Lofty Coffee Encinitas Cafe — Restaurant in Encinitas

AVOID THIS SPOT! I waited 40 minutes to not receive the Avacado toast I ordered to go. The third time I went up they told me it would still be 10 minutes so I had to leave… 50 minutes for toast is wild, not communicating that long a wait time is also wild. The service was surly, the food never arrived, total waste of time that made me late to meet my friend. Avoid avoid avoid there are so many, much better options all within a few minutes walk of this disaster. Recommended only for those that enjoy being made hangry. You have been warned!

Responding to the below reply - Wait time for avo toast was actually 50 minutes, not 15… at the 40 minute mark I was told it would be another 10, which is when I said I had to leave and was told I would be refunded. Re giving you an opportunity to resolve - I actually went up 3 times and waited 40 mins, so I did… when I told the employee that I wished they had told me about the long wait when ordering, they told me ‘they don’t know their wait times’ - which is unsurprising as hq don’t seem to know what’s going on either. Re your previous, now edited response accusing me of bashing small businesses - leaving an honest review of my experience isn’t bashing but sharing useful feedback for potential customers - I wish I had known how slow this spot was as it made me late and I had to leave without eating. Instead of telling me off and insinuating I’m unkind, maybe apologising for wasting my time and using the feedback to improve is a better option. But well done for editing that initial, v rude response - agree that was not a good look.

Please make sure my refund...

I absolutely love the organic coffee and food. The quality is consistently excellent. However, customer service consistently falls short. Every visit seems to come with the same disappointing experience: Rude, unfriendly, unhelpful, bad attitide (as if they are doing me a favor), disinterested staff who seem to be going through the motions rather than genuinely providing good service.

It's unclear whether this is due to poor training or a broader issue with workplace culture, but the result is the same—frustrating service that undermines an otherwise great brand.

Perhaps it comes down to this generation of workers, who don't understand what it means to work hard, take pride in their job, show up as their best self no matter the task and aspire for professionalism. There’s a sense of entitlement, as if simply showing up qualifies them for tips, even when the effort and attitude aren’t there. The automatic expectation of gratuity for merely taking an order—often with minimal courtesy—is especially frustrating. I have seen companies remove tipping all together and opt for offering customers the option to donate to a nonprofit the company donates to. Food for thought.😉

Regardless, it’s a shame, because with the right team and/or proper training, this place would be outstanding. Poor service seriously drags down the...

Great coffee with a neat view of the street!

My wife and I stopped by for some caffination on the road from Del Mar to Oceanside. Situated on a hill overlooking hwy 101, this coffee house and roastery offers great views of the cars passing by below from its ample patio seating. The three adorable dogs and the dog bowls we saw tell me this patio is pet friendly.

If you're looking for a spot away from the road noise, there is covered seating behind the main building.

I had the Kyoto cold brew, brewed through a fancy looking "Kyoto Tower," which was a 4 foot tall long-steeping apparatus imported from Japan. The theatre of this in the main ordering area is fabulous. The coffee had notes of chocolate on the finish and was served over ice in a mason jar.

My only regret wat that I did not order the same coffee in their "Cloudy with a chance of Coffee" beverage, which had a delicious, fluffy, whipped milk/vanilla concoction on top that added some much appreciated sweetness to the Tokyo cold brew.

I also had a sea salt chocolate chip cookie, which was fine. I wish I had tried one of their croissants instead.

Great coffee with a good view and a fun, pet friendly atmosphere. I will be back for one of...