Peet's Coffee & Tea
Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMA595 Mission Street
(between 2nd St & Anthony St)
San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 495-4323
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
22 reviews
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
"Very good basic breakfast place. They serve plenty of fresh and ripe fruit with their breakfast dishes, which is something I don't find…" read more »
56 Reviews for Peet's Coffee & Tea
Today Starbucks and I broke up because I met this new bro Peet. I love Starbucks but I am starting to resent the place. I'm getting bored with it. I can't stand the smell of the stores (maybe it's just the one by my work) I always thought Peets sucked for some reason...not sure why, I think they had it in my overpriced college cafeteria..
This particular location is huge and there's plenty of room and seats. Sit at the bar and you can creep on all the passerbys. I ordered the Mango Tea Freddo and unlike some of the concoctions I drink at Starbucks and Jamba, this didn't leave a thick coat of coffee/teaness in my throat. It was light and refreshing.
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Ok, so I tried Peet's a while back and remembered I hated it because it was way too strong and smelled like pot (no kidding - it does!). I like pot, but not in my coffee. Now because I hate Starbucks even more, I decided to try some tea here at Peet's. Not bad! Can't remember what I had,but it tasted really nice.
So, 3 stars for good tea and nice people.
The attractive blonde barista offered me an extra shot of espresso for my Americano and now I'm at work about to go bonkers.
Dear 1992, please leave some Ninja Turtles Pizza and Crystal Pepsi out. I'm coming to see you.
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After our museum trip, I was "need a nap and fast tired". Unfortunately, I knew this wasn't going to happen, but fortunately for me, I saw this Peet's on my way down Mission from the Bart station.
Anyway, this is a small Peet's. It is smaller than the one on Solano Ave. in length, but has more seating inside (maybe 3 tables). There are a couple of outdoor seats as well, but the reason this location gets 4 stars is that they know how to move a crowd through. I am not the most patient person, and when I saw the line 10 people or so deep, I was hesitant to get in line. The drip coffee they were serving was one of the nasty blends, so I opted for my standby-nonfat extra foamy latte. I was impressed at the teamwork at 4pm. I had my perfectly foamy latte in no-time. My companion had her perfect soy latte w/in 5 minutes of ordering as well. It was great.
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Today I learned I've been to a shit-ton of Peets and Yelped em good.
Yup.
Good, hard and long and when then begged me to stop I said, "hell no" and flipped them over.
This is one of many. And I am a Peets fan, I guess. At least that is what the numbers suggest.
As for this one, it is small and doesn't have a public restroom.
But still better than, say one in an airport or mall.
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I'm a fiend for caffeine.
Good coffee. Their soy milk is good quality. What really stands out at this particular location is the customer service. There is NOTHING more important to me than good customer service. I will sacrifice quality to be treated with some respect and appreciation. Fortunately, here, I don't have to make that sacrifice.
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6/15/08: Thanks for opening on a Sunday morning around 7am - gotta love their coffee and their dedication to their customers.
Dear Peet's Coffee I love you. But I kinda hate you at the same time.
As I sit at my computer, attempting to be productive, all I can think about is how I want to have my own personal dance party in the conference room due to the exceptionally amazing (and strong) white non-fat iced mocha that you provided me. I can't stop drinking it, but it is encouraging this ridiculous, jittery feeling that I can't escape. As I was explaining to coworker it's just so tasty, there is no way you can stop. Which is why I love Peet's in a special way that also includes a smidgen of hatred.
Seriously though, this Peet's is awesome. The staff is super nice, they move quickly even when the line is practically out the door, and the drinks are excellent. You occasionally even see a cute SOMA professional, which in itself is an added bonus. Oh and this amazing public atrium is next door which is beyond perfection for people watching and sitting at lunch. They open the doors when the weather gets nice as well as host fun events.
Power to the Peet's at the corner of Mission and 2nd! I love-hate you more than I can say...
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I really hope that there isn't an earthquake while I'm down here and this Peet's get smashed to the ground, because even if I survived the 'quake, I would still die without this Peet's.
This Peet's is my life support system. When I get 15 minutes to "relax" I run here as fast as my little legs will carry me, pant out my order of a double tall vanilla soy latte, and then vacuum seal my mouth to the cup.
Ahhhhh...
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I love Peets! Their coffee is so rich and flavorful. I hit this up every morning when we visit the city. Nice little walk from the W, order my large black, and then enjoy in the Living Room.
It seems that Peets baristas actually care about their job, and it doesn't have the fast food feel of some of the other coffee chains.
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Eh, Peet's is Peet's. I like their beverages. But the staff at this specific Peet's is WONDERFUL! They're fun and personable and they SMILE *gasp*
And when I ask for my drink to be 140 degrees, it's 140.00 degrees, dammit. (Or at least, I like to believe so.)
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I did some... ahemmm... experimenting with drugs while in College. Still, perhaps because I was in Berkeley surrounded by people who still lived in the 60s, my experiments revolved mostly around hallucinogenics: shrooms, lucy in the sky. Hell, I even had plants growing in my closet!
I never did speed or Crystal meth, though, because I could always get that wired feeling of invincibility drinking Peet's Coffee. For those of you who may not know, the very first Peet's coffee is on the corner of Vine and Walnut in Berkeley.
Still today, when I want to be on top of the world, all I need to order is a large Peet's coffee and I'm flying high with the eagles.
Dear Peet,
I would like to formally apologize for bringing my snooty coffee nose into your doors and saying something along the lines of "Northwest represent"...
Please take joy in the fact that I mistook you as one of the admirable small chains among the mecca of coffee roasters to the North, and that I would align you with the greats of Vivace and Stumptown.
But brown nosing aside, I was quickly and firmly corrected by my co-worker who said: "ahh..hmm...Laura...Peet's is from HERE".
I stand corrected. Berkeley - represent. (You certainly did against those Ducks last week). I had it coming.
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Im a self proclaimed coffee snob...and that comes purely as a result of I myself having been a barista at a traditional Italian coffee joint so I got pretty spoiled. Peet's is meh in my opinion, I actually only go here when its freezing outside and I don't feel like walking outside (I work in the building this Peet's is in so its quite convenient).
I don't know if its that they buy cheap coffee or that their baristas have no clue how to pull a decent shot, but their espresso always tastes bitter. A good shot of espresso should taste full and earthy with a slight bitter taste. Peet's just tastes watery and bitter...bleh. Plus I feel they are a bit overpriced, last week I paid $4.00 for a small soy latte....WTF?! Did I step into Starbucks by mistake? Maybe its just my bad memory, but I thought Peet's used to be cheaper. Oh well.
I will give them props for always having a wonderful and helpful staff. They are always fabulous and I got to give them major points for that. Also they do have some pretty good teas, not the finest in town but better than most coffee joints. FYI in the summer, get their mango iced tea. Im not much for fruit flavored teas, but this one is delicate and beautiful.
My favorite Peet's too, and I go to many. Simply the friendliest baristas in town!
The coffee speaks for itself. In addition to in-store seating comprised of stools along the window with a view of FiDi passersby, the lobby of the tower next door has two spacious floors of tables that are excellent places for meetings. I can't even take off a star for the long lines that form in the afternoon around 2, or the recent price increase. This Peet's rocks.
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I walked in this place today and started hyperventilating.
This was the scene of the crime. I totally forgot that it was THIS Peet's, and I hoped they had too.
Here is what happened.
Years ago, before I even worked in the FiDi, my dad and i were cruising around downtown, and saw Peet's and stopped in for a delicious coffee and a hot tea. In my green tea, I require honey, and that's when it started to go downhill. Their honey was in one of those really nice glass syrup holders. You know, the kind they have at IHOP? So, I was turning to grab the jar, and because I had a huge purse on, my perception was off, the bag hit the holder, and the honey shattered on the floor into a sticky pile of glass. Have you ever tried to clean up honey? Neither have I. I placed some strategically placed napkins over it, and took off running.
Am I proud? No. Did I vow to never go back to that Peet's in fear of my being recognized as the girl who shattered the honey jar? Yes.
But today, I accidentally wandered in, panic set in, and NO ONE recognized me! So, I think ill be back. I got an English Breakfast to avoid the use of honey but its a good thing their honey is now in a plastic squeeze bottle. Probably because of me.
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I love getting my morning coffee here. It's always nice and fresh. Too bad they don't serve Holiday Blend anymore... Way better than Starbucks.
This is a spacious Peet's and with high ceiling. And as usual, coffee is strong and I have to always ask for a single shot (typical is double.) You can spend good amounts of time to choose the good selection of loose leaf tea without blocking others in line.
We all know Peet's...this is just a Useful tip to Yelpers to get the citrus bread one morning. It's the best I've ever had.
This Peet's is right around the corner from where I work. This is both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing, as Peet's has some of the best chain coffee around, and Peet's propinquity means I don't have to frequent the Starbucks across the street. The curse is I find myself whipping out my Peet's card here oftener than I probably should.
Things to like about Peet's in general:
--The coffee is rich and strong. Consistently good espresso. My latte never tastes weak.
--Espresso-based drinks all start with two shots. You'll pay extra for this at a great deal of other coffee places. For instance, my nigh-daily small latte, with its standard two shots, costs $2.75 at Peet's. The equivalent drink at Starbucks, a tall latte, only comes with one shot standard. Factoring in the extra shot (.$.50) to the base drink ($2.60) sets you back $3.10 for what mysteriously costs Peet's thirty-five cents less to make. (Plus Peet's coffee is better).
Starbucks isn't the worst offender on this front, either. Many places charge $3.25+ for what costs me $2.75 at Peet's. This is perhaps not a big deal on a onetime basis but it can really add up over time, especially if you're a frequent latte purchaser as I am. Staying well under the three-dollar threshold for a specialty coffee drink feels good.
--Free coffee/tea drink with the purchase of beans. Even the small half pound size. It's pretty generous of them to give the $1.50 or whatever a coffee/tea costs for free when you purchase even just a half pound of House beans ($5-6).
--Freshly ground nutmeg at the counter. Grind it yourself over your foamy latte!
--Put $20 on your Peet's card and you get $1 off your purchase. Hey, it's not huge but many places don't have such a rewards system at all. Plus, if you know you're going to spend there often you may as well do the card.
--Samples! Peet's often has samples of its treats and/or coffees and teas sitting out on the counter to try. Yum.
Things about this Peet's in particular:
--It's close.
--Mostly friendly baristas.
--Mostly good-quality pastries. Sometimes my muffins have been a bit stale, however.
Note that at least this Peet's seems to lack wheat-free pastry options. This isn't an issue for me personally but a coworker of mine is allergic to wheat so if she wants a snack with her coffee she's forced to go to Starbucks, which has wheat-free items like their Rice-Crispie-Treat-like thing.
--Coffee quality is usually very good. Occasionally the espresso hasn't tasted as fresh or hot as it should, however. Still, overall quite good.
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Two Words: Celebrity Customers.
[Allegedly, Dave Chappelle is a regular]
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I love this Peet's. The service is excellent, The staff are super cool and friendly. I love the Mocha's they have excellent Baristas. And most important "Friends don't let friends go st Starbucks".
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Starbuck's is a costly, crowded, McDonald's "omni present" 400 pound gorilla. The "Walmart of coffee" is just not that good. Pete's is not the best in the world, but certainly a better cup of coffee than Dr. Evil's front company.
This location at the base of the Paramount has a fantastic crew and as my good man Jeremy stated in his review the lines do move quickly. Pete's is an early morning aid station for post Yelp Elite party hangovers.
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I get a drink every morning before work. I used to go exclusively to Peet's. Then one day, after yet another humiliating experience, I decided it wasn't worth it. I have switched to Starbucks and couldn't be happier.
My first bad experience at Peet's was in 1994. I was new to Peet's then. I ordered a vanilla latte. With all the scorn she could muster, the counter person yelled, "Peet's doesn't sell flavored drinks. " They did sell mochas, but I guess the counter person forgot that chocolate is a flavor.
I tried to put that experience behind me, but I have had several other humiliating Peet's experiences since then. I have had hundreds of good drinks from them, but it takes a hundred good drinks to make up for the one time when everything goes to hell. They never seem to get ahead of the ration of bad drinks to good drinks. I've just had enough of their snobby hatefulness. Done with Peet's.
Starbucks might not be super delicious, but they treat me fairly.
Standard office zombie fuel, it's good for the mornings but I wouldn't go out of my way to drink Peet's. In fairness, I feel roughly the same way about Starbucks (at least they are blatantly trying to create a cafe lifestyle, Peet's just tries to pretend like they're not after that same thing). Both have taken something I really love - good coffee - and taken the soul out of it.
Cafe Madeleine on New Montgomery is my personal preference.
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Interesting people work here.
One didn't really know how to tally up my total.
One looked as though he hadn't washed his hair in months.
And the other one was able to hand me my blendy funtime drink while simultaneously throwing in a wink.
I gave it 5 stars because I am on a work trip, but I am also on a semi vacation out of LA, so when you see exotic creatures from the North doing everyday things, it at least deserves an A for effort or at the very least, 5 stars.
Oh and the coffee frappy extra loaded vanilla thing wasn't bad either!
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My office loves coffee. So, I drop in and order beans for the week. I usually hold up the line and I'm pretty sure that the coffee drinkers behind me are thinking bad thoughts about me. So, Peet's assistant manager, Jessica, has hooked me up with the private bat line. I can call, place my order, and drop in pick up my bags of coffee. I'm sure that has to make everyone in the SOMA area happy!
i love peet's coffee. i love THIS peet's coffee for two reasons*:
1) geo
2) julian
*absolutely not in order of importance. i love them both equally.
i was "customer of the week" at this peet's and i'm sure i have g and j to thank for that. it was quite an honor, you know. they posted my photo on the counter for everyone to admire and envy and i got free coffee for a week. at one time, dave chappelle was also "customer of the week" at this peet's, so obviously it's a lofty title reserved for people of our (dave's and mine) caliber.
really, it may have been the most exciting thing that's happened to me all year. no kidding.
i wish i could return the favor to g and j. if alfred h. peet was still alive, i'd write him a letter and tell him he is lucky to have two such fine young men working for him and that he should give them ea. a raise and a lifetime supply of coffee.
all i have to give to them, though, are my words and this review.
geo and julian, per this review, i give you the title, "coffee guys of the millenium"!
and...errrr.,... it's not just all about me and my honorable award.... they really are THE best!
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Reasons why I love this place:
-The line typically resembles opening night for Star Wars. Non-regulars are deterred and leave, but regulars know you're up in less than five minutes
-Four words: *SMALL SOY CAP WET!
*Editor's Note: I'm trying to quit, OK?
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Lunch Time= after meal delicious Peet's coffee (the best coffee of coffee chain coffees) sitting on their outdoor chairs in the warm sun, people watching, relaxing, whatever. The sun is abundant as there is no shade at this corner. I have never had to wait longer than one customer for my coffee. I love it!
I'm so happy there's now a Peet's near the Flood Building. No more Charbucks! Actually, the Organic Cafe at 5th and Mission is really good, but sometimes I just get a hankering for that Peet's flavuh kick. You know what I mean.
I like Peet's.
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Not being a red blooded american, I don't much care for coffee. I prefer Tea (oh yeah! wanna make something of it!), and Peet's has some ok teas. As good as one could expect from such a place. The prices are a bit high for what you get; however, would certainly go here over Starbucks.
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A giant dose of caffeine.
The line at this location tends to be shorter than many of the other Peets nearer to my office, so I sometimes prefer to buy coffee here.
Only thing this location lacks is a restroom.
Ummm...I am not sure if they are supposed to remember me if there is a new person behind the counter everyday.
BUT I have to say that this is one of those places that I developed a rather strong affection for on my every day walk to work.
I always sneer at how many people are in line but undoubtedly and consistently it moves incredibly quick every time!! Oh and one more thing, DEBRA should be the woman of the year here...that's all I'm gonna say!
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Throw away your starbucks cards folks. This is one helluva cup. Ron (or *Raughn*) is fantastic and can barrista your pants off. Long lines move fast.
One of the new guys though consistently gets my name wrong so I've started messing with him.
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I go here before my class at Golden Gate University, just so I can make it though a 2 1/2 hour lecture ... and that's after work! I get a 4 shot, large, lowfat latte or mocha, and a walnut snickerdoodle, and I can make it through about 30 minutes of lecture before I need another. I am totally immune to caffiene. If I feel generous, but ONLY if ... I will get a pound of beans for the office. Major D's blend! BUT ... most of the staff thinks it's soooo cold in the office, and me being always warm, I like it cool. They crank the heat to 85 ... so I say ... PUT ON A FRIGGIN JACKET IF YOU ARE SO COLD. So, I will not provide good coffee for them ... they can have Folgers, while I sip my Cafe Bello!
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my favorite peet's in the city.
i have to come here once a week for a client meeting and the highlight of my afternoon is the fact that everyone at this location can make a bone dry cappuccino. believe me, people, this is a serious coup. even blue bottle is a little shaky.
and now that we're rapidly approaching tis' the season time, i'll be switching up my usual for the peet's peppermint mocha. which so isn't my thing normally but i love the peet's version because it's not sweet. at all. yummy!
If this were a movie the bad guy would be Starbucks, hell bent on world domination and the good guy would be Peet's saving us from the green mermaid's tyrannical rule. Their coffee is brewed with jet fuel and the help is always friendly. Their waiting line kind of sucks in the one downtown, though.
This Pete's is adjacent to a clean and bright public atrium where you can enjoy your coffee or conduct a business meeting sheltered from the elements (natural or otherwise) outside. For my purposes, this makes it far more attractive than a smaller, darker cafe that might serve slightly better joe.
i would've given this place 5 stars only "peets girlfriend" no longer works here, as well as about 6-7 other really nice, cool, "worth your while for a visit" peets employees.
3 months ago i could have walked in and everyone knew my name.... and my order. i frequent this place 2x's a day (morning, lunch), and always got tip top service. then they all started disappearing and being replaced by new faces... none of which took the same time/consideration to make my visit as special as before. you can just tell that their chemistry isn't as good as the old batch of peets people. oh well!
they still make good lattes... good enough that i can't not go!
**3 months later**
nothing has changed. i still miss the old peets people. actually, i know where a few of them work now (no i'm not a stalker!) so at least they're on a better path. the drinks are still good so i still frequent a few times a week... oh well!
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