Bird Rock Coffee Roasters - La Jolla — Restaurant in San Diego

Order: Espresso Tonic and Pour Over Price: $13

Summary: Bird Rock is a fantastic coffee shop that is made a little complicated by the potential challenge of parking. Other than the parking though (which is really just a challenge of everything in La Jolla), Bird Rock is exceptional. The coffee is on point, the baristas are helpful and knowledgable, and there seems to be enough seating to get some work done if you need to. If you’re in the La Jolla area and looking for coffee, whether to-go or to sit with, I’d say Bird Rock is a solid choice.

Thoughts: It had been a while since we were near San Diego, but last time we were here we loved Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, though it was a different location, so we decided to give this one a shot. As usual parking was a little bit of a challenge, which is really just a constant factor in La Jolla, but it wasn’t too bad and we managed to grab a spot about two blocks away.

The short walk was more than worth the wait. Bird Rock has never failed to live up to expectations; the coffee is amazing and the baristas know their stuff. They’re both friendly and able to provide insight into their different offerings. We settled on an Ecuadorian pour over and a single origin espresso and tonic and loved both of them. The coffee at Bird Rock is the hero and well worth the trip.

It also helps that they have enough seating that you can get some work done if that’s what you’re looking for. My wife and I stayed for a few hours just to knock out some tasks before diving into vacation (aka hiking) mode and it was helpful to find a killer coffee shop...

I was looking for a place to work and grab some caffeine in La Jolla. This came up in my research of the area and WOW I love this place for its view, proximity to the beach, and the kindness of the people.

I got a Honey B Latte (hot with almond milk) and it came to about the now usual ~$7. I ate at the place given that the free, nearby street parking is limited to two hours - I wanted to make the most of it. Service was kind and direct. There are a lot of different variations of coffee drinks you can choose from alongside smoothies! The baked goods looked delicious as well so someday I hope to come back and try. Early in the morning of a regular weekday, I was surprised by the number of families with young children who came to this place, which I think just goes to show how wonderful the cafe is. There are a good amount of inside seating, albeit it may be a little crowded the further back you go. There are outlets and WiFi that is provided. Be sure to check out the compliment jar - take one and leave one! I thought the cups they used were so cute and found myself taking a video for their design. I’ve heard the beans are also quite good - there seems to be a seasonal menu that goes around so if you’re a passionate coffee bean lover, please check this place out! God...

I’ve been here 2 days in a row and the staff is friendly and inviting but the coffee: roast or preparation are not great. One day I had an Americano the next just a drip and both days the milk curdled which is a sign of either nearly expired milk or super acidic coffee. I believe the first day was an Ethiopian dominant espresso, which I’ve always disliked. They are generally very very bright and often cause curdling, so first day shame on me. But then I had a conversation with the barista the second day trying to avoid this style of espresso and I got a Costa Rican coffee instead. Normally Costa Ricans are a lot more mellow and balanced but still the milk was curdled and the barista, who in covid times has to add the milk, didn’t notice. If all your coffees are going to be overly acidic you need to A: really be diligent about milk spoilage dates and maybe because it’s been slower for the holidays they are sitting on milk and/or B: heat the milk before adding it to coffee... but I don’t know how you get a Costa Rican coffee so acidic in the...