Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest

I've always used the PB location, but this was my first time at the Hillcrest. I parked on the street. The spacious, high-ceilinged space is spacious and relaxing. It's amazing that there's a second floor too👍🏼I'd love to come again. The coffee is much better than Starbucks'. The matcha latte was extremely sweet, so if you want it less sweet, it's best to ask for it.

Great cafe. Lofty atmosphere - great for work/study. Coffee was delicious. Can also recommend their cones

I have been coming here since college great place to grab coffee and study/work. My most recent visit, I made a mistake an ordered at the wrong location, I called that location, so they wouldn’t make my order. I walked in to the Hillcrest location, I explained my situation they were so kind and were able to take care of my order. Great service and good drinks. My go to is the best drink ever ( 1/2 sweet).

I’m from out of state and, until my visit to San Diego, had never even heard of Better Buzz. I was pleasantly surprised, as I’m not a big fan of other coffee places. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed it so much that I went back a second time in the few days I was in town. The design of the space made for plenty of seating options and the atmosphere was chill. The employees were very pleasant and appeared to be having fun. There was a clear camaraderie among the Baristas as they hustled to get orders out quickly. All were exceptional, especially Auston who greeted us with the biggest and best smile. In addition to the excellent coffees, I had the avocado toast the first time there and an almond pastry the second time. Both were excellent. I highly recommend Better Buzz. I don’t think you’d be disappointed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Better Buzz Coffee – Hillcrest I had an amazing experience at Better Buzz Hillcrest thanks to their awesome employee named Effie. This was my first time at a Better Buzz and From the moment I walked in, he was friendly, welcoming, and genuinely enthusiastic about helping me choose the perfect drink. His customer service is outstanding, professional, upbeat, and attentive in a way that really makes the visit feel special. Effie’s drink and food recommendations were spot-on, I ordered the pistachio croissant and the snickerdoodle latte and my order came out perfectly. You can tell he takes pride in his work and cares about creating a great experience for every customer. Everything was fresh and the atmosphere was great. If you’re in Hillcrest, definitely stop by Better Buzz 😃

I love coming to this Better Buzz. The drinks and pastries here are always delicious. I always come here to study. They have very good motivational music! Everyone here is super smiley, welcoming, and cheerful! It’s my go to place on the weekend!

I recently visited San Diego and found Better Buzz in Hillcrest. The coffee and food was fantastic and the service was extraordinary! I enjoyed it so much that I went back for a second visit on my trip. On both occasions I had a delicious iced coffee and tried two of their breakfast sandwiches; super great. The Barista's name, that made my coffees, was Auston. She was very friendly and seemed to love her job. I will definitely go back whenever I'm in town.

Candice and Ariana were so sweet! I ordered a drink and didn’t know I could have it with matcha instead. I was casually talking to them about it, and had accepted that I’d be having coffee. They asked me if I’d like to try the matcha version instead and I am very appreciative! I come here a lot to study and it’s one of my favorite spots to do so!

Major snaps and kudos to the crew in Hillcrest for helping my morning fog self and replacing my drink when I realized I ordered at the wrong location! They're the best!

Absolutely Amazing employees, great experience every time I visit, the staff is always so polite and helpful. I love coming to this location in Hillcrest. I would recommend this location to anyone looking for coffee and breakfast foods. The store front is also very nice, well lite and always so clean, great atmosphere.

Janey was so helpful on which drinks I should try! Her customer service is great and will be back to try new drinks

I had placed an online order and Janeya not only had it ready but also gave me a little extra one. The matcha drink was amazing and I am so thankful for the amazing service.

Came by early in the morning after working out. The staff were friendly, greeted and assisted me after I walked in. The restaurant is very clean, nicely decorated, and has plenty of areas to sit and chat or work. Their smoothie and drinks were good but I felt their chai was a tad too sweet. Their avocado toast was nicely presented and had plenty of chunky avocado. Parking was not good so my friend had to circle the block while I went inside.

My sister and I visited on a Saturday morning around 8:30AM before heading to Balboa Park. The coffee shop is conveniently located on the corner of University and 8th. It was busy when we arrived as there was a group of people waiting to place their order and a group of people waiting to pick up their order. I ordered a Regular Iced Snickerdoodle Latte ($6.59) and a Better Breakfast Sandwich ($9.99) and my sister ordered a Regular Iced Vanilla Bean Latte ($6.50) and also the Better Breakfast Sandwich ($9.99). Note, my sister originally wanted the Bacon Ciabatta, but there must've been some miscommunication when placing the order. It came with a fried egg, bacon, and arugula on a pretzel bun. The sandwich was fine, but the assembly is inconsistent. My sister's egg was friend perfectly, but my egg was extremely runny and not fully cooked. I'm only giving this coffee shop 3-stars because I found a long strand of blond hair half-way through finishing my sandwich. GROSS! The people preparing the food in the back need to wear hair nets. This is food safety 101. The snickerdoodle latte was sweet and cinnamon-y. The vanilla bean latte was terrible. It tasted like watered down sweetened milk. Both drinks lacked coffee flavor. There is plenty of seating on the ground floor and upstairs. I am glad I tried this place and checked it off my list, but sadly, I will not be returning.

The staff at this location needs to pay closer attention. The second time this year, I ordered this location's Keurig pods, only to receive a bag of whole beans [the most recent incident occurred this morning]. I let it go the first time, but personnel at this location need to make sure they are sending guests the correct product. I tried to talk to the driver about what was wrong, and they simply blamed the staff at Better Buzz, but offered no solution. My only option was to report it, and reorder [which is not a reasonable option for a mistake that was not mine]. The sticker that the staff put on the bag clearly notates it as pods, but the bag is obviously not big enough to be pods. I called the establishment, and was also offered no solution, simply told I had to go back to Postmates. I love the coffee here, but not sure I can go back after this.

Excellent coffee and service every time. A must-visit spot for coffee lovers. Great coffee, upbeat vibe, and friendly staff -- Better Buzz always hits the spot

Great place! Spacious and great coffee and service. Parking is a problem and music a bit loud if you're looking for a place to work and make calls. Lots of construction around the neighborhood. Better buzz products always good

I was so excited to finally get a chance to try this spot out ... let cashier know this was 1st time here & he was nice & suggested peppermint white mocha.. so I decided to go with it... I seen a cup on counter & I asked if it was mine & she didn't even try to make sure it was mine .. she looked like she was irritated she had to stop to answer my question even tho they all was standing around taking to each other ... not happy with my coffee nor the customer services.. my drink look like black coffee & taste nasty. What a waste of money

Sweet and savory breakfast croissant sandwich! the sugar sprinkled on top is a little much but the syrup and sandwich was good! This location is very clean and has friendly service. The downside of this location is my least favorite though.

Yummy Americano with a maple foam on top! It was a little sweet though so make sure you mix thoroughly. Our drinks came out so fast and there's a lot of seating inside! Very cute vibes and a great study or hangout spot.

We were greeted with a smile and our food was ready quickly. The music was way loud for Sunday at 7am. The lady who gave us our drinks didn't acknowledge us at all. No thank you. No nothing. Like she didn't care a wit. The croissant was tasty. The zucchini bread was a bit sweat for our tastes but was good.

Beautiful building, friendly and fun staff, and awesome food! I always have a great experience here

Unique flavors, great location. Decides to give this a try, it was alright. The service was average. Oddly enough, while we were walking through, we stopped by and there was a weird smell coming from the stall

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.

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.

The staff is very friendly and willing to fill your jugs with ice! It's hot out here!!

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 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.

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!

First time at this Better Buzz shop. Unfortunately, We weren't very impressed. I had a regular latte and a scone. The coffee was weak in flavor and the scone was a bit dry. My wife and daughter also did not enjoy their coffee. In fact my daughter took hers back and asked them to make another one. My wife is a barista and said "they really need to dial in their espresso machine". The taste of the coffee was just way off. There were various selections of pastries to choose from. The shop is huge and the decor is really nice. Parking can be a challenge and is grab it where ever you can find it. I was really hoping that Better Buzz would be our "go to" place when visiting our daughter, but the coffee just isn't great. We will keep looking.

Oh oh, hate to spill the beans but somebody definitely did not dial in the espresso this morning. We got three lattes and these were not up par with the Better Buzz shops we've visited in the Encinitas area. In fact, they tasted bitter and acidic. Service was mediocre, but the baristas were sure having a good time amongst themselves. This is totally fine, but not at the expense of customers who are trying to get their attention because their drink was made unsatisfactory. Parking is obnoxious like everywhere in the area. I think I'll stick to Spill the Beans. The shop is really cute, though.

Food is great. Got the matcha tea latte with oatmilk and strawberry cold foam! Ambiance is cozy! Service is pretty decent :) would come back!

First time here: apparently only 2 weeks open! And the two staff members I met were both very helpful and patient, Jackie and Jose.

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 ordered on the app first thing in the morning. Coffee and pastery were ready when I walked in and neither lost their fresh taste.

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!!

In the short time I've been sitting here, no fewer than 5 people have come in with their dogs, ignoring the sign at the entrance that says no dogs and one of them letting their dog come right up to my feet. And this seems to be encouraged by the staff. Not acceptible. Besides not being a dog person, I'm also allergic. I thought this was a safe space, but apparently not. Change your sign or tell the obnoxious dog owners to keep their dogs outside.

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!!!!

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.

I loved how diverse it is and enjoy their fall drinks!! The employees are super friendly and welcoming love how they are very fast with order and always making sure our order is right! I I'll be coming back for sure!!

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.

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.

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 :)

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!

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!

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.

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.

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 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.

The coffee was good there was a nice blend between the matcha and coffee. The decor me is nice and trendy. It's great for Instagram photos.

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!