Coffee Culture in Oceanside

by Sara Johnson and Amber Ter-Vrugt, Oceanside Living Magazine 2016

Oceanside is a great place to get a buzz… a caffeine buzz, that is! We had entirely too much fun visiting our local coffee (and tea) houses. Through our vigorous research of the coffee
gems of coastal Oceanside, we realized that Oceanside has something for EVERYONE. Each coffee house has its own special vibe, flavor and attributes. Whether you need a
quiet place to relax, an edgy place to enjoy music, or a place you can bring your crazy kids and let them run-a-muck, we discovered you don’t have to leave our community to find
it. Whatever scene you’re in the mood for, you can find it in Oceanside. The single commonality between all the places we sampled is quality. No matter what you chose, you’re going
to have a darn good cup of joe… or tea! We hope our findings are helpful, …Now go get a buzz…!

Jitters Coffee Pub
510 North Coast
Hwy., Ste. D
(760) 967-7886
OPEN: 6A-3P, M-F & 7A-1P S/S
Located off historic coast highway on the north side of downtown Oceanside, this quaint coffee shop has great indoor seating areas. A couch for lounging, book shelves that line every wall and wonderful wall art that is both conversational and intriguing. There is a lot of parking and easy access by both bike and foot. Their White Lightening, which is a white mocha with Irish creme was amazing. The atmosphere was inviting and the staff was very friendly. 

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Banana Dang!
115 South Coast Hwy.
(760) 846-0162
OPEN: 7A-7P, DAILY
Wondering about the name? I was too! Every smoothie contains bananas, and the founder’s last name is Dang. There you have it. And the place is Dang good! We stepped out of the hustle and bustle of downtown to enjoy a Purple Dang smoothie, paired with their locally famous Crunchy Honey Happy Toast.
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Banana Dang has fun games for the kids, a bike rack, private bathrooms and wifi too! Step out of the So Cal sun for a moment to let your 4-year-old nephew beat you at Chess like I did, you’ll be Dang glad you made the stop!

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​Pier View Coffee Co.
300 Pier View Way
​(760) 966-1150
OPEN: 6A-8P, M-Th & 6A-9P F/S/S
Located on the bustling corner of pier view way, this is a great stop for breakfast or lunch when you are heading to the beach for the day. There are a lot of options for seating both inside and outside, wall to wall windows allow you to peer onto the street to watch the days happenings. There is a book shelf loaded with entertaining options. Try the blueberry banana smoothie and the Chicken Pesto sandwich, a perfect pairing for a filling lunch. Or if you like a sweet coffee, their creme brulee coffee was amazing. Right across from ample parking and lots of walkable shopping, this is a great pit stop for any visit to downtown Oceanside.

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Coastal Coffee Connection
401 North Coast Hwy., Ste. E
(760) 231-7968
Open: 7A-3P, M-TH; 7A-9P, F; 8A-9P
Sat & 8A-4P Sun
I went for a classic cappuccino… and, they nailed it. Nailed it! Perfect foam, perfect milk to espresso ratio. Then I went for a walk on the wild side and ordered a Southwest, which is basically a MUST HAVE kick-in-the-pants bagel sandwich. Bacon makes everything better, and when you add chipotle cream cheese and avocado to your bacon laden everything bagel, you’re livin the dream. Coastal Coffee Connection is new, clean, has tons of seating, great parking, across from Star Theater and regularly hosts live music.

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​Rain or Shine Coffee Co.
1602 S. Coast Hwy.
​ (442) 500-9570
OPEN: 5A-3P, M-F & 6A-3P, S/S
Moto meets Rockabilly at Rain or Shine. I recommend driving a little slower on South Coast Highway because you don’t want to miss this coffee spot. I did. Drove right past it. But, I made a U turn, and I’m glad I did! This little coffee cart raises the bar. Super cute seating areas, nice music, toy box for the little kids, and Ghetto Choppers in the background for the big kids. I had a green tea latte; my sister enjoyed a glass of passion-iced tea. Both drinks were on the ‘specials’ list and were divine! We also devoured their unbelievable turkey pesto Panini.

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​The Loose Leaf Tea Bar
408 Mission Ave.
(760) 231-8338
OPEN: 6A-6P, Sun-W & 6A-9P, Th-Sat
Tea is served with a purpose at The Loose Leaf located directly across from the Regal Movie theaters in downtown Oceanside. The aroma when you walk in the door and the tea that comes after ordering is sure to make even the most tea savvy customer swoon. The location boasts a great simplistic atmosphere that focuses on the hand crafted tea blends. But they don’t only offer tea, there is a great selection of coffee as well. I tried the stress relief blend and found the combination of oat straw, skullcap, kava kava root, ginkgo lead, wood betony, rhodiola, and clove was extremely tasty. There are options for a monthly delivery service and opportunities to try their goods at various farmers markets throughout San Diego. Their hand-crafted drinks and certified organic, fair-trade and non-mo products makes this tea and coffee bar a must stop spot when you are visiting downtown. 

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Captain’s Grounds Coffee
1832 S. Coast Hwy.
​(760) 522-4271
OPEN: 7A-6P, M-F & 7A-3P, S/S
Newly renovated and now located inside the store front of the Captain’s Helm resale clothing store, this coffee shop offers a nice selection of hot and cold coffee beverages. Pastries and Umpqoa oats make for a quick bite to accompany your coffee. There is only outdoor seating, but you can browse the resale shop when they are open if you want to escape indoors with your coffee. There is restrooms on the premises and great house black coffee. Located on a great strip of Coast Highway there are lot of great shops to visit once you have had your caffeine fix. Try the white mocha if you want something more than black coffee and you will not be disappointed.

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