Under Grounds Coffee Company

This place was awesome… It’s sad to see the star buck zombies wouldn’t give this place a try.
Best wishes to the old crew/​owner Maria

Sadly, this indie coffee shop did not survive =(I went there last Saturday expecting to have a deliciously wonderful cold brewed iced coffee, but nope =(That’s a double sad face. RIP Under Grounds

Wow… very rarely am I impressed with the quality of coffee and espresso made here in North County San Diego… but, this place does it. They really do pay attention to the art and craft of the drink. So far… they have been truly consistent with their quality which is hard to come by. Atmosphere is great even though I feel that the AC is cranked way too high.
My only complaint is their hours of operation. Every coffee place should be open before the majority of people go into work. So, being open by 4:30am-5am… even 6am is acceptable. Even staying open later so that people who are done with dinner have a nice place to go to… would be ideal.

This review is based on my first visit to Under Grounds Coffee Company, one espresso, one coffee drink, and overall customer service.
Espresso #1: House
They know what they’re doing.
Double shot syrupy goodness.
Crema was tiger striped.
Satisfying body.
Unfortunately, I can’t recall the overall flavor if I had to choose one.
Coffee Drink: Chemex Blue Sky
The finished product was so clean, from the first sip to the last drop.
Recommend if you’re looking for just any coffee drink to try first.
Overall customer service:
1. Friendly and easy to be friends with.
2. Educated about coffee and easy to talk to about coffee.
3. Clean restroom, look forward to that.
Room for improvement:
1. Let the baristas build on the theme of «Under Grounds Coffee Company.» Their chill and likable personalities do not necessarily match the «rebel» theme that you see in the store front.
2. Use a kettle for your Chemex and all other pour-​over methods.
3. Offer home brewing coffee classes for your customers. Educate your consumers in a new way outside of casual talk.
Would I come back here?
Yes, the customer service was excellent.
Yes, the espresso and coffee drink that I had made me want more.
Would I recommend it to the reader?
Chyeah.

Red velvet coffee is God…
That’s it, that’s my review haha

I’ve only been there twice (so far), and I’m already addicted.
Location-​wise, it’s not that great. If it wasn’t for Unilocal,I probably never would have known it was there.
But their coffee? Amazing! I’ve had their Red Velvet Latte and their Brunette Latte, and they were both delicious. They weren’t too sweet, but the unique flavors don’t drown out the coffee. Another plus: if you don’t like cow’s milk like me, you can ask for soy milk or almond milk.

Delicious blended red velvet coffee. I liked how you could actually taste the coffee. I love the atmosphere and the barista, Vanessa, was really nice.

Cure for San Francisco homesickness in San Diego County = Under Grounds Coffee Company. And no, for heaven’s sake, don’t walk in here and critique the food. If you don’t go in and order coffee, you’re in for the wrong reason.
That, and I didn’t get to sample the pastries. (Next time, scout’s honor.)
I had a Brunette, iced, which is a Mexican chocolate and caramel latte. Perfect amount of sweet and spiced and caffeine. The shop is decorated with artwork from artists trying to sell, which you would think would be par for the course in Carlsbad since it’s a big art gallery place, but not the case. This little place takes me back to coffee shops in San Francisco with the décor of artwork and use of old coffee-​making apparatus for furniture (one coffee table is an industrial-​sized espresso machine). Staff was friendly and enthusiastic, restrooms were clean, and I cannot wait to go back.

+ Friendly batista
+ Red Velvet latte: smooth consistency and just the right amount of sweetness (not bitter and not sugary sweet!)
+ Dirty blonde latte: caramel & white chocolate… sooooo good! I totally recommend this.
+ urban-​y feel that matches its name
Located right next to Albertaco’s in the Home depot shopping center.

Thank you fellow Unilocaler Sarah B. Without your review, I might have bypassed without a single thought.
Red Velvet Latte and Brunette (mexican mocha).
Do yourself a favor all you Palomar College folks and others, get your coffee here, DO NOT go to Starbucks.
Cool perks, free wifi and Friday evening poetry.
And get beautiful latte art from the great gals here.
By the way, I AM a coffee snob. So you know I’m right. ;)

I’m not picky when it comes to coffee, but I do know whats great, decent and bad. UGCC is great! When I want coffee in the afternoon, I always go with something cold. In the early mornings I always opt for something hot. So this was an afternoon pick-​me-​up and since I always go with something Caramel in flavor, the Caramel Crush was glaring right at me.
How does it compare to the chain shops that will remain nameless, excellent! Its not just sugar’d up like how the others do it! This place has real coffee which you can actually taste the kick! I normally order a double shot at my usual place but here, it slipped my mind when I ordered and left it as-​is. But it didn’t matter, it had kick!
My friend ordered tea but I didn’t care to try it since I’m not one to cross contaminate my pallet just for tea. But she said it was good.
So am I fan of this place… NO! Because I live in Manila Mesa and this place is considered boonies for me! So be happy San Marcos, you have something good in your hood!

Oh Hell Yeah! Under Grounds definitely delivers to my inner coffee snob. The beautiful CM Trish S. told me I MUST try this place so I did. Right off the bat the barista noticed that I was not a familiar face and after a friendly greeting she told me about the different coffee choices and recommended the red velvet latte and the white chocolate lavender mocha.
I have since been here multiple times and that red velvet latte is one of the best things (involving coffee) that has ever touched my lips. Freakin delicious. These chicks know how to brew it up!
Let’s put it this way — I live in Oceanside and work in Vista. There is a coffee shop a few blocks from my work but I allot an extra 20 minutes to my morning drive to go to Under Grounds before work… because it’s amazing.
5 stars!
Oh, P. s. Free Wi-​Fi! Chyea!

Finally — a great local coffee house!!! My husband is a frequent Home Depot shopper so I was excited to see this place next door.
I stopped in to get an iced tea for my husband and I ended up getting an iced swiss mocha. It was so so good. They really know how to make real coffee drinks.
Excellent quality. Excellent flavors. Excellent Service.
I will definately be buying my coffee here every time we are in the area.

Awesome! Fresh coffee shop, boasting good music, a great architectural feel, fantastic art/​photography… A definite welcoming environment in the north county for a tasty coffee treat.

Wow. This was so refreshing… a coffee shop in north county that actually knows coffee.
I first asked the barista if they pulled good lattes… and she definitely took me to town on it. Lo and behold, there appears not the usual heart shape in my foam, but a FREAKING FISH AND BUBBLES. And MY FRIENDS, this was not just all about looks (although it could have won with just that), but the foam was just the right silky texture, and the taste was almost sweet.
If you can’t tell, I was extremely pleased by this.
And just in case I couldn’t tell the place was legit, the barista decided to talk to me about their beans, their processes, their coffee philosophy, and everything else for about 20 minutes. Turns out, the Barista has been in several latte art competitions and trains other coffee shops.
To add to this, we had a lengthy discussion on new techniques and the importance of brewing one cup of coffee at a time– we talked pour over, siphon, chemex and french press. They know their stuff. Honestly, this is 3^rd wave coffee without all the crazy pretense that you get going to a portola coffee labs or an intelligentsia… which I think I can get used to. I don’t feel very dumb here (which I usually do at other 3^rd wave coffee joints).
In short, it’s 3^rd wave coffee quality without the 3^rd wave coffee hipster pretense. Much props for this.
I will be back here! Support this place, we need more places like it in North County!

Needed a perk so opted to try this new coffee shop.
It’s located in the same shopping center as Home Depot and next to the Albertacos. The establishment is bare, but has your essentials.
Limited menu items and you would need to ask the barista what the various items are. I opted for the Brunette 20oz ($ 4.50): Latte with chocolate, caramel and cinnamon (non-​fat milk and no whip). The barista indicated that you can customize your own drink as well with the various syrups behind the counter.
My drink was delish– had a little kick to it with the cinnamon. There were other flavors that looked interesting that I would try next time, such as the Swiss Mocha and Red Velvet.
I also ordered a chocolate croissant (warmed). The pastries are from another local bakery called My Kitchen. The croissant was flaky and light. Very good!
I hope that this establishment lasts. I say this because there’s a Starbucks in the next shopping center.

I drove by and saw the «now open» sign.
Met both owners, they were very enthusiastic as well as very educated
on the coffee they were serving, which is rare to find.
Ordered an double espresso, it was perfect!
It’s difficult to find great quality espresso and this place will
be a treasure to have in north county.
I would drive from oceanside just to have a cup.

I heard this new place knew what they were talking about when it came to pullin a proper shot and I just had to find out. Trek yourself to San Marcos (or if thats your neighborhood I am now a little jealous) and taste the brew!
They were bumpin some Dr. Dre when I walked in and ya know what? It made me want some mother f-​ing coffee! I love a good local business, and they have a unique menu and vibe. The décor is exposed beams and metals, with an espresso machine turned coffee table and a little damn the man atmosphere. Could they cater to my renoun coffee snobbery? The menu featured a list of sassafras names for their custom drinks… intrigued!
I ended up with the quite non-​gangsta choice of their «Red Velvet.» a latte-​like concoction featuring red velvet powder. (although I was seriously torn between that and the «Reverse Cowgirl» option… no kidding!) Hello barista skillz! Perfect shot, perfect foam, and some café art in my drink? This was SWU! (seriously whats up) wait a tick… was I somehow transported to Seattle? looking out the window expecting a blustery gust I was shockingly surprised that nope, ladies and gentlemen-​this was still San Marcos. Well would ya look at that!
Baked good are local although not baked on site, looked tasty but I didn’t partake. Owner says they’re thinking of offering some gluten free choices in the future. Free wi-​fi computer peeps! Opens at 7:00! Prices are average for an above average product! Coffee snob approved.

I was pretty excited to see a new coffee place open up in the area.
I tried the nonfat dirty chai tea latte, red velvet latte, and the mexican mocha. I thought that the drinks were okay, a little too sweet for my tastes. The prices were pretty standard around $ 4 for a 16oz.
The décor was factory-​like and less cozy than other coffee places. I don’t think I would like to hang out there especially since there was no Wi-​Fi available when I went (not sure if they have it now though).
Overall, this place was O-​K. I’m not sure if I would return to get my daily caffeine fix though.

I love that these guys are serving Café Moto coffee!
I’ve been twice and both times I got a vanilla latte. They are good! Hubby has had a mocha and something else (I don’t remember) – he liked both as well.
My favorite thing about this place is that they use locally roasted coffee, and their pastry products are from local bakeries as well.
The décor is fun. The espresso machine-​turned-​coffee table is a nice touch!
Just wish it were a little closer to where I usually hang out…