33 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.“

“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!“

“Soo near our ocean your family will love the vibe of Shrine Coffee. Laid-back atmosphere with real cups and plates! No matter your background &c your welcomed with LOVE & LIGHT! Oh, no matter your denomination &c stop on bye for Sunday services &c "Come As You Are"! Be yourself! You will certainly Depart smiling aswellas energized!

Parking: Great Coffee aswell friendly staff aswell guests...

Kid-friendliness: Yes!

Wheelchair accessibility: Yes!“

“This is the place to be for your mornings! The coffees and eats are Vietnamese or Cuban inspired, which really sets them apart from other standard coffee shops (and more delicious too). Their atmosphere is second to none; every inch is covered with style and locally sourced art, even the floor itself. To top it off, it's a female-owned small business, so come support your community here!“

“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!“

“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?“

“Wandered in on a whim, knowing I have wanted to visit, and was SO pleasantly surprised. Very relaxed but lively environment, the owner runs the cash register and makes the dumplings!Which, by the way, were some of the best I’ve had. I ordered the beef Momo dumplings, and they were served with a spicy red sauce, and a side salad with grated carrot and lemon dressing.The dumplings were savory and spiced to perfection. Every ingredient in the meat mix came through uniquely and beautifully. The salad dressing was so bright and delicious that I wanted to drink it, and the spicy red sauce added the perfect extra kick to the dumplings, if you like spice like me, you would definitely enjoy. Got the whole plate for $13 (including tax).I thoroughly enjoyed my experience, and I didn’t even get to the drink menu. But based on the reactions of other customers who got drinks while I was there, their drink menu is also very satisfactory. Highly recommend!“

“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!“

“I consider myself a connoisseur of coffee shops and this place hits all the marks for me. I spent 10 days in Santa Cruz and visited The Abbey about 7 times. Each of the staff members were nice and friendly. There are at least 15 outlets so you can usually plug in and get some work done or you might have to wait 15 minutes for someone to leaves. The coffee is a great locally roasted bean. All the food I tried was good. I never tried their avocado toast but it really looks delicious. It has avocado and what looks like a medium soft boiled egg on top. Bathrooms were clean and parking was easy in their lot. Never had to look for a space to park. This place hit every mark for me.“

“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.“

“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.“

“A nice coffee place as well as they sell their roasts. They selecrion of their coffee (beans) are quite wide.
They have single origins as well as blends.

Service was attentive. I got answers for the beanse they were selling. And, got enough time to decide prior to purchase“

“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.“

“Best coffee I've tried in Santa Cruz so far. Very light & mild. Foam decoration was great and gave that Seattle coffeehouse vibe. Chai was a little bland and the canned or thawed blueberries topping their blueberry toast was a little disappointing for the price point. The sourdough bread however was delicious.“

“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!!!“

“first visit. medium roast was very light for my taste. it was a delicious cup of coffee but a few degree higher and a little more time could really unlock the complexity and broad palate in the beans that as is could be described as subtle and tasty where I prefer bold and complex. cautiously looking forward to trying a dark roast thinking it may come in as a medium by my standards but worth a try
great vibe really nice people working will definitely return“

“100%
I have been a coffee snob for about 15 years now. It all started with the original verve in capitola. I very much appreciate good coffee and enjoy it.
Today after taking my daughter to get her driver's permit, we sat down at The roaster location and enjoyed a fresh Honduras pour over.

I appreciate the upgrades that have been done in the past couple years to make it more inviting to sit down.
I've known many operators and baristas through the years they have gone on to do great things in coffee, and it all started with verve.
Thanks again guys. I wish you continued success in the coffee industry“

“I go to Coffeetopia on a regular basis to socialize with friends. I am an avid tea drinker, so I love that they have a unique selection of teas. Their coffee is great as well, and I love that they make fresh bagels courtesy of The Bagelry (another delicious, local Santa Cruz business).“

“Delicious coffee and matcha, great milk options, and plenty of different food and drinks! Baristas were so nice, and the store itself is actually the cutest store I've ever seen!!

Dietary restrictions: Oat milk, pistachio milk, soy milk, etc.!“

“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.“

“We love sharing Mission Hill Creamery bread with family! Getting it weekly is the way to go. This weeks bread was baked with love! Thank you Dave and crew!“

“My preference for coffee in Seabright :) Coffee is good, staff is lovely, what else can you ask for early in the morning?

Kid-friendliness: Kid steamer is a thing in the system :) It's reassuring that you'll get it in the right temperature for a kid when it's an option they can put in the computer.“

“The best period. This cafe never fails to exceed my expectations. A mix of consistency and quality ingredients make Stevenson cafe the best place to eat on campus, possibly in all of santa cruz. Your wallet will also be happy as their signature sandwiches are a little over 5 dollar. I have been going here for almost four years and will continue to be a loyal customer, thank you.“

“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.“

“I buy all my coffee beans from Outland Java. The guy who runs the company is extremely nice. The roasts are absolutely terrific. The only downside is that there is no good coffee compared to this, because of that you will only find yourself satisfied by Outland Java. You can buy beans at New Leaf market and they serve it at certain cafe's in Half Moon Bay. Absolutely terrific!“

“Apple fritter- Very average fritter. Nothing at all wrong with it besides just not being as good as others. It has the right amount of crisp edge and soft center. The glaze is good. There is a good amount of apple filling but it doesn't really carry much flavor. The fritter itself could use more cinnamon. For most people they would probably say this is a really good fritter.
Strawberry mochi- Wow! Absolute standout from everything we got. The donut itself is so soft and fluffy and has an amazing mochi chew. The strawberry frosting is delicious. I would eat lots and lots of these.
Maple cronut- Very good maple glaze. Right thickness and fantastic flavor. The cronut is great. Layers of deliciousness while being airy. Would definitely get again.“

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

“A bustling cafe with an eclectic ensemble of tables and chairs. The syrups are made in-house, but what really strikes me is that their selection of loose leaf is from Silk Road Teas, a well-respected brand that I haven't seen offered at other coffee shops around Santa Cruz.“