Scrimshaw Coffee

Nothing but LOVE for this place. When I travel I’m always on the lookout for a good cappuccino at a local small business, and Scrimshaw delivered (in spades). I was staying nearby while visiting my daughter at SDSU and luckily tried this place on my first morning (Friday). Came back every morning 😊. The staff was super friendly (same crew Fri/Sat/Sun during my stay), the cappuccino was consistently excellent, and the pastries fresh and delicious. Keep up the good work.

This coffee place is near my home, and I drive past it every morning on my way to work. As today not being a busy morning for me I decided to give it a try, it’s a small friendly coffee shop quite busy. I ordered a hot vanilla latte double shot with oat milk always my go to and favorite to order. Staff was nice and took my order right away latte came out almost instantly. It was great and smooth definitely something I would reorder

Delicious Coffee and a lovely atmosphere! Love the friendly courteous staff. Tried the Banana Loaf mixed with chocolate it was yummy! Shop Small and Shop Local. Support a small business

chelsey schaffeld

Wanted more! Santa Sleigh was an amazing twist of coffee+fruit+tropics! Perfect for Christmas time in San Diego! Try it before the season changes!

ana

The best coffee shop I’ve been to so far! They have to the best coffee! If you’re looking for great coffee, this is the stop. They have several options, also if you like sweet/ flavored coffee they have options, but it’s not overly sweet where it’s overly sweet. Absolutely incredible service, the employees are kind, helpful and overall makes the experience better! The atmosphere is great, they have space where you can sit and enjoy your coffee, if you’re in town or live here you have to try it! Also such a great place to do some work!

Jorge “George” Mendoza

Drinks are amazing and well priced, the food is overpriced and not worth it. Don't get me wrong thre bagle tasted fine i was still a bit hungry when done, size of this thing was tiny and as of q3 2025 costed $13.5... like i understand lox are expensive... but come on $13.5? where on el cajon and 56th where supposed to be in the less expensive area! I love this place just wanted to give criticism. drinks are way better than any chain for almost price parody. so come here for drink and expect to pay a good bit for food

Iryna Yaresko-Linska

Today I stopped by this coffee shop by chance. I couldn't find a matcha on the menu, so I had a classic latte. Let's start with the atmosphere of the place. Overall, it's good here, I can't say that I really liked it, but it's probably the style of the interior. There is enough space inside and outside. All the seats inside were taken, so I sat outside. In addition to coffee, there are various snacks and a selection of desserts. Although they didn't really appeal to me 😀 Additional accessories and clothing are available for sale. You can also buy coffee beans. The service is nice and your coffee will be brought to your table. Let's move on to the main thing, the coffee ☺️ it is really good here. I liked everything about it. The right temperature of the drink, the right whipped milk and even a nice drawing. The barista knows his job. I am satisfied with the coffee. I recommend coming here for a cup of delicious coffee😍

Client Services

Awesome!!! Don’t let the outside look fool you. Be brave, walk in and order! You will be glad. This local small business is what a real humble coffee and kitchen is all about! They serve Delicious just right coffee drinks and baked goods. We tried the Club sandwich and bread was so soft. The banana chocolate loaf is out of this world. The Gibraltar drink and latte art is incredible. Family atmosphere and super loving staff! Highly recommend Scrimshaw Coffee :)

LULU LIVE Art

Very cool space to work and study with a delicious cup of coffee. I had an iced americano, and it was so good!!! Their coffee is so flavorful. I loved it. The space is open and nice, seat is comfortable. Service is very good and friendly.

Kindra Green Carson

Such a great little coffee shop. The staff is always so kind and helpful. (And makes great 90’s female rock playlists!) Plenty of seating. Great drinks. What more can you ask for?

Simply Breanna

Lovely coffee shop! fantastic chocolate croissant. :) the worker lady was nice!!

Dean Gushikuma

The Vanilla Latte is wonderful! Atmosphere is great. I loved the vibe in there. Adequate seating, super friendly staff, good lighting, perfect room temperature, delicious food and drinks. Street parking was easy to obtain. Can’t wait to go back.

Sandy Alex

Chill vibe. Tried out their summer special, lemon, vanilla homemade syrup coffee. It lit 🔥

Jeb Jones

Nothing but LOVE for this place. When I travel I’m always on the lookout for a good cappuccino at a local small business, and Scrimshaw delivered (in spades). I was staying nearby while visiting my daughter at SDSU and luckily tried this place on my first morning (Friday). Came back every morning 😊. The staff was super friendly (same crew Fri/Sat/Sun during my stay), the cappuccino was consistently excellent, and the pastries fresh and delicious. Keep up the good work.

Maria Flores

This coffee place is near my home, and I drive past it every morning on my way to work. As today not being a busy morning for me I decided to give it a try, it’s a small friendly coffee shop quite busy. I ordered a hot vanilla latte double shot with oat milk always my go to and favorite to order. Staff was nice and took my order right away latte came out almost instantly. It was great and smooth definitely something I would reorder

Dig Drt

Delicious Coffee and a lovely atmosphere! Love the friendly courteous staff. Tried the Banana Loaf mixed with chocolate it was yummy! Shop Small and Shop Local. Support a small business

Food was good. Didn't try full menu though. Coffee was good. Atmosphere made it an easy place to chill and work on a side project. Service is great. Recommend for local coffee shop to chill, talk with friends, or work on a little something to get out of the house. Overall 5 star 🌟

Anthony Calsadillas

Food was good. Didn't try full menu though. Coffee was good. Atmosphere made it an easy place to chill and work on a side project. Service is great. Recommend for local coffee shop to chill, talk with friends, or work on a little something to get out of the house. Overall 5 star 🌟

Faith Martin Karjala

This shop is gorgeous. The drinks and food provided are classic, with quality coffee and pastries. I have been coming here for a year now and the staff is consistently cool, welcoming, and kind.

Jay Lee

I'm not a regular, but I do find myself returning to this spot. The staff have always been welcoming, the drinks are pleasant, and the food is fine. Seating is pretty limited from the late morning through the afternoon, and I don't personally prefer to sit outside just because the traffic on this street can be obnoxious noise-wise (this is an easy fix if you have headphones). They do offer wifi for guests, but it can cut in and out when it gets busy. Parking in the area can be difficult depending on when you are visiting. Overall, I enjoy this spot!

Pretty good. My caffe latte was good but lukewarm and they didn't have a visible menu, only 2 small stand up menus.

Tim Cutter

Pretty good. My caffe latte was good but lukewarm and they didn't have a visible menu, only 2 small stand up menus.

Nice neighborhood café with warm, inviting, and friendly vibes. Parking can be a bit tricky, but there is some metered street parking available. The menu offers a great variety, including bagels, pastries, beer, wine, lattes, matcha, and coffee. I ordered the Vietnamese and vanilla iced lattes with breve, and both were solid with great-quality espresso. The vanilla latte, tasted like house made vanilla syrup, which is certainly a positive. There’s also plenty of indoor seating, which is a big plus. Overall, a lovely spot to hang out and enjoy a good latte. ☕️✨

Great coffee but just bare white walls, the bathroom has an amazing mural which leaves me slightly disappointed in the atmosphere. However the seasonal drink did not disappoint and loved the latte art !

I love this coffee shop. It's in a great spot where there aren't many coffee shops. They are warm and welcoming and have a great space. As a diabetic I do have to comment on the alt milk options. It's a bummer to me they only offer cows milk and oat milk, both carb heavy options. That just means this shop isn't for me, but you may love it.

amy schwartz

Great coffee but just bare white walls, the bathroom has an amazing mural which leaves me slightly disappointed in the atmosphere. However the seasonal drink did not disappoint and loved the latte art !

Megan Norris

I love this coffee shop. It's in a great spot where there aren't many coffee shops. They are warm and welcoming and have a great space. As a diabetic I do have to comment on the alt milk options. It's a bummer to me they only offer cows milk and oat milk, both carb heavy options. That just means this shop isn't for me, but you may love it.

I’ve been to Scrimshaw a number of times because I believe in supporting local spots, especially in this community. I’ve had their food and coffee on different mornings. Everything has been decent. The space is curated, the music is good, and there’s a clear intention behind the atmosphere. The coffee is sourced with care, and there’s a quiet suggestion that what’s being offered is something elevated. I’m not a coffee expert, so I can’t speak to subtle differences in quality, but nothing stood out to me as justifying the price. Spending $15–$20 for a drink and something modest feels steep for what it is. I can afford it; that isn’t the issue. What’s harder to justify is paying premium prices for an experience that feels ordinary. In a neighborhood where good, clean food that actually satisfies isn’t difficult to find, the value simply doesn’t land. The service never quite met the eye; it functioned, but it did not extend. I returned a few times hoping it would settle differently. It didn’t. At some point you stop trying to make a place work for you. It has the bones to be something better. For now, though, I don’t see myself returning.

Well in my quest to find decent coffee that isn't Starbucks or Phil's or Pete's, failure here. It was gross and tasted like metal bitter sour cyanide. The charming host and hostess were clearly forcing it. As a student I would love a job like this! So drop the attitude and fix the coffee. I wouldn't even call yourself a coffee place, you're more a sugar drink place. Just advertise as sugar drink. Cuz the coffee is not good.

James Allen

Well in my quest to find decent coffee that isn't Starbucks or Phil's or Pete's, failure here. It was gross and tasted like metal bitter sour cyanide. The charming host and hostess were clearly forcing it. As a student I would love a job like this! So drop the attitude and fix the coffee. I wouldn't even call yourself a coffee place, you're more a sugar drink place. Just advertise as sugar drink. Cuz the coffee is not good.