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The Lean Bean

4.5 (279 reviews)
Open 7:00 am - 3:00 pm

The Lean Bean Photos

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THE LEAN BEAN ATMOSPHERE

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Quiet
Dogs allowed

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Angelina C.

Ok, I've been wanting to try this place for years, but I'm never in Santee in the early morning. I had a day off yesterday and finally took a morning drive over to the Lean Bean, and I'm glad I did! They welcomed me right away when I arrived, and they were cool about me taking some extra time to look at the menu. I decided on the "little dirty" iced 24oz drink- it's a dirty chai with two shots of espresso, oat milk, and a little bit of lavender. Let me tell you... I was enjoying that drink all day. (I'm a really slow drinker... lol). Their chai is spiced and the latte was really flavorful. It was $6.50 for the 24oz. My only constructive feedback was that they didn't mix the powdered chai drink base well with the espresso, so my first sip had some dry chunks of powder in it.

Menu
Alondra R.

I passed this place a couple times and finally got to try it, it is a cute small drive thru coffee place that sell more than just coffee. I got the January drink churro latte it was pretty good and not as sweet as I thought which is perfect! I also tried the pitaya bowl with peanut butter it's really fresh and was good. The cashier was really nice and overall I enjoyed it!

The nutty professor
Jennifer L.

Not the best coffee I've had. I ordered the nutty professor, it was overly sweet and grainy. I didn't like the grainy stuff. I think stuff like that should be fully dissolved. Then I had like no ice in it. I assume they pour the shots over the ice. I didn't even finish my coffee it went to waste. I'll probably come back and try the açaí bowl but not get any coffee again.

Protien bowl
Gwyn C.

Very cute drive up coffee and bowl location. Greeted with a big smile by a friendly person despite being 1/2 hour before closing. Really enjoyed my protein bowl - see where it can be addictive! Will try another coffee option next time as this one wasn't quite right for me. Overall enjoyed the experience and frankly just find them adorable.

PB Açaí Bowl
Nathalie H.

I wish I had known about this place sooner! I got the pb açaí bowl and it was delicious! They have so many amazing coffee options that I can't wait to try and finally a place that doesn't completely gauge you. Totally affordable "splurge"

Alexandra R.

Love it here! The girls that work here are always so nice and energetic. I like getting sweet drinks so I either get a white mocha with cold foam or a vanilla chai with 2 pumps of toffee nut. Delicious! It can get quite busy with how popular it is, but I really do prefer coming here rather than Starbucks. This is a great coffee shop and deserves all the attention it gets! :)

Eleana S.

Morning boost with a colorful acai bowl, protein bowl, and a veggie shake! So refreshing and healthy. Just a heads-up: it's a drive-thru spot, and it can get pretty busy during breakfast or lunch. Would be great if they had an extra person to help with orders during peak times, it took a while for us, but the food was worth the wait.

peanut butter açaí bowl

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1 month ago

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16 days ago

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4 months ago

This is one of my go to coffee shops. I love their rotating monthly menus. The coffee is amazing and the staff are all so friendly

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11 months ago

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5 months ago

yummy açaí bowls, they're so flipping good bro i licked the bowl after i was done, reccomended

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

Best cold brew in Santee! The owner is nice and the service is great. The drive through is quick, easy and convenient.

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1 year ago

My acai bowl was soooo good! Quick and easy service from the ladies working. Will definitely return!

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Ask the Community - The Lean Bean

Review Highlights - The Lean Bean

first of all this was my first time going here, gotta say the peanut butter acai bowl was phenomenal.

Mentioned in 11 reviews

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What is not to love about this place!!! Just a random stop in on our adventures today! I'm so…read moreimpressed!! Need to go back and snap some more photos because the 2 sitting areas are just as cute. So many people enjoying the space I wanted to be courteous. Coffee was VERY good! I'm all about a cold brew to really taste the coffee. Theirs is amazing!! Definitely a place we will be back to!

I'm glad I decided to stop here for matcha--it was delicious! I ordered the strawberry matcha cream…read morewith oat milk. The cream is dairy, but that was fine since I had lactaid on hand. Flavor-wise, it was excellent: the strawberry wasn't overpowering, and the oat milk didn't mask the matcha. You could still taste both the matcha and the strawberry. The consistency was just right for a cream-style latte. It's sweeter than traditional matcha, so if you prefer your matcha strong and slightly bitter, this might not be the drink for you. But if you like a lightly sweetened matcha where the flavor still comes through, this one is perfect. I'm curious to try their regular matcha next. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I mentioned my dietary restrictions (celiac), and they were accommodating, though there's always a possibility of cross-contamination, so keep that in mind. The shop itself is a great place to catch up with friends, study, or just relax. They offer light snacks like pastries, bagels, toast, parfaits, and acai bowls--unfortunately, nothing gluten-free for me, but still great options for others. Even though they were busy, the line moved quickly. Overall, this is a great matcha spot, and I can't wait to try more drinks next time I'm in town!

Red White and Badass Brew - Menu

Red White and Badass Brew

(103 reviews)

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If you're in the La Mesa area of San Diego and you need a quick caffeine fix, this little…read moredrive-thru packs a big punch. I was on my way to church and needed an early cup and was surprised how many shops were not open at 7 AM. I'm sure I could have found a Starbucks but that's always reserved for a last resort. Big props to this spot being open early on a Sunday morning, so I could make it to church prayed up and fully caffeinated. The barista opened right on time (7 AM) I loved how friendly she was for it being that early, and she got me my drink within 3-4 minutes. I am not a big coffee drive-thru guy, but if I lived in the area, especially knowing it is veteran owned, I might become one. Thanks guys and best of luck!

I've been feeling the deployment blues lately so I figured I'd grab a coffee from one of my…read morehusband's favorite spots to lift my mood a little. I've had Red White and Badass Brew one other time after my husband raved about this cookies and cream latte he got here. It's a small, local, veteran owned shop, which honestly makes supporting it feel even better. So, I thought getting his favorite drink would help, but turns out that was a seasonal winter drink... please bring it back, it was sooo good. I got in line around 8:30 and there were two cars in front of me. This place is so small and cute, I actually used to work in one of these drive-thru kiosk style cafes so I didn't mind the short wait at all as usually its only one or two people working in there. I do wish they had a menu visible from the line because I couldn't decide what I wanted while waiting. The only things visible were the specials like an avocado toast and a "no lucks given" drink. I ended up pulling up the menu on my phone which works, but it would be more convenient if they had something displayed out front like a sandwich board or something. The employee was incredible, super friendly, my order was taken quick and my drink came out even quicker. It is a little on the pricier side for a cup of coffee but you are supporting a local business. With tip it came out to over $9 for a regular size. I ordered the no lucks given, which is a chocolate Irish cream latte, and swapped to oat milk. My first sip was amazing, a medium dark roast that wasn't bitter at all with a rich chocolate flavor. You could see the chocolate coating the walls of the cup and I'm pretty sure there was a cold foam on top that made it extra creamy. The overall drink was smooth and well balanced, just a little too sweet for my liking but that's something I can adjust next time. I did have a kind of odd moment though. My second sip was great until I got hit with a sudden punch of salt. Like a full on salt crystal just melted on my tongue for a good 10 seconds. It was strong and definitely woke me up... which I guess is what the coffee was supposed to do, I just didn't expect a surprise salt bomb to help with that. After that I checked my drink and everything looked fine and the rest of it tasted great. Overall I'll definitely be back. The service was great, the drink was solid, and I love supporting a spot like this. I can't wait to come here more often, and hopefully one day come back with my husband when comes home from deployment, with his cookies and cream drink back on the menu.

The Lean Bean - coffee - Updated May 2026

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