Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest

After visiting the Carlsbad and La Jolla branches, I wasn't really expecting much from this location but am pleased to say that this is my favourite branch. Such an interesting building inside with plenty of seating on 3 floors. The coffee was served piping hot in a mug, and the zucchini loaf slice was absolutely delicious.

I really liked the atmosphere of this coffee shop. There is a lot of space, two floors. Interesting style, not loud and pleasant music. Nice staff and delicious pastries. There are good teas. But the coffee was not good. It was bitter and too hot. The coffee is not very good quality for me.

Ordered a large honey latte on Valentines and it was delicious. LOVED the strawberry foam, please keep it on your menu! I even got extra foam on mine and not loaded up with ice (plenty of drink). I'd love to try a strawberry craft drink if you guys came up with one. Inside of this Buzzed location is great! It's decently busy inside during peak hours but atmosphere was still chill. Drink came out to be about $8.50 afterwards, a worthwhile treat! Thank you for the friendliness of staff!

This coffee place is very beautiful and lots room tomorrow study or just hang out with some friends. The coffee was delicious and very well made. The staff even made some latte art on my coffee. They were very nice and energetic!

Very good breakfast sandwich. Coffee taste around medium roasted, not too strong. Nice atmosphere. I would go back there again.

This place is so cute I can't even stand it! It truly is a work of art on its own! It's so beautiful to look at! I also got a large hazelnut divinity latte and OMFG it was actually divine..... their lattes are on the sweet side for sure but it was phenomenal! There's actually an upstairs with more seating, decor, including pictures, plants, etc. It's marvelous!

The atmosphere was ok, plenty of places to sit. I didn't try the food, the coffee is quite dark, I don't like it. And the smell. It was like an old place or a secondhand store. Maybe there's some kind of warehouse in the neighborhood. Very strong odor.

I had such a great experience at Better Buzz Hillcrest. The coffee was amazing—probably some of the best I’ve had in a while—and the food was just as good. The place has a really cool vibe, perfect for relaxing or catching up with friends. What stood out the most was the people. The staff were super friendly and made me feel really welcome. You can tell they enjoy what they do, and it adds to the whole experience. Definitely a spot I’ll be coming back to!

JANEYA you were AMAZING..... I love the tomato feta avocado toast (add cucumber) with a chai tea latte (hot or iced) and usually come in the mornings. The other day, after a horrible day at work I decided to stop in for my toast and a Tea for my partner in the afternoon. I had the pleasure to have my order taken by Janeya. Thank you for helping turn my day around by not only having amazing customer service not only to myself but the lady in line before me and for being so personable and having such a uplifting positive attitude and energy. PS the morning staff is awesome too.

Such a difficult location to visit with limited paid parking along its perimeter and on other streets but still with the wait. If you happened to see an overweight man running over the bridge in Hillcrest, it was me lol. This location is beautifully decorated and has lots of seating areas for patrons to enjoy their drinks and meals. Bring a quarter to give yourself time to grab your items and make it back to your car. I never have enough time to enjoy it though. Staff are friendly and welcoming. I'll be back again when in the area.

I really like the vibe of the location. It's expansive, multistory, tons of seating (tho often not enough since it's so busy). The coffee is pretty good. I like the variety. They honey latte is my favorite. Almost tastes like they add the honeycomb into the syrup as well. Nice touch. The part that throws me off though; the staff seems stressed, or, maybe bothered? Like the customer is interrupting something by placing an order. It's happened a handful of times. Maybe it's just me? Lol. In any case I still keep showing up so they're doing something right.

Came for a great cup of coffee and a bite, and if was great. Got an iced coffee and an almond and jam toast. While the toast looked great, it had way too much almond butter, for me, with very little jam. It may be good for those who need a high caloric intake, maybe after a rigorous workout. So personally, I would not get it again. They have tons of cold foam options which I got with my cold brew, and it was yummy. There's plenty of seating but the music can be loud if you need to jump on a call. Def a SD staple.

When I first arrived, it took a while to find some street parking due to construction work outside the building. I just parked a block away near the Whole Foods. Once I was inside, I straight away knew this was a great environment to work, study, catch up with friends, etc. The store has so much seating and gathers lots of natural light. I ordered the Moroccan Spice Iced Coffee and Vanilla Latte. The spices from the coffee were delicious and refreshing. For anyone who loves spice or wants to be adventurous and try multiple spices, I couldn't recommend this enough. As for the vanilla latte, it was delicious and the espresso was very smooth. The staff were all friendly and helpful with suggestions. I can't wait to try the other drinks next time.

Visiting San Diego for a week and came here almost every day for coffee. It out coffee at home to shame. Plus everyone who works there is SO nice!!

I met up with some friends at Better Buzz on a Saturday morning for a bite and coffee. I ordered the iced snickerdoodle latte 1/2 sweet and the better breakfast sandwich with avocado. The downstairs area was really busy with a line to order, most of the tables occupied and it was pretty loud. We decided to head upstairs and found ourselves a quieter, less busy dining experience. I'm glad I ordered my latter 1/2 sweet because even then it was bordering a bit too sweet for me. Overall it was a good experience, we didn't have to wait too long to order or get our food and drinks for a Saturday and found a table in a less busy quieter area of the restaurant.

Trendy place recommended by my son. Busy on a Saturday. Find street parking here. Gal at the counter seemed coo when she took our order. Maybe the rest of the workers were not in the mood that day or just tired bec it was a busy day. Plenty of tables to sit at, but unfortunately we didn't get to sit inside. Sat outside (even though it was a tad chilly) Bec it was packed inside w/ everyone on their laptops. Even the 2nd floor had limited seats. Looks like the spot to do work/homework. Drinks were good. Food was good too. Just took longer than anticipated for the Adult Grilled Cheese to come out. They have many pastries in the cases to choose from too. Overall, I would come back. There are several Better Buzz Shops in SD.

Beautiful café with very great music. Parking is street parking but easy to find even on the weekend. There is plenty of seating but it's a popular place so you might have to wait around. We were still able to find a seat no problem. They have many different, unique and creative coffee drinks to choose from. They also have a decent amount of food so you can come here and grab a bite as well. I love the vibes in here. Vibing!!!!

Righteous drinks, great tasting hot and cold foodstuffs, friendly staff, quick service, spacious setting. What more can one ask for? Orange Matcha? Surprisingly, yes! Ube Cookie? Yes! Nice!

I stand by my belief that Better Buzz is mid. The prices do not match the quality of drinks or service. It has that same frantic energy of Starbucks, just in a different font. Instead of trying to upsell people on sizes, alt milk, avocado, and more why don't you actually make suggestions on what is good here? Oh wait - nothing! The only reason I come here is because the high ceilings and cute wood seating areas are nice to work from. The food is always served in to go containers and my sandwich was disheveled and lacking much of anything, too much bread bun! When I asked for the bathroom code they shouted it at me. Gurl, I just paid over $15 for breakfast I think I am entitled to the facilities!

It doesn't matter when I go or how often I go to this Better Buzz, there are things I can always count on; a smiling face that greets me, a code for the bathroom, a clean bathroom, a clean space to pop open my laptop in, a great cup of whatever I order. A pastry or sandwich made with care. And it seems to duplicate to other locations. But this one is my favorite. Well done guys!

I got their honey latte and it was absolutely delicious. You can tell they put a lot of thought into roasting their coffee and the honey latte wasn't too sweet either. Everyone was also super kind and thoughtful - when I had questions about the menu, the person at the counter was happy to answer all of them! Lots of seating inside. It looks like people come here to study/work on weekdays.

Life is better when you are BUZZED!!!! Me and my wife are all about better buzz. It's the only coffee spot we go to that is considered "fast food or fast coffee " but better buzz is are always go to spot. This location is amazing!!! Honestly I wish they had one closer to us in Glendora and something like this because we would be there all the time. The vibe of this location is productive , relaxing and multi levels that allow you to find your own little spot. The service never disappoints and everyone was amazingly friendly. My favorite go to is the Cafe de Mexico.... It's soooo gooooood. My wife got the jasmine latte and it's so light and perfect. One day me and my wife want to open our own restaurant and we just kept thinking we loved the layout of this location soooo we are taking notes lol.

I was just visiting San Diego and this was recommended to me and I'm so glad I tried it! This location specifically is really cool on the inside. Very industrial vibe with a ton of seating, even an upstairs. The baristas were friendly and the drinks came out fast & delicious. I ordered an iced vanilla bean latte and it was so creamy and delicious, I can't wait to come back to San Diego to try another one!

Always a must whenever in San Diego! Better Buzz always hits and this location is a fave because of the amount of seating (2 floors) and great working spot. They also play great music so we love that.

Came across this coffee shop during our stay in HillCrest and it's very spacious and has a lot of seating. Seemed like a pretty nice space for studying or teleworking/ meetings (which some people were doing). I got the best drink ever - hot- (which was a much needed 'pick me up'). One of my friends got the OG Açaí and said she really liked it. Overall, would love to visit again!

My husband and I were visiting for the weekend and looking for somewhere casual to have breakfast - cue Better Buzz! We stopped in and there were only 3 other patrons inside, but it got quite busy as we were enjoying our food! I ordered the cinnamon cream cold brew and feta avocado toast. I really enjoyed both items. The bread the avocado toast was served on was so fresh and toasted perfectly. I was missing a little salt and pepper on the avocado though. My husband ordered the pumpkin cream cold brew and bacon ciabatta breakfast sandwich. He had half of my avocado toast too lol!! He enjoyed everything he had. We loved the vibe of this shop, especially seeing all the coffee roasting equipment. We will definitely be back next time we visit CA, as they have quite a few locations statewide.

One of my favorite coffee places in the U.S. this location specially is special for its two story seating. Service is great, barista had really good recommendations and wasn't annoyed I asked for help! Fast enough service and good amount of seating options :)

You have got to make a stop here and even better become a regular! The staff is so welcoming and if you're looking for a place to get a super tasty drink, cute place to study, and catch up with friends, or listen to some great music this is the place for sure!

Ambiance is very aesthetically pleasing with lots of room to sit & work if wanted. Baristas are very welcoming every time you walk in & start conversations when ordering. Plus foods + drinks are always good :)

One of my favorite SoCal coffee chains. The Hillcrest location is their flagship cafe and it is always bustling with people working or studying. The interior is huge with downstairs and upstairs seating so you can always find a spot. Very trendy and well decorated too. The line can get long here but I never wait more than a few minutes for my food or drink. Parking can be tricky and you may have to take a couple laps or park a few streets down. This is typical for the Hillcrest area though. As for the drinks, BetterBuzz really blows Starbucks out of the water. I like their seasonal drinks (especially the pumpkin chai), Cinnamon Cream Cold Brew, and Iced Best Drink Ever. For food, my go-to's are their Avocado Toast, Açaí Bowl, or Chili Crunch Wrap. Ordering online in the app is also super easy and they have a great rewards program - I always feel like I rack up points quickly for free drinks!

Was excited to try this location but it leaves more to be desired. The smaller locations do it for me more than this location. Yes, it's a pretty location and bigger but the service and coffee fell short. Best drink ever doesn't deserve this title and wish I was asked for the option of here or to-go. The drinks are in plastic cups but then my acai bowl was in a glass bowl. What?? And it's so huge. I wish I had the option to take it home. Bathroom is so bright you'll need sunglasses to tinkle. Seems like it caters more to corporate meetings at this location which imo clashes with the vibe of what you'd want a chill coffee shop visit to be like.

I didn't know what drink to get but I'm glad I was recommended to try the limited time strawberry cold foam on top of any drink. I don't like my coffee overly sweet so the cold foam paired well with their cold brews. The better breakfast sandwich was really good! Although there were plenty of seats, the WiFi sucks on the second floor. I never got connected.

This location is beautiful with 2 floors and bountiful tables to sit, chat, and study. I wish they had more outlets, but they did have some power surges lying around which was nice. The drinks are okay as I tried their blue raspberry drink and it was a little too sweet and artificial for me. The lady serving was nice as well. Overall, this spot wins just for the ambiance alone.

This place is great for studying. The coffee is pretty good but a little pricey. The food is also pretty good and the service is fast.

My favorite Better Buzz in SD just because it was the first one I've ever been to. Super nostalgic and everyone is always so friendly. Really beautiful space and the BEST DRINK EVER always hits just right.

Such a vibrant coffee shop! I visited while in SD a week ago. I ordered the chai tea latte and the breakfast sandwich. Both were quality and the service was great. The chai tea latte was milky and had the perfect sweetness. I loved the atmosphere - it was perfect for catching up!

Such a great spot to grab coffee and a snack and hangout. There's so such seating and the inside is bright and welcoming. The food and coffee are good as well, I really liked their hot matcha latte.

I always enjoy walking to the Better Buzz for an afternoon stroll and a pumpkin spiced latte. Service is always friendly and the latte so yummy. Love the decor too.

I love Better Buzz Coffee! There are multiple locations throughout San Diego and this is one of my favorites to be at. Service here is always amazing and very consistent. The inside is beautiful and plenty of seating available. Food and drink review: Iced Eggnog latte: (3/5) Unfortunately, this wasn't the flavor I was expecting. I LOVE egg nog, but this wasn't my favorite drink that I've had here. I wouldn't order it again. Nutella croissant: (5/5) Ummmm, yummm!!! This is amazing. Creamy, crispy and little salt on top is a nice touch. Ham and cheese croissant: (5/5) I added an egg and this was a game changer! It's so delicious with the perfect amount of crispiness. Iced chai with cinnamon cold foam: (5/5) This is by far my favorite drink ever! I always order the iced chai with almond milk. The flavor is so creamy and well balanced. It's not too sweet. The cold foam adds an extra layer of yumminess. Definitely recommend trying this one!

We went on Saturday evening to grab a coffee & a desert. The coffee is creative and delicious. I had a Mexican Mocha which means they made it with Mexican Abuelita chocolate. It was delicious & they had many creative lattes like this one. Service was fast & friendly. They had music in the background so you can still have a conversation with your friends. They also have areas where you can sit with your laptop. They have 2 levels. I truly love this place!

Better Buzz is such a cool, hip and delicious spot! We were in San Diego for the weekend and yelp helped us decide on this spot since it was so close to our hotel. It's on a bit of a busy street and fortunately we found parking right around the corner. We got there around 11:30 in the morning and was able to order and get our food within 10 min or so. I ordered the Lavender tea buzz($6.29) it's like a lavender latte smoothie and although it was flavorful it was way too sweet for my liking lol. But the hubby ordered the vanilla bean latte ($6.29) and his was a good balance. For food I ordered the better breakfast sandwich ($9.99) and that sandwich was one of the best things I had all weekend! Shout out to the barista that suggested it!! The decor was sooooooo cute and instagram worthy. We didn't buy any merchandise but I love their logo. It's definitely a place we are adding to our San Diego must stop places from now on.

I love the easy online ordering. However, there was no option to order a pourover, so had to go inside to order it. But it was really good. I ordered the Lavender black tea latte - seemed like powder. No tea bag and it was sweet, even tho I got 75% sweetness I ordered the egg and bacon on ciabatta. I didn't really care for it. It also said "thick cut bacon" but I didn't think the bacon was thick at all. I tried The pretzel breakfast sandwich and that was really good with good flavor due to the garlic aioli spread. The place is large and has an upstairs area as well. It's loud inside but not bothersome. I liked the ambience and all the workers there seemed very friendly and happy!

I'm a regular here and my experience is very similar. But today was different! I had such a pleasant experience with their barista, Jesus. He is so sweet and kind. It just stood out from the other interactions and I was having a hard time that morning and his kindness really alleviated my mood temporarily. So, I'm grateful that this location has a kind soul working for them. PS. Order the cucumber lemonade mate! It'll change your life!

Best coffee to me , no comparison to any other coffee shop i've ever tried . Smooth and creamy every time , lots of milk alternatives for the cold brew . This coffee will get you going in a quick hurry . Talk about a Buzz ... Great breakfast sandwiches too . Order ahead is my new favorite way to grab and go . I do have to mention the decor and space at this location is top notch , so cute ! Customer service is okay, it's not what keeps me coming back but not bad either .

Overall: hip ambiance, fun menu, yummy tea, coffee, and food items, and kind service We enjoyed our coffee, lavender tea latte, blueberry muffin, and better breakfast sandwich. I've never had a breakfast sandwich on a pretzel bun, but it was awesome, balanced, and flavorful. The lavender tea latte was delicious but a little too sweet for my personal preference. I loved the lighting and natural vibes of the place. The regular sized drinks were rather large.

So while visiting San Diego, my daughter told me that she had heard Better Buzz was the best coffee place. She said that while she was an Uber driver, she delivered a lot of these coffees so of course I had to try it! The directions were a little bit tricky because well it got me right to the place but the wrong entrance so I couldn't get in line easily with my car. It kind of reminded me of going to In-N-Out Burger because there was a very long line and there were two people walking up and down taking orders. When it was finally my turn, a very nice gal took my order. She was very patient because it was my first time and she explained all the different pastries. I was happy that they had oat milk, but disappointed that the cold foam was cinnamon flavored and that they didn't have a plain sweet cold foam, but I recovered. When I got to the window, the person that was handing out the coffee and pastries was really nice and she patiently showed me all the different hats because I wanted to buy a hat. They were $30. I was thinking if it's about $20 I'll get one but $30?! nah too rich for my blood. The coffee was hot, but it was dilute tasting. It didn't have a very strong rich coffee flavor, which I really like in my coffees. The chocolate chip cookie I got was chock full of chocolate chips, which is awesome however, it was really dry and seemed old. So in summary, I always say try it for yourself because maybe I didn't have a good experience but maybe you will! I don't like to badmouth places. For me, though it was definitely not worth the money and I would not go back.

This is probably the fanciest-looking coffee place I've ever been to, and yet the employees were friendly and not at all stuck-up. The person who took my order and was funny and kind, while Elliot made my drink to perfection. I ordered the Lavender Iced Latte and it was one of the best-tasting drinks I've ever had. I'm not really a coffee person, but I will come back for the service alone!

This is my favorite better buzz location! It is a beautiful spot with quick service and options for indoor and outdoor seating. The best drink i've had is the iced chai w/almond milk half sweet. It's the best chai; I would liken it to biting into a snickerdoodle cookie! The drinks are extremely sweet, so I always opt for half sweet and even that is sweet. Parking is extremely tough since it's on the busiest street and right by the Whole Foods, so be prepared to walk if you don't get lucky.

The frozen coconut coffee drink was truly fantastic. I typically don't go for the trendier looking spots since they often lack in quality but I am glad I stopped in here. The service was extremely friendly, helpful, and quick.

Beautiful coffeeshop! Spent a Thursday morning here catching up on some work and there were plenty of seats to choose from. Decided to go with a pumpkin chai, delicious and pretty sweet. Also tried a chocolate chip banana loaf which I highly recommend (ask them to warm it up). Overall really love this spot and would definitely come again! Lots of people working and studying so it wasn't too loud but they play music.

Last weekend was my first time trying Better Buzz and since it's so popular I didn't know what to expect. Matcha is my favorite drink and I have gone to MANY cafe's that do not get it right either too much milk or way too sweet. Better Buzz however, nailed it completely. The Matcha actually tastes like Matcha and it's not competing with the milk to shine. I also tried the orange Matcha and it does not sound like a good combination to me, but let me tell you it's amazing. It's reminiscent of those chocolate oranges iykyk. Service was also quick even though they were very busy. This location is beautiful plenty of nice spaces to work or socialize too. I can't wait to be back in SD to have Better Buzz again. I understand why it is so popular now the hype is real!

One of my favorite Better Buzz locations. The ambiance is nice. Parking can be a pain though. There is only street parking if you're lucky enough to find a spot. Customer service is great. The baristas are nice and welcoming. You can't go wrong with ordering their Best Drink Ever. It's made with their signature creamy vanilla syrup.

This location is right in the heart of Hillcrest. I love that this place is two stories, but certain areas are cordoned off for employees. Their coffee is great. I had the pleasure of having their Moroccan iced coffee which was very reminiscent of Chai Tea. I loved the modern ambiance of this place. It appeared to be busy all the time so make sure to grab a place to sit quickly before it gets snatched up.

Cute vibey coffeeshop! Lots of desks to work at, it was busy on a Friday morning but still lots of seats available. There is a downstairs and upstairs section. I got a London fog and it was $6.79 for a large. The drink was delicious and they were able to do half sugar. It still tasted pretty sweet however. The flavor was fantastic. The sandwiches are also solid. A must-try coffee shop!

I come here every time I'm in San Diego, I love it! Highly recommend the breakfast food.

The coffee here was really good. I had an iced snickerdoodle coffee The location was really nice and definitely a place to come and study or meet up with friends.

Never disappointed whenever I order my usuals: better breakfast sandwich and my hazelnut divinity with almond milk. I haven't tried their energy drinks or non-coffee drinks since I've always just preferred their coffee. Quick and friendly service in a casual, but nice place to WFH or catch up on studying. They also have their online app/rewards to acquire points and order ahead of time, especially when it's during their busy hours on weekends. Sundays seem to be the busiest, since there are times I'm unable to order online and they close it temporarily. For any of their breakfast sandwiches or food options that come with aioli by default, I would ask for it on the side to avoid the food being drenched/soaked, leading to a soggy meal. My better breakfast sandwich I ask for aioli on the side, extra toasted, and it's worth waiting a bit. Other than that, their food options are a go-to and you can always ask to have them extra toasted (baked goods or sandwiches).