We made our way downtown and parked at Horton Plaza (word to the wise, DO NOT park there before 9 am like we did; you will get charged up the @$$; I'll explain later) because I thought it would be more convenient. It turned out not to be, moneywise, but I digress...
There's a new third wave coffee place downtown, having only opened two weeks ago. It's right in front of the NBC Studios near Horton Plaza and next to the US Grant Hotel...
Like the Bean Bar, one of the owners is a Portland transplant...
and he too wanted to give downtown San Diego a bit of the Pacific Northwest. This is WestBean's first storefront; their other location is the roastery in a business park over in Grantville. As you walk in, you can't help but notice the wooden panels and the huge WestBean sign. The owner later showed us how he could control (via his smartphone app) the combinations of the LED light colors as well as the speed in which they flicker and blink. Normally, it's red but he showed us the color spectrum (light blue and purple were quite cool) and the patterns they could blink. It was really nifty!
The decor is minimalistic with dark colors. I liked their black Espresso machine and counter. Very 90's to me. Their cold brew keg was not working that morning thus they were only selling bottled cold brew. Today, I opted for a hot drink, a Mocha (surprise, surprise) while Bert got a salted caramel latte. He also chatted with the owner/barista about the types of beans they use.
This place directly across from Horton Plaza and the NBC studios...
The dining area features a split eucalyptus log from Julian and an Abe Lincoln quote on the dividing back wall...
My mocha and Bert's caramel latte with soy along with homemade marshmallows on the house (two flavors - peppermint and lemon) and a bear claw pastry. The latte art for my drink was pretty; Bert's, not so much. Both coffees were excellent with a thick foamy top.
This was one of the best mochas I've ever had! It was so smooth and very rich. I would have this again in a heartbeat if the caffeine wouldn't give me the jitters.
Their pastries are from Kensington Cafe (which I've never been to). I thought the size rather small and the taste on the dry side. The filling was a mixture of chocolate and cinnamon; Bert enjoyed this more than I did. I preferred waiting so I could have something savory at a nearby French cafe.
Their optic bathroom tile was pretty cool to look at...
If you're ever downtown shopping or or have jury duty, this would be a great place to stop by for a cup of coffee. The guys working here are really nice and friendly and not pretentious at all.
Back to the parking reference earlier.
A word to the wise. Free three hour parking with validation at the Horton Plaza parking garage is only valid AFTER 9:30 am. We parked at 8:30am. A big mistake unbeknownst to us. If one goes in at 9:30 am, there is a 30 minute grace period (like if one were to get coffee at Starbucks or something).
Because we went earlier and because I thought it would be more convenient for us to go to WestBean (we would have been better off doing street parking), we got nabbed with an $18 parking fee. We knew there was a problem when we tried to insert the parking ticket into the slot and the machine wouldn't take it. Bert was able to drive backwards from the parking line (no one was behind us, thank goodness) and we drove back up to where the parking offices were. The guy in the office let us "slide" this time and only charged us "10" (which still irked me because I wasn't expecting to pay for parking at all,dammit0. I was also irked at myself for not knowing about this parking rule.
So, bottom line, don't park at the Horton Plaza parking garage until after 10 am to be on the safe side. Just get your ticket validated and make sure to be mindful of the time or you will have to pay a small fortune for your error.
WestBean Coffee
240 Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 709-3232
plus their roaster location in Grantville:
5839 Mission Gorge Rd.
San Diego, CA 92120
www.thewestbean.com + fb page
+ reviews from Y*** and Coffeekind
and featured in the following articles:
"Coffee - 95 point beans", SD Reader, December 31, 2014
and "Westbean opens first birck and mortar locale". SD Eater, February 4, 2015
Our breakfast would be around the corner, but first we would get something for TC nearby as well...
2 comments:
I can't remember the last time I went to a coffee shop and had coffee in a REAL cup. I'm so used to getting coffee in a paper cup (even if we're drinking it at the coffee shop). Were the marshmallows meant to be used for a drink or as a dessert snack - they look like they'd be super good dipped in a dark chocolate ganache.
Thanks for the Horton parking tip. I've gotten screwed with their parking too (at night though). So your lesson learned will hopefully benefit others like me who would have probably done the same thing.
It was nice having coffee here. The guys working here were very cool and chill and the coffee, most of all, was excellent. i think the marshmallows could have been put in the coffee, but i didn't think of doing that. i guess i usually associate marshmallows with hot chocolate. we ate them separately and yes, it would have been better dipped in dark chocolate.
re: Horton parking. This was the first real problem I've had with them, but I'll chalk it up to ignorance on my part. Now I know. Live and learn.
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