Hawthorn Coffee

First things first, this place is beautiful, and the owner is fantastic.
They offer Flying Goat Coffee and Foxy Coffee. I have been a fan of Foxy since they rebranded and am always happy to see them around!
The place is really bright and has a good flow. They are way into the single origin pour over, which is a wonderful way to experience a coffee from a certain region. I had been wondering: WHY does SD need another coffee shop? Hasn’t Bird Rock/​Café Virtuoso/​Dark Horse/​Coffee & Tea Collective/​Zumbar/​etc done enough to pretty much catch any niche there might be? Short answer, yes they have. Longer answer: It’s nice to see a place with a focus on the single origin where other shops don’t really place that emphasis.
So while we don’t «need» another coffee shop in North Park, this one is certainly welcome. The owner seems to really care about the product and the culture of coffee, and the prices are fair and competitive. I had a cold brew because it’s about 100 degrees these days, and it was pretty good, but I don’t think it’s quite fair to judge the product on a cold brew since it’s not really their «thing.» Still good though, would do again.
4 stars instead of 5 because:
–Parking is not wonderful. It’s North Park, get used to it.
–The staff were not super attentive when I was there. I don’t know why. The owner was ON IT. He is amazing. He told them a couple times to pay attention, but they kind of let drinks sit on the bar, etc. Not great. Owner, keep doing your thing and your staff will follow!
–Nothing here is super revolutionary, which is FINE. They do what they do well, and I am glad they’re here.
Definitely worth a shot (or a pourover).

This is my go to shop when I’m at work in Normal Heights. Such amazing coffee and the staff there is fantastic. I seriously look forward to having a latte from there, hot or iced, it’s always perfection. I’ve gotten their drip coffee also and it’s made quite well. Their space is relaxing and open, with music that isn’t overpowering (so you can actually have a conversation), there are plenty of well thought out electrical outlets along the walls, and seating that-​if I’m not mistaken-​they built themselves. The owners have a passion for a great product and it shows. The staff there are all super awesome and create a perfect cup every time (At least in my experience). It quickly became my favorite spot for coffee in San Diego. They also recently started a rewards program with the Perka app. Free cup after 10 purchases, I believe, but don’t quote me on that. Seriously. I would go on, but you wouldn’t read it, so just do yourself a favor and check it out.

Amazing coffee and customer service! Typical pricing. The only thing I wished was that my large cup was larger. It was more on the small side

I saw this place was under construction for months and I was so excited when it was completed. I love that this little area of University Heights (30^th & Adams) was getting another coffee shop to add to the cool vibe of the hood. I got an Americano ($ 3) and it was good. The Flying Goat beans they use are all single origin. I loved the interior design and vibe. The white/​gray paint and subway tiles were a nice touch along with the high ceilings. I am definitely going to come back since I can walk here from my home. They do have pastries that I will try next time.

Clean and simple interior. White walls and wood paneling. Spacious with lots of natural lighting. Friendly, genuine, non-​snooty staff. Air does not smell of roasted coffee (I love coffee but that can be overbearing sometimes at other coffee shops.) The pour-​over Honduras was delicious.

Kind of weird that there’s only one serving size for pour overs. And on top of that I was not told prior to paying for the coffee that pour overs are only twelve ounce servings. Would have been better off going to dark horse.

I was eagerly awaiting a new coffee shop so close to my house. Months later it finally opened so I went to check it out. It seemed a little stuffy for me, not casual or comfortable. We ordered a muffin and a soy vanilla latte. But they didn’t have soy milk! What coffee shop doesn’t have soy milk?! It was such a waste of money. I can’t stand ordering coffee, tasting it, and disliking it (cups of coffee are expensive these days!) I’ll try one more time if they ever get soy milk.

This coffee shop is just ok. I don’t come here for the coffee as I always find my latte tasting too acidic but its decent. I come here to do work but the biggest problem is the barista who works here… he is very LOUD and talks constantly to his friends or anyone who comes in about nonsense and other randomness. It makes it really hard to work from here. Oh did i mention he finds it necessary to sing along to the crappy music they play. I suggest bringing earbuds to avoid the mindless chatter of those who work behind the counter. I highly recommend the owner of this place replacing this loud and unprofessional employee I forgot to mentioned he kept dropping the f bomb.

Checking out all coffee shops around my neighborhood and this one caught my eye.
Place is clean, simple and delicious brews.
I ordered a pour over and I was not disappointed. Coffee tasted smooth and I truly enjoyed my experience. Staff were friendly and served my coffee with a smile. I will be coming back. Their coffee is one of the best. If you are a true coffee snob this is the place for you.

Super pleasant! New little shop. Give Hawthorne street coffee a try! The barista really new her stuff!

I consider myself a coffee snob — sure it sounds elitist but it’s not — it actually might be, did someone say single origin pour over? After going up to LA to try about 6 different specialty coffee shops I caught wind of a brand new café in San Diego.
Word travels fast through the barista grape vine; at first it started with a lead to try Foxy Coffee, so I searched and did some digging, and that searching transformed into «go try out Hawthorn Coffee.» So I did. I was not disappointed. Why go all the way to LA when I can stay in town for coffee just as good? It turns out Foxy Coffee actually works at Hawthorn — if and when you go, ask for Josh, he’s a walking encyclopedia about coffee. But I digress, back to the topic at hand. Hawthorn coffee.
Sure there’s James Coffee Co. and Dark Horse and Bird Rock, but let’s talk about Hawthorn. It’s a special place. The environment is open and inviting and the coffee is amazing — lattes are on fleek and the pour overs are divine; the owner Dylan is amazingly kind and I could tell he is passionate about the lifestyle that is coffee. Sure, Hawthorn might be the new kid on the block, but I assure you they’re here to stay. Also, I would be remiss to say that each barista I have had contact with there is incredibly friendly!

Hawthorn Coffee
SD: University Heights
2:30pm 14^th January 2016
Five Stars
Hawthorn Coffee is about 3 or so months old. The entrance is completely glass which lets a lot of natural light into the shop. There are 8 two top tables with benches running along the wall and chairs on the outside. They also have two benches outside. The pale wood, white walls, and white and grey tile backsplash give this place an upscale look.
I decided on the cold brew Cascara ($ 4 for 16oz). Cascara means husk in Spanish and in this context it is a drink made from the dried skins of the coffee cherries. It tastes like a coffee and tea had a baby. There are floral notes of Rose and hibiscus, a bit efflorescent, and a lingering sweetness. It has less caffeine than coffee.
The staff were friendly, boisterous, efficient, and definitely coffee nerds in the best sense of the phrase.

Outstanding service the best latte ever I will definitely be back tomorrow as I walk by it every day !!!

New coffee shop on Adams Ave. Stepped in to try this place out on a Sunday morning. Tried their Vanilla Latte and was not disappointed.

The ambiance is warm and welcoming with a pleasant rustic touch. Very friendly service that was attentive and exuberant.
I ordered the Vanilla Latte. It was a great beverage with a subtle hint of vanilla in each gulp. I am by no means a coffee connoisseur, but I absolutely enjoyed the freshly executed 8 ounce coffee. I look forward to trying other blends in the near future.
I would recommend any coffee drinker to stop by Hawthorne and enjoy the local brew!

I love this super cute neighborhood coffee shop.
This is craft coffee. They are measuring pours, weighing grounds, and using fancy equipment to make your coffee.
My favorite drink right now is the vanilla latte. It strikes the perfect balance of sweet, creamy, but still permeated by their strong coffee.
The staff is always really friendly. It’s a great place to catch up with a friend, meet with a date, or pick up a coffee to go.

So awesome !!! :-)
Great service. & even better espresso. Such a warm, comfy, neighborhood shop. I feel right at home each and every time.
Love That they make their own vanilla and mocha flavorings… Ask them!!;-)
i am particular about my Americanos due to how the espresso tastes but I just love sipping on one here! It’s not crazy hot either!!! :-)))) so get a cup of their foxy coffee & stay awhile. Maybe have a friend (maybe a furry one:-) join u! Yay! !

One thing I really like about these guys, is that they offer Flying Goat Coffee, Espresso No. 9., which I had in my Americano with a cranberry scone.
Now the Americano was great and came with a bit of a tangy fruit flavor and natural sweetness. I only added a bit of cream and it was game on. It was very enjoyable to drink. The cranberry scone was good. It was moist but a little to moist. It did not offer that good crusty firm exterior texture and inside denseness a good scone offers, but its flavor was very nice.
The place is nice inside with comfortable seating. However, on my particular visit, it was a little noisy inside because of a few little ones making a ruckus, so I did not stay long and went to another place to get some work done.
They offer free Wi-​Fi and a variety of baked goods. Nice coffee shop.

finally! must’ve been just a little over a year since we saw the hawthorn sign and now they’re open. they’re not a roaster but don’t let that stop you from having a cup (s). like all craft coffee places they have their single origin beans, drips, pour overs, cold brews, and of course espressos, but no siphon which very few places do. regardless they are a great addition to adams ave. their flying goat ethiopian pour over was smooth with a nice mellow char and very good just on its own. their almond milk cappuccino was also good cause of the quality beans.
we love their contemporary look and the use of subway tiles, but it’s not a place to plop and chill but more of,… don’t let that cup of coffee get to cold cause we planted the beans at the right elevation and picked them when the temperature was just right for your drinking pleasure.
will be our coffee spot on adams…

After waiting months for the coffee shop, it was sadly disappointing. I walked into the shop and was not greeted, great first impression. I ordered my drink and the cashier flipped the screen over for me to sign but the computer wasn’t ready for a signature. I flipped the screen back and fourth about 5 times before she noticed, second great impression. The barista had a friend there he was talking to the whole time. Really, it’s work not social hour with your friends. His friend even started singing to the song that was playing in the shop. The music playing sounded like metal rock, not the typical coffee shop music. I thought ok, another great impression. The coffee was ok and the pastries were depressing. Not to mention they had no napkins. Overall it was a sad experience after waiting months for the shop to open. Sadly, I won’t be back with other great coffee shops along Adams Ave.