Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Side Characters

    4.1 (25 reviews)

    Side Characters Photos

    Business Info

    SIDE CHARACTERS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?

    You might also consider

    More like Side Characters

    Recommended Reviews - Side Characters

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Ultimate breakfast sandwich and matcha coco strawberry
    Samantha S.

    I was invited to try one of their drinks and their ultimate breakfast sandwich. It was pretty busy at the cafe when I arrived. The employees were very helpful and friendly. I ordered the matcha coco strawberry and the ultimate breakfast sandwich. I would not order the matcha coco strawberry again because the strawberry overpowered the matcha and I couldn't taste the matcha at all in my drink. I would order the ultimate breakfast sandwich again because I love how it satisfied my hunger and it was very filling. It was loud when I first came to the cafe but overtime the volume of the cafe went down.

    Pistachio latte
    Sahar N.

    Came here to try the Pistachio Latte and left not only extremely happy with my drink but thrilled with the Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich as well. Like life changing! The blend of all the flavors hit the spot! Tight squeeze but great ambiance and even better customer service. First and definitely not my last time!

    Eleanor C.

    We stopped by Side Characters Coffee around 9am on a Sunday, and it got packed pretty quickly after we arrived. The shop has a cozy, laid-back atmosphere with a really pretty vinyl display, and I really enjoyed the music playing while we were there. I tried the Tokyo Fog ($7.75), black sesame iced latte ($7.75), and yuzu matcha fizz ($7.75). The Tokyo Fog was my favorite! The Earl Grey flavor was pretty strong, and although the matcha cream on top wasn't very strong in matcha flavor, it made the drink really light and creamy. I'd recommend mixing it well for the best drinking experience The black sesame iced latte was also pretty good. I really liked the rich, nutty black sesame paste, and the cream helped mellow out some of the bitter notes. The espresso was bold and strong, and I appreciated that the drink was only lightly sweetened The yuzu matcha fizz was super refreshing, but the matcha wasn't very prominent aside from a few grassy notes. It mostly tasted like sparkling lemon juice to me, so I'd consider this more of a refreshing sipping drink than a matcha-forward one. I also learned that the cafe transforms into a wine bar on Friday and Saturday evenings, which I thought was a really cool concept. There are free Wi-Fi and outlets available, so I could see myself coming back to do some work

    Menu
    Areeta W.

    3.5/5 Modern vinyl cafe with quick service! I got the iced Pistachio Butter Latte and it was alright; the coffee taste was on the stronger side and not much pistachio flavor coming through. I did enjoy the chunks and the paste though. There's a couple of small tables along with a large community table. I love the Katami vibes with the patterns and wood! Music kinda too loud. I would come back to try their drinks again though!

    inside
    Michelle Z.

    New cafe on polk serving unique drinks and food options, with vinyl players inside and decent seating. I went on a hot day so it was a bit stuffy inside (no ac) but the vibe inside was chill and they have free wifi, which makes it a great place to work. The menu is pretty big and has fun sounding drinks! I haven't tried a drink yet but the turkey fig sandwich was good and very filling. The service was a bit slow but understandable since there was only one person working. They turn into a wine bar at night, though haven't heard much about the menu.

    black sesame latte
    Ashlee L.

    Super adorable little cafe on Polk St! I really liked the interior, but it was really busy on a Friday afternoon, so we didn't stay for too long. I tried the black sesame latte, and I really liked the black sesame paste at the bottom. It is really pasty, but it wasn't as bitter as I thought it would be which I enjoyed. The coffee wasn't too strong, but I like that because I like my coffees sweet and creamy :p My brother got the Tokyo Fog which was an earl grey tea with matcha cold foam. The earl grey tea was pretty good, but a tad bit too sweet. The matcha foam looked super promising and was pretty good on its own, but once mixed in I couldn't taste the matcha. Super cute shop with aesthetic interior, and I saw many people working on their laptops, but it is a small shop with limited seating & can get loud and busy, so I'm not sure how much work can be accomplished here haha. Regardless, a solid spot for some caffeine :) Worker was super nice too!

    Black Sesame latte
    d.moseley m.

    On my side quest and made it over to Side Characters! Tried the Coco expresso cream! It was very tasty over ice. Again good music and great services!

    Strawberry Matcha Drink!
    Amir M.

    Great atmosphere, really friendly service and always a really good time with coffee and specialty coffee matcha drinks. The vide is cool and inviting.

    interior setup with espresso machine and speakers
    Lily S.

    Side Characters was the perfect post pilates stop for a yummy drink and relaxing atmosphere - I'm definitely stopping by again and telling my coworkers about this new spot! I didn't try any of their food but they had a few breakfast sandwiches that looked yummy. See you again soon, Side Characters!

    Pistachio butter latte
    Cheri L.

    There's a cute new cafe in the city along Polk St! They have a chill setting with vinyls playing and a menu of coffees and breakfast bites. I tried their pistachio latte and while it was a nice cup, I wish the flavors were stronger to actually make it taste like pistachio butter. Service was very nice though!

    Tokyo Fog
    Kunalan S.

    I really wanted to like this place. Ample seating, a cool soundsystem, and interesting signature drinks. Unfortunately, both drinks we had were mid. The Tokyo Fog tasted watery and there were clumps of unincorporated matcha. The Pistachio Butter Latte lacked flavor, and tasted like a standard latte.

    black sesame latte
    Sarah C.

    the staff is super friendly and sweet! the cafe has nice vibes to chat and chill at with free wifi and a bathroom, but there aren't that many seats. the black sesame latte ($7.75) had both black sesame paste and cream which made the drink very nutty but they kind of made the latte feel too buttery and overpower the coffee

    Tokyo Fog and Pistachio butter latte

    Pistachio Butter Latte - 4/5 - Pistachio butter tasted pretty good, overall latte was balanced and not too sweet Tokyo Fog - 2/5 - Pretty disappointing. Tasted like water with a hint of earl grey. Matcha cream top couldn't redeem the drink unfortunately. Ambience & service was nice

    pistachio butter latte and yogurt bowl

    See all

    6 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    27 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    9 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lily S.
    0
    22
    32

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Love this new spot in the area! Would love to come back because I heard they also do wine at night. Love that they have sugar free options.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    I love this place! It just opened. The owners are genuinely so kind. They care about good music, good coffee, and good connections.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Side Characters

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Coffee & Tea 31,269 times last month within 5 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Cultivar - Ghirardelli Square - Grilled cheese

    Cultivar - Ghirardelli Square

    4.8(25 reviews)
    0.6 mi•Russian Hill, Fisherman's Wharf

    Playing tourist and visited Ghirardelli Square. It was a perfect to sit out and enjoy…read more Cultivar Ghirardelli Square Wine & Kichen Johnathon, was great. He did everything. Greeting to moment we walked over, recommend what to drink and was to cook too. Fresh Made Popcord - Truffle Salt and Olive Oil Warmed Olives They are a California winery, had this place like a tasting place. The deco is very nice. Looks like you are at a winery in Napa. A must visit.

    I preface this by saying I attempted 3x to call and give this feedback live first before writing a…read morereview. --- My friend and I came to Cultivar Ghirardelli for happy hour on a Friday, expecting a pleasant experience, but left feeling weird and offended. To set the scene, there was only one woman working, and we were understanding that service might be slow due to this. The woman was friendly, but her behavior during a few interactions was quite off-putting. First, we ordered happy hour wine flights. The woman mentioned she might be busy and explained that she'll come around to pour the wines in one glass for us since the other glasses were hot. She was proactive after we finished our first glass, pouring us the second into our first glasses. However, when it came to the third wine, we found it strange that she brought us a mini carafe of Cabernet while we weren't even halfway through our second wine. This inconsistency was a bit odd, especially since she told us upfront she'd pour for us after each round. The second interaction was the most peculiar. My friend and I were ready to pay and waved the woman over. She approached us with a long receipt in hand, asking if we wanted our receipt. Assuming she was referring to the bill, we said yes. However, she became visibly confused when she realized she was handing us another table's receipt. She spent the next two minutes engaging in a back-and-forth conversation with us, arguing that we couldn't be asking for a receipt, that the receipt she had initially brought us belonged to another table, and that we still needed to pay. My friend and I were pretty offended at the last comment about us "still needing to pay", because that was exactly our intention in waving her over. During this exchange, I was completely dumbfounded, and she remarked, "You look mad, are you mad?" I didn't appreciate the comment about my face, especially since she was the one who was confused. She also mentioned that she was the only one working that day and had made an exception to order us food. This comment was also odd because the other parties around us had also ordered charcuterie boards. Finally, as she was closing us out using the point-of-sale system, she refused to let me hold the device to enter my tip privately (we had tipped 20%). She insisted that she had to hold the device due to "WiFi issues". However, every time I've visited a dine-in restaurant with the same point-of-sale device, the waiters have simply handed it over to us. This entire interaction was incredibly strange. Despite the unusual service, the venue is cute, airy and lively, and I genuinely enjoyed all of the wines that we tried in the flight. They were flavorful, fuller bodied, and delicious. We're disappointed that we had to leave with a sour and confusing taste in our mouths, and can't say we'd come back based on this experience.

    Photos
    Cultivar - Ghirardelli Square - Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, Rose tasting

    Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, Rose tasting

    Cultivar - Ghirardelli Square
    Cultivar - Ghirardelli Square - Interior of Cultivar Wine & Kitchen

    See all

    Interior of Cultivar Wine & Kitchen

    Winery Collective - Mix it up flight on the left and white wine flight on the right

    Winery Collective

    4.5(418 reviews)
    0.7 mi•Fisherman's Wharf, Russian Hill
    •$$

    Recently, we were on a cruise that departed LA and overnighted in San Francisco. When we were in…read moreSan Francisco, we wanted to have a nice lunch on the pier, close to the ship, and have a wine tasting. We have previously visited San Francisco and have had wine tastings in Napa/Sonoma a couple of times. On this trip, we wanted to go to a tasting close to the ship. In our research, we found the Winery Collective which had excellent reviews. We made reservations for our day of arrival and after a lunch. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by Mike who conducted our tastings. Mike told us that the Winery Collective had wines from small boutique wineries from different California regions. There were several tastings from which we could choose, or a customized tasting could be presented based upon our likes. One could also choose a glass of available wines. My wife chose the Sweet Life tasting of 5 wines for $25. I chose Mix It Up which had a variety of award winning wines for $25. Mike was very friendly and knowledgeable about the wines. He talked about each of the wines that were tasted and possible food pairings. He answered all of our questions. At the end, Mike also gave me a tasting of 2 additional wines that I requested. Before leaving, I purchased a couple of bottles to take back to the ship. I wanted to buy more, but had a limit on the number that I could take back onboard. The Winery Collective was easy to find and a short walk from the ship after lunch on the pier. After tastings in Napa/Sonoma, we are very happy that we went to the Winery Collective and met Mike. We would definitely visit again.

    At first glance it seems like a touristy place...given the location but once you're inside it kinda…read morehas a local vibe. Granted going late afternoon on a dreary weekday..there wasn't a tourist or local there but our server was great. She knew about all the wines gave great recs based on our taste. You can do by the glass. They make all their own wine and cannot be purchased off site. What a hidden gem! Def coming back for a tasting!

    Photos
    Winery Collective - Wine display.

    Wine display.

    Winery Collective - Kostas is knowledgeable of Bryan Kane's wines and friendly!

    Kostas is knowledgeable of Bryan Kane's wines and friendly!

    Winery Collective - Pomegranate Mimosa

    See all

    Pomegranate Mimosa

    Bodega - Sausage breakfast burrito

    Bodega

    4.4(353 reviews)
    0.6 mi•Russian Hill, North Beach/Telegraph Hill
    •$$

    Not to be confused with the bodega in the TL (Viet food) this place is a wine bar in north beach…read morethat serves bfast burritos on the weekends. We got there pretty early, around 9ish and waited about 15 mins to order and another 10ish for our name to be called. They usually sell out of the two better ones early on. We shared the chile verde. I've had the short rib before. Both early bird favorites that sell out. Both are EXCELLENT. The perfect size burrito. Equally distributed ingredients throughout the burrito so every bite is deliciously filled. No mouthfuls of just tortilla. The sauce is a must. It gives the extra little kick you're hoping for. You order outside so the vibes are whatever the streets are giving you that day but the one man show at the door is funny and patient. He didn't seemed rushed or flustered. Just groovy to the music from the early 2000's.

    San Francisco is always flooded with people declaring what's the best type of dish is at a certain…read moreplace which can cause confusion just on namesake. When people said they found one of the best breakfast burritos at Bodega I first thought they must not be from San Francisco and they must be somewhere in Eastern United States where they call any corner store a Bodega. Then I was thinking they were referring to Bodega the Vietnamese restaurant in SF. I then thought it couldn't be the Hummus Bodega on Geary boulevard or Coffee Bodega in the Marina. I then thought the most of these best breakfast burritos are in the Mission District. I finally got to find out it's a bar called Bodega North Beach which sells breakfast burritos only on Saturday mornings. On a Fall stroll on a sunny morning I landed at the North Beach a pickle ball throw away from Washington Square Park and lots of restaurants with Angel hair pasta. There was no inside in the morning because it's all to go orders. I decided to try their chorizo and sausage breakfast burritos. The sausage breakfast sausage with avocado ,eggs, and a bit flakey potatoes like some in SF. The chorizo breakfast burrito was savory but a bit tangier and the sauce enhanced the burrito flavor. It's one of the top breakfast burrito in SF but it's a worthy contender and easily a top ten in the city. Wish it was more cheesy like some in SF. San Francisco is a city is small in size but when it comes to restaurants it packs a punch that's "mega "there is always good food from Chestnut street to Van Ness to Irving and "Noriega" which is a block away from a street called " Ortega" but you won't find this salsa in a jar because their salsa is made in house at a bar which sells good breakfast burritos on the avenue of Columbus called "Bodega" Bodega North Beach is located a few blocks where Bruce Lee ( RIP) was born who also played on TV the character "Kato " if you go to North Beach in SF you will find dozens of restaurants that offer Angel hair and fettuccine "Alfredo"the breakfast burrito at Bodega has a bit of egg ,avocado, and "potato" and a hint of "tomato "

    Photos
    Bodega - Seated and planted

    Seated and planted

    Bodega - Short rib tacos

    Short rib tacos

    Bodega - Bodega Lager

    See all

    Bodega Lager

    Union Larder - short rib raclette

    Union Larder

    4.3(230 reviews)
    0.2 mi•Russian Hill
    •$$

    This place is in such a nice area and it's quite cute and small. I really enjoyed their wine…read moreselection and had a wonderful time... After buying two bottles of wine and paying quite an expensive tab my friends and I decided to play one last hand of our card game before leaving. Not 10 minutes after paying the 200$ bill the server rushed us out and told us that we needed to leave to make room for others. I totally understand that this isn't her fault and is due to the high volume of customers but this was quite off putting after such a great experience otherwise. I would recommend but if you are looking for a place to chit chat and play cards with friends you are much better off going elsewhere. I don't think I will be coming back again after this experience.

    I think there are lots of better wine bars to choose from in the area. Let me start off by saying…read moreour initial server was a super chill guy, and they have a great wine selection to choose from. My two main gripes lay with the ambience of the place - if you don't get a table the bar seating is quite squished, and the fact that after dropping $170 on two bottles of wine we were quickly escorted out the moment we were finished to make room for potential customers. I totally understand doing this if it was a packed house, but there wasn't a single person waiting, left a sour taste in my mouth and feel like if you are spending a pretty penny on service you should be able to enjoy the establishment a little bit after you have finished your drinks. Maybe we caught them on an off night, I see a lot of potential still.

    Photos
    Union Larder - Inside

    Inside

    Union Larder
    Union Larder - Interior bar

    See all

    Interior bar

    Side Characters - coffee - Updated October 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...