Playback Coffee

Great atmosphere and energy! Visited on a Saturday afternoon when they had live music. The staff were friendly and relaxed, and there’s a nice variety of pastries and lattes. A wonderful addition to the San Pedro Market scene.

The exterior of the place is very nice and aesthetically pleasing. The line was quite short when we arrived, but we waited 45 minutes for our drinks. We had ordered two drinks—a chai latte and a tea latte—but both tasted like water. Not only that, but we were initially only given one drink, and the staff insisted we had only ordered one, even after checking their computer system. We had to clearly show them our receipt to finally receive both drinks. The drinks were terrible, and the customer service was equally poor. You're better off going to Voyager right across the street. You'll actually get a delicious coffee you won't regret.

It’s a decent spot. It used to be the Voyager Cafe before which is now moved across the street. The cafe shares it place a bar and there are a lot of seats. Both Indoor as well as outside. Saw a bunch of people working. Is pretty busy and it took a while to place my order. There is also a kiosk if you don’t want to interact in person. Got an ice lattice, and it was pretty okay. Again, nothing exceptional. Got the butter croissant as well. It was pretty bad and not worth it at all. Maybe because it was sitting there for a while and wasn’t fresh. Would not order again. Overall, a bad place to grab a coffee.

Same owners as Academic Coffee. Great vibes, friendly staff, almost no indoor seating. Cortado was solid. Love the vinyl aesthetic.

Same awesome space and a new coffee shop! Free WiFi, outlets, lots of tables, very bright and spacious with high ceiling! Staff is friendly, I believe it’s their 1st day and they are still setting up. They do offer non-diary milk but no plant-based options for food, just gluten-free. I hope they will add vegan-friendly items soon!

Love that it opens decently early and open pretty late for a coffee shop! Good amount of space; enough to get some work done too if you don't mind some bustling around. Fun music playing most of the time. Drinks and pastries are good as well. Clean bathrooms.

A lot of the people whined about the price here, claiming it’s about $9 a drink. That’s not entirely true. Only the tiramisu latte is expensive. Everything else is the same price as else where. I had high hope for this place, but they made the most watered down matcha and very strange after taste. Might come back for tiramisu latte, hopefully that won’t be my last time.

Cappuccino was great and tons of seating space. I came in to find a pretty long and so ordered with the QR code and my drink was ready within 5-7 minutes :)

Great service , great coffee. The baristas have always been super awesome and great at getting my drinks out fast.

This coffee shop has really good Matcha and a nice study area for any work or homework that needs to be done.

For a place called playback coffee, you'd think it would play good music. I don't wanna hear anxiety by doechii. The coffee was ok but almost 20 dollars for two lattes is insane.

Solid place to hang out and study. Plenty of chairs and tables. Love the ambiance with the Halloween decorations and cafe setting of a music studio. They have seasonal drinks with the Wicked theme! I got the defying gravity which is a matcha latte with strawberry cream. The strawberry cream tastes just like the inside of the hello panda cookie. Decent matcha and when mixed with cream, it gives a subtle sweet strawberry flavor. Matcha here is towards the milky side. The you'll be popular maple pumpkin spice latte was decent. Good pumpkin spice flavor and coffee. Quick service, lots of street parking. Would go back for the strawberry cream taste!

We were surprised to learn about Voyager being relocated to another section of San Pedro in order to make room for this new place, but the atmosphere for Playback Coffee really gives the place a unique, distinct feeling. The music clashes a bit with the ambiance (a lot of the songs playing were modern music which kinda went against the vibe that the interior was giving) but was tolerable enough. We decided to get the Strawberry Cream Soda and the Guava Matcha Latte. Coincidentally, the Guava Matcha Latte was actually sweeter than the soda, so we ended up switching drinks with each other. The service was relatively standard (not much really stood out) and the drinks, despite not matching our exact expectations, were alright. Overall a decent experience. I'm not entirely sure if this is a place I would frequent, but it's always nice to have new coffee places in San Jose that have good drinks.

The star rating for this business truly doesn't do it justice. While I didn't try any food this time, the pastry selection looked absolutely delicious. I did order an iced oat milk matcha latte (less sweet), and it was easily in my top five. The quality was exceptional -- I savored every sip. It definitely met my matcha standards! Service was fast and friendly, even with how busy it was. Both inside and outside were bustling with people grabbing their Saturday coffee, but there was no long line or wait. The ambiance is incredible -- I love the decor, color scheme, and overall vibe. It's a very pleasant spot to sit and unwind. Most of the indoor seating was taken, but there's outdoor seating available as well. I plan to come back when it's a bit less busy so I can relax and fully enjoy my drink. I definitely recommend this place and will be making a return trip soon!

Iced chai was watery and fell flat, but the kouign-amann was delicious! Long line, but cute concept. Nice location in San Pedro square. Heads up that if you have coffee from voyager (across the street) and try to walk into San Pedro Square the security will stop you and not let you enter. That was weird LOL but I guess I understand.

The location was very nice and they have a great decor and atmosphere - we stay outside at the wooden tables . I got the Americano (my regular ) which was not bad and daughter got the teddy bear latte which she enjoyed as well . We will come back !

Discovered this spot on IG and this was well worth the trip! Got their iced guava matcha latte and this unexpected combination was very good!! It's pretty centrally located in San Pedro Square and right next to the parking lot! Great vibes, super spacious and they have great taste in music!

Space is gorgeous but the teddy graham latte is so sweet and not coffee-forward at all. It was too syrupy even for my friend with the biggest sweet tooth I know. We also got a vanilla latte and it kinda just fell flat. Baristas are kind and quick. I just think the drink recipes need tweaking because the interior can't carry bad coffee. I don't know if I'd consider this coffee shop successfully third-wave, which made me disappointed because I frequent Academic Coffee weekly so I was disappointed that its sibling coffee shop isn't there yet.

I keep finding myself back at this vibey coffee shop every chance I get! I am always eager to talk Macha with people because I bring up their mango Matcha as often as I can. After trying most of their drinks I can easily say that they're mango. Matcha is my favorite of all of their specialties.

There is a parking garage nearby which I believe the first hour or something is free. There's also street parking if you want. Parking is pretty easy to find. Playback Coffee has friendly staff and drinks come out real fast! I personally think the guava matcha is the best, compared to other guava matcha places in SJ. Teddy graham latte is also a close second. Super strong flavors for both. The mango matcha latte wasn't too good in my opinion, the mango syrup just overpowered the drink. Would totally go again for espresso or guava matcha :) The place recently opened up more seating, which is super spacious and makes a great study place!

Newer coffee spot in San Pedro Market! I believe it used to be a different coffee shop so it's pretty similar. I got the teddy graham latte and it was so goood!!!! Perfectly sweet and just enough caffeine. I went on a Thursday afternoon during lunch time with a few folks in line and service was quick! Will definitely come back and would love to try their matcha drinks!

Oh my goodness. This place has the best vibes and cool interior design. Right when you walk in, you're greeted with the seasonal spooky vibes. As a personal Wicked fan, I loved the limited-edition drinks. (I did not get to try but will come back for it!!!) My friend and I sat on the velvet green chairs, which were aesthetically pleasing and comfortable. Super spacious and great for a chit chat or to work!! I am also a huge music fan, so seeing all the vinyl records amazed me! For the drinks, I got the guava matcha latte and loved the taste! It was the perfect amount of matcha and right amount of guava. Will definitely come back here again when I'm back in San Jose! 10/10 would recommend.

Voyager used to be here and now they've opened up playback coffee! Great coffee shop with ample (and I mean ample) seating to get work done. I enjoyed their teddy bear latte and most of their drinks come with this sweet and addicting cream foam top that really makes the drink. I will say since you're in DTSJ you'll have to deal with the annoying parking situation so either pay a flat fee or pay hourly!

This new coffee shop in San Pedro Square is open daily from 7 am - 7 pm. Like many new coffee shops, expect to pay $8 per drink. Their drink menu has the basics plus specialty drinks like an iced mango matcha latte (what I had). They have a pastry case with basics like chocolate croissant and one GF and one vegan option. There is plenty of large tables and chairs inside and out, so it is good for groups. The staff were friendly and informative and the music is on the louder side but I didn't find it disruptive.

So many places serving matcha nowadays! It's so hard to keep up. This location is right at San Pedro square. There's a parking structure nearby so that makes it easy. I first saw this place on social media because of their iced matcha drinks. The line can get long but it moves quickly. Their service was also pretty quick as well. There's plenty of seating inside and outside. -mango matcha: 4/5, The drink comes with oat milk as the default which is nice if you're lactose intolerant. This was my first time having a mango matcha so I didn't know what to expect. I liked it! The matcha paired well with the mango. I believe they use a mango juice which was why the flavor was still present even after mixing. If you want a matcha with a super strong matcha taste, I would say this isn't for you. That being said, It was still delicious and I would get it again. Next time I would love to try their matcha guava or even the coffee.

There's a few cafes nearby, but decided to try out this new spot Menu has the coffee basics. The iced chai I got wasn't very flavorful, wouldn't pay $8 for it again. The location and ambiance are what they do have going for them. Vibey interior with a good amount to tables to work at, plus all of the shaded outdoor seating outside. Overall good place to hang or work but you probably won't be wowed with their drinks.

Playback Coffee is such a fun and original spot inside San Pedro Square Market in downtown San Jose! Their drinks are creative and delicious--the guava matcha was absolutely perfect, so refreshing and unique. The pastries are amazing, fresh, and pair perfectly with their drinks. The atmosphere is creative and welcoming, making it a great place to relax or catch up with friends. Definitely a standout café worth visiting!

Pretty solid cafe for drinks with spacious seating indoor and outdoor. The cafe is in San Pedro so parking is a little tough, but there are garages and meter parking if you plan to stay for long. They have free wifi and outlets at specific tables, however it does get loud. We got their guava matcha (4.3/5) and mango matcha (4/5). They're not as creamy as other lattes, but were both good! I like that they don't skimp out on the matcha. Would definitely come back again to try their other drinks!

This is my first time visiting Playback coffee since it's no longer Voyager. I saw a video of how good their matcha is so I had to give it a try. Came on a Friday to get some work done and grab a matcha with a friend. Lots of seating still. It's right across from San Pedro parking garage so very convenient. Ice guava matcha latte 2.5/5: quite disappointed with this matcha. Although the matcha had a nice bright green color but they use guava juice so it watered down the latte so much. I couldn't really taste the guava. The drink was more like a refresher rather than a latte. $8 is also so steep for a very average matcha. My friend got a iced latte that was okay as well.

Their matcha was really good. The guava was overpowering for me but still delish. I want to come back and try their regular matcha latte :) If you haven't been to San Pedro Square, it's a nice area to explore. There's rarely street parking, but there is a garage ($) next to Playback.

Such a cute cafe with a spacious interior and a ton of outdoor seating. It is very "record" retro vibes, and the general seating arrangement feels like a casual lounge. We ordered a Matcha Guava drink, and it was very well done. Not only could we taste the matcha flavor, the guava also felt fresh and blended well with the matcha. Definitely want to come back and try more of their selections!

I was hoping for a little bit more with this new coffee shop. From what I've seen, they are connected to Academic Coffee. I love Academic so I had high hopes for this place. I wish the design of the place was something more. It doesn't look all that different and I don't get a vintage vibe from them like they said they had. However, they are early on in their opening so perhaps that will change over time. I got an iced matcha latte, sweetened with honey, with the honey cream top. The drink was good but I wouldn't pay for the cream top again. It was $2.25 which I don't think is worth it. I would come back for a regular matcha though. The mango matcha on the menu was different from expected. They use mango juice instead of a purée and I believe there is no milk in it (but correct me if I'm wrong). Not bad just take it as you will.

This is a nice spot. There is plenty of seating with a mix of traditional tables, comfortable chairs, being in San Pedro Square and might get crowded but going at 9 AM on a Saturday, It was easy to park and easy to get in. The barista recommended the Teddy graham latte. It was good and wasn't too sweet, which was a nice surprise. The ham and cheese croissant was really flavorful and very filling. My friend got the curry croissant and said it was great. The price for two lattes and two croissants was about $35 with tip. This is definitely a treat spot to go to and I would like to try some of their layered Matcha drinks next time.

Came in today thanks to a BOGO promo--perfect timing since drinks here are a bit on the pricier side (especially the matcha-based ones; coffee drinks are more standard in price). I tried the iced matcha lemonade and got the iced mango matcha for my friend. Both drinks were super refreshing! You can really taste the matcha quality--bold, smooth, and not too bitter. The lemonade added just the right amount of tang without overpowering the matcha, and the mango matcha was the perfect hot day drink--fruity, creamy, and well-balanced. FYI: Free parking for the first 90 minutes in the garage lot across the street! Otherwise, opt for street parking.

Solid spot to meet up with friends and treat yourself to a nice sweet treat, pastry, or coffee. I got the iced guava matcha (default comes with oatmilk). Honestly, the price of the drink came with a little bit of sticker SHOCK, but the quality of the matcha is very high and the drink is solid so I would absolutely get it AGAIN! Hahaha- kind of the standard for high quality matcha/coffee outside nowadays. I think they are still in their soft opening phase as of 7/13/25. My little group actually ordered 4 drinks total- two espresso based drinks and two identical guava matchas. The espresso drinks came out first and maybe 15 minutes later I had to go back to ask for the other two drinks, as they were somehow missed in the queue. No probs! The barista was very nice about making it right away! Good tunes, great vibes.

Beautiful curated coffee shop! I tried their guava Matcha lattes and they were delicious! Very phenomenal and the green color is fantastic. I'm not sure why this place has very low ratings on yelp. I can't wait to come back here and try out some more drinks! It is very close to the parking garage, so it's very easy to just step out and go to the coffee shop!

PRESS PLAY ON PLAYBACK COFFEE! Playback Coffee in its soft opening and I'm happy to see a new coffee shop at San Pedro Square! (It took over the old Voyager location.) This is a new venture from the people who created Academic Coffee, so if you like Academic then you'll like Playback too! I grabbed a vanilla latte on my way to work the other day and it was yummy! I like the new retro/vintage music theme (there are some turntables and vintage radios). I'm looking forward to coming back for the grand opening!

Stopped in this morning wanting to try the guava matcha latte. Not a big fan of matcha, but guava is my favorite fruit so I had to try. I've been trying to get one at Academic, but every single time I have attempted they run out of guava. So I went in expecting to be sent away here. It was my 1st time to Playback. There was a line but it went by pretty fast and my drink order came out quickly! When I visit a new spot I usually try 2 drinks. Today I went with the guava matcha latte and a Cortado. I enjoyed both! The matcha latte was made with oatmilk which was great since I didn't have to pay to change the milk to a non-milk alternative. I'll definitely be back!

I decided to by on a Saturday morning before 10am and it was perfect timing. This place filled with people super quick. The space is huge with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The person taking our order was super friendly and helpful! I highly suggest to check them out coffee and pastries wont disappoint.

Love the guava matcha because it somehow amplifies the matcha flavor. Who knew guava and matcha go well together

Great vibe! I usually come here with coworkers for a quick caffeine pick-me-up. I normally get the matcha latte, but today I tried the matcha lemonade. If you like sour and tart flavors, you'll probably enjoy it. If you prefer something more traditional, stick with the matcha latte. For me, the lemonade overpowered the matcha a bit. Service was great--the cashier recommended it for a more refreshing option.

i was super surprised to see this below a 4 stars on Yelp, so im here to support one of my favorite coffee shops in the bay AMBIANCE: this is mainly from a WFH pov. theres a bunch of seating and maybe 2-3 outlets. i used to work from home here but i dont particularly prefer it anymore because the open seating makes it difficult for screen privacy especially bc i work under an NDA + the music they play is honestly quite loud. i prefer coming in the mornings but no later than 11am nowadays DRINKS: their matcha lattes are extremely good; thick and creamy consistency with an all around great flavor!! i especially love their guava matcha because you can taste both flavors. i will say that $9-$10 is quite pricey for a drink but the matcha shortage has impacted quite a few businesses, so cant complain too much their lattes are also DELICIOUS. my coffee has never came burnt/acidic but rather shines through the milk quite nicely. im fond of their typical vanilla latte just because the coffee they use is so strong. for a moment i preferred here over chromatic (which is another sj coffee shop which makes damn good coffee) SERVICE: i saw some reviews concerned about the service and their water policy, im here to clarify they ALWAYS give me water when i ask. just remember to be cognizant of *when* you ask-- its difficult to accommodate in a middle of a rush :) all of the employees are extremely kind, friendly & welcoming. overall i love this new addition to san pedro square and im gonna be sad to leave when i move. thanks for makin my summer playback coffee!

Cute coffee shop with good options! Some of the items are on the pricier side so keep that in mind but as a once in awhile treat it was great! I had an iced teddy graham latte and it was so good! It was creamy, strong and not overly sweet - that cream top was perfect. I also had a butter croissant and it was flaky and buttery, my total for the pastry and drink was a little over $14. Service was fine, they were nice and my drink came out quick.

Playback has taken over the old voyager space in San Pedro. Same great space. The service was friendly and quick. I tried a decaf mocha which was great, but I definitely want to go back for a teddy graham latte. I just wish it wasn't so expensive!

San Jose's newest coffee shop located inside San Pedro Square. You sure will be dishing out those dollars here, but the coffee is delicious. I got the teddy graham and it was nicely sweet. I agree with others about the music choice. You would think that the music will be a bit throw back and not too modern. Hopefully they can get this changed up with fit the atmosphere. Great addition to DTSJ! Pricey for coffee so this won't be on my weekly rotation, but great place to splurge.

The drinks were pretty good. Like any other cafe it had signature drinks. We got the matcha latte & teddy graham latte. We got the matcha latte with lavender and oatmilk. We also got the teddy graham latte with oatmilk. Both were great. Service was nice, just ordinary coffee shop service, they had cups, lids, complimentary water, and napkins available for self serving. The ambiance inside is inside San Pedro square and it shares space with the bar. Recommend! A little loud if you want a good study space but manageable.

The pumpkin latte was a bit lacking but the strawberry matcha was good! Tastes like the strawberry shortcake popsicle.

Came here during their grand opening! Staff here were super chill! Their espresso was perfectly extracted and it's pretty strong! The drink itself was a perfect balance of sweetness, nuttiness, and citrusy. I also love hanging out in the area in general because it's super spacious with lots of tables.

I'm obsessed with this new cute coffee shop and have been coming every weekend. I didn't enjoy mango matcha but LOVEEE guava matcha. Also their matcha latte w/ honey cream top was delicious. Although their cream top is pricey it was good! Love all their indoor & outdoor seating!!

Teddy graham latte was so yummy the foam was nice and thick and yummy coffee tasted good Matcha was good I wish it was a bit more on the matcha tasting side but overall not bad It's cute inside with long tables they played kpop demon hunters so i like them

No feeling the 9 dollar coffee Not enough Turn tables Staff was a bit booshee But just not my cup of tea or coffee

located where the voyager in San Pedro used to be (also would like to take a moment to apologize to voyager for cheating on them lol they moved just a block away but I thought I would try this new place?) currently in soft opening so hiccups are to be expected, but knowing that it's not a "new" place & is instead just a separate venture by the academic coffee people , I'm not sure if I should give them that much grace? would've been 3.5 stars rounded up to 4, but am instead rounding down bc the iced drinks are just straight up a whole cup of ice lol matcha latte w oat milk: 4/10 tasted like green oat milk? not sure what to say lol legit no taste of anything at all oat milk latte: 6/10 at least I could taste some coffee in this espresso: 4/10 somehow watery & bitter at the same time lol on par w Starbucks espresso maybe total was over $18 so idk lol not worth it imo

Thought it was a nice trendy new spot in San Jose and planned to hunker down for a long study session. But turns out they forgot they are a cafe and blast pop music at full volume. I genuinely forgot I was at a cafe and thought I was at a club..... I even tried to push through by putting on my airpods with noise cancellation but still could somehow hear the music. Drinks itself was also a let down. Matcha just does not go well with citrus/fruit juices. Matcha itself is okay, but just doesn't taste right with the flavor profile they were going for. Ambiance itself is really nice with open seating a cute outdoor setting as well. Just a shame the music is being played at such loud volumes.

the vibes here are super cool and the music was great, i could hear it through my headphones and was like i'd rather listen to their music than mine lol. anyways the cold brew was decent and wasn't bitter and there's lots of seating. I desperately needed an outlet but the tables with them were taken so i had to sit on the couch but it was pretty comfy. will def be back to study or just hang out with friends

Honestly, this place is all hype and no substance. I came here after seeing it blow up on TikTok, and I regret it. The Teddy Graham Latte was $8 and a total letdown. Even after asking for it less sweet, it tasted like pure cream, sugar, and cinnamon--no coffee flavor at all. The cortado was on the opposite end, disgustingly bitter. At $5, it felt like punishment to drink, and whoever is pulling those espresso shots seriously needs to recalibrate. Overall, the drinks are overpriced and underwhelming. I actually miss Voyager Coffee, which used to be in this spot. They knew how to make a balanced drink. If you're thinking about coming here just because a TikTok influencer told you to, save yourself the money (and disappointment).

I love this place in San Pedro Square! The ambiance is very nice and great for studying. The drinks are also fantastic! Though on the priceier side, their iced mango matcha latte and iced guava matcha latte are must tries! Definitely go check this place out.

Gave their mango matcha another shot, and it rly grew on me! It's definitely tastes like mango juice more than anything though.... which I don't mind, but I do think paying $8 is a stretch. Also I was pretty disappointed in their pastry options considering that I love Manresa bread. I honestly prefer walking over to voyager down the street just for their better foods. Overall great ambiance though and can't wait til they have more dj sets.