Where: Sip-N-Sea, 1488 N Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas, CA 92024
Open: 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily
What: Drip Coffee – Talitha Huehuetenango from San Antonia Huista Guatemala, medium roast
Tasting notes: Toffee, citrus, milk chocolate
Find them at: https://www.sipnseacafe.com/ • @sipnseacafe on Instagram
Other links for photos: https://www.facebook.com/sipnsea
What I’m listening to: Mapache, “Encinal Canyon”
Sip-N-Sea is a new spot in Leucadia. It’s got a small footprint, but they pack a lot inside. They must, as the menu is huge for a coffee shop with no indoor seating or counter. They serve smoothies, boba, coffee, milk teas, and acai bowls. They have plenty of topping options.
Many sound fairly healthy, but my wheelhouse is coffee and booze, so I can’t be sure. Do you know if moringa leaf is good for you? At Sip-N-Sea, you order at a walk-up window, and if you’d like to stay, they have patio seating under a shade sail just off to the north.
The window is just off the Coast Highway, and the line gets kind of smushed off to both sides of the building. It is hard to tell who is waiting and who is ordering. I’d bet it is only a matter of time before someone tries to make the walk-up a drive-up.
North Encinitas and Leucadia have a plethora of coffee options, yet Sip-N-Sea is fairly busy mid-morning. There is always a line of at least a few customers. Many walk up from the nearby neighborhood. I order a drip coffee. They’re serving Talitha Coffee’s Huehuetenango single origin from Guatemala.
Talitha Coffee is a San Diego-based roaster that recently launched. In addition to coffee, they have a mission to provide support for and advocacy efforts on behalf of survivors of sex trafficking. Learn more about their commitment to the cause at talitha.com/mission.
After admiring the collection of puppy instant photos that line the roof of the order window, I take my coffee to a freshly built 2×4 picnic table near a mural proclaiming the existence of Leucadia that adds more than a splash of color to this side of the street.
On the other side of the cafe is an eye-catching Boba Fett/boba tea mural. Boba is a drink native to Taiwan but is increasingly popular around the world.
An orange shade sail makes it easy to work on my laptop while I sip coffee, and I’m not the only one. A few businessmen wearing flip-flops, swim trunks, and fancy watches talk loudly into Bluetooth earbuds.
Some remote workers sit on stools at a patio rail with laptops open. In line are a couple taking an early morning stroll pushing a pair of youngsters in a double-wide stroller and a couple of burly construction workers.
With clientele from all walks of life, Sip-N-Sea reminds me of a cafe in a small European town. A place that doubles as the place to meet everyone in the community. Of course, they’d probably sell beer and wine there, but that isn’t an option at Sip-N-Sea. At least not yet, fingers-crossed.
- Shout-out to all the San Diego coffee pros I’ve been running into at Coffee Fest in Anaheim, including Lily from Lil Coffee Geek and Brea from Jaunt Coffee. It’s great to see the SD craft coffee community represented. Thanks to Hacea Coffee Source for the invite!
Want to hear the stories of local coffee entrepreneurs or learn how to brew a better cup of coffee at home? Listen to the Coffee People and Coffee Smarter podcasts featuring lots of local coffee roasters like Crossings Coffee, Mostra Coffee, and Ignite Coffee Company. You can even stream the latest episodes on The Coast News!
