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By Branda Gorgies, Miriam Raftery and Karen Pearlman
Whether you’re looking for a quick cup of coffee or a jumping java joint complete with live music, poetry readings and delicious dishes, San Diego’s inland region has an array coffee houses brimming with both character and freshly-brewed coffee choices.
Whether you're seeking espressos, mixed coffee beverages, cold brews, or just a good cup of freshly ground java, you'll find plenty of tempting choices, including many that also serve up foods ranging from pastries and snacks to full breakfasts, lunches, healthy options and more.
Here's our guide to the best places to find a great cup of coffee and other coffee-related options:
Address: 1945 Alpine Blvd., Alpine
Alpine Coffee Roasters operates the Well Café, a coffee shop offering micro-roasted culinary coffees prepared by a certified chef. Coffee beans are purchased through fair and direct trade from farmers in Guatemala and Costa Rica. In addition to coffees and coffee drinks, you can purchase brewed teas, smoothies, paninis, salads, breakfasts and acai bowls.
Address: 590 Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 202, Borrego Springs
Borrego Springs doesn’t have a dedicated coffee shop, but Bighorn Fudge, also known as “The Fudge Factory,” is even better. The popular Borrego Springs establishment founded in 1998 has a full-service espresso bar for coffee lovers, but specializes handcrafted and gourmet fudge, as well as serving pastries and bagels. There’s also an ice cream parlor on site.
Address: 6101 Lake Murray Blvd, La Mesa
The Brew Coffee Spot is a bustling local coffee shop with brick-lined walls and an urban vibe. With plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, the shop is a nice place to visit with friends or family. There are open mic nights, usually consisting of live music or comedy. They also have monthly community markets, and all their coffee is sustainably sourced. The Brew Spot provides international brewed coffees, specialty drinks, teas, pastries, and other foods such as paninis, sandwiches, quiche and veggie burritos.
Address: 737 Jamacha Road, El Cajon
Cafe 88 is located in a small plaza in El Cajon. They offer smoothies, juice, desserts and acai bowls along with coffee. They have both indoor seating and outdoor seating—though there’s sometimes a line to get in. From caramel lattes to classic crepes, you’ll find plenty to satisfy your sweet tooth as well as your caffeine craving here.
Address: 1140 Tavern Rd, Alpine
Caffe Adesso is a small cabin-kind shop located near Kumeyaay highway and a couple of gas stations. The cafe does have a drive-through and a walk-up window, but it has no seating. Caffe Adesso has various coffee options, the most popular including the Mexican mocha, Chai latte and #44, a cold brew with vanilla cream. The #44 is a homage to the owner’s son, Joe Musgrove, #44, famed pitcher for the San Diego Padres baseball team.
Address: 1730 Alpine Blvd #108, Alpine
The Cleveland Cafe is known for its coffees and crepes. They have both hot and cold coffee, with many flavoring options for an extra 50 cents and fun names such as Curious George. Their crepes can be ordered with different jam flavors, chocolate hazelnut, or plain. While they don’t offer outdoor seating, they have indoor seating.
Address: 2314 Poway Road, Poway
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, founded in 1963 in Los Angeles, is known for its specialty coffee, tea, latte and espresso drinks in a casual and contemporary atmosphere. The Poway spot has a drive-thru. The location also offers breakfast sandwiches, burritos and baked goods, with a focus on quality ingredients and a personalized customer experience.
Address: 2806 Alpine Blvd, Alpine
The CroBean cafe is an Alpine outlet loved for its great coffee and macaroons. Tje shop offers a lot more including many baked goods and pastries, including, but not limited to, croissants, croffins(croissant muffin mix) and cake. For their coffee options, popular choices seem to be the cafe latte, cold brew coffee and caramel latte. They have both indoor and outdoor seating at the cafe.
Address: 8091 Broadway, Lemon Grove
Elevated Coffee & Confections offers many coffee options and 100% vegan confections. They offer an “Iced Flight” on their menu that allows you to try four different iced drinks. That can also be paired with a sampler of three confections or cookies. The shop has indoor and outdoor seating. Their cinnamon rolls are well-loved, and their lattes do not disappoint.
Addresses: 11611 Rancho Bernardo Road in Rancho Bernardo/San Diego and 880 W. Valley Parkway, Escondido
Elmisa Café is a breakfast and lunch café known for its fresh ingredients, sandwiches, salads, bowls and refreshments, including Lavazza coffee, the top coffee in Europe, but also use local roasters. Named after the owners’ daughters, Elmisa aims to be a community gathering place for delicious and healthy meals at a reasonable price.
Address: 9119 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Tierrasanta/San Diego
Finjan Coffee Co. is a specialty coffee shop known for its Middle Eastern-inspired menu, featuring traditional Arabic and Turkish coffee, teas, and sweets like baklava and knafeh. They offer a variety of coffee drinks, including espresso-based drinks, and unique creations like honey cinnamon lattes and sparkling orange espresso. Their Turkish coffee is brewed in a copper ibrik (Turkish coffee pot) heated in a sand pit. The venue uses locally roasted James Coffee Co. beans.
Address: 9631 Campo Rd, Spring Valley
Gladly Coffee in Casa de Oro has high praise when it comes to reviews. They do have seasonal offerings, currently consisting of a latte, two cold brews and some sandwiches and wraps. On their cafe menu, the categories include espresso drinks, house specials, craft drinks, blended cold brews, tea, coolers(refreshing drinks) and smoothies as well as many foods, from acai berry bowls to oatmeal and sandwiches. They have a wide variety of items that you can order from, and you can either take a seat inside or outside or go through the drive-through for a quick pick-up.
Address: 16453 Bernardo Center Drive, Rancho Berndardo/San Diego
Hoorah Breakfast Café & Bar is a popular breakfast and brunch specializing in American breakfast and brunch dishes, made from scratch using high-end, local ingredients. Menu highlights: include Stuffed French Toast, Chicken and Waffles, Eggs Benedict and a wide array of other breakfast and lunch options. They also offer a full bar and an extensive coffee bar with various coffee blends and creamers.
They offer takeout and delivery, wheelchair accessibility, outdoor seating and are dog-friendly. They are open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Address: 6020 Santo Road, Suite A, Tierrasanta/San Diego
Industrial Grind Coffee is known for its funky atmosphere, fair-trade espresso, coffee, organic teas, hand-crafted chocolates, gluten-free pastries, sugar-free options and unique make-at-home mixes. It first opened in 2011 in Hillcrest but is now in Tierrasanta. Hours are 6 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Address: 13277 I-8BL, El Cajon
9225 Carlton Hills Blvd UNIT 30, Santee
The Kaffee Meister has two locations, one in Lakeside and one in Santee. The one in Lakeside is attached to an antique shop and has indoor and outdoor seating and a drive-through. The shop in Santee hosts “live & local” nights and has indoor and outdoor seating, but no drive-through. Customer favorites include the hazelnut white mocha, KM Cortado and vanilla latte frappuccino.
Address: 1921 Main St, Julian
Kali’s Garden Cafe is an all-vegan, plant-based cafe. One of our reporters, Henri Migala, went to the cafe. At the cafe, he savored jackfruit-based tacos and more. You can read up on his review here. The cafe offers a variety of coffees, juices, delicious pastries and food items. There’s indoor and outdoor seating.
Address: 9664 Winter Gardens Blvd, Lakeside
Koffeeing UP is an espresso bar in Lakeside. The Colombian coffee there is well-liked among guests, and the shop also offers pastries and cake. The shop has outdoor seating. Some coffee offered by the shop includes iced and hot mochas, sweet vanilla and hot and iced campesino.
Address: 7801 Broadway, Lemon Grove
“Where coffee meets community” is the slogan of Lemon Grove Coffee, which has crafted a cozy space for coffee with friends or business meet-ups. Their menu includes original specialty coffees such as Hawaiian Crème Brule and Lavender Bliss, as well as juice smoothies, teas, pastries and foods such as bagels and yogurt parfair.
Address: 8138 La Mesa Blvd, La Mesa
Light Bulb Coffee is located in downtown La Mesa. The store offers many menu items besides coffee, such as bagels, sandwiches paninis, wraps and fruit bowls. For their coffee, they offer specialty latte flavors such as “Cali Pistachio,” raspberry white chocolate and cinnamon bun. There are also many non-coffee options The shop hosts events, both public and private, as well as catering. They have indoor and outdoor seating.
Addresses: 2512 Jamacha Rd., El Cajon, and 5900 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego
With locations in El Cajon’s Rancho San Diego neighborhood and the college area near San Diego State University, Living Room Coffee House is known for its cozy ambience where you can curl up on a couch or comfy chairs to savor coffee, coffee drinks, wood-fired pizza, Belgian waffles, build-your-own omelet , dinner entrees and other options unusual for a coffee house. There’s occasional entertainment, from live jazz to car-and-coffee nights.
Address: 680 Main St, Ramona
Main Street Coffee is most well-loved for its coffee and crepes. The cafe is in the heart of the small town of Ramona. Their menu is available online, and some items include the breakfast crepe, cherry blossom latte, white mocha and bubble waffles. The coffee shop has indoor seating, outdoor seating and a drive-through if you need a quick pick-up.
Manzanita Roasting Company and Coffee House
Addresses: 3330 Paseo del Verano Norte at Bernardo Winery in Rancho Bernardo and at Grand Avenue and Juniper at the Grand Ritz theater complex in Escondido (the location where dogs are welcome)
Manzanita Roasting Company’s flagship location and coffee house is situated in the heart of the courtyard of the historic Bernardo Winery in Rancho Bernardo; it opened a second story at the Grand Ritz Theater in 2020. Manzanita sources and roasts small-lot, specialty beans, and has won national awards for their coffee. They serve different lattes and espresso, cold brews, teas, juices, smoothies and sell bags of coffee. They also serve food including Avocado Toast, Lox Toast, Breakfast Sandwiches
Address: 5500 Grossmont Center Dr, La Mesa
Located in the Grossmont Center regional mall, Marathon Coffee is a store meant for the running community of East County. The service has received high praise for owner Simon, who’s both a coffee fanatic and a runner. While their menu isn’t available online, it includes items such as mocha, strawberry matcha, latte, hot chocolate and donuts. The shop has indoor seating, or you can sit outside after you grab your coffee.
Address: 8209 La Mesa Blvd, La Mesa
This shop is fully decorated with pink roses. Everything from the cup sleeves to the walls are pink. Many consider it to be a perfect spot for an Instagram photoshoot or girls’ day out. The menu offers these categories of frappuccinos, lattes, matcha drinks, mochas, espressos and basic coffee. Popular items include the pink rose latte, raspberry white mocha and various matcha lattes. There are also tasty pastries.
Address: 8278 La Mesa Blvd, La Mesa
The Public Square Coffee House in downtown La Mesa is most popular for its scones with toppings such as guava butter, but its coffees are quite well-loved as well. Popular coffee drinks include the brown sugar cinnamon latte, black sesame latte and pandan latte. The shop also hosts open mic nights and even concerts.
Address: 2907 Washington St, Julian
The Purple Owl Cafe is a delightful coffee shop in Julian. It’s tucked away between an animal hospital and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. They offer all the basic coffee drinks such as a cappuccino, macchiato and cafe espresso, but they also have more unique drinks like Snickers latte and raspberry rose latte. They also offer beautiful bakery items such as cheesecakes, crepes, tartines (French open sandwiches), salads and soups. A recent special was $3 slushies when the temperature goes above 90 degrees.
Address: 29277 Valley Center Road, Valley Center:
Menu items include Sweet Ube Matcha, Lavender Haze, Spring Fever, Banana Cream Latte, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Blue Bliss and Tropical Bloom. Hours are only 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Address: 153 E Main St, El Cajon
Rob’s Brewpoint in downtown El Cajon has both indoor and outdoor seating, giving plenty of room for you to sit down and enjoy your drink. Inside the shop, one wall has a chalkboard up and guests are welcome to write or draw on it with the chalk offered. Along with the chalkboard, there are books and toys offered and products to buy set up along the shop. They offer a couple of pastries along with tasty coffees such as lavender latte, cinnamon roll, lavender scone and beehive latte.
Address: 28010 Valley Center Road Valley Center
Ruthii’s Coffee Truck is a mobile setup that offers coffee and espressos of all types, blended coffees, hot chocolate, chai, hot tea and iced tea, smoothies and snacks such as muffins, Danishes, Tiramisu croissants and cookies. It also sells coffee beans.
Address: 8401 La Mesa Blvd, La Mesa
Sheldon’s Service Station La Mesa’s downtown village is a community spot to get together and hang out. The name comes from the man who opened the first full-service gas station in La Mesa around 1920, George Sheldon. They serve full breakfast and lunch menus. Some of their most well-loved coffee orders are the Bumble Bee latte (honey and lavender), cinnamon bun latte and Viennese latte (honey and cinnamon). They have indoor seating and a popular patio, complete with a mimosa bar.
Address: 7454 University Ave A, La Mesa
Spacebar Cafe is an internet cafe with free Wi-Fi available. Although there isn’t any outdoor seating, there is plenty of indoor seating. They have open mic nights and comedy shows at the shop and now offer catering for events. They serve breakfast, lunch, paninis and acai bowls along with their coffee. The cafe has good reviews, with many people saying the coffee is great. They have all the typical coffee drinks a person can ask for, from lattes to americanos to mochas.
Address: 165 E Main St, El Cajon
This Middle Eastern dessert shop offers a variety of coffee. They offer desserts like baklava, cake, knafe and much more. Pistachio is commonly used in Middle Eastern desserts, so you’ll see much of it in this shop. In terms of coffee, they offer many latte, espresso and specialty options. Popular orders include the pistachio latte, rose latte and Turkish coffee. The store provides seating inside, and although there isn’t a patio, there are nearby areas where you can sit outside and enjoy your coffee, as it is located in Downtown El Cajon. They also have a next-door restaurant by the same name, Sultan Baklava Mediterranean Grill.
Address:124 E. Main St., El Cajon
Located inside the East County Arts Association gallery, Surji gives visitors the unique opportunity to peruse fine works of art by local artists while savoring freshly brewed and dairy-free coffee, tea, or coffee mocktails. There are also a few food options, such as coconut rice pudding with mango and sumac, or eggplant roasted garlic hummus in a multigrain sandwich.
Address: 31269 Valley Center Road, Valley Center
Ziggi’s Coffee is a drive-thru owned and operated by the San Pasqual Economic Development Corporation. It is the first tribal partnership for the Colorado- based Ziggi's Coffee franchise and aims to benefit the San Pasqual Tribe while serving residents and visitors.The menu features a wide range of handcrafted beverages, including specialty coffees, chai, teas, energy infusions, smoothies, Italian sodas and boba. It also serves food like breakfast sandwiches, burritos and paninis as well as baked goods like breads, cinnamon rolls, scones, cookies and cake pops. Some gluten-free choices are available.
East County Magazine thanks the Conrad Prebys Foundation for its generous grant to fund our series of guides to East County's many attractions and activities, benefiting residents, visitors, and our local economy.
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