Robert’s Espresso

Passionate about coffee. Makes it perfect every time and will explain the different types. Pastries are awesome. Try the biscotti! Excellent

Guys and girls, they opened a Yummy Dumpling in its place. And the dumplings are oh, so yummy.

I liked this place alot. friendly atmosphere, very nice and chill owner, plus the homemade flat breads were incredible. Really sad this place is closed now :(Hopefully Robert opens another one.

Great coffee, extremely-​friendly service, free wifi, and all for a very inexpensive price. Cute/​quaint little shop that I’d frequent often.

Was so excited to see another indie-​coffee place in the neighborhood. The coffee and snacks were pretty disappointing. The owner definitely was nice. I remember the place smelling like an old gas station — perhaps because one is so near by (?) Might give it another try but, well, probably not :/

The Borgia was amaaazing! The owner, Robert, is very knowledgeable about what he makes (that’s the way it should be). I’m trying to savor each sip! Lol

Check out the art work that is now on the walls at Robert’s Espresso. Really cool and I am happy to see that because it brings the community together. Robert told me that he has more local artists lined up to display their work in the café. Also, Robert has some new items; new lemon bars, chocolate dipped coconut cookies and some really good nutrition bars.

Ditto to all the positive reviews here. Casual atmosphere, great people watching, okay coffee and baked goods, and fast, free wi-​fi.
Above all, a super, super nice guy running this fairly small coffee shop, although to Robert’s detriment, the evil, possessive part of me wants this place to remain a hidden gem in an otherwise competitive coffee neighborhood so it doesn’t get overrun with too many people.

Great local neighborhood coffee shop. Owner Robert is a friendly guy.
The place is still being put together to be at its best, but coffee and pastries are 100% ready to be served.
Each cup of coffee is made to its perfection with Robert’s expertise in coffee for a long time.
I tried the tomato and cheese Armenian flat bread and it was delicious! It’s like a personal size pizza for $ 4. Great to share with 2 people.

First, I have to say I am surprised that this place has 4.5 stars. When I moved into this neighborhood there used to be a very quaint coffee shop in this spot owned by a nice Russian couple. I miss them thoroughly. I was excited to see a new coffee shop open up since the only other shops in this neighborhood (besides Starbucks) are either not very good or only serve espresso drinks (Hollow is an excellent shop to get an espresso drink in the neighborhood). Unfortunately, I walked into Robert’s espresso and was greeted by this bitter, sassy man like I was an unwelcome foreign invader. I walked in excited as this was the first time I had seen this coffee shop actually open for a change. I am a latte lover who also happens to be vegan. When I asked Robert what milk substitutes he offered, he looked at me with disgust. He told me he had soy milk and asked me what other substitutes there are? I was, and always am, delighted to inform those that there are other subs like almond milk, coconut milk, hazelnut milk, and more as vegan options are naturally something I’m genuinely passionate about. (And if you haven’t yet tried an almond milk latte, I suggest it to anyone despite your dietary choices, they are absolutely divine!) Robert cut me off before I could finish remarking that «that is too much!» and «unnecessary.»
So I did not stay any longer to inform Robert that soy has become a common allergen/​food sensitivity in the standard American diet for both omnivores, vegetarians/​vegans alike. Soy has found it’s way into our diet on a large scale. Even when not apparent, soy, as with gluten and corn, is in nearly all processed foods, and we risk developing an intolerance to it. I believe any business or chef should be informed, or at least interested, of these facts of our ever-​changing food sustenance.

I stopped in on my way to work. I’m no coffee-​snob, but I could have gotten better coffee at a gas station! I also paid $ 3 for a burnt to a crisp bagel (and Robert wears no gloves to prepare it). When I got back to work I heard warnings about this place but I wish I would have know before wasting my money. Robert was super nice, but the food and coffee were horrible.

Robert is very friendly and made a delicious mocha, I recommend this cute coffee shop over close by Starbucks anyday!

It’s weird that I hadn’t seen this place before and when we passed it, we were on the way to Starbucks but figured that we should give this place a shot.
And now, we will always walk that one extra block just for the mochas that were served here. My BF got the mocha and it was delicious, heck in his words, «It was like I didn’t even have a mocha, what mocha? I had a delicious chocolate drink that was delicious — it’s like it didn’t even happen.» Okay, I admit, I paraphrased because he went on about the drink for 5 blocks. I had the borgia, which was equally delicious and exactly the kind of drink that I love.

Support small businesses, especially when owned by natives, born and bred SF folks. Robert is so friendly, introduced himself and shook my hand.
Who at Starbucks ever does that? It makes you want to burn your SB gold card.
I was shopping on Irving St and needed a caffeine boost and saw that Alvin’s was no longer there, so I trotted in to try a cup of sm mocha, $ 3.
Robert is a people person, you can just tell. He told another customer that he took 9 yrs of French in school, knows a few words in Spanish and Chinese (Good Morning, Happy New Year) and told me he attended NDV, SI and USF. Local dude all the way. Those of you who are bilingual in French can strike up a conversation with him.
The mocha was really good, not too sweet with a hint of cinnamon? Free WiFi too. Parking is a bit of a challenge but it’s metered so there should be turn over.
I plan to visit again soon.

I ordered a latte and it was delicious! He does double shots which is always a plus. It’s great coffee and Robert is very friendly! But I’m giving four stars because I came here to study and the tables aren’t very large to put all my paper/​books/​laptop on one table. So while I wouldn’t recommend this place for studying, I’d recommend it for great service and coffee.

This coffee shop is magical.
I wandered in one day, turkish coffee being something that’s been exciting to me lately but not something every coffee place offers. When I asked if they made it, I was pleased to know they did and was also promptly informed that every culture claims what I know as a turkish coffee as their own (heavily steeped coffee pressed or mixed with cardamom and a mint leaf, sometimes). The person who made it introduced himself as Robert, and offered pleasant as well as stimulating conversation as he made me some turkish/​iranian/​middle eastern coffee. It was served to me in a classic espresso cup and tasted wonderful. I had a florentine as well to go with it, which was reasonably priced as well as delicious.
While sipping on my coffee, Robert and his friend/​customer sitting nearby regaled me with tales of fortune-​reading in coffee grounds, of wit, and of the lottery while I had the chance to sit down and relax from running around doing errands.
Since this place is right across from the Sunset Branch, it’s very convenient for people who are studying/​getting work done at the library as it offers fresh gourmet coffee as well as treats and sandwiches. They even have wi-​fi.
Very personable little coffee shop, if you take that. It makes the starbucks down the street blush.

Great coffee and a great guy. Robert was accommodating and genuinely a nice person. I only had drip coffee, but after that experience I will definitely go back to sample the espresso based fare. This is what I would expect from a SF coffee shop. Once he is able to expand and move into a space with more room for couches and better ambiance, I believe he will dominate the Sunset and Irving St. As THE coffee shop. Highly recommended!!!

Robert’s Expresso had empty metered parking spaces in front so i made a pit stop.
while robert made me a fresh pot of columbian roast coffee (Americ’s Best Roasting Co,), i maintain a lookout for the meter maid. i was ready to pluck in my last dime to avoid a $ 55 ticket.
i saw 2 meter carts going pass the opposite way. i was poised to pluck in the coin should one of them execute an U-​turn. none did. i celebrated by buying a cookie.
pour: (L.2.26) columbia
–really smooth, nonharsh, arabica coffee
–actually kept me awake…
eats: chocolate chip, ultimate cookie (2)
–crunchy, with pits of sweet, moist chocolate chips
–really habit forming
crumbs/​drips:
–place is small, comfy, brightly lit.
–robert is a cool guy. wish i could afford to feed the meter so i can
patronize him more.

A great coffee shop.
I am very happy to see another coffee shop take over Alvin’s of San Francisco and provide a place to relax and rest.
Robert, the owner, is a swell guy and is so easy and fun to talk to. I can’t wait for him to start serving sandwiches and other treats.
The coffee is outstanding, the prices are very reasonable and it’s great to have another coffee shop in town.

HA! — Take *that* Starbucks!
You shall run out of business…
You shall run out of business…
You shall r…
Right.
Focus.
Another local coffee spot a stone’s throw away from the 19^th+Irving intersection. Met Robert; the guy’s who’s name’s on the sign outside, (yes, that sign) — he was friendly & knows how to make a mean decaf double mocha.
The space looks completely different from Alvin’s that was here before — more modern, clean lines & simple décor. The café packs the basics as it just opened a few weeks ago, and I look forward to trying more food-​like substances in the days to come!
Super conveniently located off of 19^th+Judah N-​Judah stop or 19^th+Irving for the 28 bus stop, and across from the Sunset Library.