Broke Girls’ Coffee Bar

I needed a quick pick me up and wanted to try someplace new… and had good reviews… I didn’t see what all the hype was about?
— We walked in and the place smelled like burned quiche– HORRIBLE
— There was only 1 Barista (male) and he was not friendly — didn’t even greet us with a smile! We came about 15 – 20 minutes before they closed and I think he was upset he couldn’t close early. There was only 1 other customer before us. The Barista told us that they only had stale coffee available because they were about to close. Not cool — we tried to order 2 double shot soy cappuccinos. Oh well… on to the next spot to that would take our money. I really wanted to try this place out — too bad the service was not what we expected.

Broke Girls’ Coffee Bar was an awesome shop! I didn’t get around to reviewing it before it shut its doors (would be moot at this point as well) but will definitely go again if another pops up around town and I would suggest the same to anyone else!

Not gonna lie, the name was what caught my eye.
DRINKS– I ordered an iced Mexican mocha on a fine Wednesday morning. I’m not an avid coffee drinker; actually, I’m a coffee drinker at all but I do enjoy an occasional mocha. Personally, my drink was too strong on the coffee side and I had to request extra chocolate syrup to make it more syrup-​y. I actually prefer an iced Mexican or dark chocolate mocha from Kettle in Escondido, hehe.
AMBIANCE– They got it down on the ambiance though. Very outdoorsy because they have an L-​shaped outdoor seating area, whether it be benches, tables, or stools. Seems like a cool place to have a quick business meeting or get some work done if the weather permits.
SERVICE– No qualms here. The guy who placed my order and made my drink was cordial. The woman whom I requested to add more syrup was also accommodating.
Overall, I think if you are an avid coffee drinker and like your coffee stronger, then you might like their coffee more. As for me, I like more frou-​frou drinks.

Lovvvvvve this place! The owner is awesome and always fun to talk too. I enjoy the back patio or most of the time, if I need some people watching in my life I sit on the front patio.
I stick with iced drinks because I can make my own hot coffee at home. Plenty of awesome flavors on t shelf t jazz up your drink or be creative. I do an iced hazelnut mocha, because I am a Nutella fanatic and at is as close as I am boing to get with out adding the real thing.

Yummy! Cheap! $ 11 including tip for Big iced tea, the best GF banana nut muffin and a lentil salad… mmmmm

Small cute coffee shop, perfect for doing some work and enjoy the relaxing area. Outside sitting space only and great bar options. I had a hot chocolate made with almond milk and it was delicious. I’m going back as soon as I can. Really liked it.

Decided to come try this placed based on reviews, since me and my GF are coffee junkies.
Ordered the usual latte’s.
Unfortunately the taste was light and was pretty bland. Can say I’ve had better.
Maybe it was a new barista? Who knows.
But will be sticking with the usual local coffee shops around town.
They coffee shop seating area is nice though.
-:-/​

Home.
That’s the most concise way I could describe this café.
I dropped out of graduate school, mid-90’s, in order to become a writer. But what’s a writer without a café and a social scene?
Back then I had found my home in Last Drop Café in Philly as well as the nexus of all that’s hip Alt Dot Coffee off Tompkin’s Square NYC.
What do they have to do with BGCB?
Everything.
Just as modern music is highly influenced by the Blues, BGCB has been influenced by coffee slinging greats of the past.
BGCB has the same punk aesthetic that I loved in Alt Dot Coffee from the broken down furniture which looks hauled in from the street, to the rocking soundtrack which mirrors my own music taste, to the collage and other art on the walls.
BGCG is not just a place to drink coffee. When you sit in one of their beat up chairs you are Somebody who is Somewhere. You’re not a redundant drone sucking down a latte in a generic café that could be anywhere.
BGCG could only be in San Diego, and it could only be the brainchild of the Broke Girls. Nobody else would come up with such a place which is so specific.
What makes BGCG so San Diego? For one, there’s a lovely outdoor courtyard with heaters and tropical plants. One could sip their coffee, listen to punk, look at the sky, and be in nature. All at once!
And the coffee, in our beautiful oasis is delicious. It meets and exceeds the standards of any of the bigger named, generic coffee factories.
But the most important thing that BGCB has, beyond other most other places in San Diego, is soul.
Soul is that indescribable feeling that one gets when things are right, when one is home, and there is a good book and a warm cup of coffee nearby.
BGCB, my new literary home in San Diego.

Came in to study. Ordered a homemade Turkey Day Pie: SO GOOD. The owner makes sweet and savory pies including a gluten-​free line. Delish.
They also have a Pour Over coffee menu, so you can get fresh worldly coffees roasted local and made to order. Today I’m going to have the Light Roast Costa Rican. Life’s good.

Dear Broke Girl’s coffee bar,
I really hope that I don’t offend you, perhaps I caught you on a really bad day?
THE BAD: I entered your establishment with such high hopes of falling head over heels for an adorable hole in the wall coffee shop but I ended up falling into a sour distasteful cup of «Vietnamese» coffee. Now, before I continue, you did warn me that it was not going to be powder coffee or authentic vietnamese coffee; I was told that it would be espresso coffee over ice with condensed milk. What I got back was so bad that not even my cigarette could wash away the taste.
THE GOOD: I must commend you for refunding me my money when I approached you about how unsatisfied I was with my purchase though! In fact, you were so friendly, I felt bad that I even encountered such experience!
THE MMM OKAY: My boyfriend ordered the Chai over ice and that tasted mmm okay. Our other friend ordered some kind of tea? over ice and he finished it before you could complete the refund!
THE BAD: Before I end this letter, I must tell you something else we noticed during our visit. While ordering our drinks, we looked at the refrigerated case with all the little treats and tarts inside… we found a couple fruit tarts with mold on them! D: I’m not sure if those were suppose to be for display? But if so, I would most definitely recommend using fake displays? And if not, eeep! Please do be careful if and when a customer orders something from this case! I would hate to see someone get sick.):
THE GOOD: Other than all those mishaps, I really did enjoy how your shop was set up! Although it was a bit cozy inside, I liked the sit down bar area that was outside. (:
I must be honest, I’m not sure I would stop by again if I was in the area but I do wish you the best in your endeavors!
Sincerely,
Angel L.

Their Cold brew with a scoop of ice cream was admittedly very good!
Although I like their coffee and the baristas are super nice, I would just do grab-​and-​go here. Most of the seating is outside and although there is plenty of seating, there are too many bugs for me to want to stay around. Ants were crawling up my chair and on my table. Prevented me from enjoying the atmosphere. Also, it can take a while for them to make your coffee once you order, especially if there is someone before you. It took about 15 minutes for me. So don’t come if you are in a major hurry.
Street parking only.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. The smell of the intense caffeine just wakes you up as you walk in the door. I love the décor & the idea that you can purchase «suspended coffee» (buying a cup of joe for someone who can’t afford it). What a cool place!

Loved the atmosphere, the patio, the rainbow glad. Even more I liked the pomegranate tree, so photogenic and pretty against the blue sky. The coffee, though, was burnt and I had to ask the waiter to pour some more milk to my cappuccino as it tasted horrible. I would have expected a new one at no charge, but still, the guy was very pleasant and the place is very charming and perfect for a Sunday of relax and browse the internet at the patio with all these different tables and chairs. There is a communal table where some members of a book club gather together to discuss their latests readings. This is the perfect place to do so. I liked the vibe and so I want to like the coffee. I hope in my next experience i can upgrade this review. It is a nice place to hang out.

I’m continuously eager to try out new coffee hot spots. On a Friday morning, I felt that I was going to be on time to work even with a coffee stop. Feeling bold, needed something bold. Unilocaling while driving (oops!) I stumbled upon Broke Girls’ Coffee Bar. The name itself described my situation, «A Broke Girl — Who loves coffee and bars» …well that’s how I took it.
Hit this place up right when it opened (lucky me!). I was welcomed by a one woman show, and she whipped me up a Medium Hot Vanilla Latte — yum — it was exactly what I needed. The setup feels crowded, but also very homey. I will come back to pick up a shop tee, they have really cute tank tops too, didn’t see my size at the time. This is was great discovery for me!

I present a short list of why BGCB is great:
1. Good coffee — I take mine black. I’m no connoisseur, but you can’t hide behind sugars and cream with me, and it tastes delicious.
2. Excellent service. Everyone I’ve encountered here is really, really nice. No fakes!
3. Seating, there’s lots of it, and it’s all outside. (Shaded, and heated!) The back patio area is really lovely, but could use a little refreshing.
4. Tasty treats. GF goods, if that’s your thing.
5. Dog friendly
6. Nice location
7. They host various events, cool!
8. Wifi!
I will be here regularly. Maybe I’ll see you there sometime!

If you’re looking for a laid-​back café with plenty of seating, then BGCB is the spot to go! Though their actual indoor seating is limited, the entire outdoor area stretches from front to back. Don’t let the outside fool ya, there is plenty more space as you walk back.
There’s plenty of shade as well outside so you don’t have to worry about getting sunburned. Sit on one of their vintage wooden tables and enjoy the breeze while you sip on their delicious cold brews!
Don’t forget to grab one of their raw cookies as well. It goes great with the cold brew and is a great wake-​me-​upper if you’re blood sugar levels are dropping!
The owner April knows what she is doing and has a great selection of coffee for your caffeine fixing needs!

NEW HOURS!
Mon-​Fri 6:30am-8:00pm
Sat-​Sun 7:00am-6:00pm
Come early and stay late :)

From what other reviewers have said and criticized about this place, I wasn’t really expecting much. According to Zagat, this place makes a good iced Vietnamese coffee. I was very surprised to see this, especially with so many authentic Vietnamese spots in our city.
Very small place, but it seems to serve up a lot of different foods and treats. I gave the iced Vietnamese a try, and to my surprise it was actually pretty spot on. Obviously they don’t use real actual Vietnamese coffee beans, but it tasted really good none the less. The ratio of condensed milk to espresso was absolutely spot on, not too sugary.

The $ 5 quiche was pretty good. The latte was fine, but the cup wasn’t filled up nearly as much as other coffee shops fill them. yikes!
The woman who took our order was pleasant. And while it’s not super comfortable, I like the way the outdoor sitting area is situated – it’s nice to sit there and just stare at people walking by.

I stopped in for some coffee, a treat, and to get some work done for work. I ordered a 16 oz Americano for $ 2.75 (
) and a small quiche with black forest ham, peppers, potatoes, cheese, and topped with mild mango salsa. (
) The small quiche was a little pricey at $ 5.00, but really good.
The Americano was really good. It was definitely smooth with a slight rich after taste. The quiche was quite delectable. The pastry was expertly prepared. It had a very light color yet it was flaky on the exterior and a moist buttery interior. (
The ingredients inside the quiche were all very good. The black forest ham was tasty, the egg fluffy and well seasoned, and the potatoes tender. I did think however that the potatoes could of been cut into smaller pieces, but that is just a personal preference. (
) The mango salsa was fresh crisp and it helped balanced the the rich interior of the quiche. As a whole, a very delicious quiche.
The lady who owns the place is well informed about the coffee she offers, and she certainly knows how to make a mean quiche.
Great Coffee shop.