Mercury Cafe

This is the cafe you can sit down to work or relax. Iced Latte and Tuna Salad sandwich both tasted very good, perfect for a late lunch. There was a piano in the cafe, and one of the customers went up to play and it was professional and incredible!

Great breakfast and this is the place where you want to be after you wake up

Delicious food and coffee for breakfast / brunch. Highly recommend their BLT + avocado or the Portobello mushroom sandwich. They also have live music sometimes, which adds to the lovely vibe.

Lovely place, great atmosphere, am a solid jazz performance on a Friday night. Definitely coming back next time I'm in town!

I found a new favorite cafe in the area, and it was a pleasant surprise! Instead of going to a chain store, my friend brought me here. The cafe has a modern, minimalist design and is bright and welcoming. They have plenty of tables for customers to work, study or relax while they enjoy their drinks. The baristas were friendly and efficient, and our drinks were served quickly. The cafe offers a variety of coffee and tea drinks, including special and seasonal ones. You can choose different sizes and dairy alternatives. My cappuccino was creamy and had a perfect balance of sweetness and spice. I appreciated the friendly service, the calming atmosphere, and the variety of delicious drinks available. The cafe also has WiFi available for customers.

Awesome sandwich, great service & exceptional looking scones — definitely repeating this great spot next time I’m near!

Local independent cafe! Everything is good. - I usually get their cold brew or drip coffee. And they also serve alcohol. I live in the neighborhood and love the sporadic concerts they have - I would welcome more of that :)

Highly highly recommend!! This place is so dang nice! I love coming here to write, listen to jazz, and enjoy the extremely pleasant ambiance. This is a classic SF cafe, not crazy busy, not trying to jump on the hype train, just serving fantastic coffee, tasty treats, and homey meals. The staff are all kind and friendly, adding to the already cozy atmosphere. Additionally, they might have one of the best espresso I’ve had in SF. Pour les français, cette café est super! Si vous êtes une touriste et vous voulez voir une vraie cafe San Franciscaine, voici un café pour vous!!

Definitely a great coffee shop to check out. The espresso drinks are amazing, and their Thursday evening jazz nights are lots of fun

So cute and cozy. Lots of books scattered throughout the place to read and great art. They have a piano for the occasional jazz night. Delicious pour over. Really tasty sandwiches with fresh bread. Overall, a really tasteful and tasty place to visit!

I would give this place 6 stars if it were possible. This place is the quintessential neighborhood cafe with an overdose of feel good from the decor, the location, the interiors, well curated books and just random snippets of wisdom scattered heartily all over the cafe! I got their blueberry lemon scone along with coffee. But I could see people around me savoring the huge sandwiches these guys specialize in. A must visit in SF ☺️

I love the vibe of this place, unpretentious and raw, friendly, community oriented, true SF! They serve Four Barrel coffee, and I got a Big City pour over. The indoor area is spacious, good sandwich menu, free WiFi (no outlets though), and baristas are nice and kind. There is a big outdoor parklet area, but considering the neighborhood, sit on your own risk there 🫣 I know there are Thursday jazz nights there, I would recommend checking your local musicians out.

Updated review: this place is awesome. The coffee, the food, the staff, the music, the light, the ambiance. The first time I came here I had a bad experience, which I kept below, but I’ve only had good visits since. It’s very low key, with lots of light and laid back vibes. This place stands above any of the other super-boutique coffee shops in the area by being unpretentious and easy going. Ignore my old review, try this place out . That said, no gluten free options, which stinks, but whatever. I love this place too much to knock it a star for that. —— Early 2022: $5 for a small cold brew, $8 for granola, and a 45 minute wait. Showed up around 11am on a Sunday to grab a quick bite - ordered above items, and sat down. Got my coffee - very heavy on the ice… - in a minute, then me and my two friends proceeded to wait about 44 minutes for our orders. There were three of us, if that helps paint you a picture. After about 30 minutes I went in to ask about our food and was asked to be patient - fair enough, places are busy - would have preferred a “there’s two people ahead of you”. Another 10 minutes and someone comes out to ask us what we ordered. We tell them, get it in 5 more minutes or so, and eat it with anger. Great vibes for a coffee shop - I’d love to come here to get coffee and work, and I’m sure my experience was an outlier, but I had a very annoying experience getting food - and there are enough coffee shops I don’t need to try this one again.

I come here very regularly and they have a few vegan options - avocado toast and oat milk lattes. I wish they had a few more vegan and gluten free options like scones but what they do have is great!

Have been coming here for years now and their avocado sandwich is my go to as a vegetarian. Make sure to get the salad on the side. The dressing is so good. The team is great and the vibes are always good.

Definitely the best scones I have ever tried in my life, kinda proud of myself I discovered this hidden gem for scones 😅 if you are lucky enough your coffee will be served and made by wonderful barista who spent a night at techno rave prior to the shift (at least this is what my imagination whispers)

I finally got to have coffee here! I’ve been walking by before work in the mornings 7.30-8am and they are definitely not open then, I thought it was perhaps closed down but I’m happy it isn’t and that I could finally have an Americano before my departure! The location is perfect, the vibe is very Sunday Coworking + Coffee so fairly quiet, no noisy Yoga Brunch girls 🙏

AMAZING scones. Delicious coffee. Very relaxed place. It was a nice place to collect your thoughts. Nice staff. I enjoyed taking my time and drinking my coffee. I took a scone to go and it was delicious even 2 days later!

Katie Ahmann

So cute and cozy. Lots of books scattered throughout the place to read and great art. They have a piano for the occasional jazz night. Delicious pour over. Really tasty sandwiches with fresh bread. Overall, a really tasteful and tasty place to visit!

Katie

I love the vibe of this place, unpretentious and raw, friendly, community oriented, true SF! They serve Four Barrel coffee, and I got a Big City pour over. The indoor area is spacious, good sandwich menu, free WiFi (no outlets though), and baristas are nice and kind. There is a big outdoor parklet area, but considering the neighborhood, sit on your own risk there 🫣 I know there are Thursday jazz nights there, I would recommend checking your local musicians out.

Kritika Khetarpal

I would give this place 6 stars if it were possible. This place is the quintessential neighborhood cafe with an overdose of feel good from the decor, the location, the interiors, well curated books and just random snippets of wisdom scattered heartily all over the cafe! I got their blueberry lemon scone along with coffee. But I could see people around me savoring the huge sandwiches these guys specialize in. A must visit in SF ☺️

asiia mansurova

Definitely the best scones I have ever tried in my life, kinda proud of myself I discovered this hidden gem for scones 😅 if you are lucky enough your coffee will be served and made by wonderful barista who spent a night at techno rave prior to the shift (at least this is what my imagination whispers)

M Borrus

Updated review: this place is awesome. The coffee, the food, the staff, the music, the light, the ambiance. The first time I came here I had a bad experience, which I kept below, but I’ve only had good visits since. It’s very low key, with lots of light and laid back vibes. This place stands above any of the other super-boutique coffee shops in the area by being unpretentious and easy going. Ignore my old review, try this place out . That said, no gluten free options, which stinks, but whatever. I love this place too much to knock it a star for that. —— Early 2022: $5 for a small cold brew, $8 for granola, and a 45 minute wait. Showed up around 11am on a Sunday to grab a quick bite - ordered above items, and sat down. Got my coffee - very heavy on the ice… - in a minute, then me and my two friends proceeded to wait about 44 minutes for our orders. There were three of us, if that helps paint you a picture. After about 30 minutes I went in to ask about our food and was asked to be patient - fair enough, places are busy - would have preferred a “there’s two people ahead of you”. Another 10 minutes and someone comes out to ask us what we ordered. We tell them, get it in 5 more minutes or so, and eat it with anger. Great vibes for a coffee shop - I’d love to come here to get coffee and work, and I’m sure my experience was an outlier, but I had a very annoying experience getting food - and there are enough coffee shops I don’t need to try this one again.

Sarah S.

I come here very regularly and they have a few vegan options - avocado toast and oat milk lattes. I wish they had a few more vegan and gluten free options like scones but what they do have is great!

Sarina van der Waag

Have been coming here for years now and their avocado sandwich is my go to as a vegetarian. Make sure to get the salad on the side. The dressing is so good. The team is great and the vibes are always good.

Sydney Martinie

I finally got to have coffee here! I’ve been walking by before work in the mornings 7.30-8am and they are definitely not open then, I thought it was perhaps closed down but I’m happy it isn’t and that I could finally have an Americano before my departure! The location is perfect, the vibe is very Sunday Coworking + Coffee so fairly quiet, no noisy Yoga Brunch girls 🙏

Mary Raphael George

AMAZING scones. Delicious coffee. Very relaxed place. It was a nice place to collect your thoughts. Nice staff. I enjoyed taking my time and drinking my coffee. I took a scone to go and it was delicious even 2 days later!

Great spot for some tasty coffee and treats. I love the vibe in here, the seating and the quality. The patio is excellent even though it's near Octavia's business.

Love this place. Best scones I've ever had, terrific cappuccino, and the cafe is a little magical somehow. When I'm having a bad day, I picture myself at Mercury Cafe 💛

Like a 90s time capsule! Super nice atmosphere and very cosy but big. Lots of seating!

Arshia Gratiot

Typical SF vibe..had the avocado biscuit and eggs. Very chilled out

Steven Beverly

Great spot for some tasty coffee and treats. I love the vibe in here, the seating and the quality. The patio is excellent even though it's near Octavia's business.

hello hi

Like a 90s time capsule! Super nice atmosphere and very cosy but big. Lots of seating!

Sherida

Love this place. Best scones I've ever had, terrific cappuccino, and the cafe is a little magical somehow. When I'm having a bad day, I picture myself at Mercury Cafe 💛

Had drinks today, Saturday from 2:30-5:00— cold brew and cider. Overall I love this place. It’s a great place to work, good vibes (usually), and good drinks. Unfortunately, today we were under the impression they closed at 6 (it said so on Google) but around 4:15/4:30 the barista starting clanging all the possible metalware and started to loudly shift furniture until about 5:00 another kind patron asked “are you closed?” To which the barista responded “yea”. Not a huge deal but if y’all could let customers know maybe 15-30 mins before closing VERBALLY instead of passive aggressively, I think lots of folks would feel a heck of a lot better. In fact, I purchased another drink at 4:40. No indication from the barista that closing time was coming. That’s a perfect opportunity to inform. Anyhoo, I’ll be back for sure…. But this has got to change.

The service is nice, and the atmosphere is chill, but if your laptop running low on battery, don't bother staying for too long: they frown on their patrons using the cafe's outlets. They weren't rude about it, but it's not the best place to recharge anything but your body's energy level.

You can taste the passion in every sip of their amazing coffee.

Quick stop by to grab a latte before jumping on the 101. Really friendly barista and they have a restroom. They have almond or soy milk for extra change and plentiful menu for a cafe.

I like this place. A little crowded but it feels like home :) The waiter is a little impatient though.

It's a cool place to drink coffe. I got a moka and my friend got a chai latte. Both were pretty good. Also, we got an apple pie. We didn't wanna take breakfast, but the dishes look nice.

Elena Itchel

It's a cool place to drink coffe. I got a moka and my friend got a chai latte. Both were pretty good. Also, we got an apple pie. We didn't wanna take breakfast, but the dishes look nice.

This is a vibes and cold brew review only. I was moved to write a review and sit down for half my drink because they were playing an entire Interpol album and the cold brew was fantastic, even if a dollar or two expensive. Great atmosphere, great tasting cold brew (above average for the Bay). 4 Stars because, glancing at the entire menu and seeing some of the pictures in other reviews, this place's pricing is somewhat significantly off even for SF.

Came with some friends, we tried the Egg McMercury and the brunch combo, as well as a couple drinks. Overall, I'd say the drinks here are the highlight. Generously sized and well executed. No complaints at all. The morning I came, it looked like the food orders were pretty stacked up. Not sure how many people were on staff to prepare food, but it looked like it was resting on the shoulders of a few poor individuals, which I truly felt for. The McMercury and brunch version were interesting. I'm making a guess here that the poached eggs were done in ramekins or some kind of mold. They were closer to a medium poached and are served on biscuits that were, for my taste, large but a little dry. Breakfast potatoes on the side were decent. Despite the order queue, I'd say we got our food and drinks pretty quickly. Customer service was also good, despite the rush. Will definitely come back for the drinks, but might make some different choices for my next food picks.

Jackie Chan

Came with some friends, we tried the Egg McMercury and the brunch combo, as well as a couple drinks. Overall, I'd say the drinks here are the highlight. Generously sized and well executed. No complaints at all. The morning I came, it looked like the food orders were pretty stacked up. Not sure how many people were on staff to prepare food, but it looked like it was resting on the shoulders of a few poor individuals, which I truly felt for. The McMercury and brunch version were interesting. I'm making a guess here that the poached eggs were done in ramekins or some kind of mold. They were closer to a medium poached and are served on biscuits that were, for my taste, large but a little dry. Breakfast potatoes on the side were decent. Despite the order queue, I'd say we got our food and drinks pretty quickly. Customer service was also good, despite the rush. Will definitely come back for the drinks, but might make some different choices for my next food picks.

Great coffee and food, wifi, and natural light. Great place to work or catch up with a friend. EDIT: food and coffee are always good but they are perennially understaffed and any food order (even a toasted bagel) will always take at least 20 minutes to half an hour to come out. I live around the corner and would come here regularly if this were better. Just can’t afford to waste half an hour for someone to toast a bagel.

Great potential. Amazing espresso and the best homemade scones I’ve had! Not a ton of variety for breakfast, wish they had more. Sometimes the music is a bit intense and not very relaxing but still love the old school vibe. WiFi can be spotty

Decent enough place. Nothing stands out. It gets nice lighting in the morning. The coffee is very expensive. And they don't let you use outlets to charge your laptop. Their water is infused with rosemary, which can be nice if you don't have sensory issues. Come or don't.

I actually really like the food here, and the location is great, but I’ve been burned one too many times by the slow service… I want to like it, but every time I go, it takes 30+ minutes to get my egg McMercury, or my order is forgotten, wrong etc. :( The owner is a good guy, if he can figure out how to speed everything up, I’m certain this place will do well.

Super cute cafe, good wifi, was not super busy on a Monday midday. However the coffee took 20-30 mins to come and the avocado toast was a bit stale. I’m not sure that the food was really worthwhile. The coffee was nice, $6.50 for a vanilla latte. Staff were nice but not super friendly :(

Isabella Grandic

Super cute cafe, good wifi, was not super busy on a Monday midday. However the coffee took 20-30 mins to come and the avocado toast was a bit stale. I’m not sure that the food was really worthwhile. The coffee was nice, $6.50 for a vanilla latte. Staff were nice but not super friendly :(

Food took over half an hour to arrive. Love the location but don’t order anything more complicated than a coffee or you’re SOL. Edit in response to owner: we ordered two unmodified egg dishes, staff never said it would take a while. Food seemed to be taking a long time for all guests.

The place is unsanitary. The circled black spot on the mug was some dirt that was not coffee or anything similar. I wiped it with my thumb in front of the worker. Disgusting. BTW the mug in the picture is UNTOUCHED. That's how I got it. Crazy, right? About coffee. It's your average gas station drip $1.50 coffee but for 7 dollars. I also was sent back to break my $50 in the neighbourhood cause they only take cash if it's less than 20 I was gonna leave a 1 star until I found a true gem here: books. The back shelf has a lot of very very good stuff: Turgenev? Vonnegut? Goethe? From utilitarianism to three musketeers. Ridiculous. Cool art for sale too.

I rarely leave reviews, but $16 (before tax and tip so closer to $20 actually) for 1 avocado with 1 egg on top and a little tomato is quite ridiculous. I have celiac disease so I can’t eat gluten (bread) and they didn’t have many options for me so I had to pay about $5 extra to sub for avocado when they could’ve just been accommodating knowing how small it is. Also no outlets??

My recent experience was disappointing/a waste of time and money. Pros are the sunlit location & peaceful atmosphere, plus they have a charming, soft spoken girl up front that is probably just trying her best. But, that can’t remedy the experience as I am sure there are other places with just as sunny a vibe and a way better food/drink experience. I went around 1pm for coffee and a sandwich. The inside seating was pretty full. I waited 30 minutes for my sandwich, (seeing it was busy, I didn’t complain, but I definitely observed people who got there after me receive their dishes before I did. I don’t understand their service system and think they may have just forgotten). I got my latte relatively soon, but it was too sweet for my liking. When I finally received my Turkey sandwich, it was inedible (literally drenched in chipotle sauce, you can see how much I scraped off the bread in the picture below). I ended up forcing myself to eat half of it and leaving the remainder for the trash. A waste of $30. I will find another café for my Saturday outings.

Liviu Orehovschi

The place is unsanitary. The circled black spot on the mug was some dirt that was not coffee or anything similar. I wiped it with my thumb in front of the worker. Disgusting. BTW the mug in the picture is UNTOUCHED. That's how I got it. Crazy, right? About coffee. It's your average gas station drip $1.50 coffee but for 7 dollars. I also was sent back to break my $50 in the neighbourhood cause they only take cash if it's less than 20 I was gonna leave a 1 star until I found a true gem here: books. The back shelf has a lot of very very good stuff: Turgenev? Vonnegut? Goethe? From utilitarianism to three musketeers. Ridiculous. Cool art for sale too.

Olivia Mejia

I rarely leave reviews, but $16 (before tax and tip so closer to $20 actually) for 1 avocado with 1 egg on top and a little tomato is quite ridiculous. I have celiac disease so I can’t eat gluten (bread) and they didn’t have many options for me so I had to pay about $5 extra to sub for avocado when they could’ve just been accommodating knowing how small it is. Also no outlets??

Joline

My recent experience was disappointing/a waste of time and money. Pros are the sunlit location & peaceful atmosphere, plus they have a charming, soft spoken girl up front that is probably just trying her best. But, that can’t remedy the experience as I am sure there are other places with just as sunny a vibe and a way better food/drink experience. I went around 1pm for coffee and a sandwich. The inside seating was pretty full. I waited 30 minutes for my sandwich, (seeing it was busy, I didn’t complain, but I definitely observed people who got there after me receive their dishes before I did. I don’t understand their service system and think they may have just forgotten). I got my latte relatively soon, but it was too sweet for my liking. When I finally received my Turkey sandwich, it was inedible (literally drenched in chipotle sauce, you can see how much I scraped off the bread in the picture below). I ended up forcing myself to eat half of it and leaving the remainder for the trash. A waste of $30. I will find another café for my Saturday outings.

Smells very bad inside, slow service, they often don't remember to bring you all the items you order unless you go back and ask. Food is very overpriced. Coffee is good but not worth it Edit to reply: I was there yesterday 12/30/2024 I ordered sandwich, soup, and salad and did not receive salad. My sandwich took 20 minutes to come out and was cold. I spent $62 for 2 sandwiches, a soup, and 2 coffees. Coffee was great, food was bad, whole place smelled like piss and trash You have records tying your customers to the specific dates they ate in your cafe? Please delete my personal information. Reply here when you have deleted it

I really wanted to like this place, but my experiences here have been consistently negative. As a Black patron, I’ve often been ignored while waiting in line, and when I do get acknowledged, I’m met with rude or dismissive responses from staff — things like “what?” or “I’m busy” when I’m simply trying to order. It’s disheartening to feel brushed off and unwelcome in a neighborhood spot that should be open and friendly to everyone. As both a community member and a school administrator at a nearby school, I cannot recommend this coffeeshop, especially for people of color who may not feel respected here. There are plenty of other places in the area where kindness and good service are part of the experience. Sadly, I won’t be coming back.

Monsieur Joyce

I really wanted to like this place, but my experiences here have been consistently negative. As a Black patron, I’ve often been ignored while waiting in line, and when I do get acknowledged, I’m met with rude or dismissive responses from staff — things like “what?” or “I’m busy” when I’m simply trying to order. It’s disheartening to feel brushed off and unwelcome in a neighborhood spot that should be open and friendly to everyone. As both a community member and a school administrator at a nearby school, I cannot recommend this coffeeshop, especially for people of color who may not feel respected here. There are plenty of other places in the area where kindness and good service are part of the experience. Sadly, I won’t be coming back.