Espresso Roma Cafe

I’ve been going here for years. Agree that it is quirky and not for everyone. If you like SBUX experience stay away. Free, no time limit WiFi that occasionally goes down. Situated on a corner with big windows. Good tables with ample power. Great local vibe. Could be cleaner… The tables aren’t wiped down often enough and the floors always need a mop.
Go for the espresso drinks which are excellent and in Italian style. Drip coffee just OK. Food is good across the board. Just remember this is an espresso café meaning coffee first with food as more of a compliment.
Generally a good place to hang with your drink, chat, read, or do some serious work. Unfortunately over the past year or so there are a few regulars who think this is their home office and light the place up with their annoying conference calls. They are ruining the charm of the place and should go to SBUX.
Ricardo the barista is great if perhaps an acquired taste. Better than any of those who work at at any of the places along the Valencia corridor who act dismissive because you aren’t bowing down to their skills at pulling a shot

Straight to the point staff. Which I appreciate because I’m not there to make small talk or make best friends with the employees, I’m there to order food!
Get their bagels, grab a latte, or grab their bacon egg and cheese croissant!
Best bacon egg and cheese I’ve had… Ever. It’s because they chop up the bacon and scramble it into the egg and place it in between slices of cheddar so it’s cheesy and «bacon-​y». A Harmonious balance of cheese, bacon and egg that can’t be found anywhere else… At least anywhere else that I know of.
Plus it’s a very well maintained establishment. It’s clean and free of those annoying little fly nats.
Go get it!

Good coffee, nice atmosphere to stay and sit, very friendly staff — what else Do you need?

This is definitely more on the hipster haven side of the spectrum, but it’s an awesome place to hang out and I love it.

Nice seating & lighting, great prices. Creepy vibe inside though.

The place has a great vibe to the place. I had to wait for my friend to come to town and help her move. I decided to come by this place to grab a bite to eat. Tried their egg sandwich with added bacon. And it was very good. I enjoyed that sandwich and while listen to relaxing music.

Watered down coffee, dial up speed wireless, soiled upholstery… One of those businesses you wonder how any why it continues to operate. The barista was «polite» but, polite in that kind of «be a jerk and say sorry» sort of way.
Maybe new management would help, otherwise it needs to be replaced. The benefit of chains is the consistency. I just felt dirty sitting there…

Love this place. It’s my go-​to during the week for a tea or coffee.
I work from home so this is my unofficial adopted office. Big tables, outlets, reliable wifi and busy, warm atmosphere. It’s a down-​to-​earth coffee shop and not pretentious.
The guys that work there are so nice!
Love the biscotti, and they have good sandwiches.
One thing — it gets quite warm inside even though they leave a side door open.

While I have to admit that this place doesnt have the best coffee or pastries that I’ve ever had (by a fair bit), I still love it.
There is plenty of seating, and it is pleasantly located and well lit. Most of the comparable places in the area are either in traditionally skinny and long SF storefronts without basically any natural lights or on decently busy corners. Roma has great windows and is in the city-​traffic version of an eddy, where things just seem to move a bit slower.
There are outlets, free wifi, sunlight and coffee – what more do you need?

Great natural light inside made it pleasant to work here for a few hours! The coffee was good, a bit bitter, but I like it that way. We had some kind of an egg /​bagel sandwich and the oatmeal with bananas, choice of water or milk on the oatmeal prep. Delish! Yes, the counter guys were kind of gruff, but not in a mean way!
I thought this place had a lot of charm and enjoyed my morning here

So wait. What is everyone complaining about?
Coffee is good.
Sandwiches are good and they come with a side salad.
Comfortable seating. And plenty of it.
It’s not dark in the café. AND, they try to supply enough outlets for your computers.Score. Lemme tell ya, it is hard to find a café with outlet plugs around this neighborhood.
I think the grumpy guys add some charm to this place as well to be honest. The taller of the two is actually pretty nice. Just takes a while to warm up is all. But really. They’re cool.
And okay, if there is only one person behind the counter the wait time takes a bit of time, but not much where it drives you nuts. Cause hello, ONE PERSON BEHIND the counter. Give these people some slack. You’d be frowning a bit too if it was only you against x-​amount of customers.
Overall, I’m very happy to find this place. It’s my to go place when I need my personal time… with my computer. Haha!

It’s funny, but I think a lot of the reasons other people didn’t like this place are some of the reasons I love it so much. Quirky staff? Mismatched décor? Questionable music choices? All of these add to the charm.
This is one of my go-​to coffee shops. Won’t lie, the coffee isn’t the best thing ever, and sometimes they insist in putting it in a glass, which is odd. But the ambiance is really low-​key and somehow comforting. Especially since most the area is trendier or chain-​ier, it’s a nice change of pace. The employees are short on words, sure, but they’re also respectful and helpful. The food is pretty good for a low-​key coffee shop… nothing groundbreaking, but you don’t feel like you’re settling, either.
Overall, it’s a great place to go if you just want some coffee, some food, and a relaxing vibe.

This place is really great/​well priced. It’s a cozy atmosphere which is contrary to a lot of the overcrowded coffee shops in the area. I was able to sit outside with my dog and do work using their wifi. Would go again!

We came here in a rush for a quick bite to eat and some caffeine. I got a latte, it was good, nothing special. I also got a bagel and cream cheese, also good and nothing special. I was hoping they would have more food options though.
The chocolate croissant did look amazing though…

Get:
Americano — Tasted great and you get a 16 oz for $ 2.50 (i think).
Gotta keep track of the places that do espresso drinks well.

If what you’re after is wifi — do not come here. It doesn’t work.
I ordered chai tea and got settled in to work… but the wifi was broken. When I asked the barista about it, he restarted the modem. When that didn’t bring wifi to life — he shrugged and went back to looking bored. Not cool. Particularly when you have a huge sign outside that markets FREE WIFI. The ol’ bait and switch.
This isn’t a 1-​star review because I did enjoy my chai tea (even if it was from a jug of some commercial mix). Otherwise, one-​star it would be.

No smile for you.
First thing that came to mind with the less than warm service:
Not mean. Just not friendly. Less interested in small talk and more interested in taking and making orders. Sure. We’ll play by your rules.
Then came the well priced homemade granola parfait ($ 4), great sugar free vanilla Americano and delicious grilled chicken sandwich (with a huge side salad).
Plus M&M cookies. And free WiFi.
You might not have been smiling, but my stomach was.

This place is scary local. Sure, you could walk a few streets over to Chestnut and find yourself in a trended out Marina café, but where would the adventure be in that?
I was eavesdropping and believe that the owner spent some time in New York (or is he from there?). This place seems reminiscent of one of those types of coffee spots. Free, unprotected wifi to have your identity stolen, 90’s décor, a bit run down — but all of this won’t stop people from patronizing and coming back.
Seems like everyone here were regulars. For whatever reason is beyond me, but I think that’s the true charm and appeal of this place. If you’re looking for unpretentious and quick, no-​bull service. I think you’ll find Espresso Roma a great place to visit.

A great place to work from. They have free wifi, lots of tables, and lots of power outlets. I have to say that the coffee is meh, but the food is decent. But, most importantly, no one cares when you hang out for hours, on your laptop.
But if you’re looking for a place to eat, there are other places in the neighborhood that are better.

A comfortable café for Cow Hollow, which I rarely visit FWIW. I shall return, so the fifth star. It reminds me of hipster cafes in other parts of the City, including the customers. Well, not exactly since it’s less odorous. Also liking its bright interior, its colors, its wood furniture, its sweet eats display case (
), its outdoor seating, etc.
On Fillmore St, only a block from Lombard St. High-​priced meters in the area so turnover is quick, otherwise it’s difficult to find parking.