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Home  >  Coffee • San Francisco SFO  >  Great Coffee In San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
CoffeeSan Francisco SFO

Great Coffee In San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Matthew Klint Posted onJune 14, 2022June 14, 2022 27 Comments

During a long layover at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), I took the time to try out two coffee shops. One was far better than the other. But recently, I found an even better one.

Great Coffee At SFO

My first coffee, and by coffee I generally always mean cappuccino in this series of posts, was in the international terminal (G). Way down at the end of the concourse above gate G14 is a coffee shop called Joe & The Juice. Founded about two decades ago in Copenhagen, the chain has has over 300 locations worldwide in Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia.

But I’ve got to be honest…I had never heard of it.  Still, I noticed a beautiful La Marzocco machine and figured they certainly got something right.

Joe & The Juice
SFO International Terminal (G) Departures Level
San Francisco, CA 94128
7:00AM – 8:00PM

I ordered a cappuccino and it was promptly crafted by friendly barista.

It was delicious. Not the best I’ve had by any means…I would have preferred a stronger, darker blend with more chocolate nodes…but it was very good. I particularly appreciated how the milk was blended with the espresso and that I wasn’t asked what size I wanted. A real cappuccino is always two shots of espresso with an equal portion of milk.

My next stop was Green Beans Coffee Co. in Terminal 3, located in the food court “hub” of the terminal. This chain also has a location in Terminal 1.

Green Beans Coffee Co.
SFO Terminal 3 Food Court
San Francisco, CA 94128
6:00AM – 10:00PM

I ordered a cappuccino again and was dismayed that despite a nice machine, it was prepared the “wrong” way. This “wrong” is subjective, of course, but cappuccino, in my estimation, is not meant to be espresso with fluffy foamed milk plopped on top. Please, that is not a real cappuccino.

Anyway, the coffee wasn’t bad. It was scalding hot, almost burned, but when it cooled down I enjoyed the coffee as a cup of coffee, not as a cappuccino.

On a recent trip, however, I saw a new coffee shop just past the Terminal 3 food court in the F concourse that featured coffee from Verve.

Sidewalk Juice
SFO Terminal 3, Concourse F (near food court)
San Francisco, CA 94128
4:30AM – 11:00PM

As its name implies, Sidewalk Juice focuses on juice and smoothies, but also offers coffee. Pastries also looked excellent.

Verve is a roaster in Santa Cruz, CA that offers superior coffee beans. But would the barista be able to create a good cappuccino?

While he did not create beautiful latte art, the coffee was excellent and I’d put it slightly ahead of Joe & The Juice.

CONCLUSION

You’re better off at either Green Beans or Joe & The Juice than Starbucks or Coffee Bean. However, I found Joe & The Juice to offer a much better cup of coffee than Green Beans. Now, though, my preference will be at Sidewalk Juice.

What is your favorite coffee shop at SFO?

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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27 Comments

  1. Mike Reply
    October 16, 2020 at 3:17 pm

    I’ve never had coffee at Joe but their smoothies are amazing.

  2. Willem Reply
    October 16, 2020 at 3:28 pm

    Agreed on Joe and the Juice! I find their juices mediocre and overpriced, but their coffee is averagely priced and fantastic!

    They could just be called “Joe” as far as I’m concerned

  3. UA-NYC Reply
    October 16, 2020 at 3:52 pm

    Joe is all over NYC…good stuff

  4. Chris Reply
    October 16, 2020 at 5:23 pm

    You should have checked out the coffee robots, too!

    • SocalGirl Reply
      October 17, 2020 at 1:30 am

      Both coffee robots are still closed

  5. Andy K Reply
    October 16, 2020 at 5:38 pm

    Joe and The Juice is great — they had one in Hamburg, Germany where I spent some time.

    Another option at SFO (pre-security) is Roasting Plant Coffee in in the International Terminal behind the check in islands.

  6. ptahcha Reply
    October 16, 2020 at 6:59 pm

    You didn’t try out Peet’s, or too much caffeine by that point?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      October 16, 2020 at 7:03 pm

      I love Peet’s, but sadly it is closed.

  7. Tom Reply
    October 16, 2020 at 9:27 pm

    @Matthew I’ve only had coffee at the Polaris Lounge at SFO which I had with my breakfast prior to my flight to Osaka and found it to be pretty good. Do you have suggestions for DEN? I’ll be flying LH DEN-MUC mid December

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      October 16, 2020 at 11:53 pm

      No suggestions for DEN. Usually when I am there I just use the United Club. I’ll have a look next time I am there.

      I could have added the Polaris Lounge to my post…your point is well-taken and I think I’ll go back and update it. I agree that the coffee is excellent there.

    • SocalGirl Reply
      October 17, 2020 at 1:30 am

      There are no good coffee options in Den united terminal

      • UA-NYC Reply
        October 17, 2020 at 10:02 am

        Wouldn’t call it “good” – but isn’t there a Caribou or something in the middle of DEN B on the mezz level? Nothing good on the main level IIRC.

  8. Andy F Reply
    October 17, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    Joe and the Juice is currently the best option in the International G, but when it reopens I prefer the espresso drinks at Napa Farms Market, also in G. In Terminal 3 I usually go to Dogpatch Bakehouse & Caffè which has a La Marzocco, definitely an improvement over the automatic machines at Peets.

  9. ps241 Reply
    October 17, 2020 at 7:09 pm

    I think the best coffee (i.e., the closest to Italy) at SFO used to be at the three Emporio Rulli outlets. They are a local company, which I thought would secure them a spot at SFO, but all their locations disappeared during the recent overhaul of SFO. Either they couldn’t afford higher rent, or they failed the “cool factor” test.

    • ps241 Reply
      June 15, 2022 at 3:20 am

      It’s almost two years since the above post, and I still miss the Emporio Rulli locations. They not only had great espresso drinks, but their own special Italian pastries insted of the generic stuff at almost every other airport coffee spot.

  10. Willem Reply
    June 14, 2022 at 5:22 pm

    Joe & Juice thankfully prices their coffee reasonably unlike their [good, but mad] expensive juices…

  11. SINJim Reply
    June 14, 2022 at 6:33 pm

    Matthew: when you next return to Singapore, let’s try Joe & the Juice and Nando’s for comparison! J&J has one location 100 feet from the W on Sentosa Island. Residents of Sentosa drive their (golf) carts there. You may also want to review the new Hilton and the old Hilton–now Voco, as well as the new SQ lounges.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      June 14, 2022 at 7:27 pm

      For sure, though you’ve shared there are much better local coffee places!

  12. DavidM Reply
    June 14, 2022 at 8:32 pm

    Matthew, how did you manage to try these places when there were no other people? When I have flown through SFO, there were people and lines most everywhere…but not in your pictures. How do you manage that – is it just the Klint magic?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      June 14, 2022 at 8:37 pm

      Ha. Well the Joe Juice pictures were taken at 5am, but the other ones were in the late morning.

  13. Aaron Reply
    June 15, 2022 at 12:12 am

    “A real cappuccino is always two shots of espresso with an equal portion of milk.”

    Some would say a real cappuccino has equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foam (⅓ each). Though the double espresso is standard…

  14. Santastico Reply
    June 15, 2022 at 7:54 am

    Joe And The Juice is everywhere and mostly famous for juices and smoothies. Will have to try their cappuccino next time.

  15. Chris Reply
    June 15, 2022 at 9:32 pm

    Green Beans pre-security near Checkpoint G.

    I refuse to go to a place called “sidewalk juice.” I’ve lived near the Mission, and I want no part of their sidewalk juice.

  16. Chris W Reply
    June 16, 2022 at 10:42 am

    oh man I could kick myself – I walked past Joe & the Juice 4 times flying out of and into YVR domestic last week – didn’t even look at the menu but I was looking for a cappuccino on a tight connection and ended up waiting until my destination. Definitely going to give it a try in 2 weeks when I fly out again

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      June 16, 2022 at 10:59 am

      Too bad. Give it a try – not bad at all.

  17. ray Reply
    June 21, 2022 at 11:53 pm

    try the robot coffee, by united entrance,. cafeX. Best!

  18. Pingback: Why We Changed Our Minds About Airbnb, One Less Line To Stand On At Airports, The Next Best Thing To Global Entry - Your Mileage May Vary

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