Pink Owl Coffee

You've never seen a pinker owl with coffier (better) coffee.

This is my new favorite coffee stop in San Rafael! I love that they support breast cancer research and are limiting use of straws! Their staff is friendly and they have set up outdoor seating. Their breakfast sandwiches are also really tasty! This photo is of an iced vanilla latte.

Great vibe and amazing people. The muffin was Devine and the cold brew was perfect. I would highly recommend this coffee shop with a fun and cute vibes.

The coffee is well above par. There is a giant cookie that has caffeine!! It's delicious. The environment is megapink. Great place to go to coffee and chill.

Pink Owl saved my life. They were the official coffee sponsor for the Mill Valley Film Festival and every day I would fill up on Pink Owl coffee to take me through the day! Their delicious coffee got me through some very long days and I'll forever be grateful to them. I always make sure to stop by when I'm in San Rafael! Great little spots! Great little company! Mighty fine coffee! Thank you so so so much.

Great place for gluten free stuff. With sandwiches/toasts you get more food than with regular bread--since the slices are smaller, they just give two portions. I got toast with turkey and cheese and it was like 3 meals.

Absolutely adorable! Eclectic, yet homey and welcoming coffee shop! You feel truly welcomed as soon as you walk in. Everyone is so nice and kind. Nice array of food but not an overwhelming menu where you can't make up your mind. Homemade muffins and ham/bacon/cheese croissants. Positive vibes!!! Actually one of the nicest coffee shops I've visited in my travels.

After a long week, I had a great nights rest. This was followed by my morning espresso at the Pink Owl Coffee Shop in San Rafael, California. I went inside this beautiful coffee shop on a casual...(was it a Thursday?) morning and proceeded to ogle the menu, the ambience, the casual conversations, the "clickety-clackity's" of various students and entrepreneurs on their laptops. As I ordered my coffee and pastry, I found a nice seat outside in the sun by the window. As I am not from California, I promptly moved from that good spot to another good spot...in the shade. While waiting for my pastry to be warmed, I was able to talk to a local guest and inquire on all there is to do in San Rafael. This coffee shop is IT. You can enjoy all the have to offer and possibly a nice conversation with one of their weekly locals. I think I stumbled upon a good one yall!!! Let the Pink Owl Coffee shop be your next morning stop for a casual morning beverage and book or a quiet meeting with friends or coworkers. Cheers!!!

Absolutely love this place!!! The coffee is delicious and the baristas are so friendly. I always want to try something new here so I just let the baristas make me something they recommend. Never disappoints! The new outdoor set up and patio is so nice to get some work done and enjoy the sunshine (or shade), and dog friendly! The owners are very sweet and always there making sure their customers are happy. This is my favorite coffee shop in Marin and I love introducing my friends to this great new place!! Can’t wait to come back!

We were just in town for a few days for work and decided to try Pink Owl to start our day before a long drive home. We each had a tasty latte and croissant, the service was super friendly, very quick, and as stated, food and drink were quite tasty. I'll be sure to visit next time I pass through town, hopefully next time I'll have a little more of an opportunity to sit and relax in the cozy seats and relaxed atmosphere. *Big props to the artist who painted the mural inside! *** Better prices, atmosphere, food, and service than the other caffe we visited.

The servers are great, and the coffee is the best. I've not eaten anything other than a coffee cake, which was good, but one day I'll take the time to sit and enjoy the comfy chairs and eclectic decor!

I was planning to write a review, but before I write any review I do read the others. Could be that we got lucky, as visitors from SoCal, visiting the Mission, but we had an absolutely wonderful experience here, the food was outstanding, mozzarella, pesto, tomato, with balsamic drizzle croissant is the kind of thing you would want as the answer to a meal you would have for the rest of your life if you could only have one meal😋. We also had the chocolate cherry scone and a bagel and cream cheese, both above average as was the latte👍. Not cheap, but in this day and age, nothing is cheap, the customer service was top notch and the ambiance is wonderful.

The downtown Pink Owl location has the better atmosphere, is bigger, and has light food options. However the other location has more available parking. Interior is hip and stylish, with lots of plants, dim lights, and usually disco music. There are plenty of non-coffee options, as well as some rotating fun coffee options with their seasonal specials. I recently got a Turkish delight oat latte, which was delicious and the right kind of sweet. Plenty of seating, with options on couch comfy/pillow seating and more serious booth or chair seating. There is also a lot of merchandise, including beans, mugs, and misc gifts. The coffee shop has WiFi and plenty of power outlets on tables, so it's a great place to get some work or studying done. However, the music is too loud if you happen to find the need for an emergency conference call.

Top 10 best local coffee shops in the area. I try to come any time I’m in San Rafael, and they’re super comfy! They have free samples and nice couches to chill at, unlike Starbucks.

The pastries are homemade on-site, and sometimes, there are delicious FREE samples. A pleasant place to relax, read, or have a conversation.

This is what great coffee shops are like! Tons of character, unique decor, positive messages, great service, and a great mission at the core of the company!!! Looked up the background story online and found that there are multiple family members involved and a breast cancer survivor, hence “PINK Owl”. What a great mission to support, while getting a great experience🩷🩷🩷 Sabine Provided excellent service and great attitude, while nailing the execution on a not very sweet iced mocha… looking fwd to more visits & trying the food. Oh, by the way, cool tunes ping thru the Soundsystem as well🌴

Hands down best coffee shop I’ve found in Marin! They have the most amazing gluten free cinnamon roll!! Perfectly flavored and textured. Perfectly moist. And made IN HOUSE! I’m so impressed! Their lattes are also amazing ✨ Lots of space to sit and chat or work here too. So happy with this place!

When I stopped into Pink Owl en route to hiking, it was all done up for Halloween. It was cute with pink and black deco everywhere and the coffee seemed high quality. We ordered an iced latte and it was perfect- strong and rich espresso. Seemed like a cool place to hang out as well.

We were searching for a place where we could get something for a late breakfast and a cup of coffee. We accidentally found this place. Great atmosphere, super tasty coffee and toasts. The toast were big! We were expecting a half of what we got. You should stop by!

New place worth checking out in San Rafael. I loved my latte. The setup is really nice and they have many board games and books. I’m sure to have coffee there again.

Need that fix? That jolt? Or maybe just some calm? A time out perhaps? The Pink Owl has you covered. Whether you might need a pick me up or chill me out, a coffee, tea, or juice and a pastry just might soothe that inner longing. Contemporary, comfortable "digs", offers the living room sensation of chill, just keep your shoes on. Order your beverage; hot, cold, blended or roasted, and find a seat. Yes, its that sweet spot of the day, between here and there where you get a little me time delivered to you in the form of a beverage, to spend time with your thoughts, your laptop, your phone or company, its easy here. Unpretentious, accomodating and relaxing. That is what you came here for right?

Cute coffee shop! Plenty of breakfast and lunch options. Lots of great flavors for drinks.

Jorge Menendez

I was planning to write a review, but before I write any review I do read the others. Could be that we got lucky, as visitors from SoCal, visiting the Mission, but we had an absolutely wonderful experience here, the food was outstanding, mozzarella, pesto, tomato, with balsamic drizzle croissant is the kind of thing you would want as the answer to a meal you would have for the rest of your life if you could only have one meal😋. We also had the chocolate cherry scone and a bagel and cream cheese, both above average as was the latte👍. Not cheap, but in this day and age, nothing is cheap, the customer service was top notch and the ambiance is wonderful.

A’sHat SelfieStick

First, congratulations to Pink Owl for opening the new Downtown location. On the day I discovered this location, it actually was not a planned part of my late morning Downtown San Rafael fun day, but it became and turned out to be a very special one - in fact .. THE STAR. And, this coffee joint now is the main element that allows me to call my Downtown San Rafael errandathons my San Rafael fun days. Near the historic mission nests this quiet woody happening coffee joint with some neat merchandise to look at. The staff is quite nice. Back to my original outing plan: following a bike drop-off at Mike’s Bikes for repair, the plan was first to do a walk-in bank consultation, then pick up some bread at Bordenave’s. However, my rather dumb self-drag here put a cup of coffee in my hands. So, I had to go to the more distant Bordenave’s first to finish the coffee before going to the bank which turned out to be a 20-minute wait before a 15-minute consultation. The small oat milk latte was an expensive $7.25 on my MasterCard; the make-happen event that the must-drink-up coffee resulting in me being able to get THE LAST Dark Rye at Bordenave’s was PRICELESS. On another trip, I had a blueberry coffee cake with my oat milk latte: the <cake> certainly could have used more blueberries. As for biking, there is a really cool “lockstand” right outside the window. As the distinct Bordenave’s bakery is the most legit reason to go to Downtown San Rafael, Pink Owl is the most chill yet fun. It’s where the Downtown Spirit is. It is now the main place I think of when I arrive home following such a beautiful soaring ridge top bike ride to celebrate by playing Petula Clark’s “Downtown.” In addition, this probably has become my favorite Marin coffee joint.☕️

Lyee Chong

The downtown Pink Owl location has the better atmosphere, is bigger, and has light food options. However the other location has more available parking. Interior is hip and stylish, with lots of plants, dim lights, and usually disco music. There are plenty of non-coffee options, as well as some rotating fun coffee options with their seasonal specials. I recently got a Turkish delight oat latte, which was delicious and the right kind of sweet. Plenty of seating, with options on couch comfy/pillow seating and more serious booth or chair seating. There is also a lot of merchandise, including beans, mugs, and misc gifts. The coffee shop has WiFi and plenty of power outlets on tables, so it's a great place to get some work or studying done. However, the music is too loud if you happen to find the need for an emergency conference call.

Daniel Kofman

Top 10 best local coffee shops in the area. I try to come any time I’m in San Rafael, and they’re super comfy! They have free samples and nice couches to chill at, unlike Starbucks.

Craig Stuart Adams

The pastries are homemade on-site, and sometimes, there are delicious FREE samples. A pleasant place to relax, read, or have a conversation.

Laine Alan

Need that fix? That jolt? Or maybe just some calm? A time out perhaps? The Pink Owl has you covered. Whether you might need a pick me up or chill me out, a coffee, tea, or juice and a pastry just might soothe that inner longing. Contemporary, comfortable "digs", offers the living room sensation of chill, just keep your shoes on. Order your beverage; hot, cold, blended or roasted, and find a seat. Yes, its that sweet spot of the day, between here and there where you get a little me time delivered to you in the form of a beverage, to spend time with your thoughts, your laptop, your phone or company, its easy here. Unpretentious, accomodating and relaxing. That is what you came here for right?

Jason Dudley

This is what great coffee shops are like! Tons of character, unique decor, positive messages, great service, and a great mission at the core of the company!!! Looked up the background story online and found that there are multiple family members involved and a breast cancer survivor, hence “PINK Owl”. What a great mission to support, while getting a great experience🩷🩷🩷 Sabine Provided excellent service and great attitude, while nailing the execution on a not very sweet iced mocha… looking fwd to more visits & trying the food. Oh, by the way, cool tunes ping thru the Soundsystem as well🌴

Kimberly Brooke

Hands down best coffee shop I’ve found in Marin! They have the most amazing gluten free cinnamon roll!! Perfectly flavored and textured. Perfectly moist. And made IN HOUSE! I’m so impressed! Their lattes are also amazing ✨ Lots of space to sit and chat or work here too. So happy with this place!

Carrie Bevis

When I stopped into Pink Owl en route to hiking, it was all done up for Halloween. It was cute with pink and black deco everywhere and the coffee seemed high quality. We ordered an iced latte and it was perfect- strong and rich espresso. Seemed like a cool place to hang out as well.

Adéla Škrábalová

We were searching for a place where we could get something for a late breakfast and a cup of coffee. We accidentally found this place. Great atmosphere, super tasty coffee and toasts. The toast were big! We were expecting a half of what we got. You should stop by!

Olga Trofymets

New place worth checking out in San Rafael. I loved my latte. The setup is really nice and they have many board games and books. I’m sure to have coffee there again.

I ordered a drink and sandwich to go but I had to leave before my sandwich was ready because it took longer than I expected and I needed to catch a bus in 5 minutes. The employee literally ran a block after me to bring me my sandwich. I really appreciate it and it was delicious! Plan ahead better than I did if you’re on a time crunch because it’s not a Starbucks where the food is ready in a minute or two, but it’s definitely worth it if you have time. Thank you ladies!

Visiting from out of town, stopped here for breakfast. It was a great choice - food and coffee were both great, served outside. Friendly staff, highly recommended!

I really enjoyed my time at Pink Owl today. Coffee was delicious and the service was super solid. I felt the staff were very in tune with the customer needs/experience. Plus, the environment was inviting for work and social meet ups.

Jeffrey Szilagyi

I really enjoyed my time at Pink Owl today. Coffee was delicious and the service was super solid. I felt the staff were very in tune with the customer needs/experience. Plus, the environment was inviting for work and social meet ups.

Eve

I ordered a drink and sandwich to go but I had to leave before my sandwich was ready because it took longer than I expected and I needed to catch a bus in 5 minutes. The employee literally ran a block after me to bring me my sandwich. I really appreciate it and it was delicious! Plan ahead better than I did if you’re on a time crunch because it’s not a Starbucks where the food is ready in a minute or two, but it’s definitely worth it if you have time. Thank you ladies!

JAT

We were just in town for a few days for work and decided to try Pink Owl to start our day before a long drive home. We each had a tasty latte and croissant, the service was super friendly, very quick, and as stated, food and drink were quite tasty. I'll be sure to visit next time I pass through town, hopefully next time I'll have a little more of an opportunity to sit and relax in the cozy seats and relaxed atmosphere. *Big props to the artist who painted the mural inside! *** Better prices, atmosphere, food, and service than the other caffe we visited.

I’m sad that I forgot to take better photos for pink owl coffee. I had an oat milk latte and it was expensive but soooo good. Minus 1 star just for pricing but the coffee was amazing.

My friend said the food here is quite tasty, but I haven't tried it yet. My matcha was also mixed quite well, but for me it wasn't very strong, I prefer more tea flavor. The plus point is that there are all kinds of sugar for me to choose from, from diet sugar to stevia,... The space of the shop, in my opinion, is cozy and warm, creating a pleasant feeling and making us want to chat with each other. The shop is also not noisy even though there are many customers.

Taro Doboba

My friend said the food here is quite tasty, but I haven't tried it yet. My matcha was also mixed quite well, but for me it wasn't very strong, I prefer more tea flavor. The plus point is that there are all kinds of sugar for me to choose from, from diet sugar to stevia,... The space of the shop, in my opinion, is cozy and warm, creating a pleasant feeling and making us want to chat with each other. The shop is also not noisy even though there are many customers.

A cool spot with plenty of parking. They have A LOT of merch or “swag” which was interesting, but I did pick up a sticker. I wanted a french press but neither person working knew how to make one, but they offered me a Chemex Pour Over instead - it was just okay. All in all, I know they’re just starting out but for a Saturday morning the workers weren’t as personable, helpful, or competent as would have been ideal.

I have been to Pink Owl a number of times now. The food is usually good when they have items in stock. With my most recent visit, I received a stale bagel. The atmosphere is good, but my complaint is the tables are always incredibly sticky. I feel the need to put napkins down before setting my laptop or phone on a table.

This is a great location with lots of space to come work, or just hang out. The service could be much better though - I wanted a pour-over coffee instead of drip coffee but the server/cashier kept trying to push me for the drip coffee. I know drip coffee is much easier because all you have to do is pour out of a metal canister...but if a customer wants something off of the menu, shouldn't I be able to get that without feeling bad? I was able to get the pour-over, but it was very watery. If you're looking for high-quality coffee, I would not recommend coming here.

I was in town visiting. While I was in downtown San Rafael, I was looking for a quick bite and coffee for breakfast. I dropped into the Pink Owl. It was my first ever visit. The staff was outstanding. Engaging and helpful. The bagel was good but the chocolate muffin was out of this world delicious. However, my chai latte fell flat. It was lacking a creaminess and deep tea and spice flavor. Besides coffee drinks the menu includes baked items, bagels $5.75, toasts $12-15 and sandwiches $15. The chocolate muffin was big and plump. Moist. Chocolaty but not overly sweet. From the outside, the place has a modern bohemian charm. The patio furniture was a bold teal color and the painted pink owl in the window was quirky. The inside was just as charming. They had tables and chairs, cushy sofas and plush reading chairs, with lots of USB ports and outlets. The vibe was lively and chill with a diverse bunch.

Lillian

I was in town visiting. While I was in downtown San Rafael, I was looking for a quick bite and coffee for breakfast. I dropped into the Pink Owl. It was my first ever visit. The staff was outstanding. Engaging and helpful. The bagel was good but the chocolate muffin was out of this world delicious. However, my chai latte fell flat. It was lacking a creaminess and deep tea and spice flavor. Besides coffee drinks the menu includes baked items, bagels $5.75, toasts $12-15 and sandwiches $15. The chocolate muffin was big and plump. Moist. Chocolaty but not overly sweet. From the outside, the place has a modern bohemian charm. The patio furniture was a bold teal color and the painted pink owl in the window was quirky. The inside was just as charming. They had tables and chairs, cushy sofas and plush reading chairs, with lots of USB ports and outlets. The vibe was lively and chill with a diverse bunch.

Even at my least lactose tolerant, I cannot fathom spending $1.25 on a dairy milk alternative. I can buy an entire carton of soy or almond milk for 1.25. I understand a slight surcharge (.25 or .50 being standard), and maybe .75 at airports or Vegas, but $1.25 truly made my jaw drop. My business is lost at that price. Management, please reconsider this. Sincerely, your lactose intolerant and angry clientele

Just ordered the triple berry scone and it is rancid! I'm not sure what's in it, but it tastes and smells like spoiled milk. It's also harder than a rock! I love their avocado toast, but it takes 20 minutes for them to make it. Coffee is good and strong, which is probably the best thing about this place.

Muffin was dried out and flavorless. Also coffee was weak. Floor and tables not cleaned. I won’t be back. Lovely comfortable place to hang out and staff are pleasant. Decent low level music playing in the background. Too bad the coffee and especially the food did not live up to expectations.

I’m not going to lie to you… This place is very, very cute! I want to love it. Unfortunately the decaf Americano taste like hot water. This is the second time I try to drink their decaf. If you are not a decaf drinker… I have heard that their coffee is very good. That said I also tried their vegan chocolate chip muffin today. It tasted “day-old“ I asked the man at the counter if it was fresh and he said it was. Not sure what the problem is. Maybe it was just a little overcook today anyway… Check out these pictures. It’s the kind of place you want to hang out forever. I just wish their food was yummy.

Madelyn Clair

I’m not going to lie to you… This place is very, very cute! I want to love it. Unfortunately the decaf Americano taste like hot water. This is the second time I try to drink their decaf. If you are not a decaf drinker… I have heard that their coffee is very good. That said I also tried their vegan chocolate chip muffin today. It tasted “day-old“ I asked the man at the counter if it was fresh and he said it was. Not sure what the problem is. Maybe it was just a little overcook today anyway… Check out these pictures. It’s the kind of place you want to hang out forever. I just wish their food was yummy.

The bar for coffee in San Rafael is so painfully low, thanks to places like this that seem to revel in their mediocrity. 10am on a Friday. No line. Awesome. Employees (and owner) are filming content for social media. Respect. HOWEVER when I’m standing at the cash register trying to give you my money and I’m watching said social media filming, and no one even says hello (owner this is on you as the leader) then we have bad customer service. Barista kid avoiding eye contact cuz he’s in over his head with pumpkin sugar lattes. I get it. Finally, an employee who would rather be shooting TikToks came over to take my order. Small drip to go, please. $4 and she waits to see what my tip is before getting my coffee. Super awkward and unprofessional. Tip choices are $1 / $2 / $5 (instead of percentages) so I type in my own: 50 cents. 12%. For a drip to go. She didn’t seem pleased with my tip. She asks which of the two roasts I want (medium or medium dark, and I know they’re both burnt so I say medium). I move to pickup area, and she comes over AT 10AM ON A FRIDAY and says they’re out of that drip and would I want to wait. I say I’ll take anything hot. She has her hand on a medium cup and chooses to replace it with a smaller one, and serves me the other drip, lukewarm. So here’s the deal: if your product is amazing, you can have crappy customer service. If your customer service is amazing, you can serve inferior product. But when both the product and the customer service are this bad (I’m hoping their socials are on fire because that’s obviously their priority) then they don’t deserve good reviews or repeat customers. SOMEONE open a coffee shop east of this place, do the bare minimum (hot beverages and customer acknowledgment) and crush the SR cafe market. Until then, make your coffee at home. To the owner: I’m sure finding excellent help is hard these days, but you can turn avg employees into excellent employees with training and leadership. I believe in you! And them! Good luck.

Javier Dunn

The bar for coffee in San Rafael is so painfully low, thanks to places like this that seem to revel in their mediocrity. 10am on a Friday. No line. Awesome. Employees (and owner) are filming content for social media. Respect. HOWEVER when I’m standing at the cash register trying to give you my money and I’m watching said social media filming, and no one even says hello (owner this is on you as the leader) then we have bad customer service. Barista kid avoiding eye contact cuz he’s in over his head with pumpkin sugar lattes. I get it. Finally, an employee who would rather be shooting TikToks came over to take my order. Small drip to go, please. $4 and she waits to see what my tip is before getting my coffee. Super awkward and unprofessional. Tip choices are $1 / $2 / $5 (instead of percentages) so I type in my own: 50 cents. 12%. For a drip to go. She didn’t seem pleased with my tip. She asks which of the two roasts I want (medium or medium dark, and I know they’re both burnt so I say medium). I move to pickup area, and she comes over AT 10AM ON A FRIDAY and says they’re out of that drip and would I want to wait. I say I’ll take anything hot. She has her hand on a medium cup and chooses to replace it with a smaller one, and serves me the other drip, lukewarm. So here’s the deal: if your product is amazing, you can have crappy customer service. If your customer service is amazing, you can serve inferior product. But when both the product and the customer service are this bad (I’m hoping their socials are on fire because that’s obviously their priority) then they don’t deserve good reviews or repeat customers. SOMEONE open a coffee shop east of this place, do the bare minimum (hot beverages and customer acknowledgment) and crush the SR cafe market. Until then, make your coffee at home. To the owner: I’m sure finding excellent help is hard these days, but you can turn avg employees into excellent employees with training and leadership. I believe in you! And them! Good luck.

If you are looking for speciality coffee, it is not the place. I went to their downtown location for buying a bag of their specialty coffee. Should've left immediately when I saw there was no roast date on the bag. The barista told me that it was roasted the previous week and I trusted them. Made an espresso with those beans that had no crema at all whatsoever. Never going back there.

This place feels built for a tight high-school social circle, not for everyday customers. Service and overall experience were disappointing.

I had a disappointing experience here. I placed a mobile order that was supposed to be ready at 9:50 and I arrived at 10, I went to the pickup area to see if it was ready and was met with rudeness and a condescending attitude from the white girl working the counter. The café was nearly empty and there was no line, so the hostility felt unnecessary and off-putting. For clarity, I did not interact with the other staff members on shift.

I’ve generally stopped coming here and after my service today I don’t plan to come ever again. First the prices are outrageous. Might as well go to Starbucks. They only ever have one staff so coming here on a lunch break is not possible as how long everything takes. I came today and one coffee took 15 minutes. I wasted my entire lunch break waiting for one simple coffee. The staff prefer taking more orders over completing what they have. I asked to use the bathroom and was told the wrong code. Instead of telling me the correct code they watched me bang on the door and never told me the right one until I asked again. The staff in general aren’t friendly, the coffee is overpriced and doesn’t taste that good. There’s plenty of better coffee options than this tourist trap. Go to Sanaa or royal ground. As a local.

Akire

I’ve generally stopped coming here and after my service today I don’t plan to come ever again. First the prices are outrageous. Might as well go to Starbucks. They only ever have one staff so coming here on a lunch break is not possible as how long everything takes. I came today and one coffee took 15 minutes. I wasted my entire lunch break waiting for one simple coffee. The staff prefer taking more orders over completing what they have. I asked to use the bathroom and was told the wrong code. Instead of telling me the correct code they watched me bang on the door and never told me the right one until I asked again. The staff in general aren’t friendly, the coffee is overpriced and doesn’t taste that good. There’s plenty of better coffee options than this tourist trap. Go to Sanaa or royal ground. As a local.

Jose Vaca-Andrade

I had a disappointing experience here. I placed a mobile order that was supposed to be ready at 9:50 and I arrived at 10, I went to the pickup area to see if it was ready and was met with rudeness and a condescending attitude from the white girl working the counter. The café was nearly empty and there was no line, so the hostility felt unnecessary and off-putting. For clarity, I did not interact with the other staff members on shift.