Living Room Coffeehouse

I give this place a solid 4 to 4.5 stars for the great food, yummy selection of baked goods and excellent customer service. But what sucks about this place is its patrons. It’s constantly filled with people there to study and buy the least amount of food/​drink possible, and they stay there for hours upon hours. One person taking up a table that can hold up to 4 or 5, and they will never give up even one chair so that you and your boyfriend can squeeze yourselves and your breakfasts onto the tiny 1 person tables that are left over. So annoying.

My first time going. The atmosphere is cute and relaxing. However the food we ordered was not great. I got the garlic chicken bowl. It tasted like a microwaveable meal. A friend ordered the pesto pasta and it also tasted like it was microwaveable. However the coffee is really good. I got the rocky road coffee and it was delicious.

Good, cozy place to study. Not the best food by any means. Tea’s tasty. Coffee drinks are full of sugar, so no thanks.

The living room is a great café for studying, reading, brainstorming, and relaxing. Lots of young people working on start up companies come here to discuss their businesses. You’ll see many study groups sitting together with books and laptops. You’ll also be able to hear highly intelligent conversation between young liberal students with bright heads and ideas. But older folks like this place, as well. There is this one table that always seems occupied by 4 older ladies playing board games or mahjong.
The drinks and food are really good, too. I’ve had their grilled veggie sandwich which is incredibly tasty. The pastries go so very well with their big pots of freshly brewed coffee.
They have a relatively big outside area where you can sit and enjoy the San Diego sun. Staff is always friendly and knowledgeable. It’s definitely my favorite café in all of San Diego!

Long version: Went up twice to tell two different employees the Internet was out. I have a lot of work to do wish I checked the network before I bought my coffee and food. One girl was folding napkins the other wanted to clock out so badly and said sorry I have to clock out soon. SOON?! Isn’t now. It wasn’t busy… Not once did they try to acknowledge the problem didn’t care to fix the issue and kept telling me to forget network and rejoin. Look, I’ve done that and also I happen to be an IT professional don’t tell me that your lame network is working perfectly.
Shot version: Just go to Starbucks you will have consistent FAST reliable internet provider by GOOGLE and they offer everything else. They are always friendly and most importantly attentive.

This is a nice coffee shop in the La Jolla neighborhood. Aside from coffee they have a variety of other drinks and food items. The interior definitely has that laid back coffee shop vibe, exactly what I expect. Kind of old, could use some updated, random tables placed around, and sub-​par wifi speeds. I’m not complaining, I don’t mind the experience. Especially to get away from Starbucks. The location is good, the service was nice to me, and they made me a killer latte. Solid.

This is my new Monday breakfast spot. I have Monday mornings off and now I know how to spend it, though, I would like to try this place at another time of day. The menu is large and appetizing, there is plenty of room to sit and visit or work on things and the coffee is yummy.
I have always received friendly service at this place and I enjoy that it’s right in my community. Living Room has a real neighborhood feel. There are lots of people just enjoying there quiet time. I have noticed that it doesn’t get too loud and the people there are all into working or chatting with others.
I have loved the food that I have ordered. I generally order the breakfast special. It’s a great deal for a large breakfast.
If you are in the area and want some yummy food in a neighborhood restaurant this is the place.

Best tasting Chai Latte I’ve had thus far.
Most places have it watered down or it’s too sweet. But this place makes it at the perfect consistency. Didn’t know a chai latte could be so perfect.
For this I give it 4 stars. The second reason is the ambiance. This two story building is the place where you can sit and chill with your date for hours without feeling guilty. It has dimmer lighting too, and has a cozier feel to it. They open till late at night; yes it’s for those nights when you come in to regain your faith in humanity (through the chai latte of course). I can imagine people talk about philosophy in their couches.

Cute little mom and pop coffee shop popular amongst SDSU students. I was in town visiting a friend who attends SDSU so she brought us here on a Sunday morning to cure our hangovers from the night before :)
Upon entering The Living Room, I felt like I had stepped into someone’s home! The décor was so quaint and cozy. There is free wifi, couches spread throughout and tons of tables both large and small for students to enjoy their meal while studying. Near the register, there is a fish attached to the wall where you can get drinking water from. It’s so cute! Just be sure not to pull the tail, there is a little knob to your left so the water will come out from the fish’s mouth.
Mexicana Skillet: scrambled eggs, beans, ham, tomatoes, avocado, house potatoes topped with cheesy goodness. This dish sounded soooooo delicious but sadly, it wasn’t. BLEH. The potatoes were undercooked… I only enjoyed the avocado and a little bit of the scrambled eggs but the rest of the dish was subpar to say the least.

I love the concept of these living room café places. I just wish it were done better.
WAY overpriced, customer service is non-​existent. If you’re a student, avoid this place unless you want to spend $ 20 for a sandwich and coffee.

Very cute just like a home living room!
Typical with people on laptops and friends chatting away definitely a good place to hang out.
I love that they have Café Moto teas! I could I could taste the coffee mate powdered creamer in the chai tea latte I got but it was still very tasty.

Not the best coffee you’ll find in town. No fancy cold brew, drip coffee, etc., but it’ll do the job. Their baristas work very efficiently, so even you’ll only have to to spend time standing in line but the drinks come out in a jiffy. Plenty of drink options as well as food and pastries (although I’ve never ordered the food there). They do have wifi and plenty of seating inside and out. You’ll likely find plenty of SDSU students hanging out or studying there any day of the week. There is a (tight) parking lot in the back, otherwise there’s some street parking nearby. The shop could use a little sprucing up, but perhaps that adds a bit to the character to the Living Room.

This place does have a lot of menu items and choice. The staff is EXTREMELY friendly.
I still think the coffee is too hot. Sorry, not sorry.
And I still always have trouble finding seating (and parking…) can’t these students share a table? I like sitting outside but it’s dusty looking for a patio and there are a lot of flies. Kind of shabby out there.
Also, so I normally never order a Chai or Chai latte. Anywhere I usually go typically serves big train powdered Chai but not these guys. It’s an actual Chai latte and it’s hella good.
And the coffee is good once it cools down, but why does it have to be 180 degrees?
But once again, such a helpful staff. Pretty on top of it if I do say so myself. I feel like I’m that guy that always has to ask the dumb questions about their chai or where they get their bagels from or of they’re related to the one in La jolla (and they use to be) but the girls were more than happy to tell me about the business. Seeing workers who are happy about the business and what it offers shows me sincerity in the ownership.
Even tho I can never find parking here, I’ll probably come by again haha

Seemingly low-​key spot with great food menu items and an assortment of coffee drinks and tea. Food is definitely on the cheaper side and tastes decent, but definitely just OK. For instance, I ordered Belgian waffles with strawberries on top. While I was grateful for the lack of strawberry syrup for their ‘strawberry topping’ component (it sometimes make waffles way too sweet), the waffles themselves were just way too simple to be anything extraordinary. I do respect the simplicity of the waffles since they were very cheap and definitely filled me up though. My friend’s omelet looked excellent though and was decently sized, so I’d recommend getting one versus anything else if you’re going for food.
It is a ‘coffeehouse’ though, so I’d stick to their coffee and tea. I got the special for the day — a Vanilla Latte of some sort. It came out right away after ordering with the cashier (who was very friendly and sociable) and I enjoyed it immensely. Also pleasantly and conveniently strong. I’m sure the SDSU students appreciate this very much!
Drinks and food are definitely cheap here… not sure how much each item was but my coffee and waffles came out to just over $ 9!
Chill spot and definitely lives up to it’s name… décor is pretty much old furniture from a livingroom. While many hipsters may find this charming, I do not always… the ripped couch in the main sitting area looked groddy (trying not to sound pretentious here, but come on!).

The only reason why I’m giving it four stars is because I had a chocolate cheesecake and i only ate ¼th of it (and i LOVE cheesecake).
However, my boyfriend loved the blueberry pie, that was a good thing.
This is our first time back in a while and definitely glad I made the choice to come back and make this our spot. I had a chai tea and he had a dirty chai tea which was made to perfection.
we love the atmosphere and will continue coming back.

For some reason I find it’s easy to review a place you’ve been to once or twice, but more difficult to review one where you have been hundreds of times. We have been going to the Living Room Café since 1997. Sometimes we will go several times in a month, sometimes a few months go by between visits. A lot of this is dependent whether SDSU is in session or not. More about this later. The food has always been consistently good, well cooked using fresh ingredients. Mostly we go there for the breakfasts, Omelets, French Toast, Pancakes are all good and most breakfasts are accompanied by their delicious fried potatoes, in-​house baked bread and fruit. I like the Mexican Breakfast Skillet: Fried Eggs with Ham, Swiss Cheese, Fried Poatoes and Avocados over tomatoes and Black Beans. What a meal! The Living Room is one of the few places I order Coffee because they select good beans, grind fresh and serve fresh. (This is coming from a man who will not drink Starbucks Coffee). The servings are large for both food and coffee and the service is always friendly. Their pastries are excellent. I would go so far as to say they serve the best Butter Croissants in town.
Everything good so far, the best part is the comfort and ambiance. Whether you sit inside or out, it’s a comfortable place to sit and read. We always bring books and/​or magazines, and often sit there for hours reading. There seems to be an unwritten law that people keep the conversations low so others can read or study. Few other places are like this. There is no piped in music or unwelcome noise. Outside under the shady trees it’s like an oasis and El Cajon Blvd. is only a few feet away.
We go there mostly in the Summer, or during Winter or Spring Break when SDSU is not in session as the Living Room is very popular with students. No surprise, good food, decent prices, great place to study, close to campus…
Anyway, love the Living Room!

Typically I wait until I’m home to write one of these things but I simply can’t wait on this one. Tonight was hands down one of the best meals I’ve had so far this year.
Now. I’ve been coming to this place for over seven years. Yes seven. I would curl up on the couch and get lost in my studies. I even wrote an entire novel nestled in a nook in the back corner of the café. Their hot white chocolate is what clouds in heaven are made of. Mmm mmm mmm delicious. This place never fails. Never. And tonight is no exception.
I brought the boyfriend along to get a little work done and to treat him to dinner. He had the chicken and mushroom over rice and I opted for goat cheese with ciabatta pesto and sundried tomato (not on the menu but a special of the day). Oh. And a bowl of fruit. Because their fruit is the freshest.
This was the best goat cheese appetizer I have ever had. Ever. I typically loathe tomatoes touching any part of my plate but these were so flavorful. I ate more of the tomatoes than the goat cheese! The sadest part of the meal was running out of bread. I’m still holding onto the bowl debating about ordering a side of toast. As far as the boyfriend? The chicken melts in your mouth and the sauce (almost a mushroom gravy?) was amazing even on its own.
My only complaint is how packed this place can get. Tonight was far more mellow than I’ve seen. But I think the seventeen year old within me is yearning for the days when this place was still a hidden gem. It’s certainly a gem but the cat is out of the bag on this one. All in all. The living room is the cat’s meow. Even if you hate cats. This place is seriously awesome.
Oh. And the ladies who run this place are seriously the sweetest. Fill that tip jar folks. Their TLC is the reason we keep coming back.

I come here to study mostly and it’s great for that. Seating inside us very comfortable couches, sofa chairs, and tables. Lots of seating in the outdoor patio. The food is average with a few items is like, the gyro and fried rice. The sandwiches aren’t worth ordering. However the coffee is amazing! My favorite is a dirty chai latte, favorite in San Diego. The smoothies are pretty good as well. The desserts are great especially the bread pudding which is a very generous size. The staff is very friendly and quick.
The parking here is pretty bad and it’s sometimes hard to get a table inside so plan accordingly

I love this place.
First impression is that it is crazy cute with it’s outdoor seating and little patio which is dog friendly. It is super tucked away and is a total gem. Tons of tables and outlets, my new favorite place to study. The workers are nice and to top it off you get your complimentary water right of the mouth of a fish fountain. :D
The food looks cheaply priced too, Belgium breakfast for $ 4.95 is what I have my eye on for next time. ;) And 70 cents house coffee say what?
Parking is problematic though since they have a small parking lot, but there is always 2 hour street parking also

Great place to grab a coffee, a pastry & either work, read or have a nice conversation.
They actually do sell breakfast, lunch & dinner in case you’re hungry. They have an amazing selection of cold and hot drinks– coffees, frappes, teas etc. Pastries are pretty good.
They offer inside and outside seating & free Wifi which of course is always a plus if you’re a student. If you’re not use to being in SDSU area just know it can get a little crowded & parking can be hard to find.
Use to come here to do hw as a student but now just come bc it’s a down to earth spot with good eats. Highly recommend!