Cafe in the City - Cafeto Coffee Shop

One thing I really like about San Francisco is the availability of local cafes serving good coffee. Not the industrial and commercial ones like Starbucks or Coffee Bean but the locally owned neighborhood coffee joints. We discovered another gem of a cafe in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of the city. This cafe has been in this location for a while now but I first noticed it while having breakfast at Balompie Cafe 3.

A couple of weeks ago, Mijo and I felt adventurous and decided to try out this cafe for the first time. It was enjoyable but the coffees are very different and that is a good thing.


Cafeto Coffee Shop is across the street from Balompie Cafe 3 on Mission and Richland Sts. We go to Balompie Cafe 3 a lot because this part of Bernal Heights is close to Glen Park. One day while having breakfast, I saw through Balompie's window a few people seated inside Cafeto and noticed how cozy they look inside the cafe. This part of Bernal Heights is all concrete and does not look pretty so a cafe in this corner of town is a wonderful addition. I mentioned this to Mijo and we both agreed that we'll try to go to Cafeto one of these days.

We finally went there one Saturday afternoon in January. The cafe does look cozy inside with lots of chairs, tables, bar style tables and bar stools. They also have tables outside if you prefer an open air setting. Their staff also speaks Spanish so they made small conversations with Mijo and with me. Of course they know I am a wanna-be so they kept the Spanish conversations sweet and short. Very friendly staff!

Their menu consists of the usual coffee and espresso based drinks. They also serve pastries and cookies to go with their hot and cold beverages. What caught my eye is their Mexican Mocha which is not usually served in cafes in the city.

I went ahead and ordered it. Mijo ordered their house coffee. My Mexican Mocha is rich and delicious. Have you had a Mexican hot chocolate before? Rich earthy chocolate flavor with hints of nuts and smoke. So imagine that mixed with a strong espresso. The taste is one of a kind.

We sat by the window with the view of the sidewalk while enjoying our hot beverages and our new found cafe. 

We'll be back for sure.

~rl