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Java On Ocean Coffee House
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Restaurants Canadian (Traditional) Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Canadian (Traditional) [Edit]
1700 Ocean Ave(at Faxon Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94112
(415) 333-6075
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 6 am - 9 pm
Sun 7 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
201 reviews for Java On Ocean Coffee House
Review Highlights
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"Excellent coffee, FREE WI-FI, and plenty of space." In 12 reviews -
"The chicken hummus wrap was DELICIOUS." In 5 reviews -
"yep, i likey their white chocolate mocha." In 3 reviews
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201 reviews in English
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Review from Thea G.
San Francisco, CA
5/19/2012
I have special memories of this place. My college days were spent avoiding classes, homework, crazy teachers, and hanging out with friends - and Java on Ocean Coffee House. My friend Chris and I used to spend our time after school there with our books opened on the table, trying to act like we were studying when in reality, we were just gossiping about any and everything - goofing off and making fun of each other. Eventually, we'd inevitably end up on the couch, sinking into the cushions and laying there for hours, trying to will ourselves to actually get up.
And when I discovered the majesty of plain bagels with sundried tomato spread on them, I was here everyday, rain or shine, stuffing my face fat with this stuff.
This place was comfortable. Its atmosphere was soothing, the music was good, even the lighting was perfect. They even had a bird up in there - which one some days can be a bit distracting but as a whole, it was a nice touch to the place. It was the place to hang out in with friends and it was like a second home when you needed to just be by yourself with no one chattering in your ear.
It helps that the staff there have always been super-friendly and always willing to engage you in conversation; AND they've never minded that I stayed there for HOURS for days at a time. Now that's just awesome service, haha. -
Review from Ken P.
San Francisco, CA
5/16/2012
Comfy, open, and no pretense. The coffee is consistently good, bagels and sandwiches are fresh, yummy and consistent.
I bring my kids on the weekends, and pick up coffee a few days a week. It's a great place to unwind with the paper, or a game with the kiddies.
The place is filled by good music without any heavy base (what is it with coffee houses playing dance music?). Also, you almost forget, but the place is filled with light, even on the foggiest of days. I can't even recall if they turn the lights on. There are huge windows along Faxon and Ocean that allows a plentiful light. Maybe this is what makes it so relaxing. -
Review from Emily M.
5/12/2012
Comfy seats and good coffee. Parking nearby was actually possible.
Only weird thing was the loudly chirping bird they have. I don't normally mind birds, but his chirping was at just the right/wrong frequency to my ear to be occasionally jarring.
Also, look for this cafe's appearance in H.P. Mendoza's Colma: The Musical. Yay! -
Review from Andrew N.
San Francisco, CA
5/20/2012
OK, everything about this place is awesome! S P A C E, light, excellent food & drinks, prices are a bit high. There is on HUGE exception...the Woman who works behind the counter, the young one with dark hair.
It sucks i feel the need to write this because unfortunately they have put her in front of the customer so i cannot avoid her. i dont understand why business owners go through so much trouble and then blow it with the greeter...lol
Everytime i go there, her body language her face, the way she speaks to customers "what" is unreal! the Man who is behind the counter is courteous professional but with her it;s like she really does not want to be working there or something.
i just wished the management would train her because i think the issue is she is young and has no idea of how to deal with People.
These days my dollars need to go further, and better experience than ever and that's where the experience with the snide Woman behind the counter blows it!
Unreal. -
Review from B H.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2012
The atmosphere here is so nice. It's the perfect place to grab some coffee and to read a book, but it gets noisy early in the morning because the construction workers grab their coffee and chat. The workers here are so nice, and service is just great. Last time, my friend ordered a specialty sandwich and she loved it. I had the typical bagel with cream cheese, but no complaints. Best place on Ocean Avenue.
On the down side, they don't have too much food options and little to no street parking. -
Review from Connie L.
San Francisco, CA
3/15/2012 5 Check-ins Here
It's always nice and toasty in here. I only started coming here during the spring semester but so far this has been my favorite place.
There are a lot of small tables and although it's enough seats for a lot of people sometimes it feels kind of cramped.
I love that they wrap their cakes and muffins individually because it keeps them moist. There's a bigger selection of bottled drinks here than city cafe but it's pricier here.
It's kinda hard to tell what is exactly on the menu but I'm sure the employees will answer any questions (I just get coffee for here).
It's usually quiet enough in here to study. -
Review from Andrea B.
3/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Cute coffee shop with pleasant owner, comfortable couch and table seating, and decently priced drinks and lunch grub, pastries, and whatnot.
Convenient location near the Jules muni stop. There's parking along Faxon and enough street parking if you must drive.
Lovely place to study, read, and relax. -
Review from Surge C.
This place is a convenient location to grab a bite, study, or get coffee/tea with a friend.
I stopped by with my friend to split the herb-roasted chicken sandwich with avocado. The chicken was great, but the avocado had a chewy texture and definitely did not taste like any avocado I had tasted. Next time I would opt for getting it without avocado.
They have a ton of pastries (Mexican wedding cookies, almond halva, baklava, pumpkin bread, etc...). Next time I will be back for one of these =). -
Review from Jerianne G.
Daly City, CA
2/29/2012
Love the bagels :). Especially with the garlic cream cheese, absolutely divine.
The coffee is also quite satisfying, for a decent price.
Nice atmosphere, i'd definitely come back for bagels again :). -
Review from Elisa S.
San Francisco, CA
12/31/2011
The girl forgot about me.
Not once. Not twice. THREE TIMES.
I was on my 30 minute lunch break, she took my order, then forgot about me.
The first two times, she just plain forgot I was waiting for my order.
The third (and LAST time I ever went there) she took my order and I waited... and waited... and then talked to another worker who was behind the counter, told him I had a few more minutes for my break, and was informed that the girl who had taken my order left to go to class.
This was a while ago and I hope they got rid of her, not that I'll be going back to see. -
Review from Kimberley M.
San Francisco, CA
3/5/2012
I had not one, but three terrible experiences with this cafe's staff today at around 4pm. The woman helping me identified herself as Elizabeth and spoke Spanish, so some of the rudeness could just be lost in translation cultural differences?, but this is not a restaurant person, because a restaurant person knows it costs eight times less to keep a customer than it does to get a new one #1) when I walked in, it took a few moments for "Elizabeth" to get to me, but when she did actually saunter to the counter she seemed immediately dismissive, as if she were going to ask me if I had a reservation and turn me away from their nearly empty cafe! She had a strong accent that seemed Hispanic (just to be clear, that wasn't the problem with her) Which is where the second problem started, When I came into the cafe, with the specific intent to eat there and hang out with a cup of tea, I was sent down the street to Wallgreens, where I purchased a Red bull so that I could get change -and that cost me nearly five dollars.It's San Francisco, and there are meters for parking. I haven't had a car for long since living in the city, but I did work as a waitress in a diner here for two and a half years, and I know that as a business owner it is prudent to have a few rolls of quarters available, After that bad experience I thought about forgoing the Cafe completely since the woman seemed so inhospitable and rude, and since she had no change and that seemed lame, but I decided to stash my already opened five dollar Red Bull in the car -and to my dismay I realized that I had locked my keys in the car.... Had to ditch the Red bull in order to go into the Cafe' and "Elizabeth" if that really is her name, would not call AAA for me! She flat out refused to make a free phone call for me. -So here I am -me and the resident alien... and I am just thinking that my very best course of action is to explain to the woman that in the United States it is customary for businesses to make change and to call someone a tow truck while they duck in out of the cold. -my pleas were to no avail, and then she pretended to call her manager who she said wasn't answering instead of making the toll free call. And then a really dippy twenty year old white girl who has no excuse not to fully realize that this is a traditional response came up to the counter and started making lame excuses. I waited outside for half an hour after having to walk up the street to a gas station to make a phone call. This cafe isn't so cute after all. The tow truck drivers response was; "Wow, San Francisco is becoming mean!"
Incidentally, the toll free number for toll free directory assistance is 1(800)555-1212 and the toll free number for AAA is 1-800-222-4357. neither call costs the business owner a customer.
I never did get far enough to have my tea or the falafel I had wanted. 9/10 of my Red Bull I had paid five dollars for, just so I could park and come in were left outside and wasted, and I went away hungry and thirsty. All in all, parking included, the visit cost me at least seven dollars, yet I never got service. -
Review from Elliott N.
San Francisco, CA
Accessibility (Parking / Wait Time)
1/1 Star: Street parking isn't too bad. No wait.
_____
Service (Waiter / Cleanness / Ambiance)
0/1 Star: No waiter, just order and pick up. Their are birds around some of the eating areas. Feels very Middle-Eastern in there.
_____
Taste (0=Not Edible / 1=Edible / 2=Good (average) / 3=Must Try!)
2/3 Stars: I had a smoothie called Morning Dew. It looked exactly like the berry smoothie from Costco, and taste similar but a little sour and tangy. I'd rather have the cheaper Costco berry smoothie.
_____
Overall Experience
3/5 Stars
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Pictures
Morning Dew Smoothie: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
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Last Words
meh... -
Review from Jetta c.
San Francisco, CA
12/17/2011
is the destiny of those two caged birds really to sit there and listen to the loud Indian music playing all day for the rest of their lives? They look ill.
This place looks nice on the outside, but upon going inside it was not inviting.
Uncomfortable seats that are extremely dirty, all the furniture has a layer of dust and grime on it. The music is too loud -
Review from Andrew M.
10/19/2011
From the moment I walked in, I thought that I had finally found my spot - ample room to study stretched from wall to wall, quaint paintings hung on the walls, soft lighting bounced from the high ceilings, and there was simply a comforting feel.
However, everything changed at the counter - I ordered an iced soy mocha and what I received was literally mud in a cup. The coffee grounds were unfiltered and settled at the bottom of the drink, providing a constant burnt taste with every sip.
I noticed that I had received a small cup when I thought I had been charged for the large cup, but when I asked the cashier about it, she pointed at a board away from where the soy mocha was located and claimed it was the correct price. Either she would not admit her error, or it cost more to make a drink iced.
Despite my underwhelming experience, I want to like this cafe so much that I will give it a second chance. -
Review from Monique Q.
San Francisco, CA
3/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I had a nice hot egg, cheese, tomato and avacado croissant. It was satisfying but could of used a little salt N pepper. I also picked up a lemon poppy seed cake and that was really good & Super moist. Service was friendly. Oh, and there was a canary chirping in the background, gave the place peaceful feel.
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Review from Samantha T.
Santa Clara, CA
1/1/2012
This cafe makes regular appearances in my dreams at night. On any given day I'd love to just drop everything and go there. I find myself at peace there completely indulging in pretty much any of the food they offer (though the brownie bottom cupcake is probably the best thing) and sitting back with my Cafe Valencia while I contemplate how I may have woken up that morning in San Francisco.
Customer service may be a little lacking but frankly, I don't care. I don't usually look forward to having a meaningless chat with a giggly barista in the morning before my coffee anyway.
Thank you Java on Ocean for keeping me awake and alive during the drive home down soothing and scenic highway 280. Thank you for being colorful and artsy and everything a San Fran coffee shop should be. -
Review from Amy B.
11/20/2011
Pros: free wi-fi, plenty of seating, tons of food/drink options, calm atmosphere.
Cons: I paid close to $13 for a veggie wrap and a small iced chai. The wrap was larger than expected, but pretty bland. Also, the wi-fi was pretty inconsistent. -
Review from Sue Y.
2/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
For $4.25, I expected the hot chocolate with whipped cream to taste like super chocolate goodness. It didn't. Thankfully, I had also ordered a delicious prepackaged vegan chocolate cookie, $2.50. And yes, I tried the hot chocolate before the cookie.
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Review from Anette N.
10/27/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This is a good spot for me to work at especially when I need to get things done, there's also free wifi which could get distracting for people like me. There' s also computers at the back, but I'm not sure if you have to pay to use it.... If you have a laptop, make sure it is charged since it is difficult to find an outlet to plug your laptop in.
Ambiance is great, the place looks really inviting. Java exudes warmth and comfort which is so inviting since it's always cold and foggy on Ocean. Staff is really friendly too. I've only tried their coffee and it is okay, nothing great.
Parking isn't so bad, you can park at the residential area for about 2 hours. -
Review from Wendy S.
8/22/2011
I'm judging this place primarily on ambiance. It's a beautiful coffee house! It looks like it's a great place to study or hang out. There are a lot of tables, chairs, and couches as well as large windows and high ceilings. If I was still a student, I would probably come here all the time.
Coffee is good, but not great; hot chocolate was delicious! Sandwiches looked pretty good, but I can't comment since I haven't tried any of them. -
Review from Sharjah D.
San Francisco, CA
10/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love their Raspberry white mocha!!
When I use to go to CCSF this was a spot worth walking towards if your heading to walgreens! I would come here from time to time to just order the raspberry white mocha! It is so good! =) Sometimes I would choose this place to meet up with friends just to socialize or study for midterms or finals. THe place is a casual place but I think its very decent. Although parking isn't so bad just park up the street at the 2 hour parking spots in the residential area. I haven't been here at night just only in the mornings and some afternoons and its a nice walk if you have a big break between classes.
If your looking for some good coffee and something to snack on come to Java! You'll get good customer service. =) -
Review from Nancy C.
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
The coffee here is just okay. I got the caffe mocha and I wish the flavor would've been stronger. It tasted slightly watered down. I wouldn't make a special trip out here just for their drinks but it's an acceptable option if you're in the area and you're desperate to get a caffeine fix. The past few times I've been here, I have always seen plenty of seating and it doesn't get very busy so it's a good place to sit and study or read a book. I haven't tried the food but it looks like they have a large variety for you to pick from.
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Review from Alvin W.
San Francisco, CA
8/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
All I did was go up to the cashier and say " I want a grilled chicken herb sandwich with everything". He immediately took my order and in less than five minutes I had my sandwich to go. Initially I planned to leave asap due to my schedule. But I stayed to killed another five minutes to taste their sandwich while it was still fresh.
During my first bite into the sandwich, I was astonished by the taste. The sweet sauce, spicy herb and freshness of the veggies took my tastebud to another level. I never had Middle Eastern type of food, let alone a Middle Eastern sandwich.
It was crunchy and flavorful during the first few bites. What threw me off was how soggy it got after the first half was finished. The sauce was pretty heavy in my opinion. Still loved it. -
Review from Kenny L.
8/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Best coffee shop on Ocean Ave in my opinion. I really like how they offer sandwiches and a wide variety of snacks too.
Def a good spot to hit up if you want to study or to just have a nice cup of coffee to chitty chat.
Service is really good and they remember the usuals all the time. My dad comes here all the time with his chinese friends. Watch out tho, the chinese dudes talk really loud there. -
Review from Erin W.
San Francisco, CA
10/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
haven't tried anything but the grilled chicken herb sandwich, but it was better than expected from a coffee house. It does get soggy, so taking the walk back to eat at my place was a bit of a mistake, as it was rather hard to eat, but still delicious.
I plan on going back at least to try their bagels and drinks, since it looks like a nice place to study. -
Review from Julie L.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2012
Unfortunately the service of the employee is very bad. I was there on Sunday night, around sevenish and the girl was very rude. She is a tiny little one. She was not paying attention to my order and she kind of threw the change on my hands. when she called for the vanilla latte that I ordered she again threw my drink on the counter splashing a bit from the top of the lid. No Hello, no thanks. She definitely has no customer service and will not go back to this cafe. I don't expect ass kissing but this level of rudeness should not be tolerated.
for management: please review how your employees treat customers -
Review from Victoria T.
Seattle, WA
3/10/2011
When I imagine a neighborhood coffeehouse, this is exactly what I see. There are always people here, doing homework, surfing the net, talking, slugging back coffee, stuffing down tasty sandwiches.
The atmosphere is comfortable and the staff is friendly. The coffee ain't half bad either. -
Review from jess w.
San Francisco, CA
12/5/2011
I've came here a couple of times since it's near by school and the atmosphere isn't too bad at all. They have a really good location. It's not my favorite spot to go because:
a) Their internet switches on and off from time to time
b) Everything is way over priced. I paid over $5.50 for an iced white mocha drink last time I went there and trust me, I've had better for $3. Another time, I wanted to get their fruit cup but that was more than a regular lunch meal so I said forget it!
I think Fog City across from 24 hours fitness on Ocean is an overall better cafe in terms of service and getting your money's worth! -
Review from Rachel M.
6/27/2011
What a great neighborhood coffee house! If I lived close to it, I think I'd swing by all the time. The house coffee is good (and served piping hot - it was still giving off steam 10 minutes after I picked it up), and the
sandwiches are delicious (and generously portioned). I got a turkey sandwich to curb the hunger pangs, and it was really really good - they toss the lettuce in what appeared to be balsamic vinaigrette -- a trick I'm definitely going to remember for home use.
The interior is cute, a few table/chair sets, sofa/coffee table and a cute window seat area that I scouted immediately. There is also a cute resident birdie that sings melodically while you're sipping on your java and while I was there, a visiting birdie wandered in off the street to check out the joint for a bit. A cute moment for a sunny SF day. -
Review from Joe Y.
Mountain View, CA
12/21/2011 44 Check-ins Here
A great coffee house on Ocean Ave for a place to get a cup of Joe, free wifi, and a place to study, do work, or just enjoy a moment. It really isn't a place for that "quiet" moment because of the music they play-sometimes at a really high volume.
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Review from Freedom F.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2011
All immigrants came to the United States for freedom. The owner is an immigrant too, and I am sure you came here for the same reason.
This place would have been a perfect place if you let the birds go free!
Freedom is demanded for those birds too!
How can this happen in SF?
Birds need to fly free, or you have clipped their wings too!
This is unfair! -
Review from Melanie L.
Anaheim, CA
3/30/2011
I came here about a few weeks ago for the first time. I ordered an everything bagel with sun dried tomato cream cheese. SO GOOD. It was PACKED with cream cheese. It was definitely worth the $3-4 I spent.
CON: Inconsistency. I came here two times after and ordered the same thing. I was disappointed by the scarce amount of cream cheese I was given the last two times. It didn't even cover my bagel =(
Other than that, it's a great place to study (unless you can't stand chirping birds)! FREE WI-FI! -
Review from Monica G.
"6.99 for a Sandwich?!" Was my first reaction when I went to the register. It came out to 7something cause I put avocado on it. The cashier person was nice. It seems like he and his daughter (?), who makes the drinks and food, run the place.
I wonder if its a footlong, I thought to myself while I waited. I relaxed a bit when I opened up my laptop and saw there was free wifi! Awesome! The music they play isn't too loud, or too distracting, but nice to listen to. Its also really cute how they have real birds just hanging out there (singing from time to time).
When my order was ready, I was in the middle of an important converation with a co-worker. "Turkey sandwich!" the cashier person said and looked at me to pick it up, I looked at him and gave the "1 minute" look and gesture. I tried to quickly wrap up my conversation, so I could walk over and pick it up. But his daughter came over and gave it to me, awesome!
The first bite I ate was delicious! The turkey was juicy, and the balsamic vinegar (I think that was it) gave it a tangy taste. Totally worth the 7 something. I look forward to visiting this place again, bringing my homework with me (since everyone else seemed to be studying and also enjoying the free wifi.Listed in: Best of my neighborhood
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Review from Tamara P.
San Francisco, CA
5/1/2011 3 Check-ins Here
This is one of the few coffee places I enjoy getting a drink at and actually staying there to drink it. The couch is super comfy, and the chirping birds are cheerful to my ears. It's easy to sit in there and relax with a friend or by yourself.
I always order the same thing-- the zebra mocha, but it's so good I can't branch out. I love it so much that after a huge fight, my boyfriend went out and got me one. Better than chocolates and roses! -
Review from AR B.
San Francisco, CA
12/4/2011
I go to CCSF and thought I had found my 'spot' on Ocean.
BUT...one star, for the terrible, spotty, dysfunctional Wi-Fi!
Otherwise, I liked everything about this place, but I can't hang here for hours with NO INTERNET.
Please fix this Java. I want to LOVE you!
Also, two caged birds? Really? That's just cruel. Please don't keep live, caged animals in your cafe. They look depressed and ill. -
Review from Dzu N.
San Francisco, CA
10/12/2010
I've been coming here for a while and forgot to throw down my impression! Here goes!
Like a beer garden or wine tasting, you go to coffee shops to sample the coffee (along with all the other amenities). I've tried the sandwiches and wraps here and they're all quite delicious. You can't go wrong and though the price point is a tad high, I think they are totally worth it.
But I come to review one item and one item alone: the ice coffee. Phenomenal. Picture this: you first sip, the cool solution of coffee, water, milk and sugar (at least the last two I put in. To each her own!) run over your tongue cooling your senses and preping you for the flavor to come. It's not quite there yet, but the anticipation builds as the sublime flavors come into view. A warm bitterness at first but as expected from coffee, the natural charm of the roasted and ground and steeped bean. But as the bitterness passes, the roasty, smokey, and most amazing chocolaty flavor rises from the depths as if greeting the taste buds like a long lost friend. With each sip. And finally, the flavors roll away with only a mere hint of the chocolate with no horrid aftertaste that many cup's of joe are well known for. Sold I'd say.
I asked the barista what composed the house coffee/ice coffee and she said that it was house blend of all the beans they had....how long did it take them to get the right blend for this most perfect flavor? I'd say that any place that takes the time to produce the most amazing flavors in the most basic of offerings at a coffee house is worth a stop, chill, and enjoyment of such refined and well worked coffee tones. -
Review from Ming S.
San Francisco, CA
9/22/2010 1 Check-in Here
Cafe Mocha was decent, but lacked the mocha taste that I am used to (Starbucks or Zephyr's Cafe Mocha is preferred by me).
Chai was a little out of touch as well, but may have added too much sugar to this one, so I'll be back to re-try it some day. -
Review from James B.
Santa Cruz, CA
2/21/2012
Great non-chain coffee shop, friendly and comfortable with good selection of sandwiches, bagels and wraps.
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Review from Vanessa W.
San Francisco, CA
5/5/2009
One: Birds are squawking constantly. Why? Because there's only one bird in each cage. Why can't we put the birds together in a cage? Do we need to have birds locked up in separate cages? Where's PETA when you need them?
Two. Why does it take 8 minutes to toast my bagel? You didn't use the kind of cream cheese that you spread on a bagel. It's like a pre-packaged slab of cream cheese -- and it went right to my thighs. Why does it take 8 minutes again?
Three: Why does it take 9 minutes to make my single soy latte? By the time I got my latte, I fell asleep.
Four: Why am I here supporting a local business and paying way more? I'd rather be a corporate whore. -
Review from Mona C.
San Francisco, CA
12/2/2009 12 photos
3.5 Stars
+ Free Wi-fi
+ Accepts Credit Cards (with min. purchase)
+ Reasonable Prices
+ Great selection of baked treats
- Music was too loud
Java on Ocean Coffee House is a great spot to study if you're looking for a place with free internet access. I normally come here after my work out at the gym. The cafe is spacious. It has many seatings available and enough outlets for just about every table. Don't have a laptop? Not a problem. There are laptops here you could use.
Food wise, I've only tried their sandwiches. I had the Pastrami Sandwich last time. Its pastrami, lettuce, tomatoes, bean sprouts (?), onions, and mustard on a Dutch roll. It's a pretty healthy sandwich I'd say. The pastrami was a tad dry. Portion size is a bit smaller than the norm. Not sure if I'd order this again =/
They also have a pretty huge selection of baked goods on the counter. I have yet to try any of them yet but the red velvet cakes look pretty darn good. I might skip the sandwich and opt for a cake next time.Listed in: Wi-fi
