Friends of Friends — Restaurant in National City

Friends of Friends is easily one of the best coffee shops around! The vibe is unmatched—lush greenery fills the space, creating a fresh, welcoming feel, and the huge DJ station adds a unique, creative energy. It’s the kind of place where you can spend hours soaking in the atmosphere. The artwork displayed throughout is like a mini art gallery, showcasing thoughtfully curated pieces that reflect the heart of the local community. Plus, they sell Friends of Friends merch like T-shirts, so you can take a little piece of this awesome spot home with you.

During our visit, Marco, the owner, overheard us chatting about coffee and mold and came over to share his expertise. He educated us on the quality of his beans and the dedication of coffee farmers. It was a fascinating crash course that deepened our appreciation for coffee. Marco’s passion and dedication shine through in every detail, making this coffee shop feel special and personal.

And let’s talk about Wavy, the café inside Friends of Friends. Their food is the perfect complement to the coffee, and their tater tots are absolutely legendary—crispy, flavorful, and a must-try! The collaboration between Friends of Friends and Wavy makes this spot a true gem. The team is always friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable, creating a warm, community-centered experience.

Whether you’re here for the coffee, the food, the art, or just the good vibes, Friends of Friends is a place you’ll want to come back to again and again. Support this incredible local business—you...

I’m absolutely obsessed with Friends of Friends Coffee and Wavy Burgers. I seriously can’t stop raving about this spot. The coffee is top tier—some of the best I’ve had—and the entire vibe of the place is just unmatched.

The environment is visually stunning, with a warm, creative ambiance. There’s a listening bar where someone’s spinning records, and a super cool cave-like window where you can watch the kitchen team in action. The coffee bar itself is gorgeous, with plants hanging from the ceiling and art beautifully displayed on the walls. It’s the kind of place you want to hang out in for hours.

We’ve been twice now, and both times we were rung up by the same person (possibly the owner?) who was so friendly and welcoming. On our second visit, he even remembered us and thanked us for coming back, which was such a thoughtful touch.

Also, my partner is very picky and usually only ever orders a vanilla iced latte. Since they didn’t have that, he went for the Piloncillo Latte—and ended up obsessed. That never happens, so major props for that!

One thing to keep in mind: the wait can be a bit long, but you can tell everyone’s working really hard and doing their best, so it’s easy to be patient. It’s absolutely worth it.

This place has quickly become one of my favorite spots. Great coffee, kind people, and just really good vibes all around. Can’t wait to keep...

Four years in the making. Definitely worth the wait! I love the vibe of this place. From the fresh plants to vinyls and wall art -- my mood was instantly lifted after walking in.

Service was awesome. We were greeted right away, employees answered questions we had as first time customers. Everyone was welcoming and chill. Our food and drinks came out quick.

Favorite drink ordered: hot palo santo latte. It had the perfect amount of sweetness and caffeine. I also enjoyed an iced buko pandan latte. As a Filipina myself, I was expecting to taste the buko pandan flavor more, but it was subtle. It was great. Also not sweet and I could really taste the coffee which I loved.

The iced palo santo latte was my least favorite because of how earthy it tasted. It's not MY* jam, but could be yours.

The burgers are delicious. I highly recommend. The tator tots were bomb as well, the portion is definitely shareable between 2 people!

There's a condiment section alongside the listening bar with ketchup and hot sauce.

I will...