Captain + Stoker

Great coffee shop with lots of seating. The toasts got over by the time we reached on Sunday 3pm, showing this is a local favorite too. It was pretty busy but still fun to hangout here. The steps looking out the cafe and the hanging cycles have it a funky feel. Both latte and cappuccino were good. Free street parking was available outside but given this place is busy might get hard to find parking.

My partner and I visited this open-to-air coffee shop after seeing it on Instagram reels. I ordered the avocado toast and an iced Captain’s blend, and they ordered the banana and peanut butter toast, and an iced vanilla latte. Our coffees were yummy and our toasts were very fresh. We had to wait a bit for seating, but people were filing in and out pretty quickly.

A spacious, bright place with a great vibe and tasty coffee. Basically, everything you’d expect from a good specialty coffee shop is here. There are some interesting interior details — like a big wooden slab table. The baristas have a great workflow. The coffee is good, nothing extraordinary, just solid quality and well-made. Convenient location. Definitely worth stopping by if you’re in the area.

An incredibly delicious spot! I popped in for the first time and was so pleasantly surprised by the flavors of the matcha latte and avocado toast. Everything tasted so fresh and almost gourmet. The atmosphere here is warm and welcoming, with staff who smile, happily answer every question, and make you feel right at home. Orders come out super quickly too, which is such a treat. If I find myself in Monterey again, I’ll definitely swing by for another sip of something delightful. They also sell little bags of beans with creative blends—of course, I couldn’t resist and picked up one called The Captain. ❤️

Coffee was amazing! Picked up a couple of pounds to go and loved it. The avocado sandwich didn’t disappoint either—same with the matcha. Loved the atmosphere; it’s kind of an open, airy hangar vibe. Lots of people, but even during rush hour we were able to get a table once our order was ready. Would be great if they had a few tables outside though!

Nice coffee and good atmosphere. Pastry was a bit expensive and tasted like Safeway or any other regular store pastry (fruit pastry 8$+). Brownie was good, but a bit small (4$+). Latte was tasty. I would return for coffee and for some other croissant. When we came around 1pm unfortunately only few pastries were left, but there were lots of big muffins.

This is the cutest coffee shop! We stopped in before whale watching and got two lattes, and the avocado toast and banana peanut butter toast. Everything was amazing. Some of the best avocado toast I’ve ever had! Oh and the coffee cake muffin was PHENOMENAL

One year later and I’m trying their Monterey location this visit - Love it. Great coffee, great vibe, this location has seating. The flat white is fantastic, price is perfect. Highly recommended if you’re in the area.

This spot is a must if you're passing through the Monterey area. The space here is dope. Perfect use of the corner spot. They've got a very bright and lively space with the garage doors rolled up and bikes hanging. Makes for a really nice & inviting atmosphere. Coffee was pretty good tbh. Got a couple of iced lattes and I was liking the notes on them. Ham and cheese croissant was yummy. Food here is fresh and made to order, not your average coffee shop breakfast. Will be back to try the rest of the menu :)

ahhh! super cute shop! the decor and vibes were immaculate. the workers were also so very kind. *matcha latte w/ almond milk: 6/10. i was so excited to try this place because the color of the matcha looked great and i had such high standards. however, the latte was mainly just milk and i got no taste of the matcha :( i rated this place 3 stars because i believe i might've just gotten the wrong drink and their coffee is more highly rated or I could've adjusted my settings for the latte more to make it more my taste. it hurts my heart to give it a 3, but i'd definitely go back when I have the chance to try another drink!

I recently visited Captain + Stoker and unfortunately, had a very disappointing experience. The service was terrible, and the wait times were extremely long. Despite only ordering a cereal bowl, which requires minimal preparation, we had to wait for 20 minutes. What was even more frustrating was the staff's priority system. It was clear that the employees prioritized serving themselves over the customers. Staff members would order their food and receive it before us, even when they ordered after us. This lack of customer care and efficiency was very disappointing. I hope the management addresses these issues to improve the customer experience.

This place is such a cute little coffee shop just blocks from the beach in Monterey! While visiting Monterey, we walked to this coffee shop from our Marriott hotel on a Saturday morning. The decor is such a beachy, chill vibe and everyone working here is super friendly and helpful. It was extremely busy - which is always a good sign! Our vanilla lattes were soo darn delicious and pastries we ordered were a perfect little morning treat. They had a super cool unique menu of [spring] seasonal drinks and food options. Overall, Captain + Stoker is just good vibes! I would absolutely come back here again and again if I was a local.

Easy 5 stars for mellow vibes and a damn good cappuccino. Before hitting the aquarium, we popped into Captain + Stoker for a cup of coffee. We're always on the hunt for the finest coffee shops around, and this one came highly recommended in Monterey. Sure the indie/hipster vibes are high, and they were popping on a gloomy morning. I'm a boring creature of habit at this point and mostly consume black Americanos on my daily coffee shop visits. When traveling, it's fun for me to order a cappuccino because ultimately I love drinking them, but you never know what kind of cappuccino you're going to receive in return. Well, Captain + Stoker sources from farmers all around the world, roasts their own beans, and have a talented staff pumping out great beverages. I was so pleased with my cappuccino and couldn't stop raving about it. I think my wife may have told me to shut up eventually after raving about it so much! +Long community table for coworking +Stadium seating for overflow +Great merch, coffee bags for the road +Neon signs, plants, and a bike hanging above the counter +Food and pastry menu +Damn good coffee Bookmark Captain + Stoker for a great cup of joe in Monterey!

Fun fact, I love coffee. Each time I'm in a new city I like to hunt down the best coffee house in town. With that said Yelp referred me to Captain + Stoker. The shop is designed into an auto body shop which was super cute. Customer service was awesome and as I could see this coffee house was a crowd pleaser and many patrons lined up to either a quick bite or just to relax and enjoy your cup of coffee.

Went out for a coffee breakfast with friends during a weekend trip to Monterey. Two in the group are coffee lovers and the rest appreciate it. I ordered a vanilla latte and croissant breakfast sandwich. The coffee had great taste. I was particularly interested in the French press machine! Fun spot, good luck snagging a place to sit!

Good vibes all around. The husband and I were looking for a good coffee shop to get our morning fix. We happened to find this place. It's easy to find with plenty of street parking. It seems to be a very popular place as there was a short line when we arrived. I loved the decor and layout of the place. It is open, lots of windows and natural lighting with cool fresh air. It's very beachy, hipster, and good vibes all around. We got the iced mocha and iced vanilla late with oat milk ($6.95 each). Both drinks were not overly sweet or artificial tasting which is great and though not the best drinks I have had- both were very good. I would definitely stop by if in the area again.

Captain + Stoker exceeded all expectations during my visit with friends from church last Saturday. From the moment we stepped in, we were greeted with the irresistible aroma of freshly brewed coffee and bakery treats. I got cappuccino with oatmilk and each sip was a delight, and the sugar butter toast disappeared before I could even snap a photo - that's how good it was! The staff's warm demeanor only added to the experience, making us feel right at home. The interior decor was a delightful surprise, with bicycles adorning the walls, adding a unique touch to the ambiance. It was the perfect backdrop for our gathering, sparking conversation and admiration. Without a doubt, Captain + Stoker has become my go-to spot in Monterey for exceptional coffee and a memorable atmosphere.

Cool spot, service was good, and the coffee was pretty tasty. Definitely a nice spot to hit in Monterey if you want to avoid Starbucks

I was honestly a little disappointed in this place. I thought it would be better based on the reviews. Definitely a cute little spot close to the wharf. There were a lot of patrons in the shop. But our wait time wasn't long. Not a lot of seating if you wanted to stick around for a while. I ordered a mocha and honestly felt like I was just drinking milk. Not a lot of chocolate flavors or even coffee flavors. I ordered my kids a chocolate milk, they were kind and gave me two extra cups so I could split it amongst my children. But again the drink just tasted like warm milk.

We were staying in Monterey with the kiddos and I was getting hangry (uh oh!) so we stopped by the place on the way back to the hotel from the beach. They could definitely work on the process/ layout/ inventory. There is only one cashier and the line gets really long. I do like that they have a menu posted by the line, but think they should also post an updated seasonal menu there too. We got there at 10, and they were almost out of the pastries, which was a bummer, but they did have their kougn aman and it was really good! Had a bit of an orange flavor, which was unique. They were also out of the peach ricotta toast, which was a seasonal item I had wanted to try. It may have been better if they had crossed it off of their menu, or provided an alternative. The lattes were excellent. They definitely know what they are doing if you appreciate a good latte. Love the decor and open space indoors.

This coffee shop is really cool. Looks like an old car garage converted into a coffee shop with high ceilings and a bright and open ambiance. Really cool merch and overall the branding is top tier. I came in on a Sunday mid-morning and the line was out the door. The weather was nice though so didn't mind it too much. We ordered two drinks, an iced vanilla latte and a hot dirty chai latte and also grabbed a blueberry muffin-waffle hybrid. Honestly, the two drinks were mid at best. Both seemed a bit watered down with not a lot of flavor in either the latte or chai. I don't think we finished either drink, kinda just took a few sips and said "meh, it's ok". The blueberry muffin-waffle hybrid was okay! There were a only a few pastries left by the time I came in, and I could tell why this was one of them. The mid coffee, long line/ wait time, and trendy coffee shop high prices is really what makes this an OK rating from me. It's not bad coffee by any standards -- just mid. Plus, their toasts look very aesthetic so if that's what you're in the mood for- this could be your spot. I really liked all of their branding and the space is really clean, bright, and open. Plus- they're neighbors with a really cool car garage right next door with some amazing vintage cars.

Absolutely wonderful "locals" roastery with multiple blends and single origins available to go or via subscription. I had their house blend "The Captain" in a Cortado and it was "Kona mild/smooth" to my taste, just delightful if that's your jam. The place was a block off the main street but was clearly a local favorite, and was fairly crowded but not obnoxiously so. Everyone behind the counter seemed super laid back and chill and while I waited in a small line that was ever present, it moved fast. I loved the coffee enough to bring some home and can see it being my daily driver for the time being. Just a lovely experience and hope to be back soon.

Great great great yummy fun ambiance with street parking available, lots of one way streets in the area. Rose dream rose was light with taste of the beet and lots of texture not very sweet either. Nice drink

Found this lovely little coffee shop on our way out of Monterey. Had quite a line due to the holiday weekend and festivals being in town. The coffee was delicious, the staff was great and the decor was adorable. Lots of street parking available.

While visiting the bay area, I found this amazing little coffee spot via Reddit reviews. It's sooooo cool in an open garage atmosphere. The line was outtttt the doooooor but I patiently waited and it was worth it. I got the seasonal rose drink with avocado toast. I took my treats to the park for a nice solo date with the seagulls. I returned the next day for a vanilla latte before heading home. 10/10 i will be back

Food was awful I couldn't even finish it. Expected more but it was literally just toast, arugula, so much oil, and a pinch of salt all in one corner...matcha was good tho. Order taking took a while as they had someone new on the register, most items were sold out. Cute place tho.

Amazing coffee, tried pistachio rose hip latte wasn't super sweet it was perfect. Live the atmosphere as well.

The taste of the oatmilk lattes was great but the paper straws did not hold up well. Recommend grabbing multiple straws to go. Very busy when we went on a Sunday morning. We waited about 20 minutes.

What a nice place. We've driven past this location hundreds of times but never realized it was here. Thank you Yelp for always steering us right. This place was probably a garage or something commercial with roll up garage doors that was converted into an amazing coffee shop. There was good amount of seating for everyone but it does fill up quickly. The oat milk latte was really good. My only complaint was that it had A LOT of foam so it was more of a cappuccino instead of a latte. It was good, nonetheless. The morning bum as yummy and not overly sweet. It complimented the latte well. The workers were also nice so that was a huge plus. We definitely recommend this place.

Once again impressing me with amazing coffee and service. This is one of my favorite spots in Monterey that serves high quality coffee drinks and pastries. A plus is that it's super aesthetic, cute, and has plenty of seating. I came in and ordered a cappuccino with oat milk, and this time I wanted to try their single origin espresso. I asked what the flavor profile was, and one of the workers came and explained to me in great detail what the coffee tasted like and impressed me with his knowledge and expertise. I ordered it immediately, however I didn't quite like the drink and tasted a bit bitter to me. They were nice enough to remake the drink to my liking, so I got a latte in exchange. What wonderful customer service! We usually get their pastries, which include pastries from Parker lusseau nearby but turns out they close for the whole month of January so they didn't have any available. A bummer, but the coffee itself is good enough on its own.

Personal preference regarding coffee, but it was super bland and I guess a lot of their drinks come unsweetened so I had to add a little simple syrup to both my drinks but it still didn't taste very good. Cute place and good ambiance but coffee could be more robust.

Very cute coffee place decorated with bikes galore! It's very open air which I love. Plenty of seating. When I went it was a younger crowd. It's five stars because of course the coffee was good, but the person ringing us up was the absolute most helpful and passionate. She has an opinion which is always what I want. They work here, they know best on what their preferred offerings are. Their menu is on the ground with a QR code and taped to the register area. Scanned very easily. So smart. They carry some pastries, and mac nut and oat milk. Max nut is supposedly best served on ice when asking for a vanilla latte. Walking distance from everything and off of the busy path.

Came by for a quick coffee and picked up the velvet underground, one of their seasonal drinks (shaken espresso with brown sugar and coconut milk). The coffee turned out pretty good but I wished the coconut milk was creamier and I could taste the brown sugar more. The atmosphere is nice though with a good number of people hanging out on a Monday afternoon and there's also lot of parking nearby which is a plus.

My husband planned a getaway weekend for me and a friend; he found this spot for us and we are so glad he did! The line extended out the door and the inside was packed. Reggae music & good vibes. Ordered two iced matcha lattes: requested extra matcha (recommendation from other Yelpers, good lookin out!) and less ice. The baristas made it perfectly! Would definitely return in the future.

Long line on a Sunday morning. We just wanted a coffee and almost skipped going there. So glad we waited though. The coffee is pretty exceptional. Sweet and fruity notes in my flat white. Did not get anything to eat but did try a small round pastry. Some sort of a sweet peanut butter ball. Quite nice and went great with the coffee.

Great coffee for sure but they get very busy and it can take a little bit to get your coffee so plan accordingly! Service is really nice though just seems like they could use a bit more help behind the counter. The pour over coffee was probably the best I ever had and the Capp was on par with one of my favorites over at Alta Bakery. Great spot and their pastries look great as well

I tried an americano, flavor was excellent. Service was friendly. My husband enjoyed the peanut butter cookie. Ambiance was chill, I liked the open air concept.

Half caff and half decaf was on point. This place is definitely fire if you want a pick me up in the afternoon. There's a peanut butter bar roll thing that's pretty good too, it got the coconuts all over it. Lots of parking and chill vibes.

5 stars because they have one of the best unsweetened matcha in Monterey. Has a strong matcha flavor but not overpowering. I wish they didn't charge for alternative milks. Their pastries are okay and the quiches are not bad at all. It's a dog friendly environment and they have a good amount of seats inside. Looks like a good place to work from, even though they do play music on a regular basis.

My fiance and I came here and got an iced latte as well as a matcha latte- both with oat milk. Both had a little too much milk and didn't get to taste enough of that espresso/matcha flavor as we wanted. Service was alright, no complaints there, and the place was nicely decorated, bright, and airy. A lot of customers were studying and there was still plenty of space. We came in at around 8 and it shortly became busy after we ordered. Would definitely come back again!

DRIVE'N SOUTH FROM "FOUR BARRELS" WHERE CAN YOU REFILL ON YOUR WAY TO INTELLIGENTSIA (VENICE) WHERE CAN YOU REFUEL? IF YOU'RE THE CAPTAIN STEER A COURSE TO 398 E FRANKLIN TO "CAPTAIN + STOKER"! If you've ridden a tandem bike you know where the name came from. What you mightn't notice 'til 9:00 is that this awesome place was a "Filling station" before it started "stoking" coffee-lovers with rare and exotic coffee from around the globe plus in-house kitchen breakfast and lunch foods, amazing baked goods and perfectly roasted coffees from on high from Africa, N,C and S America, Highlands in So America and SE Asia. Opening 6:30 a dynamic duo a sympathetic order-taker with a great smile and high energy and a barista extracting your shots and crafting drinks of substance and beauty. When your drink is perfected and she calls out your name it's as irresistible as the singing sirens to the sailors but not to Captain Ulysses who has traveled far and knows what a well-dialed roast and the hand of the barista can coax from exquisite beans. I LOVE 4 BARRELS & INTELLIGENTSIA but the people here have their feet on the ground and when the walls roll up, the sun shines, and the siren calls my name I KICK BACK AND ENJOY THE RIDE - CAPTAIN + STOKER. like my tandem back home

The vibes and service were great! It's a super cute place with a great location close to the wharf. The coffee was average, I ordered a latte with honey and vanilla but there wasn't much vanilla or honey flavor in it.

Best coffee I've had in a very long time. Fast service, friendly. What else do you need?

My favorite hobby is discovering new and interesting places to hang out on the Monterey Peninsula, my childhood hometown. When I was a teenager, I plotted my escape from Pebble Beach because it was basically a retirement community, but now there is a vibrant scene , good restaurants and all kinds of things to do, other than play golf. This place is Coffee Culture Monterey Central! While there are all kinds of coffee places in the Bay Area. Monterey is small enough that you only need one coffee Mecca and i have found it. You can get red pepper flakes and flaky sea salt on your avocado toast or add them to your pour over. Of course they do Latté art and have giant, delicious gluten-free muffins ( I got the coffee cake ). The place has an industrial vibe with big fans, exposed ventilation system and hanging bikes. Cool young families and young hipsters tumble out onto the street and stream in to sit at the car or the communal tree- slab table. The line moves quickly and my latte with a touch of house-made vanilla was spectacular. People watching on this a Saturday morning made me appreciate how much Monterey has changed since the 1980s. The best coffee place on the Monterey Peninsula by a wide margin .

My friends and I stopped by during out Monterey trip for our caffeine fix since we heard great things about this place. There is many parking spots up front but it was already packed even though we got there almost near opening so we ended up finding street parking a block down. We placed our orders and waited around 45 minutes for our drinks but given how busy the place was and how fast all the baristas were hustling, it wasn't too bad The interior is nicely decorated with a beach-y vibe with an open front. It is pet friendly so we were greeted by so many dogs (which probably helped with our patience during the wait time). I wouldn't necessarily go here to catch up with a large group since it's quite packed and a little loud, but there is limited seating indoors so coming to meet up with a friend or two may be a little more doable. I got a vanilla latte with oat milk. It was just okay, definitely good but nothing extraordinary. I heard their other drinks are good so maybe I will try those if I come back!

Absolutely incredible! My fiance had the latte with oat milk and I just had a drip coffee. It's probably one of the most flavorful drip coffees I've ever had! I've definitely had my share of coffee so that's saying a lot. The vibe of the coffee shop was super fun and modern. Just a fun place to hang out and all of the windows were open which gave it a breezy vibe. Although it would have been a fun place to hang out, it's also super busy because the coffee's so good! It's within walking distance of the fisherman's wharf and it's such a great place to stop by before going on a walk by the ocean. Highly recommend!

Awesome coffee shop, their service was very friendly and the coffee was good. The interior is very open which makes it feel very spacious. The lady who took my order was very helpful and friendly when explaining what they had. I was interested in their cold brew and she asked if I wanted to try it. It was great she offered because I ended up getting something else. The cold brew used a light roasted bean and I like mine darker. I ended up getting a Ethiopia iced pour-over with a splash of oat milk while my wife got a iced latte. Total was around $10 My pour-over was still a bit light but tasty nevertheless. There's a hint of fruitiness. The iced latte was a bit sweet but my wife love it.

Popped in Captain & Stoker for a quick cup of Chai while waiting for breakfast. The staff was great! They work well as a team and they were very friendly. We loved all out drinks. Thank you so much to the staff.

It's fun to have a location close to my office that I can be healthy with avocado toast or sinful with their cinnamon sugar toast. My clients surprised me with breakfast today! So grateful

Had to spend a few hours at a coffee shop while I was waiting on my husband to do a Spartan Race, and decided to check this place out. There was plenty of street parking across from the shop, but it was timed. There was a bit of a line when I got there, but it moved pretty quickly. All of the doors were open, so there was a lot of fresh air, but it was a little bit chilly. Decent amount of seating, with many folks there to hang out or meet up. I ended up getting the granola bowl, and one of their seasonal drinks. The staff was super sweet and helpful, I wanted a little bit more almond milk for my granola, and they were happy to hook me up. Both the drinks and food were pretty good. I think I would probably come again to try another drink, but I wouldn't say it was a mind blowing experience.

I don't spend a lot of time in Monterey but it does appear there are a handful of places that everyone seem to go to in weekends. You'll spot these places by the lines forming out the doors and spilling onto the sidewalks. I'd bookmarked this spot for coffee because I'm always interested in trying new coffee places when in town. We were in the area and decided to walk over. We waited awhile but weren't in a hurry so it didn't matter much to us. I ordered an oat latte and purchased their fresh bottled raw almond milk. Both were good. I don't like waiting for things so I'm not sure id frequent this spot often because while the line was fine to wait in to try them Saturday it wouldn't be worth it to me to wait in on a regular basis. I'd recommend if you're in the area and want a solid spot. The toast items looked yummy and would pair perfectly with a drink here we passed as we had other brunch plans in the making.

I have heard of this place while in Monterey, seems like some places uses their coffee also in their menu so I had to check it out. The place had a huge line when we came, around 10am on a Sunday. The wait in line was about 20mins. We got to the counter and ordered a latte, a macchiato, a shirt, and coffee beans to take home. There was probably 3-4 people working and they seem to also have breakfast items in the menu so the wait was long. If you are just getting coffee I suggest going on a less busy day. We waited around another 20mins for coffee. Coffee was good and can't wait to brew my own cup

Captain + Stoker is still worth the hype for me when it comes to their vanilla latte! On this most recent visit, I also tried the Avocado Bowl, Avocado Toast, and their Kimchi Cheddar Biscuit. While pricey, this is a great spot to grab a quick bite and coffee. I've visited their Pacific Grove location as well, but it just doesn't hit the same. Lines may be long, but highly recommend waiting as it moves fairly quickly! Don't sleep on Captain + Stoker when you're in the area!

Been there twice and have had good experience. The espresso or other coffee products got a KICK, no joke!!! Service is pleasant and ambiance is easy. Cheers!

This is my go-to coffeeshop whenever I'm in this area! I love the open concept and the drinks here are really good. We came around 11am on a weekend and there were about 4 parties ahead of us. The line didn't move super slow but it definitely takes time because there's only a menu at the counter right when you're about to order. I wish there was a big menu or paper menus to read while waiting! The cashier had an annoyed vibe to her which is a little uncomfortable when you're already pressured to decide your order quickly. I ordered an iced pistachio rose latte with Mac nut milk and it was really good! The drink wasn't too sweet and not very strong with espresso flavor either. I liked the crushed pistachio pieces inside the drink. Stop by if you're in the area!

A locals favorite with a lot of hype since they opened a while back. They have a location in pacific grove as well but this is their bigger shop. Definitely has a hipster environment with the coffee shop being in a garage that usually has its doors down so bright and lively. I tried the Jasmine green tea, vanilla latte, avocado toast, and peanut butter protein ball. The latte was made beautifully and had a good proportion of milk and espresso. The tea was steeped thoroughly enough to get a rich taste of tea. Everything tasted great honestly, price is high as expected for a spot like this but the quality is on par. Suggest drinking it there in their nice cups while the coffee and teas are fresh. Everyone serving is very friendly even when they're busy. We had to wait a bit to find a seat so expect it to be busy with competitive seating on the weekends.

A great coffee location that was just a short walk from our hotel (Casa Munras), and located very close to downtown/wharf. There was already a line when we showed up that extended outside and wrapped around the side of the building, but it definitely moved fast. The building itself has a cool indoor-outdoor feel, and is very dog friendly. We were able to bring our pup inside with us while we enjoyed our coffee at a counter. We got lattes (small up-charge for alt milk), and pastries as a quick breakfast. Overall excellent flavorful coffees, and would highly recommend!

Cute little coffee shop. I love their open air seating with the nice cool weather. Their matcha latte and coffees were good. I also got their affogato, which was good, but the coffee was a little too acidic for my liking. Definitely coming back when I'm in the area.