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    Matcha Cafe Maiko

    4.4 (301 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Matcha Cafe Maiko Photos

    MATCHA CAFE MAIKO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Matcha Cafe Maiko

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    Reviews With Photos

    Grace R.

    Very clean and welcoming place. The waffle and ice cream dessert is very good but I don't think it's worth $13 + that you will have to spend to get it. I definitely recommend checking it out, but I do think there are other options that are more affordable and equally good.

    Current pricing as of April 2026
    sydnei t.

    Small and clean cafe near I15. Ordered Cheese foam matcha. It was $9 a bit pricey but the matcha taste really good. They also sell some cookies and waffles but didn't have time to try them. When we got there, it was a bit busy but they worked very efficient.

    banana pudding
    Jasmine H.

    The quality of matcha maiko here is just like the other ones! I adore the banana pudding with matcha soft serve! This location is a bit more narrow and small seeming than the others in San Diego, but there are still plenty of chairs and tables. Service is fast and efficient. If I was craving matcha in Escondido, I'd come here.

    Matcha Chocolate Float
    Bailey J.

    Matcha Cafe Maiko is the perfect Matcha Stop. Food: a large menu with new options all the time! From floats to puddings to lattes to sparkling drinks to coffees. The matcha flavor was strong. Also, extra points for infinite customization. Sweetness, ice level, non dairy alternatives, adding soft serve, and of course, all the boba toppings. We tried the sparkling yuzu with dole whip added, the banana pudding with matcha soft serve, and the Matcha chocolate float. All were delicious and gobbled up in minutes. Service: it is mostly self-ordering, but the workers were very nice. Ambiance: well decorated place. Just wish they had a bigger space because every table was taken on a Saturday afternoon.

    Brittany D.

    The soft serve was so delicious! The place is pretty small but was nice and clean. The cashier was nice and helpful as well.

    Matcha Americano Latte Float
    Sal S.

    Drinks are WoW Matcha Americano Latte Float, I will order again and services are very quick and place is nice and good music.

    Mabel B.

    My daughter spotted this place and wanted to come here. You walk in and get greeted right away with the menu and the option to order on the pad. Felt like we took forever to pick what we wanted so walked up to the counter instead. Took a few minutes for someone to take our order but our drinks came out quick. My daughter enjoyed her strawberry matcha and dango. She wants to go back. Easy parking in lot and right off the 78.

    Matcha-ube awkward roommates in a cone, not perfectly fused to display their love for each other :(
    Faye A.

    This was the third Maiko Cafe Matcha location I've visited, and sadly, the flavor gods were not entirely in my favor. Escondido location - congrats, you've beat Kearny Mesa (low bar), but you're still bowing to the Rowland Heights royalty (best one out of the 4 siblings, since I've yet to try the Mira Mesa location). Shoutout to the efficient kiosk system... 13 people ahead and still got my order within 6 minutes? That's faster than me deciding what to binge-watch on Netflix!! Now, about that soft serve. I ordered ube-matcha expecting a majestic swirl of harmony OR ube-matcha's perfect love child, but what I got was a flavor divorce. No swirl. Just two awkward roommates in a cup/cone. Yes, foodies that fusion matters, bc it's the whole bitter-sweet balance symphony, not bitter vs sweet in a cone cage match. Matcha & ube are supposed to be in love, not separated. I'm still rating you fairly well, despite ube & matcha living Separate Lives (like Phil Collins' song).

    Matcha
    Elisa N.

    MATCHA CAFE MAIKO @ ESCONDIDO This matcha spot was SO GOOD. It's a chain around San Diego, and my boyfriend and I stumbled upon this place in a plaza in Escondido! I ended up getting a favorite of mine, the strawberry matcha which was AMAZING! Great matcha flavor and delicious strawberry flavour. Service was not really available, you walk in and order on a tablet and then they call your name on a screen. I hope in the future they have the workers atleast notice people come in and let them know for any questions! Ambiance was bright, but the place was very small, more of like a cafe vibe in and out. The parking was super easy to navigate and is free! Highly recommend stopping by here. I will return back!

    Mindy O.

    I had a Matcha Kuromitsu Kinako Latte with Kokuto Jelly, which sounded like the most Japanese-sounding item on the menu! It was great! It really hit the spot on a hot day. Especially Kokuto Jelly was surprisingly delicious, that was similar to having boba. Service was fast. Ordering was self-serve/self-pay on an ordering screen. The only thing was that the price became like $12 for a drink. Maybe OK for an occasional treat for myself, but I won't be a frequent customer. More generous amount of whipped cream and stronger matcha flavor would make the drink better.

    Maiko Jelly Parfait
    Klariza F.

    I had an itch for dessert. So I came here after eating at Best Pizza. I wanted to try the Maiko Jelly Parfait. It was pretty good with the Ube soft serve. The jelly had an interesting texture. I wish it had more mochi balls. The bread within it made it super filling. I couldn't finish it. I did share it with my friend, but we both didn't finish it in the end.

    Matcha Latte | IG: @socalnomnoms
    Trinh T.

    Food/Drinks: Matcha Latte - a good rich matcha tasting drink they have I tend to love the richness of the matcha flavors they use here. I usually get their soft serves but their latte was also pretty good. Service: It's a self serve kiosk so you get to just order and pick up your order when it's ready. Ambiance: It's small, bright, simple. I sat here with a friend and hung out for a while.

    Parfait
    Caroline K.

    This place is my current dessert obsession! I love getting their parfait with black sesame & milk soft serve. I love all the different textures that the different toppings provide.

    Strawberry matcha & a matcha tea

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    Ask the Community - Matcha Cafe Maiko

    They have buffet?

    No we don't sir. WE are a cafe serving matcha drinks, desserts and other items.

    Do you guys have unsweetened Matcha option?

    Yes we have customizable options for almost all our drinks with regularly sweetened, 50%, and no added.

    View All 4 Questions

    James Coffee

    James Coffee

    3.9
    (196 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    The staff is great. The manager is awesome. David Taylor always takes care of us whenever we go…read moremaking sure we get the best quality espresso. We can Definitely a cool coffee shop in San Diego. The pastries here are pretty good. I heard they just changed the bagels only made by their sister Co.. I need to give those a try I got the coffee soda basically like an espresso tonic pretty good the glass that it comes i in his super cool and different to most of the places you get coffee at the side of the building is small, but still kind of spacious in a way gives us pretty cool atmosphere. I heard they're gonna do some more upgrades to the inside, making it feel a little more home like that's cool cause I like cozy spots with a manly touch concrete leather metals. It's just a vibe.

    I wanted to give this place another shot, I know people love. I was in the area and popped in…read more I ordered a large hot non fat mocha. Which is my standard order. And picked up an almost croissant. They do not shelve non fat milk, but have oat and almond. So I went with oat. Two customers that came after me go thier drinks first. And when mine came up, it was lovely but not right. It was a cold mocha. They remade it. It was just a wee annoying, especially since I was coming here with the hopes of a mind blowing experience. The coffee was fine. The staff seem to know the local regulars and chat them up appropriately. The seating it still hard and uncomfortable. I'll try again one more time to see if hey flip my bippy. So far two stars for they way they interacted with other. One star for the pastry and the coffee mis up and late service was a - of stars. And my picky pastry folks (she knows who she is) would say it's not a true croissant, as there are cuts across the pastry... but it's buttery and flaky..

    Photos
    My first "coffee" experience with my kids. What a special experience! The hot chocolate gives them the vibe.
    My first "coffee" experience with my kids. What a special experience! The hot chocolate gives them the vibe.
    Seasonal special
    Seasonal special
    Roasting room

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    Roasting room
    Manzanita Roasting Company and Coffee House

    Manzanita Roasting Company and Coffee House

    4.4
    (191 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    I love the ambience here, but always feel a little meh about the coffee, but let me explain: I'm a…read morebold coffee person. I love a rich roast. Their coffee tends towards a brighter, citric flavor that reminds me very much of cold brew. Which I don't care for. But others might! So if a brighter, lighter flavor is what you enjoy (what up tea people) then this might be the place you're looking for. And again, I adore the vibe here. Probably the chillest work/read spot in all of Escondido. Parking can be rough if downtown is busy, but only if you're adamant about needing to be very close for mobility reasons etc. Otherwise you can usually find something walkable. Beautiful, open cafe with a lovely view of the small park across the street and downtown Esco.

    I stopped by on a quiet Wednesday afternoon to get some work done. I was really hoping to love this…read morespot since it's so close to my house, but the experience was a bit of a letdown. The Service: The staff greeted me promptly and took my order without any issues. They were polite and efficient, although a little busy amongst themselves. The Coffee: Unfortunately, the latte was the biggest drawback--it tasted quite bitter and over-extracted. I'd love to make this my "regular" neighborhood spot, but the coffee quality needs to be more consistent for that to happen. The Atmosphere: It's a quiet environment, which was good for productivity. Great location and friendly service, but I'm hoping the espresso improves!

    Photos
    Avocado toast, with housemade pickled onions and local microgreens, on levain bread
    Avocado toast, with housemade pickled onions and local microgreens, on levain bread
    The front of the shop on Grand Ave., Escondido. MANZANITA is located in the Grand theater complex
    The front of the shop on Grand Ave., Escondido. MANZANITA is located in the Grand theater complex
    Brown Butter Latte.

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    Brown Butter Latte.
    EscoGelato

    EscoGelato

    4.7
    (1k reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    Just went here today, it was amazing!! I got the s'mores…read moremocha and sweet cream caramel and my boyfriend got the blueberry lemon with sweet cream caramel. They had very cute outside seating and it was absolutely perfect!! It was very light weight compared to ice cream, and didn't hurt my stomach or make me feel sugared out. I would def come back!

    Reasonably priced with generous portions, but the flavors were ultimately underwhelming…read more There were 14 flavors available during my visit, including two sorbets. While the selection was respectable, there were not many particularly unique offerings. Most leaned heavily toward familiar vanilla or chocolate based profiles. The staff was generous with samples and allowed me to try as many flavors as I wanted, but unfortunately none of the three that caught my attention truly impressed me. The espresso was perhaps the weakest rendition I have encountered. It lacked both the boldness and aroma that make coffee flavored ice cream appealing. Whether the espresso itself was too diluted or simply not brewed strongly enough, the flavor struggled to make any impact. The stracciatella featured a straightforward milk base studded with chocolate shards. While this was a very traditional interpretation without unnecessary additions, the ice cream lacked the richness and depth needed to carry such a simple flavor profile. The chocolate provided texture, but the base itself felt flat. The sour cream and brown sugar ended up being my favorite of the three, largely because the brown sugar was actually distinguishable. The sour cream contributed an unusual tanginess that made the flavor more interesting, though the balance was inconsistent. Some bites highlighted the warm sweetness of the brown sugar, while others tasted predominantly of sour cream, creating a combination that occasionally felt at odds with itself. I appreciated that the small size included two flavors, and the employee serving me was generous with the scoops. Still, this ended up being a fairly forgettable stop. Those who enjoy gelato with bold, inventive, or highly concentrated flavors may find the offerings here a bit too restrained.

    Photos
    EscoGelato
    1 scoop pistachio, 1 scoop brown butter pecan with affogato.
    1 scoop pistachio, 1 scoop brown butter pecan with affogato.
    Matcha Strawberry Gelato and Candy Bar Gelato - size small

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    Matcha Strawberry Gelato and Candy Bar Gelato - size small

    Matcha Cafe Maiko - icecream - Updated July 2026

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