Lofty Coffee Co — Restaurant in San Diego

I've visited lofty in little italy before and was impressed by the coffee. This time I went in for some food and was suprised to see they had gf bread for some of the items. I had to become gf and df and i'm not super happy about it so I'm always excited when a cafe/restaurant has these options.

BUT i'm not always excited to ask about gf/df options because people can get frazzled and they often get annoyed because they don't know or understand the issue.

I have to say, the staff was SUPER nice about it and more importantly HELPFUL when I asked. The barista grabbed the baker/chef to check on the gf/df items and the baker/chef pulled the list out to check the ingredients for me even though i had not asked. I also got the annoying phone call during my order from my partner who wanted to order food... which I'm saying this because I was also the customer who had to answer their dang phone while in line :( Meanwhile people were starting to lineup and I started to feel slightly nervous because people get upset when they are busy.. should they be, no, but it happens. Anyway all the special diet questions and then the additional call and they were still so nice.

By the way, I got several hellos! when I walked in and the barista taking my order asked if I had any questions. I noticed they gave someone ahead of me recommendations!

THESE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS IN SMALL BUSINESS!!!!! THIS is why I love and return to businesess like this. I'm not getting this treatment at Starbucks. I'm not getting this good of a menu there either. YEAH it's more expensive I guess... but i'm happy to return here again and again when people are serving up good service along with good food.

Lastly, their Gluten free bread IS SO GOOD. I am waiting to go back for some of their french toast.

Thank you to whoever the team was on tuesday morning. You guys are doing a great job and I hope the owners at lofty know that. Times are weird and it's little things like great service that I can look forward to and be...

⭐ 1/5 - Lofty Coffee’s Gift Card Nightmare Ruins a Great Coffee Spot Lofty Coffee has a sleek, modern vibe and serves genuinely great coffee and tasty bites—normally, I’d rave about the quality of their brews and the cool atmosphere at their Little Italy location. But my recent experience with their gift card was an absolute disaster, and it’s left me so furious that I can’t recommend this place. I received a Lofty Coffee gift card from a dear friend, a thoughtful gift I was excited to use. I kept it in my wallet for about a year, which shouldn’t be an issue for any decently made card. But when I tried to redeem it, the card was so cheaply made that it had deteriorated to the point of being unreadable. The numbers were faded, completely illegible, and the barista informed me the magnetic strip was useless too. Lofty’s response? A shrug and a refusal to honor it. This isn’t just poor customer service—it’s a slap in the face. My friend spent their hard-earned money on this gift, and Lofty’s decision to use flimsy, low-quality materials for their gift cards turned that gesture into frustration and wasted money. My money is gone, and I’m left with nothing but a bitter taste that no amount of their admittedly good coffee can wash away. Shame on Lofty Coffee for cutting corners on something as basic as a gift card. If they can’t stand behind their own products, why should customers trust them? Avoid their gift cards at all costs unless you want to throw your money—and your friends’...

Katy made my morning! It's so nice to be treated like a regular when you are a tourist. When I am in San Diego, starting my day with a Turkish Latte (And avoiding eye contact with the cinnamon rolls) at Lofty's Coffee has become my tradition. They have house almond milk and vegan and vegetarian options. This cafe is open-air where birds and neighborhood dogs are welcome and fed. It feels like sitting in your own back yard, sipping on your morning cup of joe, except someone else comes along to take your dirty dishes away, strikes up a convo, and becomes a friend. Thank you, Katy!

10 months before:

Disappointing. The first item on the breakfast menu is poached eggs with artesian bread and you choose a side of hummus, strawberry preserves, or avocado. The poached eggs are cooked in a silicon cup to give them a perfect shape; yet mine came out barely cooked, cold, and not safely edible. Other customers eggs looked fine, but my plate was a runny mess of mushy, cloudy egg white and extra runny yolk. I lost my appetite. As I sipped on my latte I contemplated complaining about the eggs, and eventually did ask the server to take away my plate because the eggs were not cooked. He agreed, and said he'd send the manager over; but no one ever came. I waited 25 minutes before just leaving. It was a waste of $20 and time. If you go here, stick to pastries and coffee or vegan items unless you want to...