Lofty Coffee Co.

Good service, ok coffee, cinnamon roll was disappointing because it was cold and a little tough. Cute shop and they are pretty quick getting your order out.

Highest quality coffee and innovative coffee drinks. We drove a long distance to come here and we really loved it. Will be back for sure. I had the cold brew and it was so flavorful and delicious.

Stopped in for coffee and breakfast while hanging out in Encinitas with my mom. Generally I don’t bring my mom to hipster paradises such as this place, but we were hungry and it was close.
Loved the décor — very clean and modern. My almond milk mocha was delicious (weirdly, they don’t have soy), although my mom thought her long black decaf (an Americano in any other words) was too acidic and bitter.
We also had yogurt and granola (the mom) and bread and eggs (the me). Evidently the eggs are organic, local, sustainable, etc etc etc. My mom’s yogurt and granola was delish and huge! Meanwhile, I got two little poached eggs and two slices of toast and thought, «aw crap. I’m really hungry.»
Well, color me surprised. My eggs were perfectly cooked and very good (albeit with huge chunks of cracked pepper on top — don’t do that) and the artisan toast and strawberry jam were great. And filling! I could barely walk out of there between my meal and snarfing some of the yogurt.
It’s definitely on the pricey side. Your mom, should you choose to bring her, will not approve of their prices and will look at you incredulously because toast is almost $ 4 alone. Just an FYI.

We will make a pit stop for Lofty Coffee when driving from San Diego to LA. It’s some of the best.
Today we ordered a gluten free oatmeal raisin cookie and their Kyoto brewed iced coffee. Both were fantastic as usual. Sometimes the line can be out the door in the morning, but don’t let that scare you – they move orders through quickly.
Other visits we have tried their sea salt caramel latte, or their pour over black coffee.
Added tip, If you are planning on just ordering drinks to enjoy there, walk across the street and they have a coffee/​tea for-​here only shop that has great views of moonlight beach.

This is a coffee shop in Solano beach that always pops in my head when I go. This rating is based on this most recent visit. My experience was somewhat strange this time, the customer service was just off. I felt like I was a bother to the woman ringing me up. The interaction was very cold and non-​personal.
We chose to get yogurt since it was quick and the wait was overbearingly long this morning. And they put their runny, sour cream-​like yogurt (which tastes fantastic) in a little folding cardboard to-​go container. For somewhere so popular, and well-​loved in the community, and working in the food industry, I would just kind of expect more for a presentation of a yogurt parfait. The coffee was good.

I love coffee. I love lofty coffee .I think I have good taste and i don’t do many reviews. When I get impeccable service in an unexpected way it calls for it certainly. I bought some beans (with a recommendation) to take home. Turns out I did not care for that particular one at all. Taking a chance I brought them back. The girl (didn’t get her name sadly) was so good to me. Exchanged the beans in a smooth, fashionable, speedy way. I will absolutely be talking about this yummy beautiful shop to others. thank-​you Lofty Coffee/​the cute girl with a bad ass ombré for being a moment’s light in a day filled with lots of disappointments. Certainly you were not one of them:)

I love the décor and atmosphere of this place! Very beachy, modern, laidback. There’s indoor and plenty of outdoor seating. We ordered a latte and the salted caramel latte. The espresso is so smooth and the drinks were very enjoyable.
I’m not from the area but would love to come back to just sit and chat over a cup of coffee here!

They have gluten free baked goods!!!
Oh man, so I came here for the coffee, which was excellent. I’ve never seen an Americano called a «Long Black» before, but apparently that’s what it is. I almost googled it before I ordered but that would have yielded interesting results I’m sure…
So, I had the long black… and it was good.
As usual, I stare longingly at the baked goods wishing I could indulge in the morning and I would have continued on my merry way until a friend pointed out that they had gluten free muffins! Of course I snatched one up and it was deliciously soft, dense and decadent. I’ll be honest, it’s not like I needed a muffin, but I was so so happy they had them that I had to get one.
My friends were very happy with their caramel lattes, tea and gorgeous almond croissant as well. Adorable spot, line is long but goes fairly quickly.

This is my first 5 rating but I just had to because Lofty Coffee is my favorite coffee shop! I have become a regular at this place and I love it. I always come in for a half caf latte and a breakfast cookie. It makes the perfect treat. The breakfast cookie is made of oatmeal and chocolate chips that melt in your mouth. I get the half caf latte because their regular latte is too strong for me.
This place also serves poached eggs and toast almost all day. You can get hummus on the side and cream cheese on the bread. It is really the perfect breakfast.
The service is excellent here. The solana beach location has a different vibe but this location has very friendly employees. The manager (May) is usually in the café on the weekends and she brings a great positive energy. The baristas are always welcoming and serve to impress. If you are in Encinitas, you have to stop in!

This is a cute coffee place not too far from the beach. I didn’t have much trouble finding parking on a Saturday afternoon. The barista was very friendly. I ordered a blood orange tea. It was very good. They are dog friendly, so I was able to make some fur friends.
I will be back.

That mocha is amazing… the chocolate they use is house made. :) Worth the long line out the door– it moves really fast so don’t be discouraged by the line. They have a small menu where you can order a healthy breakfast– of poached eggs with toast of Rye or Gluten free Bread. You can order sides-​sausage/​condiments to go with this– all healthy/​organic ingredients. I was curious about their hummus and it was amazing! I got a side of spinach and avocado to top my toast. They are more of a coffee shop with house made pastries than they are a sit down breakfast place– but if you are looking for a healthy breakfast with your delicious coffee– order those poach eggs. :)) They have another location just across the street that does the roasting to their coffees and where you can find a variety of their coffee’s for purchase. I got a bag of their Costa Rica Coffee to take home with me and I can kick myself for getting just one bag. It’s delicious! It’s $ 17 for the bag. There are different prices for the variety they carry.

Cozy corner coffee shop in Encinitas. This location of Lofty coffe is always busy, no matter the time or the day, there is always a line! So if you are in the rush, skip it :)
They make an excellent espresso! To go with your drink there are a few breakfast choices like eggs, toast or a few baked goodies. I found food to be overpriced for what you get. Last time i got a latte and toast with egg and avocado, my bill was $ 15.
Get your fav caffeinated drink and grab one of the outside seats and enjoy the moment

Really good coffee! Definitely worth the wait! The chai latte is smooth and was perfect for the (rare!) rainy day we had here in north county !

Love this place — the line gets long but its so worth it. Coffee is delicious, tea is great and the BREAKFAST is soo tasty (the bread and jam combo, YUM)
Can’t to go back, over and over and over again!

Coffee Quality is based off their Cortado.
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| — — ± — –± — –+x — –|: Art/​Presentation
| — — ± — –± — –±x — -|: Service/​Baristas
| — — ± — –± — –+x — –|: Ambiance/​Seating
| — — ± — –± — –+x — –|: Food/​Menu Variety

I can’t believe I haven’t written a review for this amazing coffee place. This is my go to spot when I’m taking my kids to Moonlight Beach. This place roasts and brews their own coffee beans. They make their own syrups. They use the pour over method. They bake their own pastries including gluten free and vegan. They use as much organic and local ingredients as best as possible. They also make their own almond and hazelnut milk. Why isn’t everyone here? My favorite is their Turkish latte. All those spices just hit the spot. Kids cocoa my kids actually drink, has real cocoa. The service is so friendly and helpful. One day I’ll try their lunch. But for now, this is the caffeine spot of Encinitas.

One of the best I’ve visited over the years. The space, the outdoor seating and interior décor are right. The coffee menu (brewed and espresso) is solid with a good assortment but not ‘we can do all 50 variations of drinks’ that many places tend to present. Even the baristas were nice.

This place is a find. (That a lot of others have found too!) The staff is genuine and super friendly. I always look forward to seeing them. It is also a bit of a neighborhood hang. The Kyoto is insanely good, and so is the Turkish latte. The gluten free oatmeal chocolate chip cookie is downright dangerous.

The staff is knowledgeable and friendly and the selection amazing! Their coffee is on the expensive side, but the quality is worth the extra cost. If you want a classic cup of coffee or something more fancy, they have something for everyone.
There is a good amount of seating and it’s a block from the beach. Great location for you to sit and enjoy at the shop or with your toes in the sand.

Both locations (face to face) are wonderful. Always interesting people to meet and befriend there, good and consistent quality drinks, and friendly, bustling staff. Manager is always hustling to be professional and exceptional in customer service/​operations. I’ve enjoyed talking with the baristas. I always stop by this place when I want to relax, have a tea (hot or cold), work on my computer (free wifi) and get some things done. The energy is always good here and it’s nice to be around people who are earnest in their trade in a clean, comfortable environment. Thanks for letting me sit around for hours as I drink tea after tea while I do my work! :)

Great little coffee shop on the coast with delicious high end coffee selection! You can also have breakfast or lunch til 3:30 and they are open til 6. Decorate lay beautifully nice touches with reclaimed wood and morroccan tile around the front counter. Can’t wait to come back and try other selections:)

Soooo disappointed! This was my favorite place to have breakfast and once again a new business that starts off with flying colors falls like Humpty Dumpty! Speaking of eggs… after waiting in line for a good while I placed my order for breakfast and my favorite coffee. My hot coffee drink was delivered to me luke warm (eww) and my «poached» egg was «hard boiled». It was so bad I couldn’t eat it. I showed the waiter and he took my plate back to the kitchen where he removed the eggs and brought back the same toast (now very cold) and said «I’ll send out some new eggs» Well, let me wait another 20 minutes for the eggs to pair with my now soggy (from the tomato’s and avocado) cold, toast. I said no thank you. His reply was «let me give you a refund for your breakfast (not the cold coffee) thanks-​goodbye» All the Kings Men won’t put it back together again!

Lofty Coffee is just the cutest! They have delicious coffee and it is a perfect place to come read or study. Love it there!

I really liked Lofty Coffee in the couple of times I’ve been there, I just haven’t ordered the right thing!
I ordered an Aztec Mocha, the chocolate was luxurious, but it had too spicy of a kick for me. I also ordered a house coffee, but it was a little bitter than I like, especially since I’ve been drinking a lot of cold-​pressed coffee. My guess is that the Kyoto-​styled coffee will be right up my alley, which I will imbibe on my next visit.
The location is great, I love hanging out in downtown Encinitas, and the place is always buzzing in the morning.

Love the Turkish latte with house made hazelnut or almond milk. The Aztec mocha is also delicious. Simple macchiatos and cappuccinos are also done really well here.
Cool interior but beware the line on weekends. This place is a bit of a scene.
Outdoor seating score: 3
Nice outdoor tables and umbrellas, right next to a highway though so pretty noisy.

Hands down the best coffee in San Diego. I’ve tried them all!
Also: they open at 600am, so I can get my caffeine fix before work.
Their espresso machine in the location on the east side of the 101 is the most sophisticated, state of the art machine in Southern California.
Love you guys!!!

Stopped by lofty roasting coffee first (across the street) only to be redirected here, lol. As lofty roasting doesn’t serve anything to go to be locally sustainable (yes, we gotta love & protect our environment).
Since I was in a hurry to meet a friend, I popped on over to lofty and upon walking in loved the scene. They had my Kyoto cold brew coffee over ice, the interior was super cool and well designed and my servers were just wonderful.
I tried the Turkish latte with cardomom over ice and it was delicious, no sugar or stevia needed.
I will be back. I loved the cool vibes

It was not a dark or stormy night…
In fact, like many before it… it was a warm and sunny day… the ocean breeze blew a near-​invisible sheet of sand across the coastal road…
Chad (that’s me… momentarily d-​baggin it up in the third person, but bear with me…) spied a coffee oasis in the distance. he whips around a block and finds parking in front of the building… succumbing to its siren’s song in the form of aroma.
Walking in, he is greeted by the first challenge: a cute, smiling Batista girl that queries him:
‘WELCOME! HOW ARE YOU TODAY?’ she boomed.
‘Hey! I’m great! how about yourself?
Doing awesome! Thanks for asking!‘
Having overcome the first challenge, I begin to survey my surroundings…
‘I really like your shirt!’. says the first Batista.
‘oh! thanks! I always go for the ultra-​geeky ones.‘
Okay… back to surveying…
‘What do you usually get?’ Batista one asks.
‘Usually an almond milk mocha.’ I intoned in response.
‘Well… all our almond milk is made in house, and our coffee is roasted across the road at that roasting company.
Astonished, I spied yon dragon’s cave across the street… organic goods… and it turned out the goodies as well… locally sourced and in-​house made… what trickery is this?!?
My disbelief mounted. Knowing that any moment, the sky may fall, or evil ninja may descend on me from the ceiling, I return to the menu.
Aztec… mocha… it has cayenne. This den of the coffee deities must have done its homework. as that is indeed my ambrosia.
‘ooo ooo yay Aztec mocha that’s what I want! you brilliant people make it with cayenne!’. I slurred at these apparitions. ‘what goodie do you recommend?‘
The shadows returned: ‘I like the butter croissant… but these almond ones are good too.‘
Drawing a line in the sand against this rising tide of darkness I cried, ‘Almond!‘
Realizing that my fate was sealed… my last recourse was a single counterstroke…
‘What is a subject that any of you are good at?’ I wondered. Another head of the four-​headed Batista Cerberus replied: ‘why dost thou asketh?
Demon! This is how I tip!
Then bringeth thy best in the realm of science… for we are mighty!’ said another head of the beast… ‘but wait for this guy to get back from taking out the trash… cuz he is amazing!‘
After the return… the challenge was made:
What does a.t.p. stand for in terms of human biology.
Without hesitation, the answer was spat … and I was bested once more. The beast wrested its $ 20 tip…
And so it was that I sat and enjoyed the best cup of love I had experienced in a good bit… and a tasty treat.
Visit this gem. Nothing rough about it… you will love it regardless of your coffee-​snob score.
Thanks lofty coffee!

Really love this coffee roaster. They have several great blends and some single origin roasts. The Kyoto cold drop is a phenomenal coffee.
They use all high quality organic local dairy for their lattes. The latte art presents your drink beautifully too. I usually drink my coffee black but occasionally I like a latte. Lofty makes theirs not too sweet so you can still enjoy the espresso flavor.
They also have a great baker for some absolutely out of this world good cookies, muffins and croissants. All the food matches the high quality of the coffee drinks.

Lofty Bean
SD: Encinitas
8:30am Saturday 23^rd August 2015
Five Stars
Every time I drive down to San Diego, I have to stop by and have a coffee at Lofty Bean. They now bottle their Kyoto Cold Brew in a 16 oz mini growler for $ 6. You get the same great taste but in a portable and resealable vessel. I also had a freshly made Chocolate Croissant $ 5 which was super buttery, flaky, and filled with dark bitter sweet chocolate.

Nothing lifts your afternoon up like some locally roasted coffee and Lofty Coffee located right off the Coast Highway is a great place to go if you’re looking for some. Lofty roasts all their beans directly across the road at their warehouse. Their café is located on the corner of Coast Highway and A street in a neighborhood with limited parking options. If you’re looking for a good place to park, you might have to walk some ways to grab your caffeine fix.
This café serves espresso, drip coffee, pour overs, cold brew, selection of fresh pastries and a small menu of food. They don’t have the biggest variety of pastries here but the ones they have do look good. This place has a very small dining area inside with most of their seating outside. It can get quite busy and loud inside so if that’s not your thing you might be better outdoors. Their filtered coffee menu (
) had a nice selection to choose from, although like most coffee places you’re going to pay for the good stuff. My coffee came out on a wood board (
) with a small cup so you can sip your delicious brew.
I went with the Guatemala and it was worth the money in my opinion, great sweet flavor to it. They brewed it perfectly as there was hardly any bitterness to it. The temperature was spot on (hate getting boiling hot coffee). Even though it was quite busy and nosy inside I managed to savor the taste of my coffee, relax and get my caffeine fix for the afternoon. Local coffee in San Diego county is great thing and Lofty upholds the standards.

Awesome little spot to stop for coffee while tooling around the arty district.
This is a good weather only stop — no indoor seating. Not a big deal here in Sunny San Diego. There is a little parking lot with Lofty coffee only spaces.
Wanted to try the cold brew coffee but they were out… Boo.
I got an Americano instead which was great but… (Here’s why it’s 4 stars not 5) I was charged the extra .50¢ for the espresso drink rather than just giving me the coffee price (like Starbucks does when they can’t give me what I want)
Their cold Americano was good & the baristas were great!

Be prepared to wait in line. I hate waiting in line but Lofty Coffee has been on my radar for a while so I thought it can’t be too crowded on a Thursday morning at 9:30 right? HAHAHAHAH wrong. It had a line out the door. But I had time to kill so I stuck it out. Glad that I did. I was served my very first foo foo coffee ever. I ordered my usual a latte and got a cute little design on it (foo foo) It was delicious and just the foo foo design maybe made it taste better.
I also decided to try the simple eggs and toast breakfast. The eggs are poached but actually seem to resemble more of an over easy poach. The toast is made from organic artisan bread and it is very buttery. I chose just the toast and eggs but you can order from many organic sides such as spinach, arugula, avocados, chicken apple sausage etc. I think the sausage may be the only meat item on the menu. My husband was in love.
Lofty Coffee is appropriately named as it resides in the Encinitas Lofts businesses. The employees all seem to be so happy to be there that it’s contagious almost. I left with a full stomach, a good buzz and in a good mood.

My wife and I have passed by this place numerous times. She had heard nothing but good stuff about it. We had always seen a line out the door when we passed, so one day after yoga, we decided to check it out.
The location isn’t very big, but very convenient and high visibility! They post a food and drink menu on the door, on the wall above the baristas and along the front counter. You have ample time to view and decide. While there aren’t a lot of choices on the menu, there are a few that you may need some clarification on. One of the gals behind the counter sings pretty much all the time. Great voice. She even sang «Bless you» when a customer sneezed. Adds to the ambiance!
The concept of this place is pretty cool. Sustainable and organic. As we try to be healthier these days, my wife and I are constantly seeking ways to improve what goes into our bodies. This was a great way to keep up with that trend.
If you’re in a rush, don’t stop here for your morning kick start. If you want a good cup of coffee and a healthy start to your day, give them a try.
Keep on Unilocal’n!

Lofty is a legit coffee joint, no doubt about it. This place has a near perfect location situated off of the 101 in Encinitas and conveniently located near Moonlight beach. The menu here is absolutely stunning and consists of some very solid coffee and tea offerings along with some salads, pastries and sandwiches. Having been here a couple of times, I would definitely recommend trying the tea or if you prefer coffee give the Turkish Latte a try, all are delicious. Pair the prefect location, with the excellent product offering and the stellar service and you have 5 stars all the way.
Pros–
Service
Product
Coffee
Tea
Pastries
Salads
Cons–
Parking