Upstart Crow Bookstore & Coffee House

I called this store on 1÷26÷16 because a Unilocal headline read as follows: Best Magazine Shops in San Diego, CA. Imagine my surprise when the girl who answered the phone told me that they didn’t carry ANY magazines.

I would rate this cute coffee shop higher, but the customer service was lacking. I had a Mexican Mocha which was tasty and they are well stocked on some unique gifts. They have comfortable sitting areas with some large board games (Chinese checkers, checkers and backgammon). The person I dealt with behind the counter was cold and impersonal. He was matter of fact in how instructed people to form the line and gave a warning before close and at close by yelling throughout the 2-​story coffee shop. It wasn’t awful that he was doing it, just tone and voice were rude. He sounded frustrated in talking to customers and through his announcements. I’m not one to be sensitive on service but a smile and a pleasant demeanor would go a long way.

Dear owner,
You have a great coffee shop/​bookstore and I love going there but you really need to have a staff meeting with your employees. They need to improve working on their customer service. I understand that this job can get hard and stressful but there is no excuse to be rude to a customer. I thought I was the only person who was disappointed by that but I was wrong. The people who were sitting next to us were complaining and saying that they are not coming back. Also your employees were very rude to a family who was having a hard time reading the menu/​ordering because they don’t know English very well.

This is a really cute little shop in the Seaport Village area. They offered drinks, food and various memorabilia. It’s a clean and organized shop that’s stocked full of different items.
We walked in wanting to have a small snack and something to drink. The drinks and food offered looked very tempting and I wanted to try different items. We decided on some Mexican hot chocolate, pumpkin bread, a java drink, and banana bread.
The wait time wasn’t long and the guys that took our orders were very nice. The drinks came out great (not overly sweet) and the breads were really moist and had good flavor (also not overly sweet).
They have some nice seating outside where you can enjoy your purchases and see lovely puppies walk by.
We didn’t get a chance to look around the second floor, but from what we saw on the first floor this place is worth stopping by and taking a look. Try the Mexican hot chocolate! It’s wonderful!

I was really looking forward to visiting the Upstart Crow. (There was an Upstart Crow in Concord CA many years ago and I loved it. Not sure if this is part of the same group or not.)
DH and I began at the coffee bar. My Mexican cocoa was tasty but not pipping hot. Pastries looked tempting but we passed. We found a cozy spot to enjoy our drinks. So I will say the store is welcoming to customers who just want to enjoy their coffee.
My overall impression of the Upstart was old, quaint, and crowded. Not an entirely bad vibe. But books seemed to be an after thought. I love to browse … and buy … in small bookstores. However, the book selection was limited. The emphasis at Upstart seems to be on other merchandise that will appeal to tourists at Seaport Village. I understand that, but still disappointing.

Berenice is absolutely amazing … Cheerful and makes the best drinks. I ordered a Chai with Lemon covered half moon shaped Shortbread cookies. My daughter ordered a coconut Latte. Delicious — great bookstore … Perfect for gifts of all Occasions.
C. Lovejoy
Alpine, CA.

Great spot with delicious coffee, desserts look amazing, and comedic staff. The location is great too, in the middle of a bustling area you can find a place to relax and read, do some work, or people watch. I’d deffinetly go here rather than the local starbuks. Enjoy!
We had the cinnamon coffee and a fat free vanilla latte.

This is one of my favorite places in Seaport Village and in San Diego. I go out of my way, like the almost 20 miles from where I currently live just to pop into this cute little café/​shop. It’s one of the white buildings in Seaport village. The entrance is easy to miss, at least for me. I’ve asked Information how to find my way there when my visits were further spread apart.
It’s so cozy with interesting books, trinkets, random gadgets and an eclectic vibe with music to fit. There’s a lot of popular literature and then some very odd/​unique titles.
The coffee is flavorful and strong and the teas are both refreshing and warming. It’s a great place for reading/​studying, chatting, and as always doing something I do well… daydreaming… on a rainy day or a hot summer day when you need some shade.
Pricing is a bit expensive and seating is limited. It is in the middle of Seaport Village, so there’s not much you can change. I’ve purchased random trinkets and memo pads/​calendars here in the past.

Absolutely love this book store, coffee and tea house. It is located in the Seaport Village. Brews are good, so is the tea. My husband opted for a cappuccino, he said it was perfect. I had iced great tea, this was perfect too. There is outside setting, which is lovely. If you’d like to enjoy your beverage inside there is plenty of seating inside too. Books available for purchase galore, if you’d like to stock up. The store offers some gift and souvenir type items as well. Need a greeting card? Those are available too.
Be sure and check out the 2^nd level especially if you bring children. The children’s books are held there. There are tables and chairs, it’s a nice area for children to hang out in while enjoying the books. A couple of large table games are set up upstairs too.
Take a look at the small flyers available in the store. This bookstore is quite active. They hold many events, book signings, poetry readings, open mic nights and such.
Much to love about this establishment, 5 big stars from me.,

We stopped in here before taking the San Diego Seal Tour to get our iced coffee fix. What a beautiful coffee spot! The fact that they sell books and unique items is awesome– you can grab a drink and check out everything while you enjoy your beverage. They have pastries as well and I think some hot food items are available too. If I lived in the area, this would definitely be a spot I would want to enjoy a good book in. The only thing is– this place is pretty pricey as far as coffee drinks go. A regular iced coffee shouldn’t be close to $ 5.00. That’s kind of insane. The coffee was very good– but again, not worth $ 5. My boyfriend did love his coffee and so did I, but we didn’t return again because of the prices. Seems like a bit of a tourist trap to me. It’s a cute place though!

I have loved Upstart Crow for as long as I can remember. In the heart of Seaport Village, this little coffee shop offers a cupful of wonderfulness!
While living in SD, I would set time aside to regularly visit this café and bookstore. Everything about Upstart Crow is wonderful — they have great coffee, eclectic seating, and friendly staff. Their ambiance is fun and random; it includes oversized checkers and backgammon boards, mismatched seating, and unique décor. I always enjoy perusing their trinkets, thumbing through books, and sipping good coffee.
For anyone in the harbor/​downtown areas of San Diego, I highly recommend visiting Seaport Village to experience Upstart Crow.
Recommendations:
–Consider their coffee of the day, which changes regularly
–Consider that Seaport Village parking can be challenging during weekends or special events (e.g. Comicon)
Verdict:
Wholeheartedly recommend!

Really adorable place. worthy of a visit if it to be peruse the books or to take advantage of one of their yummy offerings. I opted for the mexican hot chocolate which was soooo delicious but the counter was full of tasty looking pastries and sweets.
I also really love how they mix the awesome selection of books w cute kitschy items that you don’t see in any other store. Highly recommend if you are looking for somewhere to kill some time. :)

Extensive and unique drink menus! If you’re craving something sugary, as well as caffeinated, I recommend swinging by Upstart!
I usually only drink straight up black coffee, but decided to give the iced cinnamon café a try. It was a pretty good, but on the sweet side. My friend got the acai green tea smoothie which tasted like a green tea milkshake. Definitely too sweet for me.
Overall a cute little café.

This place is in the Seaport tourist area so there are a lot of people and parking can be a challenge at times.
Once you’re in the store it’s a cool little place with lots of interesting books and more. The thing that I tried from the coffee shop was the Chai Latte and it was awesome. Very rich, creamy, and distinct.
Service can be hit or miss depending on who is working.

Remember that neat coffee shop that is also a bookstore? With the fun looking couches and the good music? Maybe on a tv show or just a visit on your travles somewhere in the country. Well, upstart Crow Bookstore & coffee house fits the bill.
While enjoying a excellently crafted beverage, perhaps with one of their tasty treats, you can traverse through their store. From odds and ends items to various kinds of books within fiction or non fiction. This place a nice selection!
I’ve found the staff to be very friendly, and willing to help you pickout a drink or find a book you might be looking for.
In addition to drinks, treats, books, and trinkets, they hold events here from time to time. On occasion there might be music event within the shop, or a reading of shakespeare performed by some actors. If you’re curious, they do have a calendar of events posted in the shop.
I do advise people who are looking for a mellow spot to catch up on a book or to knock out some hw to visit here, its a nice spot!
If you find yourself in sea port village, be sure to pop your head in this shop! Careful, it might not come out, you’ll be browsing endlessly at their selection of goodies!

Awesome little coffee shop and bookstore. The bookstore has a lot to choose from an cute little gadgets. At the coffee shop I ordered to Crow Special which is a macchiato with caramel syrup. It was perfect. I could taste the caramel, but it wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet to where I couldn’t taste the espresso, which is many times the case at Starbucks.
I loved the coffee cup! Service was efficient, friendly, and swift. Being in the coffee shop didn’t feel like a touristy place, even though I was very clearly there as a tourist :)

Love this bookstore/​coffee house. Every Saturday night (around 7pm) local musicians come to entertain. Tonight’s band covered the Beatles. The store itself is two stories. The bottom level is filled with books, has Bohemian style seating as well as awesome gift items, and serves up coffee, espresso in addition to both sweet and savory baked goods. The upper level has more seats and tables and is geared towards kids but I did find a cool cookbook too.
The coffee is delish and the pastries look yummy, I’ll have to try them on my next visit. You can really relax and settle back here. It’s an excellent place to visit if you want to avoid the Starbucks located at the Headquarters section.

A must stop in Seaport Village. While I despise touristy stuff, this place doesn’t feel like it is for tourists. The coffee is fine and the music is great.
If you have been to Key West, this feels very Hemingway. Great little reflecting pond just outside and amazing kites to watch out over the ocean just steps away. A family am spend a whole day here.
If children are with you, don’t miss the cozy attic with lots of great books and a Chinese checkers board where we spent hours.
Very relaxing respite for the weary traveler

I consider myself a coffee house connoisseur. I’ve been to many and a variety at that. This one is catchy since it’s located not only in the Seaport Village but also on the water.
The evening I was there with my friend, there was live music playing — which was excellent. The ambiance was eclectic and casual. There are so many things to peruse, so take your time. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy.
When you first walk inside, you notice the coolest wooden stairs. Painted wooden stairs. With positive, affirming sentences. Next you notice the many vibrant colors of the books, cards, ceramics and other varietal items. It could take hours to go through every item here. It’s the perfect place to go to for a gift or something for yourself.
While walking around the Seaport, take a stroll over to the Upstart Crow Bookstore and Coffeehouse, it’s definitely worth the walk.

Located in Seaport Village, this is a nice bookstore full of books (obviously!) and other little trinkets and knick knacks. This is the kind of shop I like to walk around in and look at EVERYTHING. Lol… there’s also a little staircase that leads upstairs to an attic like space with even more cool books.
There’s also a little coffee shop in the store, their coffee is pretty good. We usually get their blended mocha, sweet and chocolatey… There’s also a few snacks and pastries available at the counter. Lots of cute tables to sit at both inside and outside…