This place has its perks that’s for sure never have I been to a café by day bar by night. They have some great food I had a mile high breakfast sandwich. To be honest I wish I lived closer it’s the kind of place you can start your day and end your day right!
Ashley J.
Tu valoración: 4 Escondido, CA
I kept seeing Perks show up on my feed so I naturally wanted to give them a go. They are small coffee spot in a great location. They have breakfast, sandwiches, appetizers, pizza and other coffee house items like bagels and cookies. Perks coffee looked and smelled amazing and they have a flavorful tea menu. They have different and unique seating options, but for us the outside was best. We ordered their white coconut tea, spitfire with no bacon but add jalapeños(.50¢), and turkey pesto substitute chicken($ 2 extra) and add jalapeños(.50¢). So after everything it was lunch for 2 for $ 22 dollars which wasn’t too bad! The portions aren’t that big, but I feel like Americans are used to supersize and we are one of them. The bread is always what makes a sandwich and theirs is delish! The bread soaked up the pesto and spicy sauces perfectly while still holding its crunch. I loved my coconut tea. I’ll be back for all of the above plus the girls that were working were so nice!
F R.
Tu valoración: 2 Escondido, CA
I really want to like this place… But the past 3 out of 5 times I’ve been there they haven’t been able to serve alcohol. If you advertise that you serve alcohol, you should make sure you have someone there to do it. You need to hire more over age employees. I really can’t justify going to this place if over half the time you don’t serve the items on your menu. I really only like the place for the Irish coffee and wine. Without that selling point, I would rather go to Starbucks for just plain coffee because they are quicker and cheaper. Fix this issue and you’ll immediately become a four star place. Until then, you’re just kind of lame.
Molly H.
Tu valoración: 5 San Marcos, CA
First time here all of what I have heard of this place is true nice ambiance. The baristas are super nice make you feel welcome. Relaxed eating my breakfast croissant with American coffee. Will definitely be back and recommend you should try this place. 5 stars for sure
Brian B.
Tu valoración: 5 Irvine, CA
A plethora of choices for drinks. caffeinated and and alcoholic or both; for whatever suits your mood. I had the piled high breakfast croissant and it did not disappoint. Bacon eggs spinach onions jalapeños with sundried tomato spread on the bottom. Definitely worth a try. Coconut latte to back up the crispy goodness. Will be back for more.
Laurie C.
Tu valoración: 5 San Diego, CA
Go here every now and then and love the ambiance! Some nights they have live singers and it gets fairly crowded as it is a pretty small place and it is in the college area so expect a younger crowd. But on a normal night it is a fun, relaxing place to get legit coffee from nice people! Good for all ages when it isn’t college night…
Natalie M.
Tu valoración: 5 Monterey Park, CA
Located right next to Cal State San Marcos, I visited this shop twice this past weekend for breakfast and coffee with my fiancé and friends. This first time we stopped by around 10:00 am on a Saturday for a latte, cappuccino and an espresso shot. We opted to sit outside, so my friend’s dog, Prince Charming can join us. The next day we were eager to return for breakfast. We each ordered lattes and breakfast sandwiches. For the breakfast sandwiches you have a choice between different cheeses(Swiss or cheddar), meat(bacon, sausage or ham) and bread(bagel or croissant). You can also add egg for an additional charge. I had Swiss, ham and egg on a croissant and I loved it. We sat inside this time and had plenty of time to enjoy the décor and ambiance, while having a private conversation near the back before departing ways. Not only is this coffee shop cute and comfortable, but their breakfast and coffee is top quality and made with pride. We all enjoyed the heart shaped designs in our coffee. When ever I’m back to visit my friend in San Marcos, I will definitely stop by, you can bet on that!
Bobbs V.
Tu valoración: 5 Bellbowrie, Brisbane, Australia
Holey Mackeral — the San Marcos campus has a GEM of a coffee place! Pumping old rock tunes, friendly staff who are outstanding baristas. Cool interior just makes the visit so much more enjoyable! The latte l had was unbelievably smooth — my first ever without any sugar! The drip coffee also got RAVE reviews — only wish it wasn’t sooooo far from our home town of Brisbane, Australia! You locals have it made!
Victoria V.
Tu valoración: 5 Escondido, San Diego, CA
Hands down a must go to! Such a cute coffee shop. Very welcoming and a great place to relax and have good conversation with a friend. It is family owned and everyone the family is the sweetest. The pastries are delicious. I had the lemon bar, which was amazing. I also had the buffalo chicken pizza. BOMB. Really good size portion to share as well. The teas are freshly made and come in the cutest little pot with a cup. They also serve beer, wine, and liquor. The owner did such a good job decorating me and my friend couldn’t stop talking every little detail that was put into it.
Giselle M.
Tu valoración: 5 Escondido, San Diego, CA
Coming to perks coffee house the first time I was instantly hooked!!! not only was the inside décor tastefully done but all the food and all the coffee is top-notch quality with a twist of creativeness!!! I have never experienced a coffee house like perks before!!! ALSO! Not to mention the vibe there is SOOO cool and laid back EVERYTIME I go I feel like I end up talking to new friends! everyone is so nice and it’s very comfortable like you can stay and hang out all day! My OBSESSION is the COCONUTCREMETEA !!! I love it so much I would buy 2 cups for the day and KYLE the owner suggested I buy a growler with my favorite tea that way I don’t have to come back everyday!!! GENUIS !!! It will buy 2 days :)
Hurjane V.
Tu valoración: 4 La Jolla, CA
«FREELATTE!» Not sure why everyone was unfazed… but I was running to the pickup station when I heard that! I came here on a Saturday evening around 6PM with a large group of 9. I’ve heard great things about this place and was super eager to try! The space was small but nicely seated people at the«coffee bar», and study tables. Awesome music playing, and amazing ambiance! I got to try: –Perk Up Coffee(4/4.5) //I like my coffee dark! And this hit the spot. Nothing too too special but it’s quality coffee. Portion size was meh for the price, but I do believe that every cup is lovingly made by the man with the cool beard. Pros: –Great ambiance. Great place to study, chill and just grab a nice cup of coffee without the craziness of a Starbucks line. –Great service. The man with the beard(sorry) was super friendly! I didn’t have any pertinent questions to ask about his coffee since the menu is self explanatory, but I’m sure he would not hesitate to help me if so! Cons: –Quantity. For $ 4, it was kind of a small cup. But at least I enjoyed my drink! Tips/Observations: –Not sure if this place is consistent in the times they close, but I remember coming here on a weekend and they closed before the time listed on the door. –Parking lot is spacious! It’s small, but usually there is a lot of parking. If not, street parking is safe! And to complete my story… I was sitting and chatting with one of my girl-friends when all of a sudden we heard«FREETO-GOMOCHA(?) LATTE!» With lightning bolt speed, we ran to grab it and had to make sure it was actually free. SURPRISES, SURPRISES! Overall, great spot to hang out on a chilly night! Or even just on a normal basis. I LOVE the décor and it’s definitely an awesome place to just come check out.
Jilian B.
Tu valoración: 4 San Marcos, CA
I’ve recently made this my go-to«off-campus but practically on-campus» study spot since it’s literally a block away. They have the BEST vanilla lattes! It usually takes me a while to finish my coffee, but I can down their lattes within a few minutes. And BONUS because of the pretty latte art! I have also tried the Kyoto iced coffee and the Nitro. They’re both awesome and very strong, so since I am more sensitive to caffeine, I would only order these if I’m dead tired. If I could handle caffeine better, I would be drinking them all the time. The Nitro is super smooth which I love. The strawberry nutella croissant is a must try! The café itself is pretty small with a bit of outdoor seating, but I’ve never had trouble finding a place to sit. The ambience is so unique and quirky. They had really cool décor up for Halloween, and I’m excited to see what they’ll do for the upcoming Holidays.
Craig W.
Tu valoración: 5 San Diego, CA
Super cool place. Immaculate inside and very attractive décor. The Halloween decorations are exceptional, by the way. In all honesty, I haven’t tried any of the food yet but I’ve seen it up close and it looks great. The menu is also deeper than you might expect. Coffee has been solid every time. Plenty of parking, too. Yes, the employees sometimes border on hipsterish/standoffish but no one has been rude. They’re just not warm and fuzzy and cuddly like my Peet’s peeps. Still, the five star reviews are well deserved.
Dani J.
Tu valoración: 5 Vista, CA
What a cool spot! Stopped in to meet a friend for coffee and was surprised to learn they also have a selection of adult beverages! And late hours! And more than just pastries and scones, but tasty looking sandwiches and more! We had matcha lattes and they were rich and creamy and delicious! Also had a lemon poppyseed scone which was heated and divine. They were very welcoming, and we had a baby with us and very accomodating! Loved it, can’t wait to try again!
Ashley L.
Tu valoración: 5 San Marcos, CA
What a cute little coffee shop! It’s central location to Cal State San Marcos is perfect for their business. I came here when I punched in «coffee in San Marcos» on my Unilocal app while looking around the area and this was #1, so I decided to check it out. I’m so glad I did! Like others’ reviews here, this place is pretty hipster, and definitely something I didn’t think existed in North County. It would fit right into the North Park or Hillcrest neighborhoods. I’m so lucky that this coffee shop is here, as I am moving to the area and love a good coffee shop close by! As far as the menu goes: There are a wide variety of food, breakfast sandwiches, and coffee! There’s also a bar next to it serving alcohol. It’s like an all-in-one place here! So far I love their nitro cold brew, and my husband got their irish coffee, which he said was one of the best drinks he’s ever had. I’ll be a regular here and can’t wait to try the rest of their coffees!
Nina Z.
Tu valoración: 4 East Bay, CA
Perfect study spot and located right next to the Cal State San Marcos campus apartments. I like how they have a wooden panel describing all the different kinds of coffee to educate coffee novices such as myself. The barista recommended the caramel vanilla latte, which was the perfect drink for me; aromatic, not too sweet, not too caffeinated, and a nice thick layer of cream milk foam on top. Free WiFi available with password located on receipt. In addition, they have a water dispenser with fruit enhanced water. Seating arrangement include outdoor seating, a bar area, and couches. The temperature inside is not too cold and they play energizing music. Also, love how the bathroom is a phone booth(go check out what I mean). This and the California Coffee House and Eatery are my two go to coffee places when I’m in the area. I would go here for the more fancy décor and traditional coffee while I prefer California Coffee House and Eatery for the Chai Latte, specialty coffee drinks, and hipster vibe.
Janet B.
Tu valoración: 5 San Marcos, CA
Best and cutest coffee shop ever!!! If there were ever a coffee shop that suits more it could not be more than perks. Kind of small but elegantly decorated with the most perfect stylish pieces that add Flair to this shop. This place reminds me Of something I’d find in north park, not San Marcos and I love it! I don’t have to drive far! Now, a little pricier but at the same Time they offer«drip» coffee which I’m Not entirely sure what it is other than a fancier higher quality form of coffee(which does taste like it needs some getting used to) and I found to be well worth. In addition to– get this, wine and beer! You can come have a coffee, your friends can come have a drink, everyone is happy! And I love the bar. Come say hi, you’ll see my hogging the corner studying ;-)
Drew L.
Tu valoración: 5 San Diego, CA
Prelims: ample parking, great ambience, atmosphere, and décor. Walking in on an early Saturday morning, the place is ice and relaxing and it’s operated by three guys that have a lot of fun running the joint. With fantastic and unique décor that really is my kind of style, like a random skeleton with a flat cap for«pickup», the place is a great place to sit and chill for a few hours(or all day like me) or a place to just hit up the place for some fantastic coffee. The service is great, people know what they’re doing, a bit slow but it seems like this is because they are taking the time to do it right. I’ve even noticed that they take the time to notice what the regulars get and start it early for them. I ordered a sencha green tea and a scone. This paragraph is dedicated to tea, because i would be a terrible tea connoisseur if i didn’t waste your time extolling the greatness of the most popular beverage in the world. The sencha tea was perfect — a great taste of a smooth, almost nutty taste and a fantastic finish at the back of the palate. They brew this right — with a nice steeping pot, a large cup, and even a little board for all this to fit on. I really enjoyed doing my tea right here and it had a great time drinking this with a scone. The blueberry scone was standard in everything except for the gigantic size — it looked like hte scone was fed with something to make it gargantuan. It was HUGE! It was very crumby, yet buttery, with nice-sized blueberries. Good standard for a scone. Not as great as the ones in Great Britain, but when you’ve had the best, you’ve got to lower the expectations. Plus, it’s hilarious hearing the staff imitating a British/Irish/Scottish accent on «scone». LOL. All in all, a great time just hanging out. And their toilet paper is nice and thick — glorious! Also, I reviewed this place before Jack M. HA! FOUND A PLACEJACK! DIDN’T THINK I COULDDOIT, DIDYA?! TL; DR One of the best coffee houses I’ve been to; doing what they do best because they do it right.
Kyle K.
Tu valoración: 5 Pauma Valley, CA
So happy to see a craft coffee shop like Perks pop up next to Cal State San Marcos! Their Kyoto cold brew is the most robust and delicious cold brew coffee I have ever had the pleasure of consuming. On my second visit, I upgraded to the Nitro version of the Kyoto cold brew. The price is steep at $ 4.50, but the additional smoothness and foamy froth of the drink makes the higher price tag worth it. Ask for no ice and the drink to stay so you can sip the quality caffeinated beverage from a pint glass. It’s like drinking a Guinness without the booze! If you’re hungry the breakfast sandwich(egg, bacon, cheddar cheese on a croissant) is filling and flavorful. The awesome ambiance of the shop with its friendly baristas to the cute decorations makes this a perfect place to take a seat and enjoy life. I was intrigued to see some solid craft beers on tap and plan on coming back to sip on a brew at some point in the future. This place truly has all of the delicious liquids you could want!
Crystal R.
Tu valoración: 5 Oceanside, CA
Very detail oriented place. A Must try place! Joseph the barista is soooo helpful and knowledgable. He knws his stuff. Latte was crafted perfectly(got it with a splash of vanilla) Nitro is too rich for my blood, but my bro said it was good stuffs. True aspect of a coffee and tea place. Acai smoothie was just ok, probably won’t get that again… Will deff try their salad next time.