Filter Coffee House

A coffee house that doesn’t serve brewed coffee so my option is an Americano for $ 3.50. Not a fan.

Cute little coffee shop in the Hillcrest area. Enjoyed an Americano and a delicious lemon bar. Super friendly service, indoor and outdoor seating. Would definitely come again!

This place claims to sell local products, but almost everything is from Costco and Trader Joe’s, How local is that? Also, the pastries and bagels don’t seem to be fresh. On top of that the employers are really rude and not welcoming at all. Especially ASHLEY is extremely rude and messed up my drinks many times. I will advice everyone to stay away from this place, and rather hit up the chain coffee shop across the street.

I haven’t Unilocal-​ed in almost 6 years due to a variety of things but tonight’s experience at Filter is making me come out of hibernation. But first, a little backstory…
I’ve been studying for my board exams for the past couple of weeks and have been trying to find a place compatible with my late-​night study habits, my caffeine addiction, and my inability to charge my phone adequately throughout the day. Luckily, I found Filter and LeStats, but Filter has won out every time because of its proximity to the 24 hour fitness on 5^th (for even more night owl activities)…&not to mention, parking in either location for LeStats is SHIT.
At least that was the case until tonight. The worker looked like he wasn’t having any of it from the start. There was no greeting or small talk to be had that I usually have with the 2 other baristas that I know (shoutout to Tyrone!). I’m usually not that social either, so I can understand.
Then he proceeded to make my drink and when finished, he left my drink on the front counter expecting for me to pick it up (whereas the other baristas normally deliver the drinks to wherever you’re seated). It’s OK, cause I’m not too snobby of a person to expect to be catered to.
But at 10:51PM, the worker walked around to the 8 remaining customers to announce that he was going to close at 11PM. That’s one full hour than their posted business hours (BTW I was super bummed when they changed their closing hours to midnight). He even sent away 3 potential customers after his announcement. I’m really low maintenance, but don’t mess with my studying schedule and definitely don’t interfere with my caffeine time.
Not coming back here anymore. LeStats will be my home/​prison from now on… I guess I finally have to learn how to parallel park. Wish this Asian Female luck.

Honestly giving 5 stars for the music that was on point tonight! Only got a hot apple cider, which was delicious, and the guys working tonight were entertaining. Only negative was that it was as cold as the artic in there, but seriously, the music was soo good!

Great place to study with a partner, read a book, sit with friends or just pick up a coffee. Very chill and everyone there is usually pretty courteous.

These drinks are hit or miss honestly. I’ve had terrible drinks like «the heath» their Vietnamese iced coffee and their Mexican mocha. And smoothies I’ve had to throw away immediately upon sipping. And on the other hand Ive had good iced coffee, but that’s hard to mess up. They stopped their frequent customer stamp card which was disappointing, stopped being ²⁴⁄₇ (which was their biggest appeal) and then changed the décor and furniture and it’s now all uniform instead of the quirky unique pieces of furniture that added the ambiance I loved when I first visited.

Drinks: ⁴⁄₅
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Ambience: ³⁄₅
Overall: ⁴⁄₅
Stumbled upon this place while exploring Hillcrest one day. A nice place to study or grab a quick drink with friends!
Got the mint mocha here and it was delicious! However I haven’t had any of the other drinks, so I can’t speak for too much.
The people who work here are super nice! The guy who took my order went through all the drinks on the menu to find something I would like.
This place is large and open air (both doors are usually wide open so you can feel the breeze everywhere). There are a ton of tables, but it can get super crowded during undergrad finals and in the evenings. While the place is super hipster-​like and colorful, some of the tables could use a wipe-​down once in a while.
Will probably come back at some point to study!

Went with a friend in the early afternoon. Décor is nice. Ordered two house coffees. They were barely lukewarm. Took them back to counter and instead of making a fresh pot, he took them in the back — I assume to reheat in a microwave. Really?
Barrister was not very friendly either.

Likes: convenient location, outdoor seating, open air building so there’s always fresh air coming in and out, open late, decent wifi.
Dislikes: noise. There are always loud people here. I’ve been to Filter four times– each time there were kids running around making a lot of noise. The last time I was there it was a group of four kids playing tag in the coffee shop and laughing/​yelling as kids do. Not conducive to studying/​concentrating on anything.

I recommend coming to Filter, especially for late night study sessions. It’s a super awesome, great wi-​fi, GREAT staff, great seating, decent coffee (nothing special), clean restrooms. but the food is sooo SUBPAR & OVER PRICED. I eat here only when I don’t have time/​desire to go somewhere else. Often I’ll just grab a hotdog from next door. The desserts are probably costco? I wonder, only because I’m partial to costco cakes and not a fan of the desserts here. I love the recents update and I will continue to support this AMAZING godsend of a CAFE. However, I debated on 3 stars because of the food. With this review I have attached the soup pic that inspired this review.

If you like to get work done at coffee houses, Filter is one of THE places to go. They have a wide coffee selection that’s good and keeps your mind alert, they have a food selection that extends further than a variation of baked goods, there is plenty of table space to spread out your things, extension cords galore on the floors, not to mention their late night hours, AND plenty of places to sit. My only grievances are the occasional Hillcrest parking nightmare and their tables are little too close together for my liking, I feel like I need to tip toe through the tables because the tables rub against my backside as I shimmy through the maze of tables to the exit. Other than that, this place is worth it. Bring a good pair of headphones to block out other customers conversations and you should be good.

What do I like about filter coffee house that you may also be interested? Well, first of all, it’s an excellent place for studying or working on things. It’s perfect! It’s spacious, plenty of tables with power outlets all around. Also, it almost always fairly empty that you can actually concentrate compared to other more popular coffee shops around this area. About their drinks, they are so-​so. The price is pretty good for most of drinks ~3−3.50 and you get to stay as long as you want. Pretty good deal! The refills are only $ 1. Although they are not as fancy as Starbucks but okay for an afternoon tea or coffee. Another thing I like about this place is that it’s always bright and well lit. You don’t have to worry studying in the dark like some fancier coffee places. Overall, I really like my time here being productive and studious!

I enjoy coming here to study and glad they’re open late. Plenty of seating and tables. Socket in almost all areas. Left early last night because it started to get a little crowded and loud, a distraction to focus.
Anyway their drinks are good.

A cute little coffee shop in the heart of Hillcrest. I ordered a soy latte, which the barista kindly told me was no added charge. Nice! The coffee was It has a cool atmosphere with simple tables and an open layout.
Here’s the thing: I sat out on the patio with my friend next to a table with two smokers chain smoking. It is crazy that they are even still legally allowed to do that. We tried to go inside but we couldn’t escape the fumes due to the lovely open walls. So that kind of killed the experience.
So I hate to say it, but I probably won’t be going back to Filter.

I’ve been to a few coffee places around town and I feel that this one is just okay. I came here to study, which was great because the space is open with fresh air coming in. It felt like an art classroom. All the windows were open and there is a patio for those who truly want to sit outside.
There were a few things that bothered me. One was when I got to the register to order, there was no one there and it took a while for them to notice me standing there. I ordered the blood orange iced tea, which had an okay flavor, but I don’t think it was good iced. I also had their coffee, which was just average. The snickerdoodle cookie that I had was hard, which caused crumbs to go all over the place. I didn’t try any of their menu food, so I can’t really comment on that.
Overall, this is a great place to study, just bring your headphones. It is not going to be one of my go-​to places to study, but it leaves an option if I’m in the area. I guess I’m just spoiled by the better coffee options around town.

There’s no way I can write this review without sounding like a stuck-​up snob. Oh well. What turned me off about Filter, when I went there to work today, was that it seemed kind of dirty and attracted some unsavory elements.
It seemed like every other person that walked in looked homeless, high, or just… off. One tweaker lady in the corner talked/​yelled VERY LOUDLY to herself for a long time (but that’s why we all bring headphones, right?)
I was sitting by the window and there were flies and it was grimy. Not that big of a deal; it’s such a popular place in an urban area, it’s bound to be kind of grimy.
My drink was tasty, the service was pleasant, and prices seemed about normal (not cheap, though).
The place is so open that there are lots of distractions, lots of things to catch your eye which is not good when you are trying to work (this might not bother other people like it bothers me).
With so many other good cafes to work in, I probably won’t be back.
I almost forgot to note – there is a sizable patio which is good for dogs.

Came here for the first time with a friend, after some shopping and dinner. Like the décor, hodge podge of tables, chairs, couches. Beautiful paintings on the walls. They have a very fancy register, pay screen. I ordered the white coconut tea and my friend ordered the moroccan mint tea. We also had the lemon bar.
My tea had excellent flavor, smelled amazing. Had a nice nutty taste to it. My friend loved her tea. The only thing was the teas were ridiculous hot. I waited 20 min but still burned my tongue. I know I do have a sensitive tongue, I tend to burn easily with hot beverages and food. The lemon bar was excellent. Great texture to the lemon part, not overly overpowering lemon taste, just right.

Cute little coffee shop that has been on my list for a while now.
Finally found a friend to stop in with to mingle and play word games.
The shop had a nice variety of sandwiches and pastries with a smaller selection of espresso drinks. Just the right amount though because not everyone needs/​wants a chunky monkey, chocolate chip, whipped, not stirred, add two shots latte every day. You pick a hot chocolate, a latte, a cappucino, cup of black coffee, etc. That’s what I liked.
People were studying and mingling as well and no one was too loud like it can get at Lestat’s.
The tables are also large so they’re perfect to set your laptops or books on.
I ordered the Mexican Hot Chocolate and I probably will again. It was the perfect amount of sweet and kick of spice.

I wasn’t too crazy about Filter. I’ve lived in and around Hillcrest for 2 and a half years and never went in until a couple days ago. I get that it’s supposed to be kind of cutesy and eclectic but I personally wasn’t feeling the décor. I sat on the couch but it just felt dirty — like I was in a thrift store.
The guy at the counter was ok, pretty nice but nothing special. They use one of those tablet-​type registers. It felt awkward because I swiped my card and he flipped the screen around and he said to me «select your tip percentage… Or you can hit no tip» almost as if it’s *expected* I tip.
I ordered a tea and it was scalding hot. Sat in the café for 30 minutes and when I left I hadn’t even had a sip yet because it was too hot. I honestly ended up throwing it away without even trying it because I didn’t want it to spill in my car.
Even though it wasn’t my cup of tea (pun) I would still say check it out, especially if you like little local eclectic places. Personally I’ll be seen in a Barrio Logan, Little Italy, or a North Park café, though.

The guy at the register was very friendly, and they had affordable coffee. Fun joint, huge!
Had rainbow colored coffee holder thing. They offered lots of cookies and cakes too. i just ordered a plain iced coffee and sat in the patio and enjoyed some good company!