32 Best Coffee Shops in Santa Cruz

“11th hour coffee is the best in town! Small batch quality direct trade coffee roasted with love. Happy to support a local growing business in the community.“

“Try the breakfast sandwich. 😋“

“I absolutely despise this place! NOT BECAUSE THE DOZEN GLAZED I GOT WAS BAD.....BUT BECAUSE WE DONT HAVE THIS PLACE BACK EAST AND I WAS RAISED ON DUNKIN DONUTS....I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE BEST! THEY LIED TO ME! I HAD NO IDEA SUCH A GLAZED DONUT EXISTED. WHEN I WALKED IN THERE AT 0544 AND SAW THE DONUTS IN THE DISPLAY CASE THE GATES OF HEAVEN OPENED AND THE ANGELS SANG! THE SERVICE WAS FRIENDLY GENUINELY FRIENDLY NOT THAT SCRIPTED STANDARD FORMALITIES CRAP. 💪🏾🤎🥰“

“Coffee conspiracy is by far my favorite roaster (and now cafe) in Santa Cruz. Eddie is genuinely kind, hard-working and determined, and I’d definitely recommend stopping in to give his coffee a shot!“

“Simple menu with all the basics , delicious food, unbeatable views of the pacific from the parking lot, and fantastic indoor and outdoor seating options with a beautiful
beautiful beautiful garden to stroll around.

Oh and it’s a non profit venture of the church so that’s kind of interesting“

“Went in here real quick before catching a flight in the afternoon and was pleasantly surprised by the place.

The food is great and the owners are really nice! Great gem in Santa Cruz for a quick bite and a drink. Highly recommended!“

“We tried this spot for the first time this morning and it did not disappoint! The owner, Tram was so warm and welcoming — you can tell she pours love into the space.

We had the Bella Bon Bon (tasty and not too sweet) and the Sua Da — strong Vietnamese coffee that gave us the boost we needed! We also tried two pastries: the beef and chorizo one was incredibly flaky with a slightly sweet, seasoned to perfection— 10/10. And the pâte à choux was packed with flavor and so satisfying.

The space is open and beautifully decorated with cool art, Vietnamese hip-hop playing, and a big cozy couch tucked in the back. Tram chatted with us for a while — super sweet and genuine person and we wish this small business many blessings.

Definitely planning to come back soon!“

“I don’t understand how an amazing coffee shop can, at there discretion, close there coffee shop at any time they want? Why would u treat loyal customers this way. Sometimes posted in Instagram, sometimes not. So inconsiderate of daily customers. Very disappointing to walk all the way there, excited for my greeting from the staff and my great latte, only to find a note on the door, closed at 11:30? How can u feel good about people showing up and not open and it isn’t even close to 3:00? Confusing to me how everything else but this one issue can be perfect?“

“Favorite roaster around! Haven't had a bag of beans I don't like. Currently on a kick of pulling shots and making lattes with After Party. Super thick crema and great tasting notes. Don't see myself changing up from Cat & Cloud anytime soon!“

“11th hour coffee is the best in town! Small batch quality direct trade coffee roasted with love. Happy to support a local growing business in the community.“

“Favorite roaster around! Haven't had a bag of beans I don't like. Currently on a kick of pulling shots and making lattes with After Party. Super thick crema and great tasting notes. Don't see myself changing up from Cat & Cloud anytime soon!“

“This is always my goto coffee shop when in Santa Cruz. The Americano (or any other coffee we get) is always on point. The bagels... Ohhhhh the bagels. You have to try for yourself but they are always fresh and amazing. Go check it out! You will not regret it.“

“Great coffee, friendly environment with lots of indoor and outdoor seating, Wi-Fi, and a nice environment to study or chat. Part of the nearby church but you don't have to worry about it being uncomfortable in some way because of that, they seem to do a good job of being very welcoming and chill. This spot has an abundance of space which is very nice. The food I tried was nice too but I only had a little bite so I can't review that too.“

“This is my favorite coffee spot in Santa Cruz county. Peoples coffee has a Friendly staff and great atmosphere. The baristas here won’t let you down.“

“Great coffee and great vibe. Bought a pound of their Santa Cruz Dark beans to take home to Tahoe“

“i have only drank a cup of coffee made from your beans. enjoyed it and would recommend it to others. looking forward to visiting warehoue“

“Wonderful coffee shop by the beach in Santa Cruz :) The baristas were very knowledgeable and were able to answer our questions about different coffee beans. Overall we had a great experience!“

“Best Philly Cheesesteak west of the Mississippi! They rock!!! Try an Apple Fritter too. They are killer!!!“

“I gave it a 10 Olof u are from sc and n really went through the struggle N.A you know the place across the way wasn’t even there yet ol scool thing .. Madriz B“

“This is always my goto coffee shop when in Santa Cruz. The Americano (or any other coffee we get) is always on point. The bagels... Ohhhhh the bagels. You have to try for yourself but they are always fresh and amazing. Go check it out! You will not regret it.“

“the baristas always go beyond there’s duty’s, they are so friendly , And the place always clean.“

“Toasted marshmallow topper 👍🏽“

“If only they would hire more folks. I love the coffe, food, and vibe. Every time I come here in the morning, they seem short staffed. One person behind the counter taking the the orders, handling the money, making the drinks, AND the food?!? — because their coworker has to do bean deliveries? — not a great excuse, in my opinion. I love you Lulu’s coffee, let’s do a little better? I want to keep coming.“

“can’t speak to the food, but I got a yummy hot chocolate. barista was lovely, and I was able to sit at the nearby picnic table with my pup while my windshield was taken care of down the street. there’s a few places to sit, but this is definitely a “grab it and go” location“

“It was such a lovely spot to take a quick break and have an iced soy latte, Vietnamese Iced Coffee, and yummy croissant sandwiches. When you're at UCSC and in the thick of hustle and bustle, take a 15-minute break to recharge your battery.“

“Enjoy chocolate undertones in your coffee bean? Check out the light roast Nicaraguan or the medium roast Moka Java shown in photo here.Staff here are always attentive and helpful. Get the benefits of coffee experts who can speak to the nuances in their beans. They have a great deal of expertise above what you would probably find in a coffee place staffed by students.Oh, and Java Bob's accepts Apple Pay!Pro tips: coffee is best when ground and served between three and 10 days after resting has completed. By small quantities regularly to retain the highest amount of flavor. That's one of the secrets the coffee shops make use of.“

“It's a place to meet the neighbors.“

“The crew is very friendly. It was my first time there but sure it will not be the last 😃“

“tasty coffee, great ambiance, friendly staff and easy to find location 🙃“

“Great coffee (they roast it); great, friendly service. Lots of food choices. I had a garlic bagel with egg and something on it. The bagel was good-ish; there were other things on the menus(!) that looked delicious. I shall go back. Atmosphere was richly varied and warmly welcoming. If I lived in the neighborhood, it would be my go-to morning place.“

“As donuts go, this is the place to go Capitol/Santa Cruz. Tasty fresh donuts everywhere. Classic shop layout. Nice service and expect a bit of a wait (10 people in line behind me). A nice surprise is their decadent ham and cheese croissants with jalapeños. One of the best I’ve had and that says a lot coming from a guy that grew up on a south boarder town. Highly recommended.“