing for the cheap seats. We tried the Ham, Avocado and Tomato Eggs Benedict. The hollandaise sauce was fantastic. If I didn't care about remaining somewhere under 350 pounds, I would return every Saturday and eat my way through every single eggs benedict concoction on the menu and there are many such benedict creations from which to choose. The Banana Nutella crepe, with "whip" cream (not "whipped," apparently, we're gentle with our cream here, folks), was decadent. If you like your breakfasts on the sweet side, you will enjoy this one. The Tres Porkitos omelet (made with ham, bacon, sausage, and cheese) was hearty and just as good as it sounds. The breakfast potatoes were very nicely done but could have used a little more seasoning. There is a salt shaker (and numerous hot sauces) on the table for just these types of emergencies. Do NOT leave here without getting a freshly-made biscuit with butter and honey on the side. You have made a serious error in judgment if you leave without getting one of these. Even the freshly-squeezed orange juice was delicious. Our server was wonderful. No complaints. They have dining inside or on the patio. Encinitas is a delightful community. While I loved the old school diner feel inside, you cannot go wrong with the people watching outside on one of our almost always sunny days in So Cal. If you live here, you already pay the Sunshine Tax so get your money's worth and sit outside, if you can. 10 stars.

    Pretty dirty inside. I could get past that (food is fine / standard diner fare) but owner is…read moreresponding to comments by calling people "retards". This is more disgusting than the grease-soaked seats.

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    101 Diner
    101 Diner - Strawberry cream cheese pancake

    Strawberry cream cheese pancake

    101 Diner - Half Garden Benedict

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    Half Garden Benedict

    Queenstage Coffee House - Latte and avo tost

    Queenstage Coffee House

    4.3(118 reviews)
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    Stopped by here real quick for a coffee and overall had a good experience. It was a little hard to…read morefind at first, especially w construction nearby, so just keep that in mind. I ordered a vanilla iced latte and they nailed it -- the vanilla flavor was balanced really well with the espresso and wasn't overly sweet. The coffee itself tasted smooth and fresh. Definitely a solid spot for a quick coffee run.

    Stopped by yesterday to try this coffee shop and overall had a great experience. One thing I really…read moreappreciate is that their flavors are made in-house, which always makes drinks taste more unique and less artificial. I ordered a honey cinnamon latte with half sweetness and it was really good. The flavor balance was great and not overly sweet, which is exactly how I like my coffee. I also picked up an iced vanilla latte, and that one was just as good. When I was ordering, the person taking my order didn't seem very interested in giving recommendations when I asked, but the barista who made the drinks was very nice and the coffee itself was excellent, which made up for it. There's some construction going on in the area right now, but I was still able to find parking without too much trouble. The food also looked really good, though I only tried the drinks this time. There is ample seating and bathrooms for customers in the back. Overall, great coffee and I'd definitely come back to try more of their menu.

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    Queenstage Coffee House
    Queenstage Coffee House
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    De la Olla Latte (iced)

    Pannikin Coffee & Tea - Breakfast Tacos

    Pannikin Coffee & Tea

    3.8(1.2k reviews)
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    Loved stopping in while driving down the coast. We were…read morelucky enough to find parking on the street a little ways down. This place has seating everywhere, inside, outside, upstairs, downstairs... The menu is vast and baked goods a'plenty. I ordered the Vietnamese iced coffee and it's probably the best one I've ever had.. we also split one of their breakfast burritos and took a couple treats home for later. Service is quick and very attentive. Whoever makes your drink also takes your order. I loved this place and I wish it was closer.

    I visited their location  in Encinitas today to meet a friend and unfortunately had a very…read moredisappointing experience. I ordered the Greek scramble, which comes with a bagel. When my food arrived, the bagel had visible mold on it. It was very concerning that this wasn't caught before being served. I brought it to the attention of the staff member who delivered the food. Instead of taking the plate back and replacing the meal, he simply removed the bagel from my plate and brought another one. Given the situation, I would have expected the entire dish to be remade. Additionally, the coffee mug I was given appeared dirty, which added to my concerns about overall cleanliness. I later felt sick and experienced symptoms consistent with food poisoning, possibly related to the meal. For the quality of food and service provided, the pricing felt unreasonably high. The overall experience did not reflect the cost. I'm really disappointed with the lack of quality control and how the situation was handled. I hope management takes food safety, cleanliness, and customer service more seriously moving forward.

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    Pannikin Coffee & Tea - Downstairs where the magic happens

    Downstairs where the magic happens

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    Breakfast Burrito

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    Outside Patio

    Lofty Coffee - desserts - Updated May 2026

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