1011 12th Espresso Bar

YES, THIS PLACE IS OPEN… but just for breakfast and lunch. I found this lovely place before a meeting near the Capitol. First, love the throwback neon espresso bar sign welcoming you into the shop. The sandwich board outside is what grabbed me, though: authentic Pinoy dishes in downtown Sac? Sure enough, I not only needed coffee but also a little breakfast. The perfect meal was on the menu: lovely grilled Filipino longanisa sausage, two eggs, and garlic fried rice. The chef and owner, Gina, is super sweet and friendly to regulars and newbies alike, and the place is nicely decorated and clean as a whistle. Great selection of brewed coffees with free refills, and great prices ($ 1.50 for a small coffee is a great deal these days). What else do you need?

I hate buying coffee. I’d rather just make it. But I was please with the espresso. I’m willing to spend my money here occasionally.

Pretty sure this place has closed for good. It has not been open all week… no notice or anything other than their usual «closed» sign in the window.

Excellent mocha, the best strawberry-​banana smoothie I’ve ever had, and customizable breakfast sandwiches with a marvelous chipotle sauce. If I could rate a joint 6/​5, this would be the place.

LOVE this place. First of all their iced chai is world’s better than starbucks. Also their service is amazing. Ordered an iced chai got a regular. I let them know but was going to drink it anyway and they made me a new one but let me keep the old one so they wouldn’t have to dump it. Great Service. Not only that but I left my bagel there one morning and when I came back to pick it up they had it ready for me. This is one of those little known secret kind of places. Definitely check it out !

I was obsessed with their Ceasar salad but they changed owners and now the recipe is different :(does anyone know where the old owner works now?
Other than that it’s a quiet little café with a lot of options. I like it for the couches and peace and quiet.

Great great great. It’s places like this that keeps me loving my city. I’m a huge supporter of local businesses and shops. The service was friendly and fast. The food was great (I had the veggie burger and it was fantastic) the owners were friendly (family owned & operated) can’t wait to spread the word about Espresso Café.

Great service, great coffee, and great scones.
What else do you need?
Plus you are supporting local business by coming here.
I have been a regular customer for 3 years now and each time a cup of perfectly brewed/​blended coffee drink. My favorite is peanut butter mocha, in fact I am sipping on one right now. It is a must try if you like peanut butter!
Winter time I always order dark chocolate mocha– creamy and sweet with just enough coffee.
They have a nice menu for light lunch, I especially like the curry chicken salad or sandwich. Light, creamy, and full of curry flavor!
This place is definitely worth a try if you are visiting, and royalty if you work around downtown.

Our usual morning coffee break involves walking to Starbucks on H and 15, and I never actually order coffee because by the time we go I already have had my cup for the day. So I usually just go for the walk.
After my friends ordered and we sat down and were chatting, the barista comes over and gives me a glass of water and says «I didn’t want you to be without something to drink.» That alone is why I give them 4 stars. I’ve never actually ordered coffee from here, but it’s obvious they want all their patrons to have a pleasant experience.

Love getting daily Chai tea latte! Very personable staff (knew my regular order within a week of me first coming in.) their pastries are always plentiful and delicious, and the best part is they’re walking distance from work!!! Though I would gladly drive to their shop if they weren’t so close. :)

The atmosphere is great and the staff was friendly and welcoming. Red velvet mocha was delicious.

Tall americano short on water is what i ordered. It was good and strong. The expresso they used had good flavor. It was served hot as it should be.
Cashier guy was nice. Relativley quick. As stated they have quite an extensive menu of drinks. They have some food items to nosh if you so desire.
They had the most awesome lamp there. A lady in a red latex suit with a lamp shade for her head holding a cup of coffee. Soooo fucking rad.
Cash only when I was there. Decent spot. I’d go back. My drink was less than $ 3.

Walked to this Espresso bar as it was within walking distance from Hyatt Sacramento. There was no line in the afternoon around 4.30pm and they close around 5pm. Ordered a chocolate banana smoothie which tasted really good, which cost near $ 5 which is kind of pricey. Parking is on the meter.
Staff was friendly and got my order and co-​workers right, no issues and we were on our way.

I used to intern nearby and I would come here to get my morning cup of coffee almost every week. They offer very unique flavors — I’ve tried the peanut butter mocha coffee which was a little too nutty for me but I would highly recommend it for peanut butter lovers. I also had the red velvet cake latte which tasted nothing like red velvet cake but was interesting to say the least. If you’re willing to spend the extra dollar or two than usual, the coffee is strong so if you are like me and need A LOT of caffeine to keep you awake, I’d suggest coming here rather than the pleader of starbucks you can find nearby. I usually order the iced vanilla latte and the flavor has been consistent every time. I’ve had their curry chicken salad and its by far one of the best salads I’ve had. The only complaint I have is that this place does not have wifi.

Killer lunch deals– excellent service. Breakfast pasteries are to die for.

I somehow worked a block from this place, yet it took me nearly a year to realize that this was an excellent morning option.
Located just a block from the Capitol, it’s somehow easy to miss between the multitude of Starbucks, La Bous, etc. While Chicory is a more visible option around the Capitol, this place offers more variety in their beverages, an absurdly friendly staff, and much smaller lines.
First off, their coffee options are absurd. They have about twenty variations on mochas and lattes, approaching the lengthy list that True Love used to offer. For those bored by the normal coffee menu, you will be amused by their many variations, many of which have Capitol-​related names.
They offer a really good breakfast bagel, which allows me an extra 10 – 15 minutes of sleep once in a while. Unlike Starbucks, here you can customize your sandwich, choosing between bagels, meats, cheeses and condiments. I wish they offered sausage (in addition to bacon and turkey), but that’s my only beef (pun totally intended).
For those hoping to find a non-​chain coffee shop that isn’t swamped (like Chicory tends to be at peak hours) this place is definitely worth a try!

The wife had a conference in town so I went looking for a coffee shop to hole up in. 1011 12^th Espresso Bar did not disappoint.
The pumpkin scones are simply perfect. They are not too moist but also not so dry as to suck the coffee out of your mouth before you can enjoy it.
The Espresso is excellent (could use the lemon rind, but not too many places outside of restaurant provide that). I also tried the javaman (coffee with a shot) and unlike other places where I’ve ordered this drink it was truly enjoyable here, not too strong or bitter and it did the job of caffeine injection for my mid-​morning.
Cory and Brian rocked it with their hospitality. My only negative comment would be not enough outlets if you’re looking for a place to «telecommute».

This is more or less what a coffee house should be. The barristas are super friendly and know people’s names and orders, the coffee is good, and the scones are great. They have counter seats so folks who are flying solo don’t hog up the valuable real estate that is a 2 or 4 person table.
– Tall Café Latte: $ 3.05 — Well made.
– Blueberry Scone: $ 2.15 — Excellent. This was almost like the love child of a blueberry muffin and a scone. It was moist and light while still having the flaky texture of a scone.
– Amenities: They have newspapers and magazines lying around so you don’t have to actually buy your own. If you ask they’ll give you a user name and password for the free WiFi. My Mac’s AirPort was having trouble logging on and after about 10 minutes I just gave up and enjoyed my coffee.

I was in downtown for an interview, but I got there early and wanted a coffee shop to fill the gap. A block away (from my interview and pretty much everything — it’s got a good location — right near the capitol park.) I found this shop.
It’s really cute inside, clean and welcoming. The staff is very friendly (depending on your tastes, even perhaps a little over so), to the point where I wondered if it was all for tips, but in the end, decided that yes, they really were that upbeat.
I got a tea and a muffin. The tea was not special, but it wasn’t bad either and the pumpkin muffin was out-​of-​this-​world good. I’ve tried the pumpkin treats at other coffee shops and bakeries and none have measured up.
At this coffee shop I got a welcome greeting, excellent food, caffeine and enough left-​over good will to ace my interview. Not bad for under $ 5. Not bad at all.

LOVE this coffee shop. I’ve been here quite a few times, and I’ve had great experiences every time.
The ambiance is very cozy… small room with a nice fireplace (if you can snag a table near it). The owner works the register frequently, and he supports local artists (like myself) by posting their work on the walls to sell. I don’t see the standard, snide hipsters loitering outside the shop, which is refreshing compared to my other favorite haunts — Old Soul and Weatherstone. Did I mention free WiFi?
As for the drinks, they’re made very well by the equally knowledgeable staff. I had a fantastic cappuccino the last time I was there. Lots of frothy steamed milk on top, and the drink tasted amazing.
It’s a great location downtown, whether you work at the Capitol or any of the surrounding buildings (it’s right next to Gallaghers, and across from the Cathedral building). I highly recommend this place!