Tom N Toms

such a great relaxed environment for studying. comfy chairs and benches, tons of outlets, great wifi connection, awesome lighting, and a great little xmas tree! i got a medium size ice tea.
Howeverrrr, the floor has not been mopped or swept in a while. There are scraps and dried splotches everywhere and the bathroom might possibly have never been cleaned one time since they’ve been in business. Grime and layers of filth everywhere

Where to start? Everything about this place was creepy and just wrong.
First, the staff. Lethargic. I’ve seen opiate addicts with more pep in their step. The barista took my order and let me wait before telling me they were out of the item. A completely forgivable mistake, but for two things: the general don’t-give-a-hoot demeanor, and the tone suggesting that I’m an idiot for having ordered it.
The bathroom: light off, sink literally fallen from its mooring on the wall and resting two or so feet above the ground. For one thing, not sanitary. Period. For another, because the light was off, I very nearly walked into the dangling sink. Had I done so, that porcelain beast could have fallen on my feet, shattered, or both.
Finally, the crazy man doing tai chi. I took a video of him outside. What he’s doing there, he was doing in the middle of the store when I sat. No excuse. You’re going to act like that, you need to get tossed. I thought about asking the baristas. But, of course, I’m sure they don’t care enough. And… I SHOULDN’T HAVE TO ASK!!! I work in the food industry. No guest at my place of work would have to ask to have someone tossed for acting like that! We’d do it without being asked!
And, to think, I went here instead of Starbucks to avoid the deviants, riffraff, and scum that hang out there…

This is a really cute coffee shop. Nicely lit, fair prices, good medium roast coffee! Right across from a starbucks, who wouldn’t prefer a nice small shop to a chain. Loved our Barista!

My barista Ms Spock is the best!!! I’m sure it’s not her real name but she’s amazing. She’s there most times I’m there and always has a smile on her face. This place rocks my socks off!

I love coming here, I don’t care for coffee shops much. But I love coming here to get work done, the Internet is fast. Madonna, one of the baristas I see daily is always so happy and giving off her awesome energy & positive vibes. The drinks are really good too. It’s just a good spot to work, relax or just enjoy a cup of coffee

As far as a chain coffee store goes, Korean-​based Tom n Toms is A-​OK. One would think it’s odd that it’s located across from a Starbucks. They also are fairly similar in regards to coffee and bakery sale items. But, Tom N Toms offers more of a variety of flavors for ones drinking consumption than Starbucks. That’s something I can appreciate, since I think all Starbucks coffee drinks tastes the same, no matter what flavoring is added to my drink.
Household favorites are the sweet potato latte, Oreo tomnccino and the butter pecan tommniccino w/​a shot (or 2) of espresso.
Are there ever long lines? Not sure. I come here during off «coffee» hours. So, it’s never busy when I drop by. But, I’m not complaining because it works to my benefit. The staff has always been friendly and polite. The shop itself has seats and tables available, if you want to just chill out. For the most part, it has been clean.
Yes, it is an average place. I get it’s not a mom ‘n pop shop. But, I sure am addicted to that butter pecan tommniccino w/​that shot (or 2) of espresso. If I find myself wandering the East Village, I’ll definitely swing by here.

I was craving a pepperoni pretzel with jalapeños and I decided to check this place out. Let me just start by saying that the pretzel was delicious & the blackberry smoothie was to die for. I’ll definitely come back for some more.

Great location and even better atmosphere. I came here from Starbucks across the street and was amazed at how much more spacious, clean and quiet it was. Plus free power outlets (Starbucks are covered). Very good prices, but the coffee lacks freshness.

I tried a green tea boba tea this weekend. The boba was super soft. I paid an extra $ 1.00 for the boba and it was the worst part of the tea. Additionally, it took like 7 minutes for it to come out. There was no one else in line at the time. Sorry Tom N Tom’s. I was not happy with my experience. Anyone know anywhere else in downtown SD to get boba? Because Tom N Toms is not the place.

It’s funny how much this place tries to be like Starbucks – a similar logo, same drink size names, tomnccino instead of frappuccino…
The inside doesn’t have any warmth or character. Even less than a Starbucks, believe it or not. The employee I dealt with was ok. Just adequate.
There are lots and lots of drink options. I got a hot taro latte and it tasted like buttered popcorn. It wasn’t anything special; I ended up throwing ¹⁄₃ of it out. (Note that I asked for mine less sweet than normal. Maybe it’s better if you get it with regular sweetness but I don’t like super sugary drinks.) I also tried the iced mint mocha and it was tasty. I was hungry so I got the Tom Pretzel Dog which is like a «pig in a blanket». (There aren’t that many food options.) It was around $ 4.65 and looked smaller and less attractive than pictured. I have to admit, though, the sausage wasn’t terrible. It was ok. Unfortunately, the nacho cheese dipping sauce had no flavor.
This Tom N Toms is in a part of town that has a lot of homeless people passing by. Just thought I’d mention that.
It’s nothing special. There are more drink options that Starbucks, I guess. Prices aren’t low. There aren’t a lot of food options. There IS free wifi. Service isn’t spectacular. The atmosphere is cold. I dunno… I hoped for more.

Fastest internet in any SD café, chill atmosphere, best baristas, great drinks, good food! This is my go-​to café to enjoy a good cup of tea and get some work done.
It’s a Korean company, so a lot of ignorant people bluff up and assume they know what they want, and don’t listen to the baristas when they ask if they’re sure. They have never burned my coffee when I do order something other than tea and are always reasonable to a point.
There are sometimes people causing a stir (it’s the area, there’s no helping that unless we see some socioeconomic shifts in ALL of downtown SD.) But the baristas have a no-​nonsense attitude and difuse the situations as fast as possible.
Try the Taro Latte iced or the sweet potato latte hot if you’re open minded! Their espresso and white mocha are great if you’re not!

I am a fan for 2 big reasons.
#1 — There are no meticulous people in this establishment. Ultra friendly staff and I don’t have to worry about any line or the awkwardness of one spelling my name.
#2 — They have boba! Living downtown, I am subjected to either driving 10 minutes out to Convoy (Asia town) and getting my fix. I can always go to J-​wok restaurant on Market street and settling for satisfactory tapioca.
This establishment makes me laugh and slightly uncomfortable because as a marketing student, I dissect its strategies in every possible angle. And yes, we all know its CLOSELY similar to Starbucks, but that should be a complement right? :)
Overall, the environment is easy, not snooty :)

I hung in there with them, as a faithful customer, for awhile… there are two baristas in the joint that are polite, all day, everyday… the rest of them, could kindly, kiss the darkest part of my buttcrack… and I mean that.
Ive had run ins with baristas before, because I expect whatever I order, to be made the way its advertised. And if its not, then you’re gonna have a problem with me.
Coffee is supposed to be hot. tea is supposed to be hot, if I ask for hot tea. lattes are not made in under 30 seconds… and the waffles arent supposed to look like lethal weapons.
just left this one, on Market… and AS USUAL, it was «homeless city». Ive read posts on these message boards, where people get called out, by others, for coming down hard on homeless people… AND TO THOSE PEOPLE, I’LL ALSO SAY, «KISS MY BROWN ASS!»…Im 46, now… but I remember, VIVIDLY, being homeless in my late 20s. So, Im not looking down my nose at anyone, because I cant afford to!
This would be the 2^nd time, Ive ordered a hot, white chocolate mocha, WITHOUT THE COFFEE IN IT… Why?.. because I only like the sweet, white mocha cream, with the whipped cream, on top… Now how hard is that, if Im paying full price for it?
The last time I asked for it to be made like that, my regular barista (very sweet girl who works more hours, than any of the others) made it perfectly. This time, the barista who rang me up, then gave the order to a very snobbish, thick-​boned, Asian kid… about 5’10 ft, who wears his ballcap backwards, (I mention his ethnicity, so that others will know who the Hell Im talking about), and I’ll be damned if the guy didnt fuck up the order… THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE SAME KID, FUCKED UP THE SAME ORDER.
and Im standing there thinking, «now do I have to order my drink, in 20 different languages… or get back there, and make it my damn self?
asked for the wifi password, and it didnt work, or he gave me the wrong one to begin with. This particular kid, always looks like he’s above working there… but there he is, plain as day, in that jacked up uniform, like the rest of ‘em, working amongst people who have to work… clearly, this kid has Mama and Papa, to give him money, simply because he reeks of «lazy ass student», who breaks out in a rash, when you say the word, «WORK».
and if thats the case, Tom N Tom’s does not need my damn money.
I dont like spending time in coffee shops where the dogs of the «always present» homeless, are seen sitting in the fucking chairs, as if they ordered something… and the idiots that work there are too afraid to say BOO to the dog owners, who are usually sleep. snoring…or looking out the windows, with this glazed look in their eyes, waiting on their phones to charge.
you feel like you’re in the fucking «Twilight Zone» in this place.
ironically enuf, the other Tom N Tom’s a few blocks north, on the same street, is the EXACT opposite. Ive never seen people, who dont pay for drinks or food, coming in there, kicked back, chilling out… and the attitudes of the workers are noticeably better, albeit, not by very much.
So, they saw the last of me. and my money. The only horrible attitude that I’ll put up with, is my cat’s…thank you.
.Ive seen these rinky dink set ups, come and go, downtown… and trust me when I tell you, this coffee franchise wont be around, much longer. Id bet money on that… I give them, another year… year and a half, at most.

Good drinks but the customer service could have been better!
I came in & other than a few people studying, my boyfriend & I were the only ones in the café. There were 2 baristas & I ordered a Tall Iced Taro Latte & noticed that the woman who came in after me already received her drink. The barista who took my order completely forgot about me (when I was standing right in front of her), apologized, said she would upgrade my drink to a Grande, & told her coworker to make the drink. He made me a Tall… Regardless, the Ice Taro Latte was definitely a delicious drink & I highly recommend it!
** They do not have their own parking lot but there is metered parking available nearby. It is downtown so finding parking may be difficult.

Situated on a street where there are several coffee shops within a two block radius, this is the worst option among them. It feels like a grocery store coffee shop. I ordered a simple coffee and it was not good coffee. I threw half of it out. The inside of the place feels cheap, college cafeteria like, not warm and inviting. I wouldn’t want to stay there long or open up the laptop. However, they seem to have wifi. Skip it and go to Starbucks across the street for a reliably good drink and atmosphere. Or better, head down to one of the many boutique cafes down the block.
There’s nothing cool or delicious about this place.

Don’t order cappuccinos. Especially if you are a coffee snob. I would just walk out before you get to the register. Poorly made, poorly displayed. KEAN COFFEE #1 FAN #onlykean #coffeequeen

Plain yogurt smoothie tasted tart and refreshing, like slightly watered-​down Pinkberry. The original pretzel was plain and did not have much flavor (hence, the dipping sauces) but it was warm and fresh. There doesn’t appear to be much in the way of substantive food, just snacks. I’m interested in trying the other drinks.
This place is open until 11 pm on weekdays and is a quiet study spot. Hooray.

After a morning hour walk, I stopped by here for a iced Americano, a peanut butter cookie, and a Tom Pretzel Dog. I have not had a pretzel dog in over a decade, so I was excited about this one. (
).
The put a couple of small servings of half and half in the Americano and it was very good. It had great flavor and went down smoothly. The pretzel dog was good. The pretzel it self was not very eye appealing and looked rather drab (
). I think they should of brushed it with olive oil, butter, or an egg wash, so it would glisten and provided a more golden brown color. On the good, side the pretzel bun tasted good and was moist. The hot dog inside was very good. It was juicy and had great flavor (
). It reminded me of a good Hebrew Nation Dog.
The peanut butter cookie was very good and came with a light sprinkling of sugar (
). Inside, it was very moist with a great peanut nutty flavor (
). A nice treat.
Service was pretty good and friendly. However, I would suggest to management, to remind the employees to keep the noise level down. They were chatty and laughing a lot loudly amongst each other. Nevertheless, a nice coffee shop with some nice eats.
Pretzel and Hot Dog: a nice combination.

I was curious abt the new coffee shop that made the bold decision to open up right across from Starbucks, & decided to switch up my overpriced coffee locale. They have an extensive menu & they have very interesting specialty drinks. I couldn’t help myself and got the SWEET POTATO LATTE just because it sounded ludicrous. I asked for it to be half-​sweet, & it was still a bit cloying as I got halfway through my drink, but it tasted like a liquified baked sweet potato… Awesome! Also please note that it’s not a coffee drink (like a Pumpkin Spice Latte), I was pretty disappointed in that but it was my fault for not looking at the menu carefully. Came back and tried my normal drink of choice (Americano) and it was strong… Just the way I like it! Can’t wait to try their other specialty menu items, everything sounds pretty good!
Macarons here are fresh and tasty for what you can get downtown (the only other place in the east village area that has them is Opera, & theirs are frozen & flavorless). They’re not the best, but satisfy my cravings (liked the rose & pistachio, skip the caramel).
Overall I’m excited this Korean coffee shop has been able to expand so far & wide, will probably have to restrain myself from coming here every day!

Waiting for months for this Korean coffee chain to open in San Diego. Anything Korean is tasty, elegant and fun. This place has all of that and is super pleasant. I like that people are not attached to their laptops, but having real conversations. Ok, I am here by myself seating in one of those faux leather latte colored sofas writing this review, but that does not count:)
There hay a lot of variety in their drinks and decided to try the green chai latte. Excellent, just a bit too sugary for my taste. I guess I need to stick to my traditional lattes with no sugar added. In any case, very good, excellent customer service (the cashier gave me a coupon for a free drink next time, yay!
Decoration wise is very coffee themed: gray graffitied walls depicting mugs and arabica beans, plus the symbol of the shop, browns, beige and mokas in the furniture, but with a distinct flavor, so does not look like Starbucks. Outside tables available too. next time I will taste the pastries section. Everything looked promissory, but the macarons are too pricy, so I guess I will pass those.
Located just across from a Starbucks, I think competition is great!