The hidden gem of Portola, this Four Barrel location is tucked under the freeway overpass (and yet is seemingly immune to the road noise) and just off the main street of shops and restaurants. It’s a smaller and more snug cafe compared to the Valencia spot, however they offer an assortment of toast. Must say, the house made Nutella and sea salt toast is epic!

Experience was exceptional loved the vibe really quiet and feels very hipster like would definitely worth the value.Although it’s a bit petit in size the quality of what is offered is truly stellar.The alley it’s located on is also very fitting to how much of a hidden gem this place can be considered!Also seems like everything is homemade and coffee is in-house roaster. Coffee roast is very adequate for the the continuous vibe you get around you here. Is this hidden gem in San Francisco. Will definitely make this my place for coffee.Support local businessesCoffee rate 8/10Food 9/10

Tucked away, this cafe is a gem! It is super teeny tiny, and there is some beautiful nature nearby. I love the repurposed barrels theyve used to decorate the ceiling. The baristas really take their time here. The roast on the coffee is light. Id say this is a serious coffee drinker kind of establishment. I enjoyed the most delicious toast with almond butter and jam. Hazel had some tea and I liked the ice they choose. Con: I also tried a hand pie the next day. It was overcooked, the pastry wasnt flavorful. This is absolutely handicapped accessible. I did not use a restroom, though, so I dont know about that.

After almost spitting my coffee out at the Four Seasons hotel, I knew I’d need to make a pit stop on my way back to the South Bay. Craving an sf specialty, i looked up four barrel thinking I’d stop in the mission and was pleased to find this tiny shop just off of 101 on my way home. Limited but easy parking with little to nowhere to sit is the perfect combination for a quick pick up and a return to caffeinated sanity. Not to mention, the decor is minimal but amazing.

I came to check out this place with my friend and it was little difficult to find as it is located at the end of the street. Only few seatings available here. I felt the price was unreasonable as it offers only few seats and the service wasn’t satisfying. Would suggest to go to the one in Mission if you still want coffee from Four Barrel.

TLDR: This is about the one off of San Bruno Ave. The other locations have a different atmosphere and size. This location is a nice, hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. The baristas are quick and the coffee is good. The toast is a bit expensive but it very good and I would recommend.This place is not easy to find because it is at the end of a not through street. To find this place, you would need to be looking for it. This location is next to a some land that was re-purposed for some neighborhood beautification project, so now there is a vibrant and colorful garden to accompany the food and drinks you can get at Four Barrel. When facing the cafe, there are two doorways, one small one that leads directly to the register and one larger one that leads to the garden area. I normally get their toast with almond butter and honey and a latte.Their lattes are very good, very smooth and creamy from the steamed milk, which accentuates the espresso inside. The baristas also do some nice latte art, which is always a plus! The toast is good. The slices they give are really thick and it always feels like more than enough. The amount of almond butter they put on is quite thick when comparing it to the toast itself. The toast seems expensive but well worth what you get. Overall, I highly recommend coming here. Friendly baristas, good coffee and food and a cozy space to enjoy all of it.

Great place!! Love the chai 👍🏼

Coffee and toast is obviously amazing, too bad some of the staff is too cool to be nice.

Had a 4$ iced coffee. It was unmemorable. Seats were awkwardly arranged. There was no bathroom. On the bright side, it wasnt crowded and the place had a relaxed vibe.

Great mocha, but their toast is the best Ive tried. There is usually ample street parking early in the morning.

Dont be fooled by a location of this coffeeshop (almost under the highway) – its warm and cozy inside! You can enjoy a cup of top quality coffee either in store or outside if its sunny. It feels like youre in a small garden.My favorite drink: good ol latte! ☕️

Wonderful coffee, and this cafe comes with a resident cat (somewhat shy)

Best coffee shop!

The coffee was great! You can good quality coffee beans at many places, but it takes the skills if a great barista to pull the perfect espresso shot. This, blink it and you miss it, gem has that. Also try the toasts - goes perfectly with the espresso.

I thought it was interesting/neat/surprising that there was an ultra hip Four Barrel in Portola. I learned that its been open for 6 years. Staff was nice and espresso was tasty. Really like that its more low key than the big/busy spot on Valencia. Cute garden adjacent to the spot as well, nice to sip and read something on a sunny day.

Cafe food... so tasty. I give this spot a thumbs up. Staff treated us so nice. Prices were average for the menu.

Fine location for delicious cafe food. visited about four, it was not full. the bill wont break you. i can see why they have a lot of great reviews.

So much better than the attitude filled other location on Valencia. There you get this feeling that you should be thankful and humbled for being allowed in that unique espresso meca. Right... here its this real espresso experience in quite a unique location and space. Come here. Skip Valencia

Such a cool space. Youd never even know it was here unless... you knew it was here. Grab a cup of Joe and have a seat. Stay a while and enjoy the gentle hum of conversation and coffee grinding.Youd never even know the freeway was right next door, I promise.

Lovely little hidden away coffee shop. Look up. Great music taste on the vintage boombox keeps this place flowing. The Team is always top-notch and friendly.

A good coffee shop to hang around. It makes you feel relaxed because you can enjoy your coffee outdoors.

If you like really strong, powerful coffee, then this is the place to go. I absolutely loved how there aren’t many people at this location, but I didn’t like the fact that they didn’t have a public restroom. Also, I liked how they were situated right next to a public parklet where you could enjoy your coffee.

One of my favorite places for Cafe food. I love it here. Staff treated us so kindly.

Fine place for cafe food. The staff was very welcoming and observant. Prices were decent. Menu is like a cafe in Boston I loved.

Good small cup of coffee. I wish they had more than one size option. For $3.25 (as of Feb 2019) it’s a small cup and refills are full price. At Pete’s they give you a refill for less than full price. Not here.This location has a monopoly for now because no where else in the area can you get good coffee. No restroom.

Ok location for delicious cafe food. It was so savory. The staff was very friendly and attentive. Feels similar to a restaurant in Philadelphia that I enjoyed visiting.

Yes, its Sunday before noon, but if the first point of business contact, the register girl (yes, girl) cannot even crack a smile or be civil, please place her behind a desk- no problem. The espresso guy was the hard worker and could not have been nicer.

Man I love this place! Four Barrel may just be my favorite roaster in the city! The raspberry pistachio croissant is so, so good! My partner got the mocha, and while not typically my thing, it was the best mocha Id tasted in YEARS!

Thank goodness weve got a gourmet coffee place in our little neck of the woods the Portola. They make the best coffee right in the center of town. If youre looking for a great coffee shop to hang out in this is the one. Look no further

Probably the best coffee house in San Francisco. Cute, dainty, lovely polished concrete. I asked for a Flat White even though not on the menu and the coffee was one of the best Id ever had. Looking forward to going back every weekend.

This waitress always has a bad mood and really turned me off imediately. Been a few times. Its expensive for this neighborhood. for the hipsters who think Portola is the next up and coming hotspot, in reality its just the only place they could afford. San Bruno ave is a really dirty place, at least this little green nook provides some escape from that. The inside of the place has some interesting design at least, the ceiling is cool

Absolutely smashing. Not precious. Good brew. Outdoor spaces. Off the street. Good for conversation. The bread is notable.

Tried this based on recommendations. Loved their chocolate croissant, but their latte had a distinct taste to it. It wasnt bad or anything, but it reminded me of Chinese medicine/herb stores or chicken essence (⊙＿⊙) it was pretty earthy.

Avoid this location of the coffee shop if your looking for good coffee. Staff is downright rude/unhelpful. Coffee was overbrewed with excess tannins. The teller refused to replace/provide fresher cup of coffee

Great coffee and hot chocolate. Parking can be a bit of a challenge, but its worth it.

I dont think theres a more unique comfortable little coffee shop with better coffee in the bay area

Great coffee, interesting food options, beautiful space. But we wanted bigger coffees! And we didnt feel especially welcomed here...its a little hipster/uppity.

Would give it 5 stars, but NO BATHROOM! How can you enjoy a few cups of delicious 4 barrel coffee and not have to pee in like 5 minutes?

Good coffee and vibe, but no WiFi and no bathroom so it’s hard to hang out for very long. Dog-friendly.

Ok spot for Cafe food. ive had nothing but pleasant experiences here and plan to keep coming back. the prices are good for what you get.

One if my favorite coffee shops in the Visitacion area of San Francisco. The place is small and cozy, and the coffee is fresh and delicious.They use a different type of roast beans, meaning the roast that is lighter than that of Starbucks or Peets. So dont expect the flavor to be the same.Its worth going out of your way if you love coffee. They are one of the recommended places in this area of SF.

Both the iced coffee and espresso were very good. The shop is very small but adorable with a little garden.

They serve wonderful coffee. I tried their cappuccino and toast and absolutely loved it.

Expensive toast and no parking. Coffee is nice

Awesome coffee and parklet. Just beware that finding parking in the area is tough. Go for the meters in San Bruno Ave.

Tim is a great barista--always get great service and delicious coffee and pastries when I stop by on Friday mornings.

Just as a head up to anyone trying to go to Four Barrel in the Portola District as of 5/17 is closed.

Very cute café hidden in the streets of Portola. I highly recommend their nitro coffee - a cold brew alternative sans ice to drink outside on a log in their mini garden!

Great coffee. Too $$$ and too much attitude.

Great coffee, wonderful vibes with thoughtful, non-imposing music (jazz, etc)

Excellent latte and friendly service! Great to see a location here in my neighborhood :) fresh coffee and they sell bags of their coffee beans here too!

Cozy hidden spot to grab a drink and enjoy the small little park setup at the dead end of a street

This is a place where people come dressed like the robbers from home alone, coffee is good tho.

Delicious toast and coffee; friendly staff; clean shop with an adorable kitty that wanders around

Nicely situated down an alley just off busy San bruno Avenue, BUT THERES NO WAY A CROISSANT SHOULD COST $4 !!!!! dare go here unless you like to be ripped off thats an extortional price for the area and it wasnt fresh either. A thumbs down 👎

Friendly service and perhaps the best latte I have ever had

Cool, chill space in a great hidden little known neighborhood.

Recommend this place because of the food, staff, and decor, and cleanness!

Good coffee but only comes in one size.

Four Barrel in Portola is a hidden gem as many have mentioned. The pastries are from nearby Craftsman & Wolves kitchen. Two Valencia Street boutique food shops combined in one low key location, on Burrows cul de sac. The hum of the 101 southbound whizzes by 20 above a small garden setting. No bathroom is unfortunate, and typical SF prices for coffee and pastries are all off set by no lines, and a cool, industrial interior. The sections of old, wooden piping that comprise the ceiling are a fantastic counterpoint to the bare, poured concrete walls. Ive heard these were salvaged from the old Hetch Hetchy supply lines that were replaced with concrete pipes.High quality, with a chill vibe, worth the time and price.

Wtf the coffee suck. Maybe for other stuff nice cute place for some hipster.

Strong flavorful espresso. San Bruno Ave / Portola moving on UP!

Despite having internet in the cafes name, the barista informed me after purchasing the coffee that it was an internet free cafe.

Interesting industrial decor. Very relaxing and laid-back vibe. Delicious, fresh pastries. Friendly service. Their cups and plates are from local ceramic artisans, so thats also cool.This place is located at the dead end of the street with only a small sign to indicate the storefront, so it can be hard to miss. But theres a parklet right next it, so that helps to spot the place. They dont have tables yet, but there are a lot chairs and stools to hang out outside near the parklet.Also, the Portola/Bayview district tends to be generally sunnier than other parts of San Francisco, so its a nice place to just hang out.

Would be perfect but it doesnt have WiFi

What kind of coffee shop doesn’t have a bathroom for paying customers?

Boots!

Funky and fun place for coffee and something sweet.

Excellent latte. friendly vibe, parklet outside.

Great coffee located in the Portola district.

Excellent coffee shop! Gem in the city

Really cute hole-in-the-wall coffee shop

Very cool little coffee shop.

It gud. Parking not so gud.

Excellent coffee. Ill be back!

One of my favorite coffee spots in SF

I recommend this place.

This place may have great coffee, but it has the most miserable service staff. Truly unpleasant.

BEWARE: NO WIFI!! very limited coffee menu. Only toast for food.

Parking is a little tricky but this hidden gem in Vis Valley is totally worth it!

Quiet little place, coffee was good.

I like the coffee good taste

I got a worst-ever mocha, and it is so small and cost $5.75. Shady place and average service. They dont even have a bathroom.

No hospital place good coffe

Best coffee Ive had!

Nice and cute coffee shop

Very unfriendly space, located in a very awkward corner of a crowded neighborhood

Quiet location, good coffee

Cinnamon bread is fire

Good coffee, and toast!

Good coffee and environment

This place was ok not memorable

Quiet place!

Amazing coffee!

Just ok

Nice corner spot

Strong cappuccino

Its 4barrel coffee, what else is there to say???

Decent

Tasty