The Art of Espresso

It’s true, it’s the best coffee on campus, but not always consistent in how good it tastes.

Their coffee tastes like blood. If you like blood you will like the coffee here, if not you will not. Strong blood taste. Consider this when ordering the coffee.

Had the Iced White Mocha and I loved it! Unlike other places, this drink can be overwhelmed by the sweetness of the white chocolate, but the coffee was really strong that it just balanced the drink. The coffee did not taste burnt either. Totally recommend this place if you’re in need for a quick pick me up.

This is now my go to spot every morning on my way to work at UCSD! The espresso is delicious and strong, and the bagel is heaven, together they make my day! Sam and the crew are friendly and fun! Love this place!

Love the casual ambiance and the caramel machiatto is really great too! Nice place to chitchat because its not so loud and theres good seating

This is the only place on campus where you can truly enjoy your espresso. Perfect crema — never burned. It’s served in a warmed porcelain cup — drinking from a paper cup should only be a last resort so if a coffee shop only offers paper cups, I usually just ask for drip coffee. About once a month I’m feeling a bit adventurous, and I order a vanilla soy chai latte charger (aka dirty). Yes, espresso actually balances out the sweetness.

The holy grail of coffee shops on campus. My favorite place for a pick me up before class in order to stay awake and caffeinated for the rest of the day.
LOCATION/​AMBIANCE:
The cart sits outside of Mandeville and usually has a lot of people on staff sitting around talking about their research and work. It has only outdoor seating but they have patio umbrellas for shade and cute wooden chairs to sit on too.
SERVICE:
The baristas are skilled as they have their own system in such a small works space and they are very efficient in coming out with your coffee fast. You can definitely sense a good rhythm here! Go good management! :) And can I comment on how hipster the workers look too? They all look so cute!
TIPS:
— I enjoy their iced vanilla lattes in the summer and chai’s when it’s colder. They have an awesome variety of blended drinks too that my friends love.
— Bring ANY sized mug and get it filled for one of their awesome pour over coffees for just $ 1? They charge extra for cups, but if you seriously need to get coffee to go this place is the best.
— GET A STAMP CARD. Especially if you’re a regular coffee drinker.

Best coffee cart on campus. Aside from coffee drinks, they also carry a good selection of sandwiches and my personal favorite: Soyrizo breakfast burrito! If you like chai, go for the Spun Monkey, it’s a tasty blended drink.

I’ve been going here for years. It’s always the best place on campus to get coffee or espresso. The food is good too, but I usually just go there to get my morning coffee refill. The serve bird rock coffee, which is awsome! If u go to iced u probably already know it’s the best. If your from somewhere else, then now u know where to go :-)

Convenient location, friendly service, decent iced coffee, tasty fruit smoothie, disappointing croissant, pleasant outdoor seating. Pets welcome.

The coffee here makes my day. And super chill prices! I got a hammerhead with vanilla and planning on trying the others, too. Everyone seems to grab coffee here but the line moves quickly

The best place to go for coffee and tea on campus!
Whenever I go to a coffee shop, I usually get their white chocolate mocha or frapp (whichever is available at the time). This place had a stronger coffee taste than other coffee shops, which I like. White chocolate coffee-​anything shouldn’t have white chocolate overpowering the coffee, but still be there as the taste to offset coffee’s bitterness.
The staff is really awesome, and it’s worth tipping them. I’m not addicted to coffee or anything with coffee in it, but this place is beginning to influence me!
Additionally, I heard they use ingredients that no one else on campus uses, but even if it isn’t true, they’re a really good place to drink at!

The second place on campus where I get my coffee. Personally, the espresso is a bit too bitter for my taste and it sort of taste over brewed, bug coming here on various occasions, it’s the taste of the beans. I love that they have Sumatra available because it’s my absolute favorite when I don’t feel like going for espresso and milk/​foam.

I come here about 2 times a day and everyday! I’ve been frequenting this place for about 2 years now and have seen many staff come and go! This place keeps me coming back and again because of their wonderful coffee and the aura that resonates from this stand! During winter I usually get the White Chocolate Mocha and on warm days the hazelnut Java Chill with chocolate chips ! The drinks are rich in flavor and texture and not bland like rest of the coffee stand on campus ! They have large variety of pastries and sandwiches/​burritos. I personally love their chili and mushroom burrito the most– that spicy sauce it comes with is god-​sent !! Overall I love this charming little coffee stand for its coffee, friendly staff, food, hipster vibes and they seem like a strong advocates for LGBT equality and the environment !!!

The addiction is real. I’ve always been a fan of Bird Rock Coffee (the beans Art of Espresso uses come from there), and I have to say, the coffee never disappoints. I go there almost daily, just to sit and do work for hours at a time. I just love it, the environment is just amazing. My usual is the latte or the Americano. I loveeeee the black coffee, all of them. What would life be without coffee? I can only imagine those caffeine withdrawals…

One of the better coffee places on campus! I’d say this is a close tie with Muir Woods for best coffee shop on campus. Most of the baristas are quite experienced (and always ready with a smile!)
If you have the time, it’s definitely worth coming here over Perks, the Fairbanks coffee carts, Peets, or any UCSD marketplace coffee (unless you REALLY have to spend your dining dollars.) Prices are decent, especially for the better quality. And yes, they’re open during finals week!
Most of the drinks here are pretty good. I just recently tried the Spiced Monkey (blended chai latte with a banana) and liked it a lot! The Spun Monkey (blended mocha with banana) can be unpleasantly bitter though. They also have other special blended drinks, regular espresso drinks, smoothies and such.
A lot of faculty like the coffee here too. (Invite your professor out for Coffee with a Prof! Free delicious coffee for both of you and a chance to get to know some of the amazing faculty better.)

disclaimer: i’m not a huge fan of coffee or espresso and do not drink it regularly, but i do drink it occasionally for the caffeine and taste.
i work at the international center, so art of espresso is just a very very slight trek up mandeville hill. i love the convenience in location, and the baristas are all very kind.
i drink the java chill (1 shot espresso, ice, milk and vanilla or caramel syrup) and it’s such a great tasty wake-​me-​up in the middle of the 9 – 5 workday.
i’ve also tried the iced coffee but i’d much rather have the espresso. for some reason the coffee tastes too bitter and maybe too dark for me? the blended espresso drinks are a good mix of espresso to sweetness but not overpowering like highly sugared iced coffee.
i would definitely return (probably go about once a week) and i recommend this place to everyone: D even if you’re not a coffee drinker like me, the drinks are delicious and i hope that i can try some more in the future.

I heard this cart was the best on campus so I had to make a stop.
Perhaps I ordered the wrong drink but I think hot caramel machiatto is just A-​Okay. It’s no big deal, overly sweet and filled with steamed milk. which is what I like. I have to say that it tastes better than the other places on campus and very inexpensive as well.
Service was quick and friendly.
I’ll stop by for a different drink next time

Verdict: I go to coffee joints to indulge on sweet drinks and this place has some of the best blended espressos. They also have a stamp card, which you’ll need because you’re definitely coming back ;)
PROS:
*Consistency — I’ve gotten one drink a week since Spring 2013 and I can’t remember a drink that went wrong. That can’t be said about other coffee places around campus…
*Blended espressos — Lava Chill (Mexican Mocha goodness) and Spun Monkey (banana goodness) are my faves.
*Located right next to the Mandeville loop, so why would you get coffee anywhere else?
CONS:
*Lines get pretty long, and profs/​TAs like to hold office hours here so it’s hard to find a table sometimes.

A solid place to get a caffeinated hot or cold drink that is also delicious! I’ve been here twice already both to fulfill my desires for a pumpkinny drink, and oh~ this place satisfied my cravings. The drink is always nice and flavored –gasp!- like what it’s name suggested or how it’s supposed to taste like. In other words, my pumpkin pie latte and chill both legitimately tasted like pumpkin.
This little outdoor café has a very nice selection of tasty an affordable drinks and snacks– though finding a seat is always a bit of an issue. Well deserved issue though– since this is such a great location! There is both shady and sunny spots, which is great to talk to friends in.