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SFMOMA Steps Coffee

3.8 (30 reviews)
Closed 11:00 am - 6:00 pm

SFMOMA Steps Coffee Photos

SFMOMA STEPS COFFEE ATMOSPHERE

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Dogs allowed
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - SFMOMA Steps Coffee

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Cortado and nitro brew with cinnamon and cocoa.
Zinia G.

You can't take drinks or food into the exhibits, but it's nice to have a quick pick-me-up right before hitting the exhibits. Lots of coffee options and some unique pastries. Good amount of seating inside of the shop and right outside. They have artwork inside: Art for Recovery and The Firefly Project. Our table inside had some hairs on top, so probably needs to be wiped down a little bit more frequently. We ordered a cortado and a nitro brew

Priscilla L.

Nice atmosphere for catching by a quick bite if you are hungry to hold you down while exploring the museum. This was my first stop on Sunday afternoon. I read and looked at the art outside of the 2nd floor of the SFMOA where the cafe resides. I came for for a random purchase on the Too Good to Go App. I probably won't buy again as the pastries we're just ok tasting and didn't really stand out too much. Perhaps they wanted the coffee to stand out? Nice place to enjoy art made by rotating student art inside cafe and some seating areas where you can chat or just sit and enjoy coffee and pastry. They gave me 3 pastries in my bag for about $5.24. It tasted fresh and was an easy pickup. I enjoyed the colorful atmosphere which is what this cafe has going for it. Other than that I wouldn't come out of my way for just for it. It is a nice complement with the Musuem which is why it works well together. I dot. Normally buy food in museums.

Steps
Gary Y.

Coffee here was okay. What I didn't appreciate was being lured here by the museum staff who mentioned it's open through the back entrance around the building. And when you get here, you find out it's not open and have to wait - so I guess that's their ploy to get you to buy a cup of coffee while you hang around. There's plenty of seating and you can sit on the giant steps leading up the coffee shop. That said, with so many coffee options in the city, this wouldn't have been my first choice.

Menu
Johnny N.

We came here rolling deep as we had a 30 minute break from our work conference. We initially were struggling to find this place as it is tucked away in the Modern Art Museum but finally, putting our 5 heads together, we persevered. Survive and Advance baby. They were out of cold brew so I called an audible *BLUE 80, BLUE 80* and got an iced americano with an extra shot. When my drink came and the barista shouted "iced americano with an extra shot" One of my coworkers was like "Damn you got 3 shots?!" I responded with a smug and arrogant "Oh you saw that? You weren't supposed to see that........." ahahahahahha. I never know how to respond to stuff like that so I just like to stay loose and have fun with it. In a complete act of vulnerability, I will tell you that I don't drink coffee for the taste at all. I just like how it makes me feel. I think if anyone tells you they like the taste of black coffee they're either lying or a straight psycho. It's more of the fact that I know this taste will get me LOCKED IN. Getting milk based drinks just kinda takes away from the locked-in-ness. Hey, I just got back from the locked in factory and nobody knew you.... All this to say, I smiled upon the first sip of my iced americano, because I rarely taste the concoction of espresso and water and think "damn this is actually kind of tasty." They really know what they're doing in here. They did, in fact, know about SFMOMA Steps Coffee at the locked in factory.... IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov__

Well lit, airy cafe
Annie W.

Just stopped here to have coffees and chat. Coffee was mediocre, but loved that nobody bothered us when we stayed and chatted until closing time. The shop was nicely decorated and featured highlights of students from the School of the Arts. Nice wind down to a visit to SF MOMA.

Expensive latte - presentation starbucks level, taste similar.
Tommy J.

Yeah dont come here, for $7 this is what you get. Expensive for starbucks quality. Dont get tricked like me.

Denise C.

I did not recognize anybody at SFMOMA today. This is a newer cafe in the museum. It was a nice place to spend time at perhaps it's in central Europe. It feels as if I have no reason to not be at work still. I decided to try the black sesame horchata hahah USA problems..costs $8 for this special drink..it was drank.

Part of the spacious seating area
Hailey M.

A hidden gem! Steps is located on the 2nd floor of SF MOMA. You do *not* need to pay museum admission to access it though. It's a nice place to get some work done due to the plentiful tables, and availability of wifi and outlets. The artsy decor is fun and unique. The espresso drinks are solid. A couple drawbacks I'll note-- - no reusable drink ware. Just disposable (compostable) stuff - no drinking water (aside from bottled for sale). Bring a full water bottle; the alternative for free water is asking for an empty cup to fill up at the warm water fountain by the restroom

Robert H.

Delicious coffee and tea and Japanese pastries on the second floor of MOMA. A good place to relax with a book or people watch and look at some of the adjacent art. You can get in without paying admission. Service was very helpful and went the extra mile.

matcha w coconut ube cookie
Jin G.

normal overpriced museum food nd matcha was jus aight the coconut ube cookie was hella good .. almost nutted but i spent $13 for both these so there aINT SHT TO SMILE BOUT. we left nd as we were waiting on the street SOME RANDOM AZZ WHITE MAN COMD ROLLING DOWN THE STRET ON AN ELECTRIC SKATEBOARD nd he's like "excuse me" and my friend looks back (ROOKIE MISTAKE IN SF) he then starts to ask my friend "can i die?" "can i die yet?" GTFO MY FACE KID!!!!!!!!!!!!!! anywy if ur a tourist be careful around thsi area coz once u make eye contact w these specimens its nothing but prayers for u #iheartSF

Savory Danish
Aubany G.

Coffee is simple yet is easy to mess up IMO. Somehow this place managed to mess up a classic. I'm not sure what coffee they use or if it's their own, but it was burnt and bitter tasting in my latte. I was so sad, but I'm not one to return things if at all. We also got a cookie to share and a savory pastry that seemed like it would've been unique and tasty. There is an Asian fusion to the food and flavors it seems. We got the Ube Coconut cookie and it was good, super sweet, but good. The savory pastry was served cold (didn't seem they warm any food up) and that was pretty much this pastry's death. We took a couple of bites and tossed it :( I also tossed my latte. It kills me to be wasteful. The service was not friendly but just there. Also be advised this may be the family friendly spot of the cafes and restaurants, because it was rife with toddlers running around screaming. (Also didn't help our experience). My recommendation would be to take the elevator to the 5th floor Terrace cafe and have a better experience all around. Now we know.

Hot Matcha Latte

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1 year ago

$6.5 for some pretty terrible tasting premade ILLY cold brew is criminal. Staff was cool and nice tho.

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2 years ago

As is often the case with coffee shops located within museums, the coffee is quite bad

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3 years ago

The atmosphere was great and the staff were super nice, but the coffee options were fewer than Starbucks. 12oz was the largest option.

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Ask the Community - SFMOMA Steps Coffee

Review Highlights - SFMOMA Steps Coffee

. I walked, so can't comment on parking, but if you're already at the museum or in SoMa, it's worth the detour

Mentioned in 11 reviews

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Q Specialty Coffee - matcha strawberry cloud

Q Specialty Coffee

4.2(266 reviews)
2.8 miPresidio Heights
$$
Certified professionals
Locally owned & operated

Such a cute spot with a bright and airy ambience that makes it the perfect place to catch up with…read morefriends, or get some work done. Every drink we ordered was honestly delicious, you can really tell they put care into the quality and flavor of each one. Their coffee is smooth, rich, and perfectly balanced. The matcha was creamy, and not overly sweet. Definitely some of the better matches I've had in a while. The staff was also incredibly friendly, welcoming, and helpful, which made the whole experience even better. Between the atmosphere, amazing drinks, and great service, this is definitely a spot I'll keep coming back to whenever I'm in the city!

I visited Q Specialty Coffee in San Francisco with my sister and really enjoyed our experience…read moreoverall! We both loved our drinks, and I also appreciated the portion sizes--they were just right and really satisfying. I ordered the Velvet Matcha Cloud (a matcha latte with matcha cloud), and my sister got the Matcha Strawberry Cloud, which includes an organic matcha latte topped with house-made strawberry cloud and dried strawberries. Both drinks were beautifully made and tasted great. They also have a wide variety of drink options beyond matcha, including coffee classics like signature pour-overs and espressos, as well as tea and other hot drinks. Their food menu is just as extensive, offering pastries like crepes, croissants, scones, muffins, and even sandwich bites. I really loved the vibe inside Q! It's very aesthetic with a soft, creamy, almost cozy atmosphere. Since we went last Friday on an afternoon, it was quite busy with a mix of tech workers and college students working at tables, but the space still felt comfortable. The staff were kind and working hard despite how busy it was, which I appreciated. Overall, it's a great spot if you're looking for good drinks, a pretty atmosphere, and a productive café environment.

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Q Specialty Coffee - Velvet Matcha Cloud; Dubai Chocolate Mille Crepes

Velvet Matcha Cloud; Dubai Chocolate Mille Crepes

Q Specialty Coffee - Yuzu matcha air cream cloud

Yuzu matcha air cream cloud

Q Specialty Coffee - An IG photo nook 4/19/26

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Stonemill Matcha - 2024 Christmas Strawberry Matcha Cream Pie (sliced) (12/2024)

Stonemill Matcha

4.2(1.7k reviews)
1.9 miMission
$$

Came here to try the Japanese breakfast! They only offer it on weekdays for dine in only and they…read morehave a limited quantity, so be sure to come early. Our group came around 1pm and was able to grab the last 3 sets. Our party of 6 was able to share the 3 sets and feel relatively full. There was a range of dishes, of the selection the tempura and the silky eat was quite delicious. We found the Napa to be a bit floral for our taste but a perfect palette cleanser. The staff were the sweetest and combined tables together to let our party sit together. They even put a candle in the matcha tart for my birthday!

Came for matcha and was disappointed. Busy dine in area and line outside. Ordered for take out and…read morethe drink comes out quick. ~2 minutes. Option to mobile order as well. I got the strawberry matcha and the seasonal lavender matcha. Both drinks were bitter and tasted watered down. Default sweetness was not too sweet but the matcha didn't have the creaminess even with regular milk. Strawberry puree was good but not enough to carry the diluted matcha. The matcha cream pie was solid. Soft matcha filling with very crispy edge. Whipped cream on top was also tasty. Would not come back here for the matcha. Maybe their food is better. With matcha coming out that quick feels like it wasn't prepared well and lost its quality. Street parking here or parking garage next street over.

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Stonemill Matcha - Interior

Interior

Stonemill Matcha - TO Hojicha Pumpkin Pie

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Maruwu Seicha - mango matcha latte (10/2024)

Maruwu Seicha

4.3(702 reviews)
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- Menu: tons of options, drinks/baked goods/soft serve -…read moreDrink adjustability: can adjust any drink - Seating: open food hall style seating in Japan Center Mall - Crowd: pretty empty at 10a on a Monday - Parking: parking garage, metered - Water is scarce in the Mall, but restrooms are widely available (albeit old) My Bay Area friend swore Maruwu Seicha is THE place to go for quality matcha. Turns out she was right. I had a matcha latte half sweet, and it was delicious- high quality matcha, not too strong or sweet. We did wait about 10min for our order, service is kind but busy. This is a stand nestled in the middle of the Japan Center Mall, so recommend grabbing a sip here and wandering around. Just heads up that many stores don't allow outside drink.

Wow this place is good. I stopped by during the first weekend of the Cherry Blossom festival and…read morethe line was long as usual. Surprisingly, I only waited about 10mins to order and another 5-10mins to get my drink. I ordered a Hojicha Latte + Snow Top for myself and Hokkaido Milk Soft Serve for my hubby and baby to share. The Hojicha Latte was delicious, I finished it all in one sitting (which is rare for me). The soft serve was creamy and delicious. Worth the hype IMO,, I'll be stopping by every time we go to Japantown from now on.

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Maruwu Seicha - Hōjicha Latte Cheese Foam, 1/2 sweet ($6.30)

Hōjicha Latte Cheese Foam, 1/2 sweet ($6.30)

Maruwu Seicha - Matcha + Hokkaido Milk Swirl Soft Serve and Matcha Tea with Snow Top

Matcha + Hokkaido Milk Swirl Soft Serve and Matcha Tea with Snow Top

Maruwu Seicha - Hokkaido Latte with Snow Foam

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Hokkaido Latte with Snow Foam

SFMOMA Steps Coffee - coffee - Updated May 2026

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