B2 Coffee

I am a coffee shop junkie + this place automatically was on my list of places to hit-​up because of the # of articles I’ve seen it mentioned in. Naturally, I did a search of the best coffee shops in San Jose/​South Bay Area, and this was consistently mentioned!
I’ve always thought the South Bay lacked cute coffee shops. This place proved me wrong! Located in the San Pedro Market, B2 Coffee features a small coffee bar + a beautiful «garage-​» esque open space with cute string lights, full of seating. It f– neels cozy and quaint and cute, but industrial at the same time and that’s what I loved about it. Beautiful, long tables looked perfect to settle at to get some work done, or to enjoy coffee with a bigger group.
The menu is very, very simple — just your standard coffee drinks (no specialty/​menu innovations here, so expect the basics) and there really is no food/​pastry offering either (I saw a small casing of 2 scone type of baked goods, but that was it). I ordered a small iced coffee with soy milk, and my dad ordered an Iced Vanilla Latte.
The iced coffee tasted great — wasn’t too strong — and the vanilla latte was also delicious (not too sweet, but a perfect hint of vanilla to complement the strong milk flavor).
Overall, I think the biggest plus here is the setting/​ambiance/​vibe — again, LOVED the wide open space with string lights and communal tables. In terms of menu and taste and innovation, it felt pretty basic and standard. Prices were also to be expected (around $ 8 for both drinks together).
Again: nothing to complain about, but nothing to RAVE about either!

San Jose Market Square has just two businesses open early in the morning– B2 for your coffee fix, and a crêpe place if you need more substantial eats. A flat white and a vanilla latte were both just what we needed to start our day, and the open seating area with WIFI was good to catch up on some work. Service was friendly, drinks were out fast despite the morning rush. Small selection of pastries available in the morning.

This place has gone downhill. The coffee tastes like a cup of warm milk and sugar. I don’t even taste vanilla in the vanilla latte. No coffee taste either. It sucked.
No sparkling water. No cups for water. Overcrowded.
What happened?!?

I had a cappuccino here: it was strong, flavorful, and smooth. The baristas were also super nice and conversational.
I guess that only justifies a 4 star rating. What really sets B2 apart is (1) the quality of the coffee (on par with St. Frank’s /​Blue Bottle in SF, IMO), and (2) the setting in San Pedro market square. I also like that there’s a lot of natural light and seating.

I’ve been to B2 Coffee before several times and have to share about my experience at the café yesterday. Yesterday at 4:30pm, I had the worst ever experience as the only customer present at the café. The large dining area was closed off and reserved for a Google event occurring in the evening, so I was the only customer in the building.
I walked in and asked for a strong and potent cup of coffee, preferably Vietnamese coffee if available.
I was kindly told that it was not offered by two very courteous baristas on-​duty. Then, I was offered a cold brew. I proceeded to ask her for a sample and ended up choosing to go with the espresso.
However, when I ordered the espresso, I was asked «For here or togo?» where I responded, «Could I please have it for here in a togo cup with ice?»
From behind the café, a person behind a computer, possibly the manager-​on-​duty or barista off-​duty, busted in and yelled, «Just as long as you don’t fill up the cup with Half-​and-​Half!»
I was taken aback by this comment that he made and was completely shocked by what I had heard. I had to pause for a second and ask myself: Did he really just say that?
In a joking manner, I asked, «Why are you going cheap on me?»
He continued and said, «I’m not calling you cheap, but we’ve had customers come in and fill up their cups all the way with Half-​and-​Half to save some money.»
FYI, I had no intention of adding any dairy to my espresso and who is he to tell me how much creamer to add to my coffee, really?! The person seemed to assume that I would take advantage of his shop and over-​consume their resources.
I responded, «I worked in a restaurant for 5 years and know how dairy costs a restaurant a good deal of money.»
He said, «Yeah, dairy is one of our most expensive purchases that we go through daily.»
DUH. I don’t need a lecture on what goes into coffee.
I proceeded to purchase my coffee and tip, despite the inappropriate comments and awkward interaction with the barista on the side.
I should have just walked out at the moment and never come back. Everything is clearer in hindsight.
I ended up leaving this place never wanting to come back again.
I left this experience feeling discriminated against, profiled in many ways, and stereotyped as a customer that was looking for a freebie or handout. The fact that the person off-​duty and the two barista on-​duty did not make any attempt too apologize for the rude and indecent comments make towards myself and past customers leads me to believe that this café does not care about: 1) the experience of their customers 2) maintaining a good reputation 3) receiving new, diverse, and continuing customers.
I will tell everyone that is considering trying this place to go to Philz, where they care about their customers’ opinions regardless of the amount of creamer they choose or do not choose to use. Silly, right?!
If curious about this place, please reconsider.

My go to drink to try out a new coffee shop is usually the cappuccino. But something on this fateful day convinced me to order a vanilla latte and I’m glad I did as this might be one of the best vanilla lattes I’ve ever had in my life. It had a nice deep vanilla flavor too it without being too sweet. Add that together with a perfectly constructed latte and you have yourself quite a fine cup of coffee.

Utter disappointment. Came here on a Tuesday only to find out that all the tables were booked for a private event. Seating photos that are shown in reviews don’t belong to B2 coffee roasters at all. They share common space with Galaxy bar and all the seating belongs to the bar, looks like. Also bought a Macchiato for $ 3.3 and it was very small and wasn’t good. Won’t return.

Located in the corner of the San Pedro Market, this place is a gem! Upon first walking in, you are bombarded with cozy wood and steel décor and a nice ambience. They string the ceiling with christmas-​esque lights to please every hipster instagrammer. We came in on a Saturday afternoon and the place was packed! Luckily there was some seating outdoors. I can’t imagine studying here on a busy day, it was way too lively. They have an assortment of seating from high chairs to group tables, so you have your variety.
Ordered a cappuccino for around ~$ 5. Art was good but it was more latte type foam. Espresso however was very strong, it definitely woke me up. Also, kudos to the baristas for being able to work in a completely open bar, I know that can be difficult at times, so props!
Overall, would definitely return again~ Maybe on a slower day. This is moreso the place to bring a friend to catch up

Super friendly service here!
Booked marked this coffee spot for the longest time and by chance I ran into it today not knowing the name but just needed coffee.
Love the décor and set up. Professionals come here on their laptops and in general a artsy place to hang out. Lots of seating that is located in a open garage set up in San Pedro Square Market!
Great coffee!
Got the vanilla latte that they finished it off with a leafy design! So pretty!
Coming back for more!

The coffee is quite tasty (especially the delicious almond milk), but the wait at this section Bellano location is quite ridiculous at times. I completely understand craft coffee takes time to make, and I’m relatively patient at most gourmet coffee joints. However, we waited way too long with just three other customers ahead of us on a quiet weekday afternoon for our drinks.
The staff members are friendly and knowledgeable, but they often move quite slowly for a coffee bar.

I love where this coffee shop is located but was not pleased with the coffee or the service. I ordered a vanilla latte and the cashier told another work to start my order and she had no idea what to do. Not only was she clueless but I overheard her saying she measured my coffee and vanilla syrup incorrectly and the other worker who obviously knew how to make it didn’t even fix my coffee or make it again. When I got my coffee like half an hour later, it just tasted like syrup with a hint of coffee. I do not recommend coming here unless you want to wait extremely long for a butchered cup of coffee.

Somehow I really liked this place.
I had been to the original Bellano Coffee and was so indifferent, I couldn’t muster a Unilocal review. Something about this was different.
In the corner of this giant space, part of an unexpected food hall in downtown san jose, it kind of seemed like a bunch of friends got together and put together a little coffee-​brewin’ clubhouse. But somehow it’s good. The coffee is carefully brewed a cup at a time using Hario pour-​over cones. The people I went with said the decaf lattes were good.
Here’s my favorite part: the coffee beans.
I saw they were selling beans by a roaster I’d never heard of called «Kick Back Coffee.» The design on the bag looked a little like the logo of a garage band some college buddies put together. The barista told me it’s the shop’s sister roasting company.
I bought a bag of the Guatemala beans which had been roasted the previous day. To my surprise, it exceeded all expectations. This coffee hit a sweet spot — very tastefully roasted. Don’t be fooled by the disarming packaging — when I brew these beans at home, there is actually a sophisticated flavor profile that rivals many of the established big names in Bay Area specialty coffee. These beans were light-​medium roasted with some chocolate and fruit-​like sparkle without being sour. I find myself looking forward each morning to brewing myself a cup of the stuff.

Was in the San Jose area this morning and decided to try this little gem. I was very pleased with B2 coffee. There was a great vibe in the place. It’s a little hipster-​ish but really friendly staff and environment. The menu was very straight forward and there was a small selection of pastries to choose from. I was slightly disappointed that they couldn’t heat up the pastry but it was still yummy anyways!
I got the chocolate croissant and the vanilla latte. The latte was pretty good, but not outstanding.
There was plenty of seating inside and outside. I’m assuming there’s free wifi because there was a lot of people working on there laptops. There seemed to be plenty of outlets as well! Cant wait to come back

Hands down, one of my favorite coffee shops ever. From the atmosphere to friendly baristas, B2 has a strong place in my heart. There is plenty of seating and a fantastic place to study! There is a little bit of noise though, so if you’re a silent worker, I would not recommend this as the best place to work. Also it is nearly impossible to find an outlet so come with your laptop fully charged if you’re planning to get some work done!
On to the coffee~
Latte: ⁵⁄₅
My go to and favorite drink! The espresso and milk proportion is just right! A perfect combination of smooth and creamy with strong and bitter, making it the perfect wake me up :) 100% recommend to anyone’s first drink here!
Cold brew: ⁵⁄₅
I cannot espresso my love for their cold brew. Not only is it refreshing, but strong and delicious! Highly recommend to anyone who just wants to chill (hehe) and enjoy iced coffee!
Overall, my visit to B2 has never been disappointing and definitely recommend it too all coffee and café lovers^^

I love this coffee shop, located in San Pedro Square Market. The staff is friendly, there’s plenty of seating, and the coffee is delicious.
The coffee is done as a pour over, and comes out excellent. They even leave room for cream while serving the extra coffee that was left on the side in a separate shot glass.
The drinks are always consistent and well done, and the milk-​based drinks are served beautifully. Hands down, a must-​go for Downtown San Jose coffee drinkers!

First things first. Their baristas are super handsome and pretty! They’re talkative and I’m talkative so we all mesh well together, yay! I was going to work here but I don’t have time next Fall lol.
If I didn’t have a strong dislike for parallel parking/​driving downtown or if I wasn’t currently living life on the edge, this would be my sanctuary for coffee shops. THE BEST PLACE TO STUDY AND DRINK LATTES! There is just soooooo much space to spread your wings (aka papers, books, laptops, tablets, stuff). Then again, it’s located in San Pedro Square so it does get busy at certain times of the day like lunch, game days, weekends.
All the drinks I’ve tried are top notch, but I can’t say every single drink on the menu are the most amazing, only the ones I’ve tried so far. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt though. My favorite is the iced chai latte and mocha!
But like I said before, I have a grudge with driving downtown. It gives me anxiety and panic attacks just thinking of people coming out of no where… and small narrow streets, aiyah.

Super convenient location and very popular during meal times.
They have a very standard that pretty much has a great range of choices. My friend and I both ordered the vanilla latte (which most hipster coffee joints don’t have). Very cute latte art :) Vanilla flavor wasn’t very strong, almost tasting like a regular latte with whole milk. Service was a fast with four or five baristas behind the counter. That was nice since many places will only have two actually working.

I had a super yummy vanilla latte from here.
I love the wide open seating area. Perfect to chill out and be creative.
There is meter parking outside.
Only downside,
I forget what day it was, but there was a kids program happening in the vicinity. Totally amazing and wonderful but it disrupted my work flow.
Definitely come here :)

B2 is your best option for «hipster» coffee in downtown San Jose. Sadly that’s not saying much since San Jose isn’t known for a plethora of good coffee and culinary options.
The atmosphere upon stepping inside is pretty cool. It’s part of San Pedro Square Market which is a conglomerate of food stands and shops in a warehouse-​like building with very high ceilings and and an artsy-​industrial feel. The coffee bar sits crowded up on one side of the building with spacious booths and seating taking up most of the floorspace.
Baristas aren’t the friendliest but don’t openly attack you either (definitely a plus!). They craft some decent lattes and coffees rather quickly.
Once your double almond milk mocha with an honest attempt at foam art is served up you can grab yourself a seat, open up your MacBook and dawn your Beats headphones and just people watch. That’s really the strong suit of B2; the diversity of people that come in is pretty cool.

Excellent coffee. Verve is a favorite of mine (: stop by for a jolt & sit by the garage doors for natural lighting. Sometimes they open it up, you’ll be in for a treat of sun$ fresh air.
Unfortunately they don’t validate, but the other restaurants inside do (with proof of purchase). But don’t let that stop you because their coffee is no force to reckon with.
I got the almond milk macchiato with Verve espresso. Fruity, strong, great pick-​me-​up after a morning run.