All the Coffee You Can Drink in OB — Part 2

By Csaba Petre

As promised, these last two weeks I have resumed my journey attempting to sample the (as it turns out, rather extensive) coffee scene of Ocean Beach as completely as possible. Some readers, in the comments for Part One, expressed surprise at the number of coffee shops in OB. [Here is Part One.]

Rankings in the promised categories are given at the end. Let’s jump in!

Coffee Cycle Roasting, Nov. 23

4856 Voltaire

Coffee Cycle is a recent addition to the North side of OB, having opened in 2024. A spacious and unabashedly hipster space, the shop offers spots to sit and plenty of room to socialize. While not particularly quiet inside, it has outdoor seating on offer in the back. The feel was definitely unique; on the day I visited, a lively (impromptu?) piano performance was ongoing. The shop also hosts local art and music events.

The cappuccino was $4.75, and I wasn’t disappointed by it. The flavor and foam were solid and bitterness was low. As a bonus, they roast their own beans. They have teas, drip coffee, and mocktails as well.

Recommended for: stopping in for one of their events; catching up with a friend.

The Coffee Method (Inside Floral Fantasia), Nov. 24

4993 Niagara Ave # 107

The Coffee Method is a small coffee shop located inside Floral Fantasia, in the same building as Noodle House Bar 1502. The address is Niagara, but the storefront is off of Bacon Street. The barista is very friendly, and the shop has the laid back feel of a super local neighborhood gathering place. It has a couple tables inside and sometimes one outside as well. Hours are limited; it is generally only open until noon.

My $4.75 cappuccino was great; excellent flavor and not bitter at all. The amount of milk was a bit on the higher side, but not quite a latte; the foam was generous and tasty.

Recommended for: Coffee on a morning walk; meeting up with a friend.

Cafe Bella (Drive through), Nov. 25

4984 Voltaire St

Cafe Bella is a well known “brand” of coffee shop throughout OB, with a few coffee stands on both the North and South sides. For this article I visited the drive-thru location on Voltaire Street. It’s a busy neighborhood staple, and the drive through line (and walk-up wait) can extend out the parking lot in the mornings. While there is a table or two available next to the coffee stand, it’s generally a to-go place. There are many drink options, including blended drinks and smoothies, and some quick breakfast snacks as well such as Acai bowls and bagels.

The $4.25 cappuccino was acceptable for a grab-and-go, drive through style shop. It wasn’t too bitter and was sufficient for a pick-me-up on a busy morning. A quick digression; as with a few other places, they offer several sizes of cappuccino; the small is the closest to a “real” cappuccino, at least in my opinion, as the larger options just add more milk (making it closer to a latte).

Recommended for: Drive through grab-and-go.

Newbreak Coffee, Nov. 26

1959 Abbott St

Newbreak, located across from the main lifeguard station, is a larger coffee shop serving breakfast and lunch as well. It is popular with locals as well as tourists and beach-goers, and is one of the older coffee shops in OB, having opened in 1993. It is geared towards eating and socializing, with a good number of tables inside; I found it pleasant for doing a bit of writing as I was there on a not too busy day. Some of the spots have outlets available. There may be a bit of a wait on a busier day.

Besides coffee, Newbreak boasts an extensive food menu with open face bagels, burritos, breakfast bowls, and house specials.

My cappuccino had good flavor, with decent foam and was not too bitter.

Recommended for: Breakfast near the beach; catching up with a friend over coffee with ocean views.

Azucar, Nov. 26

4820 Newport Ave

I added Azucar to my list, even though it’s not technically a “coffee shop”, by popular request; and I’m very glad I did! Azucar is a Cuban bakery and pastry shop, which also makes Cuban sandwiches, and (as it turns out) excellent Cuban coffee including delicious cappuccinos. There is a small amount of cozy indoor seating.

The shop itself is small and busy. I was there on Wednesday afternoon, before Thanksgiving, and it was bustling. That said, it did not take long to order, nor to get the coffee. I had the opportunity to try both the traditional Cuban coffee as well as the cappuccino, and a pastry as well, and all were amazing.

The cappuccino had an excellent flavor and foam quality, and was not bitter in the least. The amount of milk (at least for me) was, like a majority of places, on the higher end. It was definitely a strong coffee expertly made. The traditional Cuban coffee was also delicious and an excellent exemplar of that style.

Recommended for: Picking up a delicious coffee or pastry snack.

Cafe OB, Nov. 27

2244 Bacon St

Cafe OB is an outdoor coffee stand on Bacon street near West Point Loma Blvd. Besides the usual variety of espresso drinks and drip coffee, they also sell bagel sandwiches, pastries, smoothies, and acai bowls. There are several tables and chairs to wait for your order or enjoy a quick breakfast on a nice day. All drinks are served in to-go cups.

As with other coffee shops that offered multiple sizes, I ordered the small cappuccino. I was delighted to find that there was not too much milk added; it was close to my “ideal” in terms of milk amount, which is pretty low for a cap. The flavor was great, especially for a to-go type place, and was not bitter. Overall a great experience for a to-go place; my only regret was not being able to drink all the delicious foam from the to-go cup.

Recommended for: Grabbing a coffee and bagel on the way down to dog beach.

The Template, Nov. 28

5032 Niagara Ave

Ah, the Template. In all honesty, like a few of the coffee shops on this list, the Template is certainly not new to me. In my opinion, few coffee shops (or establishments in general) capture the unique vibe of Ocean Beach as well as this quirky, surprisingly spacious, and happening coffee shop (and part-time music venue) does. More than a coffee shop, the Template is a cultural hub for OB’s music and art scene. Fliers for upcoming events are posted by the colorfully painted double-doors.

I went here to have a work discussion on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It was not very full at all, and there was a festive atmosphere with a disco ball reflecting colored lights on the tables in the back. The Template offers ample tables and seating, and is generally quiet enough (especially towards the back) to be a great place to work; it is also an ideal shop to be able to have a conversation, with enough distance between tables not to bother your neighbors.

The cappuccino here is very solid. The foam was poured expertly and was perfect. The coffee was flavorful and bold, with a slight bitterness that wasn’t off-putting. It was served in a nice mug, and felt like a classy drink.

Recommended for: Taking in the real OB vibe. Working with plenty of space and relative quiet.

Excelsa, Nov. 29

1855 Sunset Cliffs Blvd

Excelsa is a very new addition to OB and is a fairly unique one on this list. Their main claim to fame is the use of a novel coffee bean, the Excelsa bean, an alternative to Robusta and Arabica, the more typical coffee bean varieties. They describe this variety as a less caffeinated bean that’s tree-grown and requires far less chemical pesticides and is more climate change-resilient. The coffee shop is the “front office” for a company which also actually sources the beans directly from farms around the world. They serve a pour-over and more recently added espresso options, so I was able to have my customary drink. They also sell their Excelsa beans by the bag directly in the shop.

The flavor of the cappuccino was the most unique aspect of it; the coffee does, indeed, have a very different flavor profile from the more typical Arabica sold in the majority of coffee shops. I thought it was light and refreshing. The cappuccino itself had excellent foam and wasn’t bitter, but was more of a latte in terms of the milk volume. The barista was very friendly and paid a lot of attention to the drink down to the foam pattern.

Recommended for: An adventure trying a unique coffee variety; people seeking a less caffeinated choice.

OB Coffee and Plants

4827 A Voltaire St

OB Coffee and Plants is another relatively new coffee shop on Voltaire Street, and is well on its way to becoming a local favorite. It’s a small shop with a few tables inside and a couple more tables outside on the patio. Its unique offering, as per its name, is pairing plants with your coffee; the shop displays a variety of plants and some are for sale. Besides coffee, there is tea, pastries, and bagels available.

While the shop is very small inside, the patio has a good amount of seating, and besides a bit of street noise, is a great place to do a bit of reading or work. I definitely enjoyed writing here for an hour with my coffee.

My customary drink had a medium amount of milk, good foam, excellent flavor, and a low bitterness. Overall a great cappuccino enjoyed in cute surroundings.

Recommended for: Reading a book or chatting with a friend in the garden-themed patio.

TapShack Kombucha & Coffee

2232 Sunset Cliffs Blvd

The TapShack is a quick to-go style stand specializing in Kombucha on tap and cold brew, as well as vegan pastries. There are two tables available for sitting as well. The staff was very friendly.

While Kombucha is definitely the standout option here, they have espresso options as well so I was able to have my usual drink for comparison.

For $4.50 I had a great to-go cappuccino, not bitter at all, and with a good quantity of foam.

Recommended for: Grabbing a Kombuncha or coffee to-go.

I’ll note that I enjoyed all of the coffee shops on this list in their own ways, and I think we’re quite lucky to have such a selection on offer. There’s coffee available within a short, or very short, walk from almost everywhere in OB at this point; you don’t need to leave OB to find a shop perfect for your work, light breakfast, or socializing needs.

My Rankings

With the tour done, it’s time for the rankings! These are, of course, subjective and based on my preferences.

Tastiest cappuccino:

1. Sine Wave Cafe
2. Azucar
3. The Coffee Method

Biggest kick:

1. Bean Me Up
2. Azucar
3. Spill the Beans

Best social/hangout spot:

1. The Template
2. Newbreak
3. Val’s Coffee Corner

Best place to work:

1. OB Beans
2. The Template
3. Newbreak

Most unique vibe:

1. The Template
2. Ultreya
3. Coffee Cycle
4. OB Coffee and Plants

It was very difficult to decide these and the third place was always very close. For the most unique vibe I expanded it to four because it was so tough. I am sure these will be hotly debated

Tell us your favorites in the comments!