Graffeo Coffee Roasting Company
Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill735 Columbus Ave
(between Filbert St & Greenwich St)
San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 986-2420
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Wi-Fi: None
53 reviews
Neighborhood: Russian Hill
"Good sandwiches, and various different types of sandwiches, cool location, staff was cool and even brought out my latte instead of shouting…" read more »
53 Reviews for Graffeo Coffee Roasting Company
Best roaster in town,
G's beans help to get it right,
Perfect cup at home.
I pick up coffee for my office here every week. They have a simple selection... Light Roast or Dark Roast... Whole bean or ground. We have some serious coffee snobs in my office and everyone loves this coffee. They don't actually serve coffee here but if you want to try their coffee just go to the cafe next door.
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My mom is a coffee addict so I bought her a pound of the dark beans when I went home. They have amazing coffee -- the dark roast is really smooth and I hardly ever drink my coffee black but this one is good enough to drink completely black. The people working here are so nice too. The first time I came here, I forgot my wallet at work but they let me take the coffee anyway and told me to come back later to pay!
This is absolutely the best coffee around. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is a close second, but the thing that knocks me off my feet about Graffeo is that the flavor of the coffee is so out of this world good that it can get away with being consumed black (no sweetener or cream). Wish that more restaurants would select Graffeo as their house brand.
I remember when they would sell this coffee in St. Helena at a little store on Main Street.
I miss my Graffeo's coffee...no frills or silly flavors... just the best coffee ever.
Sadly, everytime I try to go there it's closed.....sigh.
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*Blech*
I think Graffeo the cat (who lives in North Beach by the way) must have deposited a few links in the bag of espresso I purchased. Seems like the blokes who work here agree with me--they're always in a mood.
Alas, they don't pull shots here. Perhaps they should. I for one would have appreciated tasting prior to purchasing.
Double *blech*
I was turned onto Graffeo as I'm a barista and it's what we use at my work. Now... there are sights, sounds and smells that I associate with work and sometimes they're unpleasant as work can be... unpleasant. The smell of the wonderful bags of Graffeo coffee are happily not something I have a negative connotation with as a result of being surrounded(knee deep in it) at work. A few months ago I wasn't even drinking coffee, It'd even really been years ago back in Seattle that I was last a coffee consumer. Now every morning I'm at work without fail I make myself a single shot packed tight topped with just a touch of steamed soy... perfection.
Sooooo good! I like a coffee shop that has three items - dark, light and half and half. They do what they are EXCELLENT at - roasting beans. they don't even brew it!
I have upped my order to 2 lbs half and half because my addiction grows. Living in Berkeley, I have to get my fill when I'm in SF. I grind it myself, but they do a great job of customizing your grind based on your coffee making machinery.
Their coffee tastes just like coffee smells - roasty, toasty, mellow and awesome.
ps - I recently tried blue bottle. ok, but doesn't hold a candle to Graffeo!
Tried the dark roast in a french press... This is amazing coffee that has great drinkability. Might be the best coffee I've ever had, and is certainly the best dark roast.
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I'll drink Graffeo coffee, or I won't drink coffee at all.
Well, that's not entirely true. Let me amend: I'll use Graffeo coffee beans at home, or I won't make coffee at home at all. I do drink non-Graffeo coffee at Cafe Grecco, the only cafe I'll patronize.
I tend to find what I like and I stick with it. Graffeo's beans suit me well. I use the light roast beans. They're rich and not bitter. I've been to Blue Bottle, I've stood in the long-ass line surrounded by hipsters and seriously I cannot see the reason for such hype.
Graffeo kicks Blue Bottle's ass. The counter men are always friendly, both to me, and to my son, when I send him there to buy our beans. That's a big deal, because a lot of people treat kids like utter crap, and then he gets upset and refuses to go there again, thus limiting the number of errands I can send him on, which sucks.
Graffeo: best coffee, best service, simply the best.
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Graffeo is truly for serious coffee lovers and drinkers. I've been a dark roast fan for 6 years now. The aroma that comes from the bag is amazing and that first sip in the morning is soooo delicious. It's not very close to my neighborhood, but it's well worth the travel time.
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Today my friend D. took me to Graffeo in North Beach, and gave me a tour of the coffee roaster which he built 17 years ago. It's one of the only fluid bed roasters in the world, where the coffee beans are treated like fluid.
I don't know if you've ever had Graffeo. I was turned onto it recently, and I think, quite frankly (and this is no bullshit, as I've had my share of good coffee), it's the best coffee I've ever tasted. It reminds me a little of what I like about Kona coffee. It's better than Blue Bottle, much better, and I think Blue Bottle is excellent, though my friend D. thinks otherwise. And he's a coffee expert among experts.
It's not grassy, like San Francisco Bay coffee. It's not burnt like Charbucks. It's nutty and chocolatey and smooth. It's got that something going on that's undefinably delicious, almost offputting. It's so good you can't believe it, and believe it you will, at least I did. And now I'm a convert.
Ruch Reichl of the New York Times once called it the best coffee in the world. It's a combination of New Guinea, Columbian and Costa Rican beans.
D. described the process of the fluid bed roaster to me. It'll roast 3 loads in an hour, a load being 180 lbs. It's got a vacuum that sucks the beans up through a pipe into... I'm not a mechanical engineer, and since I'm slightly tipsy, I can't recall the terms D. used as he led me through, but I can assure you that if you like coffee and you're in San Francisco, you'll be pleasantly blown away by Graffeo.
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Graffeo is without a doubt my favorite coffee roaster. They don't sell 10 different roasts and blends. They hold to a simple principle: do one thing and do it well. Well, you actually get two choices - light or dark roast. I go for the light because it suits my taste. I think it's a perfectly balanced coffee. The other reason I support them is that they are good people and I like going in there. They are always friendly and cordial.
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1lb of 1/2+1/2 every week for years now...i'm addicted! You can't find fresher. My Isomac grinder and espresso machine love it. I get crema like i have never seen....excuse me while i go drop a shot!
I get a 1/2 lb of fresh ground every week. They have 3 choices, light, dark and mixed and all 3 are great. The light is really strong and a cup will keep you juiced for the morning. Most restaurants in North Beach serve Graffeo, ask for a cup, it's good.
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I read the reviews and thought I would give it a shot. I expected to find a list of coffee choices, Sumatran/Ethiopian/Espresso, etc. But they give you two choices. Dark or Light.. I bought the dark roast, thinking we will see. Completely blown away.
Probably the best coffee I have had to date. Wonderful aroma and strong without the bite that pinches your nose. A bit pricey, but worth the extra money.
My boyfriend and I make our weekly trek to Graffeo to get a 1/2 lb of the best beans for the freshest, best cup of coffee. Believe the hype; Graffeo is all that is cracked up to be.
P.S. If you're going to get the best whole beans, please dump the blade grinder and splurge on a burr grinder. You won't believe the difference it makes.
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One of my favorite places. Too bad they don't brew at the store. I send a couple of pounds to my friends in Honolulu, every once in a while. I'll take my dark roast over anything that the state of Hawaii has to offer, including Kona.
Mailing tip: get a flat rate envelope and stuff a one pound package. The post office is located a couple of blocks away on Stockton Street on the east side of Washington Square. This is the cheapest way to share.
I've enjoyed their coffee for several years, but I keep forgetting about Graffeo since the storefront doesn't brew coffee.
Graffeo is one of the best places to buy whole coffee beans...if not the best!
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This has been my favorite coffee for years, decades actually. The dark roast perks me up in the morning and some of my favorite pastry shops should tip their hat to Graffeo for keeping me a regular customer. When I was living in LaLa and they opened a store in Beverly Hills... yes, I drove the 30 some fuxing miles just to get my favorite brew.
Very dark, aromatic and of a quality unmatched for balance of flavor, richness and all of this without being flat, having a burnt taste or bitterness found in other "Italian" coffees. They've become very pricey at the retail level but still an elixir stellar in its uniqueness.
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Easily some of the best coffee in this town. They won't just let any clown sell their coffee either, you have to have your act together. I used to manage Cafe Ariana in the showplace design center back in the day(12 years ago). Every Tuesday they would deliver and it was like being back east. Some cool Italian delivery guy would hang out and have a cup of espresso just to make sure our machine worked properly and we were not ruining the joe.
Screw McCoffee...the two to three popular coffee franchises know who I'm talking about. They couldn't wipe Graffeo's ass.
Werd em' up!
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These beans are the beans. The best beans. Best! I grew up on them. My folks were such devotees that when the family had to spend six years in the midwest, my mom had the beans regularly shipped back. Nice. I hold Graffeo responsible for my ~30 year habit.
I was introduced to Graffeo's Coffee years ago and I have to say it is some of the best coffee I have ever had. I am a bit of a coffee snob since I owned a coffee bar for a couple of years. We carried Torrefazzione which is superb as well but there is something about Graffeo's that is un-matched. I am opening a gourmet kitchen and food store soon and Graffeo's will be the signature coffee in my store...that is if they wholesale. :-) . Graffeo's has a signature flavor all its own. They never over roast their beans so the flavor is smooth but rich. Makes great espresso.
The only place outside of Italy where I can trust they will provide the correct grain for my Bialetti caffetiera (stovetop press).
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Graffeo roasted coffee beans are quite likely the best in the West. This is not a caf. In a way, such is rather unfortunate considering their prime location. Nonetheless, they focus on one thing, and that one thing they do right. If you want a tatse of their coffee, simply head over to Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store on the corner of Union & Columbus and ask for a single espresso. Add a small spoon of sugar if you like, and tell me if this isn't the best espresso around.
Since I love coffee, and I do not own a professional espresso maker, I instead brew Graffeo coffee in a drip coffeemaker. I buy one pound of half & half at a time. I have it ground ahead of time, since it really does not affect the quality as long as you store it in an air-tight and light-tight container, and as long as you use it within a week or two.
Graffeo coffee is $13.25 per pound. It is not cheap, but remember, most of the coffee you buy is not sold in one pound bags - they are usually 12 ounces. The price definitely holds up to the superior quality.
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the dark roast they sell here has to be one of the best, if not the best, coffees i've ever had. anywhere. perfectly balanced. and it's three blocks from my place. excellent staff and experience - this is the way coffee buying and drinking should be.
Strong and not bitter.
Absolutely delicious and worth the trip to North Beach if you live elsewhere in the city.
Best beans I've ever used.
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If you're in the area, definitely worth a try. Great coffee and atmosphere, very San Francisco..
i went here last night and bought my first pound after hearing so much hype. i ended up buying it as a christmas present for my boss. so i waited until he came in today, when i knew he would want coffee, and as soon as possible so "he" would have it as fresh as possible.
so he told me to fire up a pot. "aye aye sir". and you know what. i dont think this should have been my fifth cup of coffee for the day. because i cant appreciate it as much.
thats why i am giving this five stars. because i screwed up. there should be an astrick next to my first cup. i will come back and then set my alarm uber early so i am very tired when i have my first cup. then i will truly know how amazing it is.
i have to add that i never have found such balance in a cup of coffee before.
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An example of a place that does one thing and does it very well. Sort of the coffee equivalent of Liguria Bakery and their focaccia.
I like the half-and-half (half dark and light roasts).
I have been buying coffee from Luciano for 25+ years. Nothing else comes close to Graffeo's Dark Roast. As their bags announce, "Simply the world's finest coffee"
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I live very close to Graffeo but I swear I never seen it open! The fact that they don't open on Sundays probably was the reason. I was looking for a place to have lunch on Yelp, I searched for restaurants in North Beach and this place popped up. I called and they were indeed open!! I am a coffee snob, I have a Rancilio setup in my place in south bay and I get my beans from Barefoot, I pull ristrettos with a bottomless portafilter with a triple basket from Chris Coffee. Anyway, when I'm up in the city on weekends I have to depend on coffee shops for coffee, and all the coffee shops in my neighborhood suck! Seriously, some are great places to hang out or to use the free WiFi but the coffee just plain suck. (I have very high standard though)... Only place I like is Ritual but it's too damn far from where I am.
Anyway, I stopped by Graffeo and copped half a pound of coffee, I don't have a grinder up here so I asked him to grind them, I thought about how I would brew them, I decided french press is probably the best and cheapest way to get quality coffee, so I went with that. With my 1/2 lb of grounds in my bag, I walked to Macy's and copped a small french press, went home, brewed myself a cup, holy shit, this dark roast is THE SHIT! This is awesome coz I literally live 2 minutes from them and they sell by 1/2 lb so I can have fresh grounds all the time!! :)
Next week I'll cop half a pound of whole beans and bring it to south bay for the week... Barefoot is great but I'm too lazy to drive down there from where I live...
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There used to be a time when the shopkeeper was a friend, historian and storyteller...For more than 15 years, I have been drinking Graffeo Coffee...how lucky SF is to have Luciano to tell jokes, tell me a little history, and sell me a couple pounds of coffee! BTW-The best restaurants in town DO serve Graffeo!
NEW RULE: Support these jewels in our city's fabric. Buy ALL your coffee here.
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I grew up in North Beach with the aroma of roasting coffee waifing through the neighborhood (Malvina, Trieste & Graffeo to name a few). When I was 14 or 15, I purchased my first ground beans from Luciano's father. There were only two blends then: dark roast and light roast (American roast) as it was referred. The dark roast actually has less caffeine than the light roast according to Luciano's father. Over the years, Luciano has kept to his father's tradition and the quality is consistent. Graffeo Dark Roast is the gold standard - anywhere.
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This place is NOT a cafe, it's a roastery (if that's such a word), in case you were mistaken like me.
No big deal. I live a few blocks away. Walked over to the Bohemian Cigar Bar (per friendly owner's recommendation) and got a fresh cup there of the dark roast. They get their coffee from Columbia & New Guinea.
Gave it 5 stars since I don't want to ruin a good thing going, like to support neighborhood businesses, and have yet to try it freshly brewed with real creme at home. The coffee at Bohemian was IMHO 4 stars. The best I've had ever was in Costa Rica.
Oh Graffeo beans I adore you, so strong yet never bitter, rich but not pretentious, your sublime aroma brightens my day. No other bean can come close to your well balanced glistening goodness, you've spoiled me.
I am so sorry that I must destroy you, pulverize and scald each and every one of you, to partake of your nectar. But you forgive me, I know because you never cease to agree with me, unlike so many of your beany brethren who insist on having the last word.
(FYI: There is also a Graffeo in San Rafael with equally good beans, for those in the Northbay: http://www.graffeo.com/)
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I first had Graffeo coffee at Tabla in New York City a few years back. We were there for my birthday, and the uber-wonderful waiter Ben (I can't believe my sister remembers his name) gave me a half-pound of the Graffeo coffee after I commented on how good it was. So, I was thrilled to discover Graffeo right here in North Beach -- three thousand miles from my first taste. So good, I would have come here from New York just for it. Luckily, it's only a few blocks from home!
I love this place and the friendly people who work there. I'm constantly sending this coffee to out-of-state friends as special treats/gifts and people go bonkers for it. They'll even send it for you! Bravo!
As a former City girl now living in the gourmet ghetto (Florida), I was thrilled to visit Graffeo on my last visit home. I called their SF store (415-986-2420 )to find that they open at 9:00 on Saturdays which made for a nice little walk from SOMA. The gentleman behind the counter was very pleasant and knowlegable and after hearing my coffee stories from Florida, told me I can have Graffeo shipped to me - which I'll do when I'm not planning a visit. Bought 2 lbs (dark) - put them in my carry on bag and smiled when folks on the plane commented about the rich coffee aroma. There is no other coffee this smooth and rich. Heaven!
This place is so serious about their coffee that they focus on roasting rather than serving it, despite their ideal North Beach location. They keep it simple: Light Roast, and Dark Roast. That is it. This coffee will hold up to scrutiny from even the most jaded coffee snobs. If gets less that 5 stars because they keep bankers hours, and it is hard to get there when they are open.
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