Help me get my PhD!

November 13, 2009 9:38 AM

Need to find a decent, quietish coffeeshop in San Francisco, near BART.

I am meeting up with an academic collaborator from out of town tomorrow. We are supposed to meet in San Francisco for a couple of hours to discuss our project, and I'm in charge of finding the location. I'm familiar with SF, but not the coffeeshops so much. Requirements:

1. Close to BART.

2. Relatively quiet. Not the death-silence of a library, but I don't want to have to yell over loud music.

3. Reasonable likelihood of getting a table on a Saturday late morning/early afternoon.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

posted by number9dream to food & drink (12 comments total)

If Glen Park is an option, I'd suggest Higher Grounds. Super BARt-convenient and in a less-traveled, mellow part of town.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 10:25 AM on November 13, 2009

Well, I don't know one, but here is a strategy:
At Yelp.com search for BART in San Francisco. Then pick a station. Then under the map, use the "Search nearby....Restaurants"

That might give you a good start on your search. I found a good sounding combo Vietnamese/American Diner near the Balboa station, for example.
posted by SLC Mom at 10:28 AM on November 13, 2009

Tully's in Embarcadero 2, on the 2nd floor right by the escalators. Super-central, right by Embarcadero BART and Muni stations. Rarely crowded because it's not on the street level, and (IMHO) the Peet's downstairs has better coffee. You might just call them to check hours. [phone]
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tullys-coffee-san-francisco-16
posted by CruiseSavvy at 10:58 AM on November 13, 2009

There is a very sweet place out at the beach, at the end of N-Judah. It's a ride out there but the coffee place (on the right as you get off the train) is really sweet and also has light food.

I forget the name of it though.
posted by Danf at 11:03 AM on November 13, 2009

I think you might have luck finding some tables tucked away at the ferry building- there's a large Peet's inside and many vendors. It might be loud in spots - but there are also spots off away from the main traffic with tables inside and some wind-protected spots outside as well.
posted by mochilove at 11:41 AM on November 13, 2009

Re: place at the end of the N-Judah - it's called Java Beach Cafe. I like it, but I would not recommend it in Nov/Dec 2009 due to construction on the N Judah muni track leading to bus shuttle service. Plus it's generally crowded on weekends.

(And it's at least a 30-60 minute muni ride, possibly with transfers, after one leaves BART.)
posted by soleiluna at 11:42 AM on November 13, 2009

Also, I don't have specific coffee shops to recommend, but I'd suggest following CruiseSavvy's advice or similar and find a place in the Financial District/a few blocks north of Market near Embarcadero or Montgomery. The area has less foot traffic on weekends, which is a plus, but I'd check the hours of coffee shops before planning to meet there.

I would stay away from the Ferry Building. I go to the Farmer's Market there each Saturday (which lasts until 2 or 3 or so). I love it there, but the noise level is fairly high, and there's big lines of people all in need of their morning coffee.
posted by soleiluna at 11:49 AM on November 13, 2009

'Wichcraft is a short work from Powell Street BART and is unlikely to be too crowded. Not sure about wireless access, though. Very tasty sandwiches, too.
posted by vickyverky at 12:30 PM on November 13, 2009

*walk*, not work. D'oh.
posted by vickyverky at 12:30 PM on November 13, 2009

There are a metric ton of coffee shops in the Mission near both the 16th St and 24th St stations. Try checking out Yelp reviews around there.
posted by grapesaresour at 12:33 PM on November 13, 2009

Seconding Higher Grounds, and suggesting you order the Raja Special, especially if you are a fan of savoury crepes
posted by MattMangels at 2:39 PM on November 13, 2009

Muddy's Coffee House (1304 Valencia--there's Muddy's and also a Muddy Waters, and they're different locations) is very close to the 24th street Bart. The music is not usually too loud, and there's free wifi. It's roomy and not usually horribly busy.

Potential concern: it's somewhat divey. Some of the patrons (or people who hang out in front) are street people, and the bathroom's a bit grody.
posted by needs more cowbell at 4:13 PM on November 13, 2009