The Living Room Cafe and Bistro

Would not recommend very slow service and it was not even close to a full house the food was very mediocre at best we had to go and get our drinks refilled not the worst I’ve ever had but very very very far from the best

Wow I should have checked Unilocal before eating here. The outside is so cute like someones backyard so that’s why they get a star. Other than that the staff was rude, bathroom was disgusting, and food was bad. I ordered the club sandwich and ordered it without jalapeños (why it had them I don’t know) and it was still so spicy my mouth was on fire. I needed a refill for 20 minutes. If you’re in Old Town there are way better places to eat.

I ordered an Americano to go. The man behind the counter then asked if I’d like anything else and pulled out a menu. He then licked his fingers and opened the menu for me. The man then went and poured drip coffee out of a pump coffee «thermos» like you would find at a gas station. He filled the cup with the drip coffee and then came over and rang up an Americano. He then asked again if I’d like anything else. I declined and gave him my card. When my receipt printed he licked his fingers again and then tore the receipt from the register and handed it to me. First and last time I’ll be going here.

My mom and I were walking around and we came across this café. Their menu looked pretty good so we decided to try it out. We were visiting from LA so we weren’t too familiar with the area. I ordered the shrimp taco entrée and my mom got the fish and chips from the appetizer side. Kinda pricy, but it was delicious. Rice, beans, salad, salsa, and I believe three tacos in mine and my mom had two fish and the rest were fries. We were both satisfied when we left. All we had was water so don’t know how good their drinks are.

Long time customer, probably won’t be back.
If you don’t want to read the whole review, just read the first paragraph. I’ve been coming to this place off and on for years. Sadly a lot has changed and my experience last night compelled me to write a review. I usually see bad reviews and think it was just some pretentious person expecting too much. I was wrong. This place has gone down hill. They are probably buying cheaper ingredients to improve the bottom line. It won’t work. I don’t mind coming here occasionally and paying $ 12-​$ 15 for an entrée, but only when it is good. I would have rather of gone through a drive through, saved money, and gotten a better meal.
My wife and I ordered the chicken pot pie and a chipotle bbq burger.
I’ve ordered the pie before and it was great. A large slice of actual pie. The filling wasn’t the traditional ‘runny’ filling and had great flavor. What we got last night was not this. It was a small bowl of what used to be chicken, vegetables, and tons of pepper that appeared to have been run through a food processor. Over the top of the bowl was a hard, stale bread cap that tasted like canned biscuit dough.
The burger was also very different than the ones we’ve gotten before. It was a unseasoned, frozen patty. The BBQ sauce was very watered down. Unsure where the chipotle was, maybe that was the dijon mustard?

Breakfast was just ok for the price. The service was good and the vibe was chill. But the food was not exceptional.

Should not have come here at all. Maybe it’s not all the waitresses fault but it stems down from management as well. They have to waitress, make drinks, and it seems like management is on them non-​stop. We had a waitress who would not stop sweeping because she said she «had to clock out by a certain time» I had the chipotle bbq burger which was alright. The mean was very dry, the fries were very basic, and zero customer service. The chicken pot pie which was supposed to be their speciality was just a tiny slice, not even worth it. If you wanna drink, better grab a beer since cocktails are not made properly. Horrible experience overall!

Staff is friendly. Manager is rude and was yelling at employees telling them to hurry their asses up. Stopped by for a Margarita, chips and guac. None of which were good. Save your selves.

I’m not much for jumping on the bandwagon when it comes to bad reviews. Many times I find myself doing quite the contrary.
The coffee was hot. That’s about the only positive I can think of. It tasted like three day old Folger’s crystals. Really bad taste. Did I mention it was hot?
As I was handed me my change the guy nudged the tip jar toward me. I believe it was a sublimInal act even though it’s a big glass thing that literally sits in the middle of the counter. I’m always happy to throw some paper in the jar but it’s usually attached to a positive experience. These folks were by no means negative or unfriendly but no one seemed too happy to be here. Focus on service and product and the tips will follow…

From the outside, The Living Room Café and Bistro looks like an inviting spot to sit down, grab coffee or enjoy a beer. Once you get inside, it’s like something you’d experience while watching Bar Rescue or Kitchen Nightmares.
As we walked in, the restaurant was pretty slow and we asked if we could sit wherever we wanted. The owner immediately said yes and told us that they had the best Mexican hot chocolates around and even mentioned they boozed up their coffees if we wanted to go that route. We didn’t — but two people in our party were interested in this hot chocolate the man raved about. He told us to sit tight as our server would be out with us momentarily. After five minutes and random eye contact, our server comes to us and asks if we’re ready to order. We proceed to give her our coffee orders and she asked if we were doing food. We replied no, and she closed her notepad and told us that we had to go and order from the front. Nothing more from here. Literally just turned around and walked away.
We did go to the counter and there was nobody in line. We asked the cashier about the Mexican hot chocolate and he told us that they don’t serve such thing. WTF. After informing him that his boss just said they had the best in town, he said they could make it, no problem. Weird. I also asked for a dirty chai and questioned whether or not they could make it with soy milk, and he replied that they could. To compliment our order and to get some sugar into our bodies, we ordered a pecan bar and a raspberry cheesecake bar. Two cups of coffee and two pastries was $ 16. Kinda steep. Once my transaction was completed, I was told to go and wait by the bar for my beverages to be completed.
While waiting, the same cashier was making my coffee. He made small talk and was nice enough, but when he presented me with my drink, I asked if it was made with soy. He proceeded to tell me that there is no milk in the chai lattes. WTF #2. We had a conversation about milk choices less than three minutes ago. I asked where the rest of the drinks were and he told me that the server had dropped them off at the table. Why couldn’t they deliver all the drinks to the table? Irritated, I go back to our table, and the two people that ordered the Mexican hot chocolates got something completely different in taste and consistency.
As I waited for our pastries, the server came back with one of them. I asked about the second one and they argued that we only ordered one… Then why was my bill $ 15? Instead of trying to fix the mistake on their end, they asked for a receipt (which they didn’t give us). He immediately ran over to the register, printed out the receipt and came back and said they only charged us for one. If I wanted him to bring out the other one, I had to pay more. Upon glancing at the receipt I noticed he charged us for mochas instead of hot chocolates which were more expensive… Again, I asked why and he said that’s how they do it. You get charged for the espresso whether you want it or not. I was done with this place. On top of it, the raspberry cheesecake they presented was not at all a cheesecake, but a cobbler that was served almost frozen. :face palm:
To make matters worse, while we were sitting there, the owner was yelling at his staff the entire time. Not in the back, but in the front where it was completely visible to other patrons in the café. Not only was this super unprofessional, but you could tell all of the servers were completely undertrained and there was no consistency in any of the the products they served. While inside, we noticed the same continuous errors with other patrons who didn’t handle the situation as nicely as we did.
How this place stays in business, who knows — but they wont ever get mine again. I don’t like giving 1-​star reviews, but this place is totally deserving of it. There are some great other coffee shops in the area, seek them out for better experience is this totally awesome part of San Diego.

I walked in here to get my daily coffee fix. The place looked cute and had a wide selection of drinks so I decided to give it a try.
I order a Café Blondie and a biscotti. My total was $ 6.xx!!! Come to find out the biscotti alone cost $ 3.xx, more than my coffee! Anyway, I pay the nice lady and have a seat. I proceed to open my biscotti while waiting for my drink and notice it is stale and the chocolate looked white. I check the expiration date and it says ¹⁰⁄₂₀₁₅. I know some of those dates can be a bit flexible but I never risk it. I didn’t make it a big deal, I went back to the register to exchange mine. Maybe I had gotten the only expired one in the bin? The cashier checks and they are all expired. I ask for a refund. The manager (maybe owner) comes to the register and asks what I want. I explain the situation and he reluctantly gives me a refund. He tells me «biscotti never expires just so you know.» I reply, «I don’t want to risk it because then you might have a lawsuit on your hands.» He didn’t like that. I tell him they are all expired and he shouldn’t sell them. He hostilely moves the bin behind the counter.
I got my refund and my coffee. My coffee is great! No complaints there!
As I was sitting I notice the manager shouting and ordering the staff around. It seemed like there was a new employee training and poor girl was just trying to learn. The staff was extremely nice but the manger seemed to set a tense environment, I could be wrong but this is what I grasp while sitting/​sipping/​and observing.
As I walk out I glance back at the register and to my surprise I see the Biscotti bin right back where it was, ready for some new customer to order one.

ONE OF THE WORST COFFEE SHOPS IVE EVER BEEN TO!!! Not only was the boba undercooked the drinks were powdered based. The lamps were taped together and it also had mold on it. There was dust everywhere. I will never ever come back there again.

The beer was good, good local selection, the service not so much.
Stopped in while in the are because they have a nice patio setup, but the simple act of getting a seat is confusing, there is no one there willing to seat us so we just sat while trying to flag someone down to acknowledge us so we could be served. Literally the rudest staff of any establishment I’ve been to in a long time… I ordered a club sandwich or something with avocado, it was extra toasted as if it had been sitting there for a while and cut the roof of my mouth, my bf ordered a burger and fries. Everything that was made was just thrown together with no thought.
Great location and nice patio setup, needs a different owner and staff. I hate that this place still get patronized because they have a great location in the middle of old town, but it would be nice if they were actually a decent establishment. This place sucks.

stopped by here for dessert with the family for churros and Mexican hot chocolate and it was a very pleasant experience. Service was great and environment was very comfortable. I’m going to try to come back here for food next time I get out this way.

Big RIP OFF! The coffee, smoothies/​boba, etc were all pretty gross. Came to Old Town San Diego with the family for an evening of leisurely walking and shopping. My brother and his fiancé were already in ordering something and my dad urged me hurry and order as well. I didn’t even get a chance to Unilocal this place and if I did I would’ve steered clear.
It was cold outside and I decided to order a pumpkin spice latte. can’t screw up coffee too bad right? Boy was I wrong! My latte didn’t taste anything like pumpkin or anything like spice. It was tasted like burnt instant coffee. It was hardly even sweet. Such a rip off for $ 5.49. I basically paid for crappy instant coffee. My dad ordered a regular coffee and he agreed it tasted like instant coffee as well. My mom ordered a hot chocolate and it came out lukewarm. She asked to have it warmed up and they wouldn’t do it.
My brother and his fiancé ordered strawberry boba smoothies and when I heard what they ordered I already had no doubts that it wouldn’t be great, since the café isn’t a boba place. I had a taste of their smoothies and it basically tasted like really sweet strawberry ice cream blended up. It didn’t even taste like a quality milkshake if that’s what they were going for. Whatever type of boba they put in there wasn’t traditional tapioca balls, but something chewy and sweet that tasted pretty awful and kind of hard.
Anyways, never coming back here and I urge you pick to go somewhere else as well. The churro was the only decent thing here, but it was overpriced and if you walk a couple more blocks they sell them at Café Coyote for $ 2. Cheaper and probably better!

We were too hungry to check on Unilocal before coming here.
Pros:
Amazing breakfast sandwiches
Crispy bacon was probably the best I’ve had (and that is important)
They sell a large Mocha (but don’t refill on regular coffee, weird)
Once seated, waitress was friendly
Liked being able to sit outside
Waterfall sound is relaxing
Relaxing music for breakfast
Cons:
Three employees took a bit to greet us when we walked in
Fruit was either too ripe or not yet ripe
Hash browns were not cooked thoroughly
A bit pricey for what it is

Delicious churros. I wish we ordered a double order but we didn’t have time.
Abhorrent horchata. It’s stored in a rubbermaid container and was probably sitting for a day or two. Aside from that fact the recipe was lackluster.
I can’t speak to the other items since we didn’t eat more.

The outdoor seating and décor are cute and that’s all this place has to offer.
The waiter that we had was full of attitude. We were told to seat ourselves and he gave me a snide remark because we chose a dirty table. I tried to lighten the air by saying it was the best available table (which is true) and he indicated by his tone that he didn’t agree.
From there I went to check in on Unilocal and regretted seeing two stars as I was extreme hungry and disappointed that I couldn’t order something more basic that a traditional American breakfast.
Overall, the food is overpriced for the quality (cheap, thin bacon, and genetic toast) and poor preparation (frozen shredded hash browns are barely browned and nothing has seasoning).
After bringing our «meal» the sever never checked back with us and we had to go inside to find him for the bill. It was a poor experience. Quality food and well trained staff would make this cute décor a point of interest. As it stands don’t go, it truly isn’t worth your time or money.

I was walking by and this spot looked cool I check on Unilocal it had bad reviews but I wanted to see for myself. The staff was friendly. I sat out side in the shade it’s a cool setup. The service is a bit slow but that ok I’m not in a rush. I ordered my food
And that tasted about average nothing special. But when I got the bill wtf 4.99 $ for 1 cup of OJ. 2 people pretty much the same meal $ 35 for me that’s a bit pricey for an average breakfast hey store owner it’s just breakfast and not much of it lower your prices. Not worth the money at all.
On other notes the restroom are beaten up but things were clean. I get it it’s a tourist spot so prices will be high but I won’t be back that’s for sure.

A perfect example of why you should always check Unilocal before going somewhere!!!
This restaurants cute outdoor patio and large menu enticed us, but we were incredibly disappointed and repulsed. We ordered the chips and guacamole which was six dollars… They brought out a bunch of chips and two tiny «guacamole» sampler sized cups and I can tell you that it was not even guacamole!!! If you’ve ever bought the fake guacamole that comes in a pouch and you keep it in your freezer it looked like it was made with that. It was the consistency of a bodily fluid that I shall not name. $ 6 guacamole and you don’t even use real avocados? The salsa they brought out was disgusting too. There was also a giant piece of mysterious meat in the middle of the chip basket under some chips, and my friend was vegan and was pretty grossed out by the entire thing.
We tried to get a waiter or waitress’s attention, three of them (a waiter, a waitress, and most likely the manager) MADE EYE CONTACT WITH US, could obviously tell something was wrong and they looked away. We then put our arms up and were waving at them to come over here. Finally, after a few minutes the waitress came and we told her about the meat in the food (at this point after they had intentionally ignored us we honestly just weren’t willing to pay $ 6 for this disgusting horrible meal that would be complimentary at any other Mexican restaurant in old town.) she then told us that it wasn’t meat and she was going to go back to the kitchen to find out what it is!!! What!!!
We sent it back and refused to pay for it, and neither of us have done that in our entire lives, THATS HOW BAD IT WAS.
If it weren’t for this places location and patio, they would have zero customers!