Flywheel Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in San Francisco

On my first visit, I thought this was a 4.0/4.5 star place. But on subsequent trips, my opinion of the place has slipped.

Granted, it's beautiful inside. Everything is gorgeous. Even the patrons are cute. I hate to say it, but it makes most every other Haight coffeehouse look like the rat traps they are.

That said, the air inside is consistently still and muggy and ten degrees too warm, often physically uncomfortable. It's one reason I rarely stay past 45 minutes, but I suppose this is by design: Make your customers uncomfortable and they won't lounge around too long. Minus two stars.

The seating is uncomfortable. Stools are terrible for the back. A few tables have standard chairs with backs and armrests; these are sturdy and very comfortable, but there are too few of them. Minus half a star.

The enclosed back patio is great in theory: I can enjoy my coffee outside, but without any hobos bothering me! And it's dog friendly! Unfortunately, the clear plastic roof lets in ALL of the sunlight; the solid planks enclosing the space on all sides prevents all breeze. With the exceptional heat and zero shade, it would be an exceptional place to grow tomatoes but it's a terrible place to read your email. The longest I could ever last out there was ten minutes before I gave up and went back inside. Bonus: the wifi won't reach out to the patio. Get it together, guys! Give us at least one patch of shade back there. Replace the planks with chain link or bars so we can get some breeze going through. Minus half a star.

Douchebaggery-Factor: this place has it in spades. Flywheel tends to pull in quite a few of the bearded-hat-wearing hipster-types from the Whole Foods next door. I'm tempted to deduct half a star for this, but it's not like they can help it.

All in all, this is a lovely addition to the neighborhood, but it has a LOT of issues. Fix the temperature issue and I'll...

The blonde barista should learn a few manners. She was rude and unprofessional to me on one occasion and I let it slide, and then again today. I had been sitting for about ten minutes before she came up to me at a table and told me she needed to see my vaccination card, and also I needed to order something to sit here. I was waiting at a table for a friend to come, and half the cafe was vacant so it wasn’t like it was busy. There were three people to my right (all seated and not masked) and two to my left (also all seated and not masked). I was the only one she walked up to to inquire about proof of vaccination out of everyone in the cafe. She was not asking for proof of vaccination at the register either. She also said that even seated that I needed to be masked… and she said nothing to the other customers who were unmasked right next to me. I have no problems with masks whatsoever, but never have I been to an establishment since a pandemic started where someone who worked there said I needed to be masked while seated, and that I needed to get up and order something to stay there. And then to single me out among everyone else. Sad to say I will not be returning because of how awkward and anxious I felt afterward for being singled out and told I needed to buy some thing in order to continue sitting even though I was waiting for someone to join me. I felt so uncomfortable after this that I texted my friend who I was meeting there to not come, and we met up elsewhere. This had been a regular spot for me to come and do work, have a coffee, or something to snack on, but not after this experience. Plenty of other options out there with more...

Most consistently great coffee I've had anywhere. Never bitter, never over-brewed, they only do pour-overs, no drip coffee. Never boiling lava hot but also never lacking in heat, so it stays hot long enough. But you can ask for boiling lava hot if you want it. Nice tables and seating. Often nearly full but always at least two or three spots open even during peak weekend hours. Everyone goes there to drink coffee and work, so if you're a cafe rat like me who likes a working atmosphere this place is perfect for you. Not a ton of outlets, but they do exist so find your spots close to them if you need that. They don't serve food so they def want people to cycle through. I'm a regular so admittedly I probably don't leave as soon as they'd like, but make up for it by going very often O:) Impeccable design. Exposed wood beams with exposed metal giving it that industrial chic edge. Art lines the walls cleanly. Vaulted ceiling. Plenty of natural light with big windows at the front and small ones at the back. Probably not as much as the ideal but enough, and well-placed lighting makes up for any darker spots. Roasting machines in the back. Patio out back. People will leave you alone to work, but it's as social as you want it to be since everyone is so friendly. I chatted with one of the baristas every time I went and now he's a...