Broadway Coffee

When did this place shut down?
3.5 stars! This place was a little small but it was a nice, cozy coffee shop on the busy Convoy street. The lady working there was so nice and friendly– something that is never guaranteed with Asian places!
I just ordered an iced coffee with a little milk. Not bad. It was pretty crowded when I went so I’m wondering what they’ll replace it with.

I came here looking for a less crowded café, and it was completely empty. SCORE! Broadway Coffee is a smaller establishment with fun wallpaper of European storefronts, and there’s a plethora of tables with plenty of outlets.
I ordered a double green tea latté which was frothy and smooth, a delicious alternative to my usual ice vanilla latté. The price higher than Starbucks, which is already overpriced, so I’ll have to order something more budget-​friendly in the future.
There’s a $ 5 credit card minimum, which the owner graciously waived: a huge customer service plus! I would have given a fourth star, but the wi-​fi wasn’t working that day.

Tom helped me and my co-​organizer host over a dozen Meetup events, from 2009 to 2010.
Whether we had 5 or 25 people coming, he’d set up a reserved section for us an hour before every event. Tom even brought out extra chairs and took orders for late and unexpected arrivals.
Tom gave us a 100% reliable venue, freeing us to take care of the members at our personal development workshops. At least two other Meetup groups (SD Japanese and Culture Meetup, SD Hacker News) are current regulars at Broadway Coffee.
Thanks, Tom!

This place suffers from the Yin Yang factor as far as the owners go.
Yin — If a Korean women is running the place, you can expect very polite and accommodating service. She will bring the menu to you were you sit ala restaurant-​style so you can sit down and get to business right away, be it studying or what-​have-​you.
Yang — If a bald Korean man is running the place, you will need to order your drinks from him at the cashiers counter as he won’t engage you at the tables. Also if you are there for a long time (usually 2+ hours) he may want you to leave. So be forewarned.
The chairs are good. The décor is satisfactory.
On last thing that can be taken as a direct shot of unwelcoming to your potential patron veins — multiple warning sign postings of the shops policies abound. Try not to break them.

I was in the area and craving some caffeine, so I took out my handy dandy droid, searched on the Unilocal app and found this place. It was close by, so I decided to check it out.
Ehhh, it’s not the cutest coffee shop that I’ve been to… Actually, I thought the décor was kind of cheesy with a painted wall mural of what looks like Parisian coffee shops and streets, but whateves, I can be a cheesy person, so I will let it slide. I’ll say that this place has very very comfortable chairs. So, if you need a place to camp out, get free wi-​fi, and sit for extended periods of time. This might be somewhere you want to be.
As for the coffee… I ordered a chai latte, which I thought was a bit too sweet for me (and mind you, I have a high sweet tolerance). And also ordered a piece of tiramisu cake, which wasn’t amazing at all… tasted like something store bought.
As for the service. well, I don’t usually expect much from coffee shops, b/​c you typically just order and they make it for you. However, this guy (whom I’m guessing is the owner) was a bit indifferent and not super friendly. After making my drink, he went outside for a smoke. So, there you go. Hah.
In conclusion, I don’t plan on becoming a regular b/​c 1) I don’t live around here and 2) this place just didn’t capture my caffeinated tastebuds.

Good: Quiet, great place to study or work, cute wall decoration, free wi-​fi, drinks are pretty good, comfy chairs.
Bad: Free wi-​fi only lasts 3 hours, they don’t have boba or soy milk option.

This is my first review, but this café infuriated me so much that I honestly hope others are saved from a terrible experience.
I will never come back here. This is a review NOT based on the food or drinks here but entirely on the TERRIBLE way we were treated.
Studying for a state exam is stressful enough, but receiving the kind of treatment by the owner of this café pissed me off even more throughout the day.
I walked in with a banana and my backpack with my friend at 2:00PM in the afternoon, generally planning to study and be a customer for the next 10 or so hours. Noticing that there were only outlets on the walls in the far back and the tables were relatively tiny, we asked the owner whether we could move the tables together. He didn’t say a word, threw us a glare and pointed one of the 7 – 10 signs on the counter. The most prominent of which said «No outside food or drink.»
I told him «I’m sorry, Ill take my banana outside but can we move the tables». Again, he pointed to the sign and said «READ IT.» We asked him about 4 times before he finally yelled at us «NO, THIS SIGN HERE SAYS YOU CANT MOVE THE TABLES.» While he had been pointing at the «no outside food sign», the sign next to it prohibited moving tables in a small font which we could barely make out.
The gist is, don’t be a dick to your customers who are just asking an innocent question. This guy purposely went out of his way to piss us off by refusing to simply tell us «oh our store policy prohibits moving tables.» The lesson I took away from this place is «no you can’t change anything and dont ask questions, make sure you read every sign in this store before you sit down.»
End story, we talked it over loudly to express our dissatisfaction, my friend said that he didnt have to be such a jerk and we walked out. You are horrible at customer service Broadway Café and I will DEFINITELY NOT come back.
EDIT**: I told my room mate about this and he informed me he had the EXACT same issue several months ago and has never gone back. Save yourself a headache and don’t go here.

I went here yesterday for the first and last time.
Service by the owner was horrible, with so much attitude.
I asked what is in their panini and he proceeded to tell me meat chess and bread… that’s what a panini is!?!
I know what a panini is, but I wondered if they put mayo or pickles in it… totally rude.
The place has a 2 hour limit on their wi-fi…I was hoping to find a place to study that wasn’t too loud, and it was… but the food and the service was sooo sub-​par that I am never returning.
I invited 2 friends to join me and they were so disappointed in the establishment too!
Save you money and use it elsewhere because you will not feel like your business is appreciated.

This review is based on mainly the service because it was bad enough to make me not return. I came upon this place with a google search looking for somewhere to study with a few friends. This café is definitely study friendly. We walked in with a bunch of people studying inside.
All of us ordered a drink out of courtesy. Two of my friends got tea while I got a smoothie for my Gf and I because the teas looked lacking. The problem started to arise when we wanted to move two tables together so all four of us had room to do work. I’ll admit I didn’t see their tiny sign near the cashier asking students not to move the tables but out of no where, one of the male workers (I’m assuming co-​owner) tells us from across the whole café from where we were not to move the tables, how he doesn’t want people, ESPECIALLY students, moving the tables because how would other incoming customers have somewhere to sit. This whole lecture spanned for a good few minutes, which could have been condensed in two short sentences. During this whole time we were apologizing politely and nodding our heads while we moved the table back quickly, but he was still lecturing us.
Fuck we get it, we’re college students that made a simple mistake, I mean I understand this probably happens often but we’re still customers and that doesn’t look good when you’re making a scene in front of other customers at your café. If it happens that often, the sign should be bigger and more obvious. Anyway whatever that’s done right? No.
Apparently they don’t provide free unlimited wifi. It’s just free for the first 2 hours and an additional 2 dollars for the following hours. Ok we’ll just leave in two hours. I go up to the counter asking what I needed to log into their Internet because there’s a code required. I talk to the lady working (also assumed as the other co-​owner) to avoid drama. But nope, lecture number two. The guy butts in again to help me, giving me a ticket and telling me it’s only for 2 hours and I’ll have to pay if I want to be online longer. I agreed and asked for another ticket for my Gf, he then lectures me that it’s only one per person per computer or it won’t work blah blah. Geez fuck off I get it, it’s on your login page too so obviously I must have read it to know I had to go up to ask for a code. And I saw you looking over my shoulder at where my friends were sitting so you noticed two laptops were there. This lecturing bullshit is totally unnecessary. Service usually doesn’t matter to me but this shit was uncalled for. My friend’s and I aren’t dressed like a bunch of Gs either, just normal college dressed kids.
Anyway, strawberry smoothie was alright. My friend’s green tea tasted like water. My other friend said his was ok. Drinks were about 4 – 5 each for a full glass (except smoothie was in a wine like glass).
Whatever drinks, chill atmosphere, exceptional service from the lady, bullshit service from the guy. I wouldn’t return.

One thing sets Broadway Coffee apart from all the other coffee shops I’ve been to in San Diego– the chairs. They’re actually very, very comfortable and relatively new-​looking. Unlike many other coffeeshops where you’re likely to have a chair that’s falling apart, uncomfortable, or covered with all stains, this is a good place to get work done without blowing out your back.
The wifi seems to be limited at 2 hours, which is a good thing from a productivity standpoint as it forces you to get what you need to do done quickly and not get too distracted.
Prices are fairly high for most things, but there are some ways to get around that. For instance, while the teas can be pretty highly priced, you can get free hot water refills. Get a pot of tea and that can easily last you 3 – 4 pots, which is excellent for compulsive tea-​drinkers like myself. Drinks are pretty good, but not extraordinarily so. Avoid the food like the paninis– can get more, better food for better prices elsewhere.
Music selection always seems to be some kind of jazzish remixes of popular classical music pieces, which can get annoying.
Occasionally you’ll get big loud groups come by (once, a large collection of people came inside, ordered buckets of ice cream, closed all the blinds, and then gorged), but most of the times that I’ve been this place has been near-​deserted.

I decided to come here spontaneously because I heard from a friend about how this place has really good shaved ice. I got lucky with parking but it may be hard to find a parking spot since it’s in the same plaza as Chopstix.
My first visit here — I was the only customer along with a friend. The owner came in to take our order after he saw us going in the shop. The owner seemed like a really nice and friendly guy. I got the Green Tea shaved ice and my total came out to be a bit more than $ 7! I paid with card and just a disclaimer, there is a service fee if you use debit/​credit card without a minimum purchase of $ 5.
I really liked the décor and ambiance of the shop. The music was really nice in the background and the chairs were comfortable, overall a good place to study. There is also free wifi for customers only, just ask the owner for the password.
I received my shaved ice and was disappointed. First of all, it was small. I’ve paid about $ 7 for shaved ice before at Tea Station and it was a huge bowl — enough to share with at least 4 other people. I only shared with one other person and it definitely didn’t feel like it was enough considering how expensive it was. Second, the fruits were frozen. I expected them to be more fresh but I think what he did was that he chopped up the fruit in advance the day of and placed them in the freezer. Third, I did not like the consistency of the shaved ice. It wasn’t fine enough for my liking and it was just gritty ice balls that were left in your mouth after you absorbed all the green tea flavoring and syrup from the shaved ice.
Overall — I would not recommend this place for shaved ice. The portions are extremely tiny. The fruits are not freshly cut. The ice isn’t fine enough and I wish there was just a bit more OOMPH in the shaved ice. I haven’t tried anything else from the menu, but from first impression of the shaved ice, I’m not much of a fan.

After ramen at Chopstix we headed next door to this café/​music lounge which had a cute French theme going on. Funny how some of the previous reviews describe the male owner as rude and whatnot, cos I thought I got a little attitude there when I asked if they featured Korean musicians. He responded with a sort of high-​and-​mighty voice, «American music. Jazz.» Anyway, that’s how I remember that little awkward exchange.
He was pretty cordial when our drinks were brought to our table, though.
My green tea latte was ok. A bit more powdery-​tasting than what I usually get at Starbucks.
Outlets abound, I’ve noticed. I didn’t have to use any of them, though.

Writing this from in the café. I ordered a green tea ice cream shake and it was the best I’ve had in SD. It was smooth, blended expertly, and the flavor didn’t overpower. Green tea is one those flavors that wasn’t really meant to be an ice cream flavor but does so exceptionally well when it’s very subtle or extremely sweet (meaning doesn’t really taste like green tea).
I came here to work. This place has free internet with the internet code being posted prominently on the side of the front counter. The place stayed dead for most of the time I was here. The lady working here was very kind. The place seems well decorated on the look. Functionally, the high back seats have a small ridge protruding mid-​back that make them uncomfortable. The tables are small enough that it’d be troublesome for 2 people to study at the same table and for 1 person to be actively using more that 2 books/​laptops. Classical music played the entire time I was here so I didn’t need to put on headphones to focus.
I’d return to have a nice evening chat or to grab a green tea shake and run. I’ll probably look elsewhere for working/​studying.

we all know that disclaimer, «we have the rights to refuse services», but the male owner seems to choose his service attitude based on whether you are Korean or White or neither of those. Should you call that racial discrimination? heck yes.
I have been there 3 times, twice for studying. On the third occasion, I walked into the shop and took a paper copy of the menu because I wanted to wait an hour before ordering, and I let the guy behind that counter know so. So I set it on a table. When he came over delivering a drink to my friend, he said to me not to waste his paper if I am not going to order. What part of «I wanna wait» did he not understand? I told him I will put it back once I order, but seriously, I thought about going up to him, rip that paper apart and ask him «send me a copy and I’ll print you more».
Later in the evening, 2 Korean-​speaking customers walked in and he started to chat it up with them, sharing things on his phone, etc. The guy even spilled his drink, and what was this man’s reaction? Hospitality. I was furious but kept my cool — his racial prejudice is beyond my anticipation.
The music and the quietness was the only thing I appreciated about the place (the place is apparently RARELY busy). The internet kicked me off. So to top it all off with this rude, choosy attitude, I am sure not going back again to spend my $ just to feed his Korean pride and racial intolerance. He can keep it till he parts with the world.

I really love this place. I rate it 4.3 stars actually. From the first time I went there, a little over a month ago, I instantly fell in love with it. I had just returned from a trip to Japan where I absolutely adored the culture of sincerity and kindness which manifested itself immensely throughout every café and restaurant I visited. In many of the common coffee shops and cafes I frequented, the employees cared so much more about their service and took a lot more time and care in preparing each drink just to ensure their integrity.
Broadway Café is not a Japanese café, but it feels very much the same as being in Japan. The owners are a kind Korean couple whose sincerity and attention to detail provides such a refreshment in choices of coffee shops, in a society overrun by Starbucks cafes. I do like Starbucks at times, but this is a true mom and pop café and it’s hard not to appreciate the beauty of a good small business and its distinct charm.
Actually, I come here to study because there are a number of comfortable tables with high backed chairs and there’s just a certain peace I find in this place. The music isn’t loud, there isn’t a constant distraction of noisy chattering and coffee grinding in the background. Nope, this place is calm, peaceful and is quite conducive to getting work done. BTW, they have free wireless and the Hot Chocolate and Hot Chai Latte is also really good. You do need to bring cash or else there’s a min $ 5 credit card purchase.

Come here if you have extremely low expectations.
I came here to study and it’s extremely stuffy. No air conditioning, no air filtering, and it’s just gross-​feeling. The owner is only nice to you if you know him or speak his language. Sorry, but it’s true.
Apparently, you can’t use a card unless you spend at least 5 dollars. I bought a drink for like $ 2.50. I WAS going to see what else I could order but the owner just took my card, did the transaction, and had the nerve to tell me to write another 2.50 amount in the tip section. Okay, so 100% tip for no reason? Just a crappy Chai Tea Latte and crappy service? SO UNPROFESSIONAL. That was a disgusting move on his part.
I was in the midst of my finals and had no energy to start a petty argument with him. So what did I do? Walk out the door before I went crazy and never to return again. He can take that $ 2.50!

Ever on the quest for the best study spot in SD, I stumbled upon favorable reviews for Broadway Coffee and decided to give it a go on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
The place is small, but comfy with Parisian inspired wallpaper and comfy high back linen chairs. The whole front of the store is comprised of windows so natural light spills in. Nothing I hate more than trying to study in a dark hole of a coffee shop. Outlets line the walls making this a perfect place to study, it’s never crowded or boisterous and the music playing is not unbearably loud.
I ordered an English Breakfast tea and while the tea snob in me flinched at the supermarket tea bag, the tea tasted fine and got the job done. There are loose leaf teas available here — Chinese and Korean teas — so maybe I’ll try those next time. I’m just a bit obsessed with English Breakfast tea with some raw sugar and splash of milk.
It’s tucked in one of the many strip malls dotted along Convoy, right after the shopping center that houses Dumpling Inn and the wonderful Korean Market where I buy bulgogi.
Parking can be tricky since the lot is VERY small. But I came in at 1:30ish on a Saturday and parked right in front. It’s really hit or miss depending on the hour.
The only thing I didn’t like was the size of the tables in the place. The little circular tables are better sized for a couple people having drinks and some food. I realize that not all coffee houses are here to cater to my studying habits so if you like to spread out your books, papers, and laptop while you study, then this may not be the place for you (law students take note). I was able to fit my laptop, a small stack of papers, a tea, and small book on the table relatively comfortably so by no means is table size a deal breaker for me. I probably wouldn’t sit in here if I needed to do some serious outlining for exams though.
Overall, a good place, with free wifi and student friendly. And hey, it sure beats Starbucks.

I feel a little sorry for this great place. It’s hidden in one of these gray strip malls facing an even more gray parking lot. Broadway Coffee deserves a front spot! Here’s why:
— European-​styled décor gives you a warm and unique welcome as soon as you enter
— most likely you will be greeted politely by the Asian owners
— they seem to care about your drinks and food, given the fact it takes a while for them to prepare but I don’t mind as long as the quality’s fine
— I tried french coffee, Thai tea with boba, loose tea and Chinese black tea, every order was delicious and carefully prepared
— good variety on the menu (regular coffee, lattes, iced drinks, milk shakes, granitas, smoothies, shaved ice, paninis, sandwiches, and all sorts of tea (Chinese, Korean, Japanese)).
— again, the owners are very friendly and polite. I’ve heard that the guy sometimes plays the piano which is located in the back
Great atmosphere, a really really nice place to hang out. Free wifi, of course!

So I’m not quite ready to focus on my strategic restructuring for the following work week that’s on top of the gazillion other things that’s running through my mind. So instead, here I sit, bopping my head to jazz music, and chomping away at the chicken salad that was graciously served to me.
I also wonder why I haven’t written about any other coffee shops as I frequent them.
Well, I ended up here cause I knew I had work I needed to get to but didn’t want to go home yet as I knew I had a late pending appt not too far from this area. So, I Unilocaled.
Parking is a little rough, location is very hidden. It is shadowed by all the Asian eateries and other little strip malls that surrounds Convoy.
I walk in, it’s a bit empty except for the owner who kindly walked up and offered me a menu (yea, it’s a coffee shop), and a gentleman who’s typing away on his laptop. But it is Monday, late afternoon, so most people are at their «regular office» jobs. Place is very quaint. Tables and chairs are pretty dinner table-​ish looking, but each one just big enough to lay your laptop on and chairs are comfy enough to sit on for a good few hours.
It being almost 2pm and no lunch… I’m hungry. I ordered a chicken salad. Nothing fancy. hey, it’s 4 bucks and the bowl is lunch portion appropriate. Yeah, it’s nice to have your food served with real silverware. It sure beats the plastic box and utensils, and packet of ranch I’d get at S***b***s! Also, I was amazed at how much chicken it had. I could barely see the bed of lettuce it was sitting on! That’s a good thing. I mean when does it happen that you are forking around your bowl. looking for more lettuce to bite in with your chicken? Isn’t it usually the other way around?
With the way the economy is right now, if I must go eat and drink out, I rather try to give my hard to earn $ to a local business. And this one earns it!
Ahem…freee wifi! Just that is worth the $ 4. Office space is not at all ever that cheap, even by the hour.

Hidden away in the middle of a secluded plaza on Convoy, Broadway Coffee is a decent departure from the hubbub of yogurt and boba across the street. I dropped in this evening for a friends’ networking event and pulled up to the table where I was greeted by the kindly couple who owned the little café. Sensing that not ordering anything would be in bad form, I decided to try one of their actual food items since very few of their drinks were actually caffeine free.
The menu was relatively sparse, but I decided to try their turkey panini with provolone and a side salad. I went in not really expecting much since it’s sort of a random café in these parts and the combination lived up to that expectation. The sandwich was unsubstantially small and the salad was just an unimpressive medley of the basics, sort of like this review.
I probably didn’t give Broadway Coffee a fair review since I didn’t actually order anything to drink. However, considering that the food was totally lackluster, I don’t really put much stock in their coffee driving up their rating here. I have heard that their desserts are actually quite good, but I doubt any of the items were actually made on site since they seemed to lack most of the facilities to do so. While it may be a relaxed little venue for a networking group, I think I will find my dinner elsewhere.
Food: ⁶⁄₁₀
Service: ⁷⁄₁₀
Price: $
Atmosphere: ⁷⁄₁₀