Mercury Cafe

Came with some friends, we tried the Egg McMercury and the brunch combo, as well as a couple drinks. Overall, I'd say the drinks here are the highlight. Generously sized and well executed. No complaints at all. The morning I came, it looked like the food orders were pretty stacked up. Not sure how many people were on staff to prepare food, but it looked like it was resting on the shoulders of a few poor individuals, which I truly felt for. The McMercury and brunch version were interesting. I'm making a guess here that the poached eggs were done in ramekins or some kind of mold. They were closer to a medium poached and are served on biscuits that were, for my taste, large but a little dry. Breakfast potatoes on the side were decent. Despite the order queue, I'd say we got our food and drinks pretty quickly. Customer service was also good, despite the rush. Will definitely come back for the drinks, but might make some different choices for my next food picks.

I love the vibe of this place, unpretentious and raw, friendly, community oriented, true SF! They serve Four Barrel coffee, and I got a Big City pour over. The indoor area is spacious, good sandwich menu, free WiFi (no outlets though), and baristas are nice and kind. There is a big outdoor parklet area, but considering the neighborhood, sit on your own risk there 🫣 I know there are Thursday jazz nights there, I would recommend checking your local musicians out.

Definitely the best scones I have ever tried in my life, kinda proud of myself I discovered this hidden gem for scones 😅 if you are lucky enough your coffee will be served and made by wonderful barista who spent a night at techno rave prior to the shift (at least this is what my imagination whispers)

Super cute cafe, good wifi, was not super busy on a Monday midday. However the coffee took 20-30 mins to come and the avocado toast was a bit stale. I’m not sure that the food was really worthwhile. The coffee was nice, $6.50 for a vanilla latte. Staff were nice but not super friendly :(

So cute and cozy. Lots of books scattered throughout the place to read and great art. They have a piano for the occasional jazz night. Delicious pour over. Really tasty sandwiches with fresh bread. Overall, a really tasteful and tasty place to visit!

I would give this place 6 stars if it were possible. This place is the quintessential neighborhood cafe with an overdose of feel good from the decor, the location, the interiors, well curated books and just random snippets of wisdom scattered heartily all over the cafe! I got their blueberry lemon scone along with coffee. But I could see people around me savoring the huge sandwiches these guys specialize in. A must visit in SF ☺️

Updated review: this place is awesome. The coffee, the food, the staff, the music, the light, the ambiance. The first time I came here I had a bad experience, which I kept below, but I’ve only had good visits since. It’s very low key, with lots of light and laid back vibes. This place stands above any of the other super-boutique coffee shops in the area by being unpretentious and easy going. Ignore my old review, try this place out . That said, no gluten free options, which stinks, but whatever. I love this place too much to knock it a star for that. —— Early 2022: $5 for a small cold brew, $8 for granola, and a 45 minute wait. Showed up around 11am on a Sunday to grab a quick bite - ordered above items, and sat down. Got my coffee - very heavy on the ice… - in a minute, then me and my two friends proceeded to wait about 44 minutes for our orders. There were three of us, if that helps paint you a picture. After about 30 minutes I went in to ask about our food and was asked to be patient - fair enough, places are busy - would have preferred a “there’s two people ahead of you”. Another 10 minutes and someone comes out to ask us what we ordered. We tell them, get it in 5 more minutes or so, and eat it with anger. Great vibes for a coffee shop - I’d love to come here to get coffee and work, and I’m sure my experience was an outlier, but I had a very annoying experience getting food - and there are enough coffee shops I don’t need to try this one again.

I come here very regularly and they have a few vegan options - avocado toast and oat milk lattes. I wish they had a few more vegan and gluten free options like scones but what they do have is great!

The food was incredible I truly enjoyed the ambience, service, decor and vibes. The cost was a little high for the quantity of food. Parking around the area is also scarce.

Great local spot, no-frills, good coffee, solid food, and jazz music 11am-1pm Sundays! Not sure how regular the music is, but we saw our friend perform there in February and it was a great way to spend an afternoon. A couple families met up, all in all we had 3 young kids. Mercury Cafe isnt specifically kid-friendly in that there were no coloring sheets, crayons, etc, but I dont necessarily expect that from a cafe. But people seemed fine with somewhat loud kids running around, even though a lot of them were sitting and working on their laptops. * Avocado Toast - 4 stars. Tasty. Bread was soft and fresh. Dill and red onion was a nice touch. * Latte - 3.5 stars. I thought this was pretty good, with a nice thick foam from the milk. My partner got a cappuccino and describes it as a "Middle of the road 3rd wave cappuccino, 3.5 stars."

Not a pleasant breakfast here. Counter guy server with many tattoos refused to lower LOUD music. He declared he kept it at one specific level. I requested it twice. He said,, "Well you can sit outside." Um, it's cold in SF. I reminded him that it's about serving your customers, his answer was "Well this is my last week so I really don't give a fuck, dude." I ended up talking to the owner, who had no idea the employee was leaving (!). Guess he was very unhappy there. The owner offered me a make-good scone, but my appetite was already sated by a tasty poached egg dish. Food was great, experience not so much.

UPDATE I got an incredibly rude message from Nick from Mercury Cafe. This is completely unprofessional. I am entitled to my opinion like everyone on Yelp, was just sharing my thoughts. ORIGINAL REVIEW (3 stars): I ordered a Vanilla latte ($6). It was not too sweet. It tasted very milked and watered down. I tried my friend's cortado and it had more flavor. Maybe it depends on the barista! The interior is so nice. When you walk in, you swing open a large wooden door. Each table has a small mason jar with fresh flowers. The light baby blue color seats contrasting with the white walls makes me think of Greece! The interior feels like the exterior of a European city, if that makes any sense. All the artwork is very interesting to look at. Also they said they would have a Jazz night on Thursday evening, but when we went to check, they were closed. I wish they would update customers on social media or through some other means.

Such a cute cafe!! the books, the posters, the music, the people reading and playing board games and talking is so amazing. We shared this breakfast for two people with some coffee and the service was so kind and speedy. owner nick was there to greet us and make sure we were doing well. will go back soon to try one of their fresh scones!

A long wait but definitely worth it--more so for the food than drinks. Seemed to have only one person working the counter. My sister got the iced latte that was very milky. A friend got the iced mocha which was a lot better. I had the lemon ginger tea which needed more ginger...We got the avocado toast with bacon and it was really yummy! Also came with lemon to sprinkle on top of my toast. Friend got the tuna melt and devoured that. Waited about 15-20 minutes for everything but would definitely come back.

Today was our first time frequenting this cafe. Portishead and Blonde Redhead were playing, so you know this business has excellent taste. When I considered what to order, they had just popped some fresh turmeric cheddar scones from the oven. I had to try it. It was crispy on the outside yet soft and fluffy on the inside, and oh, so cheddar buttery and delicious! I've never had a better scone. Wi-Fi is available, but no outlets are available. I appreciate having no outlets available since that meant I had to be judicious about my time. I love the vibe of this cafe.

Very underwhelmed by my turkey sandwich. The bread was quite dry, and usually I'm a pretty uncritical consumer of turkey sandwiches, but this one just didn't work for me. The service was also pretty slow, and we got a scone that my boyfriend liked but I thought was only okay. Spot feels old school and worn in, I could see this being a cozy spot to play board games (and we were sitting next to a pretty intense game) where the food is a convenient afterthought, but not a place to go just for food.

I would have loved this place in my 20s - a divey left wing space with disaffected staff, questionable cleaning standards and decent coffee. I think I'm too bougie for that now but I'm sure a lot of people love it. Seems like a popular local spot for people who want a chill vibe.

Food and quality is good, my issue is with their false advertising on the website. I ordered over the phone going off their online menu, it said my sandwich would be 12.95 with a 3$ bacon addition expecting around a 16$ sandwich i was charged 21$+ and saw completely different menu pricing inside. Also very inconsistent pricing on that menu aswell it said 5$ to add bacon to a sandwich under the sandwich but if you look at the other side where it says addition it said meat is only a 4$ addition, is bacon not considered meat or am i missing something? Also they said they wouldn't serve me a side of potatoes because they only do that on weekends.

Decent sandwiches and coffee served by some of the rudest staff in the city. If you order food they will roll their eyes and complain to each other the entire time they're making it. Happens every time I come here; no idea why I keep coming.

Mercury Cafe Spending the Sunday morning working on some projects with a couple friends. Found this cute little coffee shop on the corner. There didn't seem to be any outlets and the wi-fi wasn't the fastest, but it was still a great place to meet up for coffee and get some work done! I got the Weekend Brunch (14.50): Egg McMercury with organic yellow potatoes roasted with garlic, rosemary, and extra virgin olive oil and a Vanilla Latte (4.50). The weekend brunch was really filling, the potatoes were very flavorful and the Egg McMercury was fantastic. The combination of bread, cheese, tomato, and egg made for a filling and tasty meal! Don't usually drink coffee, but the vanilla latte was too good to pass up. I finished the latter within minutes of getting it! Glad the group chose this place to meet!

lovely neighborhood cafe! They sometimes have live music, and the staff members are friendly too and give super adorable latte art. I'd say the quality of coffee isn't the best, but I very much adore the ambiance :)

This is definitely a local spot; lots of seating, and gives a strong 90s vibes. Probably a great place to grab a coffee and catch up with a friend! I got a flat white to go, and it really was bad. Extremely light roast on the beans meant a very very sour drink, where it simply dominated any other notes possible in the drink. The construction of the flat white itself was fairly decent; good layer of steamed milk, and the ratios made for a creamy drink. I just really couldn't get over the sourness of the beans. Personally wouldn't be coming back for the drink!

Charming neighbourhood coffee with a very homie atmosphere. The coffee is excellent - espresso uses high quality beans and machine. It's a pay at the cashier spot and service was quite good. The avocado toast was really great (good proportion avocado vs bread and well seasoned. Their house special breakfast was also delicious with their house biscuit. Cool vibe

Great spot to grab some coffee and scones with some friends! Best scones in the city for sure. The atmosphere has very cool pre-tech vibes and the employees are way chill:)

What a neighborhood gem! The scones here are some of the best I've ever had. Don't sleep on it, because I've seen these scones sell out as early as ~9:30am on multiple occasions. I recommend coming here to order an egg McMercury for a casual brunch, visit Wednesday evenings for live jazz, enjoy the outdoor seating on a sunny day, or simply to enjoy an utterly delicious scone.

I stayed at an AB&B near the Mercury cafe for three days. I wanted breakfast and coffee and tried this place. It's eclectic and cozy inside. It wasn't overwhelming crowded, which is so refreshing!! I became completely obsessed with the fresh blueberry lemon and mixed berry scones during my stay in the neighborhood. I was still in east coast time so I would usually be the first one there when the scones were still hot! Absolutely amazing. I got them every morning for my family. I also got a Big City(?) coffee which was bold, strong and delightful! Here I am, a month later still thinking about those scones.

This café is a great place to take a break from the busy nature of Hayes Valley. It has a humble yet very charming small-business atmosphere with a lot of urban personality. My server was kind and accommodating, bringing a napkin dispenser to my table and making this delicious warm turkey sandwich (well, twice as much as you see here, I ate the other half). The rest of the staff were equally friendly and made me feel so welcome. I'm definitely coming back!

Aweful order messed up - food not good and expensive - absolutely clueless People working here - took thirty minutes to get a sandwich- go at your own risk - not good , really really not good.

Visited on a Saturday afternoon in August 2021, and had a great experience. We were specifically looking for a place that we could easily find seating and with free wifi for our laptops, and Mercury Cafe fit the bill and went beyond. There was ample seating available both inside and outside, even with a good number of customers already there when we arrived. No problems connecting to wifi, PW available at the register, and speed is decent. I liked that they had both coffee items and beer on the menu, as me and my friend wanted different things. I ended up getting hot chocolate, and it was delicious... served hot and slightly foamy at the top, tasted fresh and not too sweet, but definitely chocolatey, was perfect! There was no wait for service, and the employees were all friendly and helpful. We didn't feel rushed even though we stayed till closing time. And what a cute cafe overall!!! By the way, it's only street parking around the area, but neither of us had trouble finding a spot nearby (again, on a Saturday). I ended up parking less than 2 blocks away, on Laguna/Page Street (3 hour limit, but free, no meter).

Wonderful, cozy, almost cottage like vibe. Solid dirty chai lattes. One of the good work/study spots with many tables and wi-fi, right by Hayes Valley!

Location is nice, but food took 40 minutes to arrive on a morning that wasn't busy. If you come only get coffee. The food service is horrendously slow.

Owner and employee are extremely rude and pressure you to order something right away if sitting down (to the point where multiple of them will approach you and make comments with attitude) and become quickly aggressive to see when you will order something, even as a regular who always purchases something upon each visit. Coffee is not great either to justify the poor service

Lovely little spot in the heart of Hayes! They have plenty of seating and wifi (super rare for sf cafes). The place is very homey and inviting, they don't blast music so it's a great place for getting some work done/reading. Loved their iced black tea, perfect for a nice sunny day :)

Really cute little cafe. Good amount of seating and there's a piano so maybe that comes out to play every once in a while? Good ambiance if so. Food portions were really good and tasted great. They were accommodating to serve lunch even early in the morning which was appreciated.

Cute little corner cafe! I came here around 12 on a Saturday and they had a few tables open. It is definitely more of a casual cafe, some people had laptops and were working, I think I'd prefer somewhere I little quieter to work. I ordered an iced oatmilk latte with with vanilla syrup and I'd definitely come back for this! Was great! For food we ordered the Egg McMercury and it took a while to come out and a small portion size, but taste wise was pretty good. The biscuits they come with are pretty nice and flaky but not dry. Overall good flavor, but slightly expensive for the size (but so is everything in SF) Overall - I'd come back here for the coffee, but food is worth a try, especially if you are not in a rush and looking for a place to site and vibe.

Divey neighborhood cafe. Came here hoping to do some work, but unfortunately my laptop was completely dead and they have a no outlet policy. Very disappointing for me, but maybe a good place to meet with a friend for a coffee and scone!

Must try their avocado toast. So good. It comes with a little bit red onion, dill and olive oil. Just perfect!

Their scones should be world famous by now. Just down the street from First Baptist Church of San Francisco and Patxi's pizza... definitely worth the walk. I usually get a light roast pour over and a blueberry scone. My wife loves the vanilla oat milk cappuccino.

I met some co-workers here early on a Sunday morning and was a great little space. I got a hot chocolate and egg on biscuit. The hot chocolate was delicious. The biscuit was a bit too dry and dense for me but the egg was cooked well and chipotle sauce on top was flavorful and had a nice kick of spice. Our group was able to stay for a few hours to work on a project and was great to have the space for so long. They do have Wi-Fi but no outlets to plug in. The place was clean, welcoming, and smelled delicious as fresh baked goods were being made.

I love this cafe!! The vibes, the books, the old school design with the light hitting just so.. the food here is also underratedly amazing!! You can tell that they use fresh quality ingredients, and so much of it is made from scratch, including many of the breads!! I love their biscuits (with jam and butter) and pies, and also have a weak spot for their salami sandwich on a deli roll :) it's honestly perfect. I always want to come back here, and bring everyone who visits here as well.

Great service. Got the vanilla latte! Tried the Pb and J which came w a glass of milk! Will def be back! Cozy and good music too

The scones were fantastic! Unfortunately the kitchen was closed so I couldn't try one of the sandwiches but there's a great little parklet to enjoy for breakfast at. Lots of art for sale inside too so make sure to take a look around!

Perfect little brunch spot We came here on a sunny morning and it was full, we took a little walk and came back to find an outdoor table. It was perfect to enjoy the sun. We got the breakfast with mushroom salad. Both of them are really good! The quality of food is great! I was very pleasantly surprised given the low price and the light staff. I'll come back again to enjoy brunch!

No fancy latte art but the coffee and scones here are pretty good! Major plus for super friendly staff + the cool ambiance with books and plants.

The place had been CLOSED on Thanksgiving and also on Nov 24th :-( I was very happy that it was open today!! The "pour over" choice (filter drip coffee) was good and the service was great. They provide an easy to carry-out cup tray that could hold 4 cups for take-out. I also got a strawberry scone which was very good. They offer lots of coffee choices as well as a nice menu of breakfast foods. The place is small, but large enough to seat plenty of people who were having their coffee + there. I would definitely go back when I'm in the area!

Coffee is good, food is great. The staff are really "cool" -- they're nice if you are one of them. Not so nice jf you are what they consider an outsider. Interior is laidback; reminds me of Santa Cruz style cafes.

Best strawberry scone EVER. Love the vibes too. And they have a piano!

Isn't Mercury like the Roman god of speed? Yeah, the guy with the tin porkpie hat with the little wings glued on it. Anyhow, there is some point of irony I was trying to make about speed not being an atttibute of the customers who park themselves in here as they are generally individuals focused on their laptop screens, not making human contact, and barely making any movement (photo: http://bit.ly/2CfH1xR). Speed? It was more like a still life that was slightly breathing. The barista, however, was fleet of finger in her successful effort in making a solid $4 Cafe au Lait (photo: http://bit.ly/2NgAkQg). Since I didn't want to interrupt the still life inside, I took advantage of their parklet which bore only the slightest hint of auto fumes from the constant traffic on Octavia. Hell, I liked it there. COFFEE - 4 stars...very smooth and rich AMBIANCE - 3 stars...probably not zombie enough for indoor seating but I'm good in the parklet SERVICE - 4 stars...the barista was kind and capable of human contact TOTAL - 4 stars...just the right corner spot for a coffee break RELATED - Looking for dining options in Hayes Valley? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2L9VU3W

Extremely disappointing Caprese sandwich! The sourdough bread was lightly toasted and got mushy from the balsamic. The mozerella was cold and I tasted no fresh basil. I'm not good with sending food back but this was a waste of money.

Mercery Cafe is a great place to work in the mornings. Their housemade scones are amazing to eat fresh!

Not to much to say about this cute little coffee shop on a corner of San Francisco's Octavia St. We walked in, my friend ordered her coffee and within 5 minutes she received it. There's a handful of tables, yet most of them were taken by hipsters on their MacBook Pros. There's a second level with a couple tables but again, those were taken. If you're looking for a cute local spot, so that you can drink coffee and be on your computer with low noise- then this is the neighborhood coffee shop for you.

Cool ambiance, nice outdoor seating and they offer free wifi which is great! Only downside is they don't have any outlets so if you're planning on working while enjoying a nice cup of coffee, you MUST bring a fully charged laptop.

Eveythig about this place kinda sucked... food, atmosphere (hot and tons of flies), price. If it wasn't for the cute and helpful barista I would give less than 1 star. First cup of coffee was bland and weak. Traded for pour over. Ordered a replica of a eggs Benedict which was mostly cheese on a huge biscuit. Paid extra for two poached eggs which was basically all I ate for almost $20. Any good cafes in this city??

We love this neighborhood coffee shop. I was amazed that the scones were made in house! The service is wonderful with friendly employees and a nice patio. They also have live music and even block parties sometimes. 100% better than any other coffee shop in the area!

Neighborhood gem! Delicious biscuits, coffee (they have oat milk), and fun vibes. Oh and weekly wednesday jazz nights

I walked by this cafe today. I had not seen it listed on Yelp. I walked by once to see what they had and decided to come back to the cafe after I visited the Zen Center on Page. I decided to try the espresso, which was a bit overpriced by 50 cents. And..they put it in a cardboard cup that did not look right, so this gets a C plus for the cardboard cup and not the best espresso...and too small of a serving. But I like the concept and I won't give it 3 stars today. It has a seating bench outside and enough seating inside with people on laptops. It's next to Straw.

The food was really good. the service was okay, I understand they were really full that day so maybe i'll come back.