25 Best Coffee Shops in San Rafael

“Sanaa Cafe offers an excellent selection of coffee, desserts, and delicious Fatayer. The atmosphere is truly unique, featuring authentic Yemeni architecture and Coffee. It is a perfect environment for productivity; it’s inviting, bring your laptop and work while enjoying a Sanaa Adani Chai or a Pistachio Mocha. I also highly recommend trying our delicious pistachio cheesecake.“

“I really like this cafe which sells authentic Yemeni snacks and drinks addition to the usual fare you would expect in any good coffee shop. The ambience is very open and welcoming with a few sofas to sit on if you want to feel extra comfortable. It's located in a vibrant area of downtown San Rafael.“

“Stopped here on the way from SF to Napa and it was the perfect coffee shop pit stop. They offer a great variety of coffee and tea options, many with a distinct Thai influence. The authentic Thai coffees and teas are especially noteworthy, with beans sourced from Thailand and roasted in-house. In addition to drinks, they also have smoothies, boba, and some food options. The thoughtful Thai decor throughout the space is beautiful and adds a unique charm, and the service was excellent. We ordered the Thai iced coffee and green tea—both were fantastic—but we’ll definitely be stopping again on our next road trip to try their boba.“

“Awesome coffee and a very comfortable space to sit and enjoy the coffee.“

“Golden Era was a pleasant surprise. The pho broth is a little different from what I usually expect in a good way. It actually reminds me more of the broth used in Vietnamese hủ tiếu, but with a richer and more flavorful seasoning. I really enjoyed it.

I haven't had the chance to try other dishes yet, but the pho alone was worth the visit. The owner seemed to be running the restaurant by himself, so service was a bit slow at times, which is understandable.

The restaurant itself looks a little older and could use some updating, but the food quality is solid and the meal was enjoyable. If you're looking for a comforting bowl of noodle soup and don't mind a relaxed pace, Golden Era is definitely worth trying.“

“I had coffee this morning for the 1st time. The cafe has such a relaxing vibe to it! It was a nice group of patrons. The staff was very helpful. I've found my favorite coffee shop! 😋😋😋“

“Best coffee in san rafael IMO! Lenny is really nice and always has my order ready! Nice vibe and close to my work! Highly recommend!“

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“This was my first time visiting Oddcha while heading home from San Francisco, and it definitely caught my attention because of the great reviews.
We ordered the Coconut Bomb and the Thai Twister, and both drinks were excellent. They weren’t overly sweet and had a really refreshing flavor. The boba also tasted fresh, which made the drinks even better.
Ordering was easy using their kiosk system. One thing to note is that parking is located behind the shop. It was a bit confusing at first since the store is on a very busy road, but once you find the back parking area, it’s much more convenient.
Overall, a great stop for refreshing drinks—I’d definitely come back!“

“I love San Korean’s food! Their bibimbap is delicious (on the phot: added a over easy fried egg to it). I tried the new Korean Chicken wings and they were delicious too. Very happy that their new hours included dinner 😀“

“This place has been a community bedrock for 20+ years. Always here for us. During covid lock downs, they set up their own food pantry (with the fridge getting electricity from the shop).

Churros are always a hit. Good coffee.
Come and enjoy.“

“Great coffee great service most of the time. People working there need to learn to communicate and let customers know when they are backed up so when they make an order, they understand how long it will take instead of letting them know after the fact.“

“I have always loved the Gloria Jeans drinks in fact I used to work at the Ontario Mills Mall in Ontario California at Gloria Jeans there it was owned by Katie Chuck a very nice lady to work for but unfortunately she closed her business I miss working there that was back in 2002 -2006 4 years I had worked for her I still know how to make every drink we had back then cold and hot drinks speciality drinks which were the holiday drinks I remember the measurements to brew coffee ☕️ for the day when you work there for that long everything sticks with you but as for today I’m sure many things have changed as the years went by but I do still see some of the same coffee beans we had back then I wish we had one here in applevalley California we used to have one in the Victorville Mall years ago but that one has gone out of business as well years ago please ?? someone bring Gloria Jeans back to the High desert of California Applevalley California we need one here desperately I’m so sick of Starbucks they overroast their beans which gives the drinks a burnt taste of course they will deny it there is nothing like a Gloria Jeans coffee ☕️ hot or cold simply the best you can’t get any better then Gloria Jeans Coffee..❤️“

“After the first time, I can't stop myself from going back. As you know, San Rafael has wonderful coffee shops. I have not found a bad one this year. Now, The Peets' down by San Rafael High School has a student effect for Adults. I usually hit it about 7 p.m. Heading North of the Border. I need to be alert but, rested. I get that here, Good coffee, kick back chairs & free Wi-Fi to stay up to date. After the service I get, I like to tip...“

“I grew up in North Beach SF and walked past this coffee roaster for years and it implanted its wonderful smell in my brain. I would later full circle it by becoming a coffee drinker late in my 30s and I went back to get the beans. The rest is magical history. Wow. I get the beans ground for French press and it’s always amazing. It’s the coffee I gift to out of towners. They all love it after one sip. Rock on!“

“Great place to shop for food“

“Loukas is the best - an integral part of the community . Without Kosmos - we would be left with Boring Corporate Coffee .“

“My favorite coffee! Discovered this at Hidden Kitchen, and had to know who roasted it. Their decaf is incredible as well, water processed, bold and delicious. Very well priced, makes great espresso as well. Highly recommend! Looks like another reviewer had a bad experience at one point. The few times I have emailed Palin they have been very responsive, maybe they have changed their ways for the better.“

“Had my espresso machine serviced here, and it was an extremely helpful experience.Food choices are a little old school. Haven't seen piroshki for a while, but they have em.Geared to serving the local business employees, since they're in the warehouse district.“

“The mocha there is great.“

“always friendly staff. Pretty much get a coffee here everyday.“

“The main reason I go here is because of the staff. They are always super friendly, always smiling and are so kind. Don't get me wrong the coffee is great, their breakfast sandwiches are super yummy, but they're friendliness in customer service is above par and makes you want to keep going back.“

“Let me start by saying — I’m a tough reviewer ( evidence below). 90% of the time, I give terrible or fantastic reviews, and this doughnut shop firmly lands in the “fantastic” category (the kind that restores your faith in humanity and fried dough).

Everything on the menu is pure deliciousness. My kids loved anything with sprinkles or chocolate, leaving a trail of sticky smiles behind them. As for me? I fell head over heels for their apple fritters — crisp on the outside, tender insid. And don’t even get me started on the plain old-fashioned doughnuts — simple, nostalgic perfection that somehow tastes like a Sunday morning hug.

Highly recommend — but be warned: once you try these doughnuts, there’s no going back to ordinary ones.“

“On our hunt to find “The Best Burgers” in the area on Google Map….Pretty close…We searched & found “Best Burgers”a great find for family-owned quick fresh to order homemade like burger. Lots of other menu options, full menu availableConvenience for time management & multi-tasking. Located in the Trader Joe’s parking lot @ Montecito PlazaWe had a super low battery on car, hungry & needed to go grocery shopping @ Trader Joe’s. Trifecta.We plugged into a ecar charger in front of the restaurant for Rockstar parking. We arrived hungry & left happy. We ordered a Cheeseburger combo with sweet potato fries. The place just had a huge crowd walk in before me, of at least 20 people. The cashier and orders with the kitchen were coordinated like a machine and no one waited for lunch.Thanks for Great Burger & service & Fries!

Parking: Not only a large parking lotElectric car vehicle charger & Trader Joe’s share the parking lot for convenience“

“Love this coffee shop. Nice sandwiches, easy ordering online. Quick in and out.“