Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery

Was a fan in SF and still a fan in SD. Love the priority pick up – can order my food from anywhere via my phone and pick it right up! If only parking was a little easier… I always think I’m going to hit my car on the ticket-​taker in the parking garage…

Consistently slow and poorly made food. Other locations of this (Irvine Co?) owned in office building deli/​restaurant offer more consistently made food and speed. On numerous occasions have ordered food here with no one in line and the place half empty and then wait 15 minutes for a cold sandwich. The cashier says sorry, they are making catering orders. Why doesn’t management hire enough staff to not screw over a casual lunch patron with a long wait in a mostly empty store? This has happened more than 3 times. You have some nerve placing those ipads there and then not having enough chefs (or fast or competent chefs) to complete the order in a timely manner. The message is the client isn’t important. Seems like poor management.

One of my absolute favorite places as a café to study at! Since I live so close, it’s really convenient to walk over and typically there aren’t that many people there. Most the people there are usually business people on lunch break it seems. It’s got great natural lighting (I’m a huge stickler for this, it helps with productivity and energy), is pretty quiet, and free wifi. There’s a lot of tables and outlets to work with, as well as it’s generally pretty clean.
Unfortunately, Specialty’s open hours is the biggest downside — they’re only open til about 5:30pm or 6pm and closed on weekends :(Aside from that, the prices for drinks (Peet’s) is kinda expensive for the amount and quality you get.

Specialtys? Omg how can I forge to review their COOKIES???
If anyone hasn’t tried their cookie, please splurge and try it. I know it’s like 3 dollars but it is sooooo good and sooooooooooooo bad for you at the same time. I always get their semi-​sweet chocolate chips. It is just right soft, buttery, sweet, and just perfect with every bite.
Try some of their soups and I like a few, thai curry soup and chicken tortilla soup are my top 2. Sandwiches are not too bad. My favorite would have to be BBQ Chicken.
I feel like their salads are MEH for such a high price.
Overall, you pay for convenient but if you are willing to walk across the street to UTC food court then you have way more choices!

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE award.
Yesterday there was a mix up in their high tech iPad system, they comped my meal and when I came back, they remembered me and comped it again! Great people! Completely redeemed experience!

The pastries are great. However the service at the Peets coffee shop located at 4370 La Jolla Village drive… Also run by specialties is horrendous… Takes forever to get a drink… Always under staffed.
I’ll often watch people walk out pissed off because the service is so slow… I think me and my guys will start getting coffee on the way to work… It just takes to long to get served.

Only tried their cookies but that cookie is something!
Nicely baked, super soft and serve hot!
The only thing is that their cookies are kinda pricey and sweet but still pretty good!

So you can take that cookie
And stick it up your, yeah!
Stick it up your, yeah!
Stick it up your, yeah!
What do you want me to say? Warmed baked cookies right up front when you order. I’ve gotta get me one of those. Of course the cookie never makes until dessert, you know, it’s sitting in that bag being warm and all. First you pick off one small piece, then a second… By the time your coaster pager lights up your fingers are all coved in melted chocolate.
— Lots of «bird watching» going on, if you know what I’m talking about.
— Sandwiches are clean, fresh, and at times too big for one sitting.
— Coke Zero
— Sandwich + cookie + drink will set you back almost $ 15.

Sandwiches are gourmet, soups are on point however they have the «Why Wait» slogan. My time is much more valuable than too sit around waiting for food. Long review short, they take forever. So long today I had to pay for parking. I wasn’t going too back my car up and park again for $ 1.25 validation. Later specialty’s taking my biz elsewhere.

You come here for one real reason. It is one of 2 places very close walking distance from work. It’s about convenience.
On Monday of this week, I walked over only to have them tell me they were not making sandwiches that day because they were under staffed. Really? Ok. Went to Eddy M’s.
Wednesday I walked over and they were out of pagers (happens frequently) and it took 35 minutes for them to make my single sandwich. The ordering area was packed with people scrambling as they had to get back to work — the whole room had been waiting that long.
The food isn’t that great. There is no reason to wait like we are at Lucha Libre or Phils BBQ. It’s just a sandwich shop for corporate America. You know, for business people who’s time is money.
Fix the service issues and stop acting like you’re the only game in town.

I have yet to try the real food here, so my review is based solely on the cookies and environment.
The cookies here are freshly baked, and you can actually taste the difference! Make sure to ask for them to be heated up if you’re going a little bit later in the afternoon though.
The environment here is really peaceful and clean. It’s a great place to meet someone but also to study. I love studying here because it’s relatively quiet, and there are nice, big tables with plenty of outlets. There is also a cute, small garden right outside so it’s a perfect place for a brief study break!
Parking is really the only issues here as it’s only validated for 1.5 hr. But there is some parking relatively nearby, but just be prepared to walk a little bit.

Last time I make this mistake. Used to come all the time, but no longer seems to be able to get food out accurately or on time. I’m moving over to Corner Street in UTC mall.

I have been to specialtys before but never wrote a review on it! I went today with some coworkers and ordered a breakfast sandwich with eggs, bacon, avocado and mozzarella. As usual it tasted amazing my only issue was there was a little too much grease as the bread was starting to sog. However I am a big fan as despite that small hiccup it still tastes amazing and full of flavor.

Really good quality food. Corporate location. I wish it was open during the weekends. I go there regularly for soups n sandwiches. Lot of custom options.

After discovering this place was practically within walking distance from where I live and gawking over the cookie pictures on here, I decided to wander over to Specialty’s today for lunch. It’s not the easiest place to find since its tucked away among many business buildings but after a little searching you’ll likely stumble upon it. It’s in a gated parking lot like much of the lots around it, but if you take your ticket inside, they will validate it for you right away! The design of the place is nothing special, not much character but very clean and open with mainly a business-​professional crowd from the surrounding buildings. I came here to get some studying in since I had read they had free Wifi but soon discovered their Wifi is down for the moment which was a slight bummer. The food selection is comparable to Panera — soups, salads, baked goods, and a large selections of sandwiches (they have different levels of sandwiches at different prices).
I opted for a walnut chocolate chip cookie and the turkey pesto sandwich. Staying true to my morals, I went for the cookie first and on the spot went into a cookie coma. This thing was out of this world! Perfectly salty, sweet, crunchy chewy, the chocolate was still somehow melty and the middle was slightly under-​baked just how I love it. At this point I didn’t care how the sandwich turned out because I was already hooked! The turkey pesto sandwich was atop homemade ciabatta and adorned with spinach, red bell peppers, pickles (which I found a little odd so I took out), hearty pesto, muenster cheese and what seemed like a mayo or aioli. The basil pesto was fresh, and the cheese was perfectly melted on the turkey to the point where it got a little crunchy on the ends (my favorite!). What really distinguished this from any other turkey pesto witch I’ve had was the homemade bread; I could really tell how fresh it was and it made all the difference. The only downside was I felt it was a little pricy for a regular sized sandwich (totaling a little over 8 dollars… give me a break I’m a poor college student) and did not come with any side whatsoever so it felt a tad incomplete. But considering they are catering towards business professionals in the area, it makes sense and I already am looking forward to my next Specialty’s experience. Homemade café food done right!

Location:
When I was younger, my sister took me to the Specialty’s bakery in downtown San Jose, and I fell in love! It was such a pleasant surprise that there’s one not too far from my new school. The bakery is in a really unusual place, especially if you’re on foot. It’s literally in the corner, but in order to get there, you need to walk either around the business building behind it or the parking lot in front of it.
Atmosphere:
Because Specialty’s is surrounded by so many business buildings, the crowd consists of several 30-​something year old business men and women. There are more than enough tables, and there are more than enough outlets at each table for people with chargers. Headphones are useful if you want to focus, as the several conversations that went on were rather overwhelming in my opinion.
Food/​drinks:
I had the Turkey, Apple, Brie, and Bacon sandwich, but I wouldn’t order it again. The sandwich was really greasy, and oil was actually dripping onto my homework.
The Chicken Cesar Salad was ok, but the plastic fork they provide is so small that it proves very difficult to actually eat the salad.
The number one reason I’d return to this location is, without a doubt, their cookies! The milk chocolate chip cookie is my definition of the perfect cookie. It was soft, chewy, fresh-​baked, and the milk chocolate melted in my mouth, ahhhhh. I ordered the semi-​sweet chocolate chunk to compare the two main chocolate chip cookies but they gave me a peanut butter instead. I still ate it but it was no chocolate chip cookie. I bought my friend a snickerdoodle and he said it was too dough-​y.
Hoping for a sweet, creamy drink, I order the Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte. I definitely got the creamy part, and then some more creamy. This was basically green tea flavored cream. The cup was still three quarters full by the time I gave up on it.

I found this place by accident because I searched on Unilocal for a cinnamon bun. Unilocal sent me to Specialty’s Café. I was not disapointed. This place is tucked away in a business park and not visible from the street. It is a spacious café which serves mostly business people from the surrounding buildings. What I liked most about it was that it has a nice ambience. Some tables sit next to a green belt that draw you in. The perfect place to have a quiet lunch with someone special. The sandwiches are great and the cinnamon bun was good too.

Every so often, my coworkers all have a craving to hit up this place hidden in an interesting industrial maze on the corner of Genesee and Executive Drive. Finding it can be a bit difficult but is pretty well worth it. There is also free wifi here so you can definitely get some work done if needed.
The Restaurant — Upon entrance, you will have receive a ticket to have your parking validated. The parking is a bit tight but manageable. Twice I have gone and the there seems to be spaces to spare. Inside, you will find that the restaurant is actually quite roomy with lots of tables and chairs and even a lounging area by a fireplace and TV. When you come in, you can order via the electronic screens or at the register. I prefer the old fashion way honestly. Once your order is done, the square buzzer you received will be given the gift of life and annoy you enough to trade it in for your meal.
Food — First time I went to specialty’s, I ordered their Hot Pastrami. It was pretty good for just a regular sandwich with pastrami meat. Second time, I went all out for the gourmet Turkey, Brie, Apple & Bacon sandwich and it was bomb! I had my doubts on the apple but it worked for me. The rest of the sandwich is a delicious blend of turkey, bacon, cheese and vegies. I paired my sandwich with their excellent clam chowder and I got a very very good meal.
Overall, this place is excellent as long as I don’t frequent it too often. While the sandwiches are quite good, they are on the pricey side for what you get. Depending on how long you stay, you may need to pay a tiny bit extra to leave the parking lot. This can easily result in a $ 15-​$ 20 lunch trip and honestly, that is a bit much.

Hidden gem that most of those people whom do not partake in the UTC 9 to 5 would not be aware of. Highly polished and professional, prompt service, expedient delivery and punctual excellence!
A flat screen plays the local news whilst the fireplace burns in the corner of this charming wonder. Execs and their briefcases find their way to this breakfast/​lunch restaurant. Love to eaves drop in the many new businesses being formed, new inventive processes being patented and just plain business conversation thrills me,
The food is truly beautifully thought out and presented. The menu is masterful and has items to please everyone. And the coffee drinks are TOO NOTCH! Love my Americanos utilizing the Pete’s brand coffee beans. The ingredients are so fresh and tasty, I always love coming here and is the bright point of my day.
Caution: Parking is validated for 1 hr and 15 mins. It is $ 1.25 for each addl 20 mins. See my photos for the beautiful gardens effects of the Zen style atmosphere achieved by the designers here nestled in the center of the UTC high rise towers.
Do try this gorgeous tranquil setting. The food is a treat. Baked goods popping out of the oven constantly and are exceptionally fresh and excellent.

Rorschach’s Journal: If reading this now, whether I am alive or dead, you will know truth. Whatever precise nature of this conspiracy, Adrian Veidt responsible. Have done best to make this legible. Believe it paints disturbing picture. Appreciate your recent support and hope world survives long enough for this to reach you, but tanks are in East Berlin, and writing is on wall.
Rorschach’s Journal: For my own part, regret nothing. Have lived life, free from compromise, and step into the shadow now without complaint.
The Watchmen — Alan Moore
7:40am Arrive at Specialties. Hrm. Facilities lack bike parking. Food/​drink area appears similar to Starbucks except nobody in line. Eating area like Super Walmart except only 2 people present. Order cookies and bike into fog.
8:30am Analysis of oatmeal raisin cookie. Detect slight fresh cookie aroma with cookie next to nose. Very high ratio of raisins to oatmeal. Raisins is the predominant flavor. Soft moist cookie. Slight amount of crunchy goodness on parts of the outside of cookie. I like this cookie. Equal to a Starbucks oatmeal raisin cookie. Lacking the aroma and flavor of an Uncle Biff’s oatmeal raisin cookie.
8:40am Analysis of semi sweet chocolate chip cookie. Detect slight fresh cookie aroma with nose pressed up against cookie. Chips seem to be clustered in center of cookie. Slight amount of crunch. Mostly soft. Parts of cookie without chips have mild flavor from dough. Center part has overpowering chocolate flavor due to almost solid center of chocolate. Hrm. Taste buds not working properly. Only taste chocolate. Drink glass of water. Try rotating cookie to get proper ratio of chip to cookie dough. Too sweet. Eat around center part. Hrm. I don’t like this cookie. Center part must be thrown away as I don’t like eating pure semi sweet chocolate. Outside of cookie was ok. Uncle Biff’s California Killer Cookie much better tasting at similar price.
Journal Notes: Bakery open 6am. Cookies likely baked 5:30am. Visited previously. Cookies a bit stale at 5pm.