Coffee Crawl: A San Francisco Café Tour

What do you do on a sunny and hot day in San Francisco with 5 hours to kill? You eat and you drink – coffee, that it is. A lot of coffee. And this is precisely what I got up to last week as I traipsed around the rising and falling hills of this urban foodie hotspot. By the day’s end I was schooled in this city’s café culture and was more than a little worn out from a caffeine hangover. Still, it was worth every last inky drop.

Embarking on a San Francisco coffee tour meant starting with a legend: Blue Bottle Coffee Co. With a small network of cafes, an espresso cart, and a coffee kiosk, Blue Bottle has been microroasting fresh, organic, sustainable brews that’s kept the city hooked – and bushy-tailed – for years. My first introduction was a hole in the wall – literally – off an alleyway where I opted for their infamous New Orleans Iced Coffee. Cold brewed coffee is poured over chunks of ice, mixed with a touch of sugar, and a twist of milk, to create a perfect combination of sweetness and complexity with a tantalizing buttery finish. If I could drink it everyday, there’s no question that I would.

Next it was onward to The Summit SF. Step into this behemoth loft space and the grandiose high ceilings, natural wood paneling, and walls covered in art will strike you. And then there are the dozen+ kids sipping on Americanos at large communal tables while scribing away on their Macs. While Summit doesn’t roast their own coffee – though they do brew Blue Bottle – their artisan approach to modern café culture makes you wish it were on your corner. This art-space-cum-gallery-cum-café also hosts start-ups, entrepreneurs, and telecommuters who call Summit their working home. And with a space this cool, you would too.

Back on the road, it was time to hit up two spots known for their sustainable sourcing and in-house roasting. At Four Barrel and Ritual Coffee, creating direct relationships with coffee producers is as high on their list as their pursuit to perfect the art of roasting. At Four Barrel, they’re on a mission to create the best cup of joe in town and while their iced coffee was pretty solid, it was a bit too acidic for my taste. Still, the space was cool and their roasting machine that stole center stage even more so. But if it is espresso that you’re hankering for, make a beeline to Ritual Coffee where their seasonal and single origin espresso are as well-known as their intensive barista training program.

So whether your poison is an espresso, cappuccino, iced coffee, or latte, San Francisco has more than a few stunning café options that’ll keep you on a caffeine buzz until it’s time for that other favorite, local ritual – dinner.

The Urban Grocer hits up the coolest spots in Buenos Aires on the Cooking Channel TONIGHT. Check out a full list of air times here & be sure to set your DVR to record series! Next cuppa, on us.