Emma’s Coffee House

I told the Russian decent woman yesterday I would give her the review she would never forget. You know that place you go and you feel like «why did I even my money here»? Or «I wish I could refund»? Yeah, this is them. Boy was I fooled by the quaintness of the place. It turned out to be hiding a really old rude women that seems to only work mornings and stale pastries.
I just so happen to come in on the day they were fresh. I will never go here again. And I’m all for mom and pop shops. When when your parents are stuck in their ways we let them be. This women was bold enough to tell me they’re other coffee shops around. And you are so right boo. Starbucks on Folsom and Masonic. Sorry for you Emma. She must be so wealthy that my $ 5.75 is just change in her cup holder.
Perfect example of people who either own or run this business and shouldn’t. Everyone there needs a business class on the basics of running one.

Turkey, onion and cream cheese bagel & iced coffee, you made my morning!
Cash only!

Free wifi, plenty of seating, quiet… I need more of this. There is a upstairs which I didn’t frequent but want to come back to again. It does seem like the owner knows a lot of the locals, and she does seem a bit off putting if maybe she doesn’t recognize you… but if I keep coming back I think it’s not a big deal either way. Did I mention quiet, plentiful seating, and cute girls coming and going ?? hard to study sometimes.
okay prices
small mocha and cup of OJ came to $ 5.26. To me, that’s pretty good.
I got an OJ too which tasted like it had been squeezed that morning (I hope haha).
Mocha was a bit too sweet for my tastes, but that’s usual. Next time I will get a latte or something unsweetened.

3.5
This is a standard neighborhood coffee shop. While I prefer the coffee of Coffee to the People or Central Coffee better, Emma’s does offer *good* coffee and great prices with friendly service. I’m also a big fan of their pastry selection — not just muffins but wide selection of croissants and danishes too. Oh, and fresh-​squeezed orange juice ready to go for under $ 2.
The lunch fair is a let-​down, and you’ll be happier heading two blocks west to Sacred Grounds, or walking across the Panhandle and seeing what’s on Haight Street.

Emma’s is ok. I’ve been there 15 or so times because it’s close to my house. Good things: reasonable prices, pretty good food and coffee, quiet. Great to go for a minute to have a coffee or meet someone.
However, I want go there to work for hours at a time. I’ve consistently had such problems with their wifi, and had enough screwed up food orders that I’m not planning on going back with any kind of regularity.

This place was a good quick stop for some light food in the morning. I got a croissant and bagel with cream cheese. It was good. The coffee was so-​so. I’ve had better, but since I was lazy I can’t complain.
This place is more for the people in the neighborhood. If you don’t live in the area and don’t know the people in the area, they’re nice, but not as nice as the are to the regulars.

I never thought I had to write this piece of review. This place is probably one of the best local coffee shops to grab a perfect cup of coffee. I used to come here once or twice a week, until today that I learned this is not even worth a stop.
It was freezing cold this morning and I wanted something hot to drink. A colleague gave me a packet of instant coffee and said she would always come by here every morning and get a cup of hot water for $ 0.25. So I went with another colleague to the coffee shop. I said «I would like to buy 2 small cups of hot water, please» with my payment ready in one hand. She gave me a disdain look and said, «WE DON’T SELL HOT WATERS HERE» and before I could say anything, she added «EXCUSE ME, I HAVE OTHER CUSTOMERS TO TAKE CARE OF».
I was so shocked that I wasn’t able to say anything but just walked away. I never had that kind of bad customer service until today. I was thinking maybe she’s so busy making coffee and attending to other people’s requests or maybe she’s given so much hot waters for the day. but come on, it’s 8:45 in the morning, I was holding my money right in front of you, and you were very RUDE.
I had been to many local coffee shops in the city and I would certainly not come back to this one. I would not waste my money on a cup of coffee made by someone who’s not capable of being professional and doesn’t know the word «RESPECT».

I had the breakfast sandwich on a bagel the other morning. It was paired nicely with a fresh Rice Crispy Treat. A hangover delight!

Well done!
Good, hot coffee, at competitive prices. Lots of places to sit on the main floor, and in the upstairs lounge. The wifi is free and it works. Sunshine in the big picture window along the street.
Nice music, nice clerks. A great place to spend a late afternoon or early evening. I bet this place will be packed after the school year starts again.

My favorite local café.
Used to go to John Adams campus, so that’s how I found the café. There are several cafes nearby including Starbucks, I like this local café for some reasons. I also like Starbucks/Pete’s Coffee, too but I go to Emma’s whenever I’m in the neighborhood. I also liked their quiet atmosphere; I used to study there, but now I finish my paper works there sometimes at the end of my working days. Oh, once I forgot my iPod Touch and a guy working there before called me (my phone number is on my Ipod — friend gave me as a gift and told me that someone would call me when I lost. I was very skeptical about it). I didn’t expect that I’d find it again… People working there as always very nice, let’s say!

This place is fine for studying and working, but as other reviews have commented I don’t think there’s any atmosphere. I’m not sure what it is, because plenty of other coffee shops are also filled with people poring over books and little conversation … but for some reason, I like a lot of the other ones better. I guess «atmosphere» is a little hard to define.
The loft looked cute, and the coffee was fine, but nothing about this place made it stand out.

Wanted to like it, really did… but it needs a lot of work.
Place has got potential: a good location near the panhandle, big windows with nice natural light, free wifi & a couple tables for outdoor (shady) seating, and an upstairs.
But inside, there are serious issues: a swarm of buzzing flies, an ‘unfinished’, garage feeling to the lay-​out/​décor which negates any possible ‘atmosphere’, a rough seating situation (a few uncomfortable chairs and tables downstairs, some lumpy-​ass dirty couches upstairs in the ‘study area’ which is like a stuffy, dusty storage attic), not enough power outlets, and the music gets played pretty loud.
The coffee was pretty decent (though scalding), but i also ordered a panini which was TINY.
Overall, VERY mediocre…2.5 stars.

Emma’s is so cute! I’ve driven by a few times only to say to myself, «self, you should stop by one of these days and give their coffee and pastries a trial run.» Whelp, today was the day that Emma and I went on our official first date.
Verdict? Not too shabby. The prices are decent, the bakery display case is packed with tons of freshly baked choices [I selected the cranberry apple bran muffin, which was so-​so], and the coffee is tasty.
I can see myself stopping by again if I’m in this part of the ‘hood, and I’d perhaps make a Saturday of it, setting up camp with my laptop, sipping on a latte, blogging while lazily people-​watching, but… there are just too many other cafés in this town to try and I’m on a mission to try ‘em all!

I was about to begin this review with the cliched «I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to review this place,» but I thought better of it. In fact, I can believe it’s taken me this long to review this place. I was going to come here a lot sooner, but a friend of mine who used to live in San Francisco adored this place and moved away, and it’s sometimes painful for and unfair of me to visit these places and Unilocal them. I’ll often end up not liking them because they remind me of my relocated friend.
So I dropped in here to kill time after I had arrived early for a work shift that had been scheduled incorrectly (not my fault). I didn’t want to go to Sacred Grounds, so Emma’s sounded like a good idea. It was too early in the morning to be thinking about regret and loneliness, so I strode in and ordered some freshly squeezed orange juice and a bagel with hummus on it.
The OJ was all right. It wasn’t worth the price tag, but these freshly squeezed things never are. The bagel was good, and the hummus was delicious. The young woman working the counter was courteous if not pleasant. The vibe in here is totally different from what I imagined it would be.
I’d be lying if I said I’m coming back here frequently, as there are too many other favorite coffeehouses in the neighborhood and that sadness thing still weighs heavily on my mind. But the place itself is wonderful. I feel spoiled that my neighborhood has so many awesome places to hang out. Maybe we should share our wealth with the Mission? Nah, those hipsters deserve all the crappy, depressing coffeehouses they have.

At last, a café that meets all of my simple criteria.
Free WiFi that is actually free. No sign in commercial silliness. No limits on how long you can use it. Just a clear, fast connection.
Good food that isn’t exclusively bagels, and protein other than just lox. They have turkey and ham sandwiches. They are pre-​made but what the hell, they actually taste good.
Good coffee. Not just acceptable coffee but coffee that tastes better than average. I tried the house coffee and a mocha today and they were both great.
And last but not least — Comfortable seating! As I’ve mentioned in earlier reviews I am somewhat disabled so the hard wooden benches that most places use are agonizing to me after a short period. Emma’s has an upstairs «study lounge» with old, soft couches all over the place and lots and lots of power outlets.
Since I’m essentially homeless and live my entire life online I have a huge laptop that really can’t run on it’s batteries for any appreciable length of time, so power and comfortable seats are crucial to me.
The woman that runs the place is really nice. As other reviewers have mentioned she tends to take your order while talking constantly on the phone, but who cares? She’s still fast and gets the order right. It’s a big step up from baristas who hang on your every word and then take half an hour to get you the wrong thing.
An added bonus, it’s right next door to a pretty decent laundromat, so you even have an excuse to hang out there.
After such a long search, satisfaction at last. :)

Emma’s. how I love thee. Thanks for being 2 blocks from my house and being next door to my laundromat, when I’m not too lazy and have to have Crystal Cleaners do my laundry. Not to mention free WiFi, a study lounge upstairs and computers to use while you wait for your orders.
I usually order coffee and bagel w/​cream cheese. two things I need to get my day going.

I walked in here not knowing if my money would go to waste or not– sometimes it does when my coffee aint right!
Nice lil hang out with 2 levels. The lady behind the counter (maybe the owner?) was on the phone the entire time but was also being helpful so it didnt bother me! She got my white mocha ready pretty quick along with my brand muffin– what a multi-​tasker!
Anyway, the coffee tasted REALLY good, like really really good… it was so good that i gulped it all down (and no i wasnt just thirsty).i seriously couldnt stop drinking it. next thing i know my entire cup was gone.
i will definitely be back!

The neighborhood hub –can’t beat it.
Good:
–Very good coffee
–Generally good music
–Upstairs couch area is comfy
–2 good tables with power outlets next to them
–Can hang out there while doing laundry next door
–Watching the local construction workers trip over themselves to flirt with «Emma» (owner Elena)
–Lots of light
Bad:
–Can be chilly on cold days as the façade is all windows and doors
–Local truckdriver often there, smoking out front and leering at the ladies

Pros: very strong coffee, free books, outdoor seating, friendly owner
Cons: very strong coffee, the younger baristas can get overwhelmed
Elena takes great pride in her food and coffee. She’s remarked about how she loves to make an Americano in a glass cup because it’s so beautiful. She knows my order because I’m a local. If I forget cash, no worries. I can pay her next weekend.

Emma’s is a nice laid back place. The upstairs is comfortable and has 9 (OMG) open outlets for all those who can’t untether themselves from their mactop for a mere coffee. (myself included sometimes) Iced coffee is strong and I didn’t notice what Kate V said about the prices. Here’s a smattering:
Iced coffee 1.70
White Mocha 3.35
cappuccino 2.35
Latte 2.50
veggie pannini 5.40 (thats a hot sandwich under $ 6!)
I almost hesitated to write this review since the major thing I like about this place is that it’s not crowded. So don’t tell all your friends.
One thing is I can’t say that the coffee is very high quality or skillfully prepared. This is no Ritual or Blue Bottle. Come here for the outlets and the chill.