Bomb food. Strawberry and avocado toast with balsamic vinaigrette was so damn good. French toast delish!! Service was great and quick! Outdoor seating was nice, felt like sitting on a patio read more

Delicious food! Great location and nice atmosphere. Had a hibiscus iced tea and flower child - both were good!

Finally.. This place is open! I've been walking by here for months. This lofty coffee location is conveniently on the corner of Cedar and Columbia in little Italy. Plenty of indoor/outdoor seating. And very dog friendly. I think everyone there had a dog with them today. I ordered the flat white ($3.50) with almond milk and a chocolate chip cookie (which happened to also be gluten free). Total came to $8 and change. The coffee was just the perfect amount of strong and was balanced well with my sweet cookie. I was able to enjoy people watching and nice outdoor weather with a friend.. So I am glad we picked here. read more

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We went for breakfast on a Friday. The area was nice, we walked from our hotel. The menu seemed a bit limited and my egg was cold. It was very slow. We got our breakfast before the coffee was ready. read more

I have to give this place 20 stars because they made me without any doubt the best breakfast croissant I've ever had, incredibly crispy, buttery, has beautiful sweetness-savory balance, and the presentation is outstanding, just pure perfection. High quality coffee/expresso drinks are top notch, I ordered dark mocha, it was so on point, and the organic chocolate in it tasted soooo good. All organic food and drinks and definitely 100% recommended. Gorgeous indoor and outdoor seating area with convertible roof open to the street in middle of beautiful little Italy neighborhood. read more

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I had bookmarked this spot on Yelp. While I was in town yesterday, I was looking for a local coffee shop to get some coffee. I noticed the great reviews and my bookmark so I decided to give it a try!!! Wow what a beautiful place, great atmosphere and delicious coffee. It was amazing!! I love coffee and I have hard time trying to find good coffee spots but this spot has done an amazing job that I would absolutely love to come back here and another cup of coffee. I had their salted Carmel ice drink which was recommended by the barista. Great choice. I tried some of the Turkish Latte with my friend and it was great. If you like the cardamom taste, this is the drink for you. Loved the atmosphere, outside seating area is beautiful!!! I could go there to study. They have inside area also but its limited. Highly highly recommend it!! read more

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Disappointing! Good food but very slow service. My coffee was served within few minutes, but it took half an hour to get the food!

I love the indoor/outdoor seating. The coffee was good but they were out of what I really wanted (the Nola coffee) so the bartista made me something custom. That was great and they are very knowledgeable about their coffee menu. I got the avocado toast and it was a good price for what it was but messy and too much balsamic. But I still enjoyed myself and would go back! I'll just ask for light balsamic read more

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The coffee lids don't adequately fit on the coffee cups. As such, your beverage spills everywhere. This is really poor QA. The cold brew and chai latte are decent though. read more

Lofty Coffee - Cold brew - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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I love lofty coffee..everything there is delicious and I am a regular customer. However, I ordered Açaí bowel for the first time on Saturday 8/27/22 3ish in the afternoon. It was the prettiest and most delicious açaí bowel I've ever had! The presentation was amazing that I even posted it on my Instagram! Needless to say, I went back Sunday late morning, all excited to get it again while going on and on about it to my daughter! However, the difference was shocking. It's interesting that you can have two completely different experience ordering the same food at the same place only one day apart. I guess the person who made it on Saturday made an effort to justify the $15 açaí bowel while the person who made it on Sunday didn't really care much. See the difference in the pic yourself.. read more

Lofty Coffee - Açaí bowel served on Saturday - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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I'm totally lost on the hype. Let's go through the list of why this place isn't great: 1. One midget size coffee (I got an americano) for $3.25. I guess they are too cool to sell larger drink sizes. 2. They had no raw sugar, really??? Is this McDonald's??? 3. Everything, lids, stir sticks, sugar all sitting out getting COVIDized... 4. Last and not least the coffee was mediocre at best. I wanted to give this place a try because it had so much business. What a mistake. I'll stick with Pappalecco. There is no comparison. read more

Just missed the mark. The coffee is delicious with plenty of options but if your looking for breakfast you may want to move on to one of the other Little Italy gems. Ordered a beautiful breakfast but the eggs tasted like dish soap and the croissant was stale. The server who brought me my coffee and the cashier were great very helpful and kind. Again good spot for people watching and coffee. read more

Lofty Coffee - Salad and tomato were delish! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Wow....wow wow! We were a little early wanting to go for our lunch and had some time to kill. Why not stop for a quick coffee. Talk about a coffee that makes us contemplating moving to San Diego. So I'll get past the negatives which are not even negatives. Was a bit busy.. well why are they busy... because they are awesome! Limited seating... why? Because every seat is filled up with happy patrons, and there is a lot of seating for a coffee house. My Turkish coffee wasn't made in the Turkish fashion as I have visited turkey and had both the showboat style latte and the stove top version. However the flavor is RIGHT ON. My wife from Mexico had the Aztec coffee and she LOVED IT. Our local coffee house she admired so much just told me we're driving to little Italy from here on out for coffee. It busy... However the people are polite and still have time to speak a few words to you. They are not rude and they are really good at their job. It would be a shame... no a crime to miss this gem. I am impatient and have very high exceptions in my eating establishments however I felt comfortable and at home in line watching them at their trade and interacting with customers before me. read more

Lofty Coffee - Perfect Aztec latte! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Great design. Love that you can sit outside and inside with an open view of downtown. Lots of big wooden tables for working, meeting, etc. and smaller tables for solo. Super clean and organized. Great space for working (except that there are NO outlets) and for meeting up with someone. They have a wide variety of coffees, teas (Morrocan mint on tap; sooo good), bakery items, and cafe foods. I've gotten the chocolate croissant which is really good. The only drawback to this place is that it seems a little expensive (But they honestly might have quality coffee so it may be priced well for it's quality) and that there are no chargers for working, which is unfortunate because it's such a great working space. Pros: Great space, good coffee. Clean. Cons: Pricey. No outlets. read more

Lofty Coffee - Workspace - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

This place is such a cute little spot. I love the Solana location as well. Parking can be a bit tough here. Everyone that works here is fantastic. The breakfast options are great! Really fresh and different than your typical coffee shop. I love how they use sustainable options for your items you order. It is super airy and open here and you can bring your fury friend - they even have treats for them. read more

Lofty Coffee - The Quickie with a poached egg - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Visiting San Diego and looking for some quick and healthy breakfast before going to touristy spots. Found this place with nice decor and didn't have a line, so decided to give it a try. This place is order first then find seats yourself kind restaurant. initially I was gonna get croissant, cashier reminded that it'll take 15-20 mins so we decided to go with something quicker, açaí bowl and yogurt with granola. Cashier then said they are out of granola but will add additional fruit in the yogurt, which sounded ok. Even though without a line, it was pretty hard to find seat. Finally someone left and we got the table, however, no service person was around so it didn't get sanitized. Waited for 15 mins anyway, then the food was brought over. There was the SAD SAD yogurt bowl. It was just a super thin layer of yogurt, no granola like cashier mentioned. And where's the extra fruit??!! Or was this already extra fruit?! And it's $9!!! Now açaí bowl had three scoops of half frozen açaí which tasted fine. But coming from the Bay Area things are more pricey in general, but $14 açaí bowl has at least twice as much açaí than this. This place is ridiculously expensive for the amount and quality you get, I would not recommend it to anyone who's looking for a proper breakfast. And since it's order ahead, you tip ahead too, but it barely has any service. read more

I had a lofty goal of checking this place out and now that I've done so I'd say this is a winner. Love the way they did the architecture of this space, it's totally open with no windows and the cafe bar in the center. Basically simple steel columns, brick, and weathered wood on the ceilings. Lots of seating in the courtyard, around the bar, and even a few spots on the street to hang out. The menu here is more extensive than I have seen at most coffee shops and it geared towards vegetarian and even some vegan choices. I really appreciate they offer all the menu items all hours that they are open. You'd be surprised how many places will not let you order a salad during their breakfast offerings, crazy. They have a whole selection of pastries including 3 vegan choices. From the kitchen the menu is pretty straight forward and well rounded. Everything from avocado toast to an Açaí bowls with PJ and GF granola. A few salad options and they also have an a la carte options like plant based sausage, toast and smears etc. The two items that most interested me was an Ancient Grains Farro Bowl and a Superfood bowl. I was told one is veggie oriented and one is more grains. Since I love the flower of Cauli I decided the superfood it was going to be. I was intrigued though with the cilantro lime sauce in the AGF bowl so asked them to swap it for the lemon dig thyme instead. No up-charge and they gave me the fig lime one also which was nice. I could not resist the vegan Strawberry pop tart looking pastry so had to get that also. I also got a latte with almond mylk but they have many interesting specialty coffee drinks such as Aztec Mocha, Turkish Latte, and two cold brews one made with chicory and one called Kyoto. Chicory is kind of like a substitute for coffee and has no caffeine and tastes earthy. They blend with the cold brew and it's really tasty on ice with almond mylk. I highly recommend this drink. In terms of the taste of my dishes everything was Yelpy good. The latte was smooth and tasty, the triangle strawberry pop tart was crunchy flakey had almost a butter consistency but vegan and then the strawberry sweetness inside hits you yumm. The superfood bowl was also delicious with so many layers of flavors. I was playing with the three side sauces I got with the dish. The avocado was super creamy and I loved the lime cilantro dressing. The fig dressing was ok but I normally don't like sweet in my salads so recommend if you are like me to make the substitution. Finally I really think the service here is way better than I get in my area. Super nice, knows the menu, deliver your food with a smile. All good things to put this place in 5 star territory. Can't wait to go back soon. read more

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Stopped to grab a salad to go and almost laughed when they handed me the tiniest salad ever for $20! It didn't even have all the things on it as described on the menu. Super disappointing and my mistake for paying so much, but I just do not understand how prices keep going up for a smaller and smaller amount of food. read more

Glad the rain held off this morning when I came by here. The entire place is on open air concept. So one big porch with the barista station in the middle. Ordered a salted caramel latte and croissant sandwich for bfast. First off, the latte was soooo yummy! The first thought I had when I took a sip was "yes". Like a warm hug on a rainy, gloomy morning. The croissant sandwich was bomb. Perfect croissant with scrambled eggs, Black Forest ham, cheddar, arugula and a tomato jelly. Piping hot and oh so delicious. Cool vibe here. Will definitely come back when I'm in town again. Also bought a bag of their espresso beans to take back with me to NC! read more

Lofty Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Waited for hour and a half for our orders, and nobody came to check in on us as to why we were still waiting. Seems like they forgot our order, we had like 4 orders and they forgot them all... By the time they were bale to give us our food, orders were missing and they had already ran out of products, and everything was cold ... Very very disappointing read more

Amazing experience for my first time here. Mathew helped me and was very personable and had great vibes. He helped me navigate through the menu and recommended me their Quickie Avo Toast and the Lofty Style Nola and it hit me the spot. Definitely came here for the caffeinated beverages but for sure returning for the wonderful a1 service. Thank you Mathew! read more

Lofty Coffee - Lofty Style Nola - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

I've been coming to this place for months now and I always order the avocado toast (which is vegan) with a cup of coffee. The place is very relaxing in the morning, and there are plenty of seats although it can get very busy mid-breakfast time. I only wish they marked which options in their menu are vegan so I could better know what I can order without holding up the line when I ask the staff. But I really recommend their avocado toast! read more

Lofty Coffee - Avocado Hummus Toast - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

I'm not too much of a coffee guy, but this place is so good, it doesn't matter if you're a coffee guy or not, because this place serves some good stuff. Location/Ambiance: Located in the heart of Little Italy, its a nice place to stop by and grab some coffee before strolling around the block. It also has some nice outdoor seating. Overall really chill atmosphere, so its fun to people watch and a good place to study. The workers there are super nice and knowledgeable about the menu. Food/Drink The iced coffee is a must try for people who enjoy sweeter coffee options. It's not too overly sweet but it's got a smooth texture that makes it awesome. Didn't get any food items so I don't have much of a say there, but it does look visually appealing. Tips/Suggestions Parking might be annoying on a busier Little Italy day. Go early in the morning and on Sundays to get free street parking Summary (tl;dr) For real coffee experts, take my review with a grain of salt; but I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here. Friendly staff, relaxing atmosphere, and good lattes makes this a solid place in my book. read more

Lofty Coffee - Putting the "good" in "baked goods" - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Fabulous vibe ! Awesome breakfast options and really tasty drinks. Great for a quick meet up or to finish typing up a last minute editorial

Such a cute little modern spot! Coffee was STRONG! In a good way :) I got the espresso shot my first visit and I was wide awake for all of our adventures for the day! Boyfriend got the cold brew with almond milk both of our visits and enjoyed it (he's pretty knowledgeable with coffee too). If you like sweet coffee (caramel frap, iced coffee that looks like milk, etc.) get the salted caramel latte! It was delicious for the first couple sips, but I am not too much of a sweet tooth at all. Espresso shot got the job done for me the first time. You won't be disappointed with whatever you get, just ask the staff. They are very helpful and kind! Yes, the wait was say 10-15 min on a busy Sunday morning but cmon, their staff is working hard! Hats off to all of them for taking care of us in the middle of a pandemic. Only tip I would give to the owner or whom ever manages the spot is cleanliness. I never saw anyone wiping down the waiting area and tables had crumbs all over them both times I visited. I expected that they were probably very busy. Not a hard fix either, so with that 5/5 stars! read more

I used to think this place was cool. I came here often. I ordered my regular breakfast, tipped as usual, especially now with no table ordering service. I asked the cashier if refills for coffee are free, he said yes. I went up to get my refill, and the female manager said $1.50. I said he told me they are free like they are when they pour in ceramic cups. An argument ensued and the manager would not back off on a lousy $1.50. They have lost a long time customer over $1.50, when the cashier said refills were free. I reminded them what my grocery store manager told me at age 16. The customer is always right, especially over a lousy cup of coffee. To think that during the hard times of COVID-19, that a business is willing to lose customers amazes me! The revenue that this establishment will lose in future sales far exceeds $1.50. I promptly went over to Starbucks and bought a $3 cup of coffee. Perhaps as the owner or general manager can educate the shift manager the value of retaining a long standing customer, and his referrals to fellow friends and colleagues. read more

Great place to be outside and work at the same time. I really like the Salted Caramel Latte. I had the Egg Sausage and Chee croissant and it was really good. I was hesitant with the Tomato Jam but it went great. read more

Lofty Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Very very very very good coffee. Tall Black on point. Macchiato was delicious. We even had a pastry, a chocolate croissant of sorts. Everything was delicious. Sooooo good. read more

Lofty Coffee - Macchiato - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Beautiful atmosphere right in the middle of the hustle and bustle! Wonderful mocha choice and great ambiance! The baristas were quick and pleasant, will be making more stops here on future visits! Even loved the little cowboy hat looking design in the mocha! read more

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Absolutely terrible service. I've been here several times so I've begin them plenty of chances. The coffee is not good the food is so small and overpriced but worst of all it takes for ever to come out. Last time we were there we waited for about 35 minutes for our food before cancelling the order and receiving a refund. All for porches eggs and some bread. Not even a complicated dish. read more

The workers don't know the ingredients in the food we are eating. I asked if the French toast can be gluten free, she said I don't think so. She was wrong. I also asked her if it contains almond flour because I cannot eat nuts. She said I don't know, let me ask. Then the man next to her says rice flour. I get the French toast and start eating it, and I notice chopped almonds....... not only was it with almonds but it was disgusting.. What a disappointment, two major fails.. If I could give 0 stars I would. But 1 star only because the man that helped us with our concern was very nice. The company needs to hire smarter workers and not little kids that can cost them a lawsuit read more

This is a hipster, trendy, clean, open air cafe. It gets busy on weekends, there was a line to the cashier and the total wait wasn't too bad. They have drinks, pastries, and some other food items that are fairly priced for the most part. There wasn't much service besides ordering and delivery. I opted for the toast and eggs...two slices of toast with 2 poached eggs. You can add-on avocado or a few other things, but this brings the price to $10, a little high in my opinion. The quality of the food was high though. The almond croissant was fine. I tried the house coffee, which by the way doesn't have free refills, so enjoy your less-than-full cup while you can. read more

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You know what makes a spot a true gem in my eyes? When your pup pulls the leash every time you walk by because he just wants to go in, say hi to his friends, and hang out there. Ever since I moved to Little Italy in May, my pup and I have become accustomed to this awesome coffee shop for so many reasons. Besides having great lattes and coffee, they serve up some delicious breakfast sandwiches and food. It's obviously super dog-friendly and the baristas have always offered treats for my pup (not a surprise he loves going there). It's super clean so I am not worried about him picking up things from the floor or finding randomness to eat. I also love the open concept which can't be done better in Sunny San Diego! In the mornings, this coffee shop is filled with individuals working, having meetings, interviews, the works. The afternoons brings a nice crowd as well with a little more tourists, post-gym comers, and a mix of all. If you haven't yet, definitely check out this spot for a bite and great coffee. read more

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LOVE! I love the space. I love the service. I love that they make fresh croissants in house. I love love love their coffee (Turkish Latte, hello!) To me, this is a quintessential Sunday morning coffee spot. Sit and people watch. It's dog friendly, so bring your pooch. Or grab and go. Eco-friendly materials and local. Paper straws! LOVE! read more

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This gem is located in little Italy of San Diego. The building itself is very modern and cool looking and you can't miss it if you're walking around the area. The aroma of coffee might even indicate if you're close to it. They have WiFi for all the guests that are drinking at the store. They have options of coffee and tea and some snacks. I ordered the Aztec mocha which is mocha with cinnamon and spice. It definitely has a kick to it but in a good way. I also got to sample some of the salted Carmel coffee. It was subtle and tasted very good. Definitely became a fan of this place not just for their drinks but also how pretty the cafe was. You are seated right by the street and get to people watch and enjoy a nice coffee while seated outside. read more

Lofty Coffee - Aztec Mocha Cappuccino. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

30+ minutes for TOAST. I live in Little Italy and every time I go to Lofty (in person or order ahead online) the wait time is ridiculous. I haven't been here in over 6 months, because I was so fed up the last several times at how long you have to wait to get anything. I finally figured I'd try it again (and I do enjoy the food) and ordered a latte and avocado toast online. The suggested pickup time for my order was 7:59 AM. I arrived around 8:00 AM. My food didn't come out of the kitchen until 8:31 AM. Not only did I have to wait 30+ minutes for my food, but the avocado toast was missing the pickled onion. There are only 4 ingredients (tomato, avocado, hummus, and pickled onion) and they still couldn't even get it right. To Management: you can do better. $20+ for latte and toast missing a key ingredient .... shouldn't be this long of a wait and certainly shouldn't be prepared incorrectly. Sadly, it's actually a known grievance in the neighborhood that Lofty Coffee takes FOREVER regardless how "busy" they are. Doesn't matter if there are 0 customers, or a house full of customers, you can expect to wait - every...single...time. I regret coming back. Disappointing. Failed business processes. Consistently long wait times. Will never come here again. Time is money. PLEASE DO BETTER. read more

I would like to congratulate this place on one of the worst dining experiences myself and my girl have ever had. I ordered a black coffee and my girl had cappuccino and a blueberry muffin. I returned my coffee after the first sip..and actual first for me. It was bitter ...way, way bitter and had a citrus, tangy finish. How about a nice robust french roast? The muffin, also un-eatable, was sugary and tasted like dough...nary a blueberry taste or scent in sight. The cappuccino was made with the tangy, bad coffee. We actually left without really eating anything. Absolutely the worst ever. read more

Lofty Coffee - Equally as bad coffee.... - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Picked up a coffee before work and was able to enjoy a morning in downtown before heading into my office! Super nice customer service, spacious, has bathrooms, and the COFFEE is Amazing! Would go back to buy their beans!! read more

Lofty Coffee - c - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Favorite little breakfast spot. They make their own bread. Delicious tea and coffee. Acai Bowl is a must!

Positives: Good coffee, good outdoor seating, happy staff! Negatives: Won't enforce the mask policy with incoming anti-masker customers... Not a safe establishment as long as this persists. read more