Coffee Shop Quest: Jackson Place Cafe
Imagine, if you will for a moment, walking down a bustling street as busy as it is noisy. Whirring buses, honking taxis and the grating sound of construction work jackhammers fill the air as dozens of important people sharply dressed in their business attire impatiently shuffle past each other on their way to wherever it is they need to be. Fifty-story cement buildings stand shoulder-to-shoulder on the tight grid known as San Francisco's Financial District.
Now imagine that while you're walking down one of these busy streets, you notice a narrow brick alleyway-- so unassuming that it's easy to miss. If you pay enough attention and happen to notice the passageway, perhaps you'll decide to wander through it to explore. As you amble through the dimly lit (but surprisingly clean) brick corridor, you'll notice that it leads to a red brick-enclosed courtyard, in the middle of which appears what seems to be a mirage.
It's a charming little brown kiosk with the word
CAFE
spelled out in large Parisian, Moulin-Rouge-esque lights. Welcome to
, arguably the most easily-missed coffee shop in the city. It's a pocket of magic and quiet secretly tucked away in the middle of a busy city. The courtyard is lined with little offices and a lovely beauty shop, but the centerpiece of the little plaza is the Jackson Place Cafe.
The menu, hand-written in chalk of course, offers the usual fare: coffee, tea, bagels, panini, and pastries. I ordered a soy chai latte for $3 flat. Unfortunately, there was no option to pick sizes. I was a bit disappointed that it was so small. The latte was lukewarm, fluffy, and pleasant enough but nothing outstanding.
They had about seven or eight metal tables and plenty of chairs. I easily found a seat this afternoon because there were only a few other patrons. Jackson Place seems to attract busy office people seeking a quiet haven for their coffee breaks. I pulled out a book and sat only long enough to finish my latte. Hence, another addition to my
. Also, check out my
to view a map of my progress.
633 Battery St.
San Francisco
Accepts Credit Cards
: No
Price Range
: Around $3 for coffee; bagels
($2.50-$6.50), panini (about $7)
Coffee
: I ordered a soy chai latte, which was light and very foamy. It wasn't unpleasant, but I was hoping for a little something better tasting (and bigger).
Prices
: It was $3 for my drink. Typical San Francisco cafe price. I just wished they had bigger cup sizes.
Ambiance
: Needless to say, the charming location and setting of Jackson Place can help make up for most, if not all, of its other shortcomings in price and taste. They even lined the courtyard with gas-lit orbs so you can pretend you're in a Dickens novel.
Reading Comfort
: As an outdoor venue, it has plenty of natural lighting but you're at the mercy of the elements and whether the sun decides to come out (which is quite unpredictable in San Francisco). The seats are metal. Obviously not the most comfortable for long-term reading, but comfy enough for a quick coffee break or a chat with a friend.
Rush Factor
: Due to the time of day I went (around 2 p.m. in the middle of the week), there weren't a lot of other patrons. I could've probably stayed for over an hour without buying anything else, if I wanted.
Verdict
: Cute place to visit for the secret garden ambience; mediocre coffee and limited reading comfort
