coffee w/ bailey #25: surfdog's java hut

our second coffee of the day was at surfdog's java hut, also in encinitas. this was very different from our first stop at the lofty bean. the java hut has their pre-brewed coffee in pump pots and when i asked the employee what kind of coffee they had, she only said it was a medium roast. what i wanted to know is was it organic? fair trade? african? south american? is it fruity? nutty? tell me a little more about the bean. possibly she didn't know so she didn't offer any more info. after she pumped our cups, she took the pot to the back so i guess we got the end of it. too bad we weren't a bit earlier so we could've gotten a fresher cup.

the shop was really cute; very beachy. the awning outside is like a grass hut with sea life painted on the outside walls. inside has a surf board hanging on the wall and a mosaic of a sea turtle on the floor. there were several tables outside but only one of them had customers when we arrived.

all in all, this place is best for the ambiance. to us, the coffee was just ok. you really can tell the difference between freshly ground and brewed coffee versus getting your coffee out of a pre-brewed pump pot. check back later to see what coffee experiences awaited us on sunday.

java hut, s coast highway 101, encinitas ca

coffee w/ bailey #24: the lofty bean

this past weekend was dedicated to bailey and to finding a great cup of coffee. i had mapped out several coffee shops before we left home so we wouldn't waste any time. we drove down to encinitas saturday morning for our first cup of coffee.

our first stop was at the, very dog friendly, lofty bean. there was even a dog inside the store! the barista reached under the counter and handed him a cookie without even batting an eye. when we got there, the line was out the door! it took quite a while to get this shot with no people in the way.

each cup is brewed when it is ordered and the brew methods they offer are french press ($2.00), pour over ($3.95) and the syphon ($6.50). this photo shows their selections for the day. (we had the pour over honduras capucas.)

bailey enjoyed the early morning sunshine as we sipped our coffee and planned our day. next on our agenda is fun time for bailey. we are taking her to the beach!

the lofty bean is located on the corner of n coast highway 101 & a st, in the lofts at moonlight beach. we will definitely be back. the staff was very friendly and there seemed to be a lot of regulars. even the customers knew each other!

the lofty bean, encinitas ca