By Csaba Petre
Last week, I embarked on a journey here in Ocean Beach; an expedition of discovery to a place many have been before, and might not imagine life without: the humble coffee shop. Specifically, all the coffee shops in OB.
While a good number of us drink coffee daily, few of us do so at a different establishment every morning. A bit over a week ago, I took it upon myself to do just that: to visit a different local coffee shop each day, until I have visited all of them (17 total). At the end of my travels (in the upcoming part two), in addition to general impressions of each place, I will compile a more structured comparison. I will rank the top three shops in each of the categories:
- tastiest cappuccino;
- biggest kick (strongest);
- best social/hangout spot;
- best place to work; and
- most unique vibe.
I’ll also comment on each place’s specialty, non-coffee offerings and anything unique about them.
Why cappuccino? This is partially a personal bias, but as a “standard” espresso drink, every shop can make one, giving me a baseline for a point of comparison. I believe I am qualified for this weighty task as a daily coffee drinker of twenty+ years; I have often asked why we don’t have a word like “hungry”, but to refer specifically to how one feels before the first coffee of the day.
With that established, I bid a two-week farewell to my trusty Breville, and embarked. See you on the other side, friend.
In this part one, one week in, I have visited eight shops so far. Most were around the more Southern and Eastern sides of OB.
(1) Brew Wave, 4967 Newport Ave #1- Nov. 12
With its storefront just off of Newport Ave. in the OB Mall, Brew Wave is ideal for picking up a coffee while strolling to the beach or browsing the local shops. Besides coffee, there’s smoothies, paninis and other snacks, and a variety of teas.
The cappuccino was $5 (as it turns out, this is surprisingly consistent across almost all coffee shops). It was ready in less than five minutes, and I found it tasty with a good amount of foam. The staff was very friendly.
I didn’t see outlets, and it is a small shop, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for working; but it could be a good spot to meet a friend. They appear to have tables outside on Newport as well.
Recommended for: Grabbing a cup to-go while walking down Newport.
(2) Spill the Beans 4805 Newport Ave, Nov. 13
Spill the Beans is a relative newcomer, having opened very recently this year. While I am not generally reviewing restaurants that happen to serve coffee as part of this series, I opted to include it as it advertises itself so heavily as a coffee establishment.
While there’s some seating out front, Spill the Beans is mostly a drive-thru place, specializing in coffee and bagel sandwiches. Their specialties in terms of coffee are various flavored lattes, which I haven’t tried and can’t comment on. My standard cappuccino was $4.75, a fair price. As an aside, I also ordered a breakfast bagel; while it was large and filling, I found it expensive at $13. Service was quick and friendly.
The cappuccino was ready quickly, but there was no line the day I was there. The drink itself reminded me of a to-go cappuccino one might buy at an airport. It didn’t have much foam and was more of a latte, and was slightly bitter; it was quite strong, however, and woke me right up.
Recommended for: Drive-through in a hurry.
(3) Ultreya 1785 Sunset Cliffs Blvd, Nov. 14
Ultreya is also a more recent addition to the OB scene, having opened less than a year ago. The shop is very welcoming, friendly, and bright and open. While small, the space is utilized efficiently to offer seating to work or hang out, and space for some small local mini-shops as well. There’s a variety of specialties, caffeinated and not, including teas, matcha, and mojito-like mocktails.
The cappuccino was flavorful, served in a dainty cup with a cute pattern. The flavor was balanced, and there was a good amount of foam, and not too much milk.
There’s nice seating for enjoying your coffee, working, or chatting. There are some outlets available for charging, as well.
Recommended for: Meeting up with a friend; working or reading for a bit.
(4) Sine Wave 4810 Santa Monica Ave, Nov. 15
Sine Wave felt right in between a coffee shop and a restaurant. It’s a coffee place that also has a variety of brunch options, either served on bread or in the form of a bowl. The feel is clean, curated, and stylish in a “beachy” kind of way. It has a good amount of seating, and on Saturday morning was quite full and lively.
The cappuccino was $6, served in a cute little cup, and delicious. It was not bitter at all, and the foam was tasty.
There are some outlets and a few people were working, but (at least on a weekend) it had a much more social feel, and most people were there to have a small brunch. I appreciated the small touches, like a water jug and cups conveniently available.
Recommended for: Lowkey brunch with friends.
(5) OB Beans – 4879 Newport Ave, Nov. 17
OB Beans is a large and busy coffee shop directly on Newport Ave. It has ample seating for working or socializing, but appears to specialize in the former. There are a variety of seating options including high and low tables. It is very much a coffee and tea shop, with some pastries; waffles and acai bowls are available in the morning as well.
I visited on a Monday morning, with the intent to work there for a couple of hours. (In my decidedly less exciting, non-Rag life, I write software). It was quite full but I waited and was able to find a spot after a couple minutes. The wifi took about 10 minutes to get connected; others near me had a similar issue. After I was online though, I had no issues and found it to be a pleasant work environment.
The cappuccino had a good flavor, only slightly bitter and decent foam. Despite being there at a crowded time, I got my drink quickly, within a few minutes.
Recommended for: Getting things done in the presence of others getting things done.
(6) Vili’s Health Bar – 1780 Sunset Cliffs Blvd, Nov. 18
Vili’s Health Bar is a small, health-conscious coffee shop; they specialize in smoothies, smoothie bowls, and vegan desserts along with coffee. It is mostly a grab-and-go place with a couple of chairs and small tables to sit outside.
My cappuccino was $6. It had a bit more milk than I’d expect (a little more of a latte) but I found it delicious, with a fantastic amount of foam, and not bitter at all.
Recommended for: Grabbing a quick but well-crafted coffee or smoothie to go.
(7) Bean me up – 2231 Sunset Cliffs Blvd, Nov. 19
Bean me up is a small drive-through coffee stand located off of Sunset Cliffs, conveniently right on the way out of OB for those commuting in the morning. Besides coffee, there’s also bagels, croissants and muffins available. There are many flavorings as well; I was offered chocolate or cinnamon with my cappuccino. I was there at a time with no line, but I imagine there might be a small wait given the couple of cars I see waiting at busier times.
My main first impression was that this man makes the fastest cappuccino in the West. It was very drinkable, with a mild flavor and decent foam. I got the double espresso, and it felt a bit like a latte, but I enjoyed it just the same. It definitely had a good kick to it.
I hadn’t realized it was a cash-only shop (and had none with me), but the owner handed me my drink anyway, and said I should just get him back next time. He definitely gets extra points in my book for that.
Recommended for: Picking up a nice strong coffee on your hurried way out of OB in the morning — and remember to bring cash.
(8) Val’s Coffee Corner – 694 Voltaire St B, Nov. 20
Val’s is located next to Kilowatt Brewing, just off of Newport Ave. It is an outdoor shop, with Empanadas, bagel sandwiches and Acai bowls along with coffee. It also hosts live local musicians on some weekends. There is a good amount of seating for waiting or having your breakfast, with umbrellas for shade.
The cappuccino was $5. The flavor was good; the foam was perfect. It was pretty strong as well, though just slightly more milk than I prefer. The barista was very friendly, and my order was done quickly.
Recommended for: Grabbing a coffee and quick bite in the area; chatting over said quick coffee with a friend.
Stay tuned for part two, where we conclude this journey with a coffee tour of West and North OB!
Nicely done. Part of a quick review that would please me to no end is one that includes noise levels. Too many coffee shops think that grinder noise, espresso maker noises, on top of hard surfaces, add to the ambiance. They couldn’t be more wrong.
dont forget my daily go to Kakawa coffee on Voltaire, as well as Coffee and Plants, and Cycle Coffee. these three are there for real espresso drinkers. no cakes pops and milkshakes
The following is satire:
I just have to ask this; OB obviously still has a drug use problem, yes? I mean, 17 freaking drug-dealing dens of legal speed and now an article telling people which place has the “biggest kick?!”
Back in the ’70s I knew people who shifted from one dealer to another when the nose candy was stepped on a little too much! This sure sounds familiar.
“…quite strong, however, and woke me right up?” Yep, I had friends that would roll out of bed in the morning and blow a couple lines up their nose before they’d go check the waves that said this exact same thing. Woke them right up! No, I’m not kidding. I’m thinking specifically about one who lived on Cape May…
“…I believe I am qualified for this weighty task as a daily coffee drinker of twenty+ years;”
Ah-hahahahaha! That’s hilarious and I completely agree, you probably are!!
__
So here’s a challenge after you’re done rating the remaining caffeine dealers in OB in your coming Part II:
How about figuring out just how many businesses sell hot or cold coffee in OB? Count every gas station, bar, restaurant, snack bar, anywhere you spy a pot sitting there heating up that is public. Should be quite a list I would expect! Us humans just love our little ‘pick me ups,’ don’t we? Always have!!
As a matter of fact, on this very chilly gloomy overcast day in these mountains waiting for the first snowfall at this elevation, I happen to be sipping on a large steaming cup of Red Rose English tea myself as my Japanese step-mom hooked me on this stuff at a very tender age since I never liked the bean like the rest of my relatives who, of course, all drank it. Yep, I’m hooked, too.
sealintheSelkirks
@PCAL – Good call on the noise levels. I’ll try to comment on that as well in part two. I think Ultreya is probably the quietest hangout IMO from this batch.
@tavo vega – It’s a little outside the “core OB” area I’m looking at but I am intrigued by Kakawa and will try to make it there as well. The other two are already on my list for part two :)
Love this type of fun review and promotion of all the great local businesses we have here. How lucky are we??? Also don’t sleep on Azucars coffee! Cappuccino isn’t officially on their menu but they’ll make it and it’s delicious.
What an undertaking! Just getting to an actual # of shops impressed me. I have never understood how 2 coffee joints can co-exist (and stay in biz) literally directly across the street from each other. “Recommended for” is a nice touch. Looking forward to Part 2. Way to go Casaba!
hOBie — good to hear from you! It’s been a while, eh? I’m also looking forward to part 2.
Shout out to Azucar and Cafe Bella.
Just how many coffee shops from Rosemary’s burgers to Newport Ave. are there… then how many up and down Newport Ave.? The juice bar, Olive tree (not lots of options but there is coffee I think), the place across the street at the old dry cleaners, Newbreak, OB donuts, the old US bank drive through, Azucar, and the gas station (again, maybe not a favorite spot but technically offers coffee)… I would love to show my support for all, but the sheer number of options makes this a challenge. But I will try.
Drinking coffee gives me energy before starting my activities. So I always make time to stop by a coffee shop. every day.