Speaking about my experience with the Encinitas location: I had been buying whole bean coffee from Lofty Coffee, but no longer go there. Starts with no available parking. They seem to think its important to park their delivery vans right next to the building so that their Customers have to park in the dirt behind the building. Ask their employees about the taste/style of their coffee, and most of them have no idea. They are very friendly and polite but most of the employees of this "coffee roaster" know nothing about their own coffee. Coffee seems to be an unimportant part of their business as they focus on their food stuffs. The coffee's, while excellent, seem to change on a too frequent basis. As soon as I find a coffee I like, it is gone in a few weeks later. Finally, the prices here, for coffee and food are pretty high. read more

Amazing coffee and an amazing space to hangout. Love that it is a Roastery and they even have small food options. The employees are awesome and always ensure you leave happy. They have some of the best roasted coffee in California. read more

Japanese style cold brew on ice - excellent. Salted chocolate chunk cookie - toasted upon my request, perfect level and distribution of salt, and good crumbly chewy texture. Avo hummus toast - comes with fork and knife but this tasty combo is hard to eat and makes me wish it was just the same ingredients as a salad with toasted bread on the side. Vibe - the only thing that drops this a star is that the highway sounds and obnoxious billboard are a buzz kill. But the baristas are friendly and wonderful (seems consistent across Lofty locations), and the factors they can control are lovely - art installations, plentiful seating with options for shade, overall decor. read more

Lofty Coffee Roasting Works - This billboard tho - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

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During COVID19 this is the only Lofty location open. A pity the eating wares is closed as this is the location with the best view. The easiest way to order is via their app. You can order meals, coffee, bags of beans, and their amaaazing pastries. You can add tip via the app because although one can pay at Lofty via their iPAD, they do not allow people touching the screen. And the employees do not ask you for a tip. Also be aware that they have a smaller staff so though food may take longer than usual this is for everyone's health. More physical distancing and better control of keeping track of employee health. Via their website, Lofty consistently tracks the health of its employees. Everything is made by scratch here so for best efficiency order ahead of time as there is is usually a cue of people waiting around for their order because Lofty is popular. And it makes sense.. . . Lofty has the best coffee in SD and I have been a customer of theirs since they opened (2011). The espresso based drinks are my favorite and you can really taste the richness of their homemade almond milk. They have other alternative nut milks that they also make in house as well. For these warmer temps I recommend the Salted Caramel Latte. Iced is just as good because Lofty makes sure that you are not given a latte with the ice already melting and watering down the drink's flavor. My fave pastry is the vegan gluten free chocolate chip cookie. Crunchy on the diameter but soft and chewy in the interior. Perfection. Fave meal: croissant sandwiches. I cannot handle gluten too well so I usually share with another person (sadly). Lofty prepares the right amount of sandwich filling versus actual bread. Head over to their website and you can also take advantage of their Lofty Provisions. They will deliver FOR FREE a box of coffee, pastries, bread, and other goodies to your doorstep in a contactless delivery. Through Provisions, I discovered how good their gluten free bread it. It has some tiny slivers of almonds in the bread for a bit of crunch. The bread is chewy and tastes better than regular bread. read more

Lofty Coffee Roasting Works - Their freshly made pastries and amazing espresso/coffee/cold brew is still available for takeout! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

One of my favorite coffee shops in town! Friendly staff. They make their drinks with love. I wish the peppermint cold brew was year round! It's delicious! My go to drink is an iced lavender latte with oat milk and I can drink it everyday. The price of a latte is a bit expensive $8.25 with tip but honestly the quality is worth the price. read more

Lofty Coffee Roasting Works - Oat Milk Lavender Latte and Cloudy with a Chance of Cold Brew - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

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I've purchased their beans before but this was my first time visiting their roasting location. The shop offers a spacious outdoor seating area with spacious areas - it seems dog friendly! We went on a rainy day so there wasn't as many people outdoors. Their roasting machines can be seen behind the glass walls behind the register area which we found to be super interesting. I ordered a salted caramel latte iced and my bf ordered a Aztec mocha. The salted caramel latte was delicious. They use in house caramel, which tasted delicious! Other salted caramel lattes that I've tasted have been overwhelmingly sweet but they got the sweetness down perfectly. 9/10 would definitely recommend. As far as the Aztec mocha, my boyfriend was not a huge fan of it and I knew I wouldn't like it given it had cayenne pepper in it. It was very spicy however the guy did tell us it was spicy. The service was great and the drinks came out quick! read more

Sooooooo... 2 reviews! 1st review: Came to Lofty for the first time with my boyfriend because a family member recommended this place. I was frantic and didn't know what to order so I picked the Turkish latte/coffee iced. Amazing! Not usually what I would drink but I thought it was worth coming back and trying something new! 2nd review: I went on yelp, ordered through their website, and came. They didn't receive my order, but that was some technical issue. USE THE APP. dont be dumb like me lol. I showed them that Lofty Coffee did charge my apple card and they just asked what I ordered and made it for me. I ordered a panini online, but they stopped making that. So I picked this turkey croissant sandwich with balsamic and arugula and cheese!!! AMAZING. I got this lil sandwich and sat in my car, thinking I would be able to eat it as I drove back up to LA, but of course, I tossed the box SIDEWAYS into the passenger seat. I opened the box and my avocado fell out:( but whatever. The croissant sandwich got messy because of me lol. The balsamic on this croissant was EVERYTHING. The croissant was so soft, warm, and flaky, it reminded me of when I was in France! The turkey was thick, but not so thick that it was dry. Avocado, they did not cheap out!!!! I think they put a half avo in this sandwich. The cheese was perfectly melty, but not too melty that the oil was everywhere and last but not least, the arugula was perfectly green. I also got a matcha latte with oat milk, which was good but I think coffee is more their strong suit here. Maybe I was just so overwhelmed by how good the croissant was. I appreciate that Lofty has their own parking lot so I'm not stressed about parking:) As for my lil website ordering issue, their team & management handled it very well. I even offered to dispute the charge on my card so they can charge me the right amount. The manager, older gentleman, told me it shouldn't be my problem. 5 stars for food, ambiance, coffee, and customer service! If you're a sucker for a good croissant sandwich and coffee, you're in the right place! read more

Lofty Coffee Roasting Works - turkish coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

WOW! What a few weeks can do. Sometimes continuing your patronage rather than giving up makes sense, because you can see how a place changes, improves and grows. This is an update. My last review talked about how slow the service was at this Lofty. As I mentioned I'd continue to go, and I have. What's important are they changes they've made. Of the last couple of weeks, Lofty's speed has really improved. We have been ordering from the ap on the table, which is a great idea. Now you're not trying to listen from across the place for your name to be yelled out! I am sure these changes were in the making during my last review, and I want to point out they have made a world of difference. Keep it up, Lofty! Now I can be happy about my patronage every time! read more

After just leaving this place, I had a wild experience. Living in Encinitas as an Afro-Latina woman from the East Coast is challenging; most of the time, you're the only person of color in the room. Which makes you vulnerable to mistreatment, and this place is an example. Living close by, I stopped in for a Matcha Latte. Although I order Matcha lattes often, this was my first time at this place. When I took a sip, the mint mixed in the Matcha was way too strong for me. I asked if they could make it without mint, but the server said no, as the Matcha and mint were pre-mixed. I then requested a refund since I wanted Matcha. They had trouble finding my bank card because I had used Apple Pay. When asked for the last four digits of my credit card, I provided the unmasked digits, not realizing they could only see encrypted numbers. The server had to ask the manager or owner for help. The manager was rude, visibly struggling to locate my card, and asked, "Why are we doing this?" I explained my dislike for the drink due to the overpowering mint and requested a refund. He repeatedly stated, "Oh, you don't like it, that's why," before eventually offering to refund it later. I insisted on a refund receipt before leaving. After much struggle, he finally found the Matcha latte on PayPal by checking recent purchases. It was the only latte bought within the last two hours. I couldn't help but wonder, why the unnecessary hassle? Ugh, Californians can be frustrating. Edit: My response to the owner: 1) Let's be honest about Encinitas--it's not as diverse as it claims. With a significant 76% white population and less than 2% Black, calling it diverse doesn't hold up. And trust me, I've faced more racism here than back in my hometown of Boston. 2) So, I ordered the Matcha Latte with Mint, thinking it would be to my liking. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. And according to California law, if the food isn't up to par, I'm entitled to a refund. Plus, I barely touched the drink--no lid on the cup says it all. 3) The barista didn't offer a refund right away. She suggested remaking the another drink, I brought up the possibility of a refund since I intended to buy a Matcha latte elsewhere. 4) Shoutout to the very kind frontline baristas--they were great. But the owner isn't. Your lack of compassion and empathy really soured my experience. Did you really need to question me three times about not liking the drink? It felt rather dismissive. 5) After mocking me and saying " Oh so you don't like the drink. that's why you want a refund" three times, you expect me to trust your promise of a refund if I leave? Not likely. 6) Oh, and by the way, apologies for the "POS" typo. But honestly, who cares about the payment system? The real issue here is your lack of empathy. That's why I felt compelled to leave this review. read more

Good atmosphere. Good coffee. Pour overs are expensive. The internet didn't work and when I asked an employee, his response was "sorry" and then I asked him if there is a way to try to reset it and his response : "uhhhh I don't know. I've never done that". Customer service is important. read more

Don't come here after 12. They don't serve regular coffee after 12. They will point you to an Americano which is fine but they charge you full price if you want a refill. If it were just their black coffee it comes at a discount. Customer service sucks after 230, they are just trying to close and the two girls were just focusing on that and not the customers. Location is great though. read more

THE COFFEE AND SERVICE WERE ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL! The barista named Brooks was very friendly and kind and seemed to have high spirits while I was there. I highly recommend coming here and enjoying some lattes. read more

I love this place with all my heart. As someone who has probably been to just about every coffee shop around... This is the BEST. Coffee is nothing short of amazing every time. And the presentation come on??? Always so happy to come here. I come at least once a week minimum. Probably more. Worth the stop. read more

Lofty Coffee Roasting Works - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

We love Lofty and drive 40 miles just to have it! Today we ordered: *Salted Caramel Latte- this is just what I wanted and absolutely beautifully crafted *Americano - traditional and just what you would expect. Dark and flavorful. *Turkey and Avocado Croissant- warm, cheesy and topped with the most amazing balsamic vinaigrette *Matcha Donut topped with ground pistachio and dried rose petals - so tasty, sweet and moist! This location was my hubby and I's first date and today we brought our little one. We love their outdoor seating although it definitely fills up fast. They have opened a back parking lot which is helpful. Overall, great coffee, good location and seating and attentive staff. We'll be back soon! read more

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Lofty is still my favorite coffee spot in San Diego and their Roasting Works location is directly across the street from their coffee shop. While sitting on the patio, you can sip your coffee or iced tea and watch the long line of patrons ordering the exact same thing as you! There is ample seating, shade and a dog friendly patio. Their New Orleans Iced Coffee is my fave and their Blood Orange Hibiscus Iced Tea across the way is my go to on a sunny day...so every day. read more

If coffee was able to become a sentient life-form it would happen here. It would not be a slow progression life form but one that would be a super intelligence with a serious high society coffee snob attitude. It would create a heavy fog and it alone would decide if you had enough merit to drink the coffee here. As an engineer lets talk about the super sexy coffee maker made me smitten just looking at it. To know so much about coffee roasting that you use a graph to track how much roasting the bean creates this percent of caffeine? Total and complete respect to the roasters you f'ing rock for the knowledge and skillset. I loved the taste of the coffee, it was something different and it made me realize I may had been drinking warm caffeinated zombie piss since the age of 14 when I started to drink coffee. I have to tell you I've been all over this planet and I've drank some terrible coffee and drank good coffee. I've been in the field where I had coffee grounds and warm water and I would swish it around in my mouth and swallow. I've made coffee in a lab because christ why would you not make coffee if you had a whole lab with pyrex beakers and volumetric flasks. But this, this is excellent coffee. The problem is I'm a bit of of a thug. I do not have sophisticated taste buds I could not tell you where the coffee beans came from or how long they needed to be roasted for this excellent coffee. Looking around at the people while sitting watching the traffic and the occasional passing train I felt out of place. I'm just too high strung now I don't know how to relax and be in the moment for a long period of time. All of the people drinking coffee seemed like they were in a place of zen and I was just passing through. The staff was polite and I could tell they liked their jobs. The noise was just the right amount of being busy without the mood of chaotic. If I get a chance to return I will. I know I'll feel the same as the people whom work here deserve to work there. If you learn a craft that can create something I would fondly like to have again. Well, that's just magic. Good Luck out there. Jasoninaz read more

Great coffee shop with access to outside seating and a lovely breeze. Don't want to say to many fabulous things about Lofty Coffee Roasting Works because I'd like it all to myself and the people that are already here. Great nitro brew options and the barista was cool to let my friend and I do a tasting. Much like the other locations, the decor is cool. Tables have small potted succulents. They offer some coffee brewing kits and glassware as well as clothing and of course coffee beans to go. One of my favs is the Kyoto cold brew. I also love the earl gray de la creme (tea au lait), and a sweet salted caramel latte. read more

This is my favorite of the Lofty locations. It's larger and more open and I can usually find a table. They sell sourdough loaves which I love so I like to come to this location when I'm able. Great coffee, helpful and friendly staff...yummy pastries! I love coming here to read and/or get some work done on my computer as it's rather quiet compared to Starbucks or Coffee Bean. read more

Absolutely wonderful place to grab some coffee and get a little work done. The "Hilltop" style atmosphere here is top notch! The people are friendly! The coffee is excellent! This is the only place my wife will drink coffee (superb whole milk lattes here) at. Great view of the beach local culture and tourist but far enough away to not be distracted bu them. Just a great place to come spend time, chat, and work. read more

Service was exceptional. My coffee and breakfast "The Encinitas" was wonderful. The outdoor dining was fabulous as well as great company with other patrons. read more

Fun-and-lively vibe. Nice outdoor seating options offering plenty of people-watching opportunities. Very friendly, patient, and helpful staff! I thoroughly enjoyed my long pour espresso (what I know as an Americano), as well as all of the (what I learned are gluten-free) pastries & cookies (my favorite: their lemon cookie)! This location is now among my favorite coffee spots... just wish it was closer to me. read more

Lofty Coffee Roasting Works - Dirty Chai Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

The food is delicious, the service is absolutely terrible!!! I ordered a breakfast sandwich to go on a Monday morning (late morning) and it took them almost 30 minutes to make it! There were other people there but for a Monday morning it was not crowded and definitely should NOT take that long to make a little breakfast sandwich! No explanation as to why it took that long and also no apology either! It was very good but certainly not worth waiting that long for something to go! Response to Eric: The ticket times must be incorrect then, because I stood there for almost 30 minutes for a to go order! Perhaps they forgot to put the order in and therefor isn't showing the correct time? Either way, terrible service and terrible response! read more

I was in the area and found this place on yelp. My bf and I had some time to kill so we decided to stop and get a drink. I ordered the salted caramel latte and my bf got the matcha latte. When we first got there, there was no seating. Eventually we were able to find a spot. The outside area is a great place to hangout. There were lots of people with their dogs and laptops. The train did go by once in a while but other than that it wasn't too noisy. My salted caramel latte was good. It has the right amount of sweetness. Unfortunately, my bf didn't like his drink. The matcha was very powdery, like it wasn't stirred into the drink. He fished his drink anyways. My bf ended up getting a chai tea latte since he wasn't satisfied with the matcha latte. The chai tea was better than the matcha but it still wasn't the best. It basically tasted like milk and cinnamon. I'd come back if I'm in the area to try their other drinks but I wouldn't get the matcha or chai latte again. read more

Lofty Coffee Roasting Works - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

First time trying the larger venue, which is directly across the street from the location I had visited several times before when going thru the area. This location is the showcase, a place where the roasting occurs and has tons of seating out front overlooking PCH up on a hill. We ordered a regular drip coffee and an iced coffee. Service was pretty quick despite being very crowded and the coffee hit the spot! read more

This place is absolutely fantastic! Not only do they make a terrific cold filtered brew, but they also make some delectable eats. I ordered a jar, because that what it comes in, of cold filtered coffee and croissant sandwich with arugula, Applegate black forest ham, and artisan Cotswold cheese warmed to the perfect temperature. It's important to note, that they make and bake their croissants on site, which no doubt adds to their quality and pure indulgence. The croissant was extra butter, very moist, and flaky at the same time. Even with its flaky texture, it still held up well to the ingredients stuffed inside the sliced croissant. Although I enjoyed everything about this croissant ham and cheese, the croissant definitely stole the show. The black forest ham was quite good with its mild sweetness and smoky flavor. The Cotswold cheese was melted just enough to gently coat the rest of the ingredients in the sandwich, especially the buttery croissant, which made eating the croissant that much enjoyable. The English cheese was similar to cheddar, but was milder in flavor. The arugula was plentiful, fresh, and had that slight peppery hint. The cold filtered coffee, a Kyoto style, was nothing short of pure excellence. The very slowly cold dripped coffee had a subtle flavor of dark chocolate and was very robust and rich, with no sense of acidity or a light tang what so ever. Even iced, it kept its deep rich flavor throughout my partaking. Great stuff, and I recommend if you area cold brew aficionado. The employees at this particular Loft Coffee Roast are a dynamic bunch. The are not only very knowledgeable about their craft, but very friendly and welcoming. It was a pleasure to dine and experience their cold brewed coffee. read more

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Ordered the pumpkin spice latte and salted caramel latte, both with oat milk. It must be the oat milk, that made the latte to taste a bit weird. Maybe it is just I am not used to their homemade oat milk. I will try to get the latte with regular milk next time. The ambience: very hipster- they have amazing pastries; we ordered a butter croissant and asked them to warm up; was amazing. They also have a croissant that has prosciutto in it, that our friends ordered; they loved it. read more

hot drip coffee kyoto cold brew coffee egg tart friendly knowledgeable staff beautiful/open interior and exterior space feelin' Lofty af read more

Lofty Coffee Roasting Works - kyoto cold brewin' - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

I was invited to get a coffee and work with a friend during the week in the summer. To be honest I had no idea this coffee shop was here! What a welcome surprise! Upon walking up I noticed a great amount of dog friendly seating and everything was very new and clean. I ordered a mocha with a sea salt chocolate chip cookie because who doesn't like a cookie. I realized once I ordered my coffee that it was a mocha with ganache. It was delivered to me at my table which was unexpected and once again was a great surprise. This is by far the fanciest mocha I've ever had and it did not disappoint. I'm by no means a coffee snob but I can tell when there is care taken in the making of anything. I will be going here again. Probably bring my dog next time. read more

Not impressed with their coffee at all. Shocking actually that coffee could be made so poorly and still have a huge location with so many customers. Also, the girl behind the counter was super rude...Very surprised and shocked. Will not be going here again. We brought the poor tasting coffee home and I had my daughter try it, since coffee is always fun for a teen to drink and she took one sip and ran to spit it right out in the sink...validated that I wasnt just having a bad taste day... read more

I was invited to get a coffee and work with a friend during the week in the summer. To be honest I had no idea this coffee shop was here! What a welcome surprise! Upon walking up I noticed a great amount of dog friendly seating and everything was very new and clean. I ordered a mocha with a sea salt chocolate chip cookie because who doesn't like a cookie. I realized once I ordered my coffee that it was a mocha with ganache. It was delivered to me at my table which was unexpected and once again was a great surprise. This is by far the fanciest mocha I've ever had and it did not disappoint. I'm by no means a coffee snob but I can tell when there is care taken in the making of anything. I will be going here again. Probably bring my dog next time. read more

It's a lovely coffee place for hangout. Great atmosphere, services, coffee, pastries/toasts. One good thing is it has own parking lot.

Lofty Coffee where have you been all my life!!!! I dream about you every night and wake up with you on my mind haha! The salted coffee is my fav and it is awesome how they offer organic snacks and small breakfast or lunch meals. This place can get crowded but it is worth every drip of coffee you will savor! The heart or flower shapes in the coffee warm my heart :) read more

Lofty Coffee Roasting Works - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

I've been to Lofty at least a dozen more times and I've noticed SOME IMPROVEMENT. For example, a barista came around the bar to the line and asked if he could start the next person in lines drink order. Great! Sadly, just today I was at their La Costa location and watched a female barista touch her hair several times in between making drinks, without washing her hands. Definitely needs improvement! read more

Nice location ... a close walk to Moonlight Beach. Ordered the coffee Kyoto. Just OK... rather mild for my taste. Not memorable. Servers are friendly. I will probably try other roasters before returning. read more

Love this place! The food is so healthy and the service is outstanding. We had a really relaxing time. Thanks to the manager Patrick and all the staff for such a great experience. read more

Lofty Coffee Roasting Works - Beautiful presentation of my latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

Fantastic Service. Fantastic food. Love this place!! Second time here. First time I thought it was an accident that their food was so good, but second visit, same delicious food, same great service. I will keep coming back. read more

This coffee shop has very friendly staff, urban decor that truly feels lofty lol. I love how artistic and artsy it looks. My boyfriend ordered a cold brew and he loved it. I tried their salted Carmel latte and it was delicious :p super cozy upscale spot ! Oh they also have fresh watermelon juice read more

Lofty Coffee Roasting Works - Salted Caramel Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

Nice place, but no outlets. I had to leave because my computer died! They would probably get more business if they had outlets so people could get work done. read more

The Chai Tea and Iced Latte were just OK. The Cappuccino was good, and the Americano wasn't great. Vibe is cool and employees are cool, but coffee is not great. read more

This place is beautiful. With that being said, they have two stores. One across the way from the other. This main location is simply their roasting spot, with everything being made for "here" . Trying to remain sustainable, they do not do anything to-go as I realized when I stepped in but nonetheless okay if you wanna chat or hang out with you cup of joe there. It's right next door to rhino art & after speaking to the girl behind the register, I believe they just got in wi-fi, which is great if like myself, you wanna cruise in to study or work. --- I would just call prior to coming here so that you know for sure. Excellent. Their coffees bomb. 5 stars. read more