Coffee Lab San Jose del Cabo Coffee Shop Review
Coffee Lab sits in a quiet corner of San Jose del Cabo, around a corner off of Calle Benito Juarez, inhabiting a beautiful space that combines its indoor and outdoor elements wonderfully. A specialty coffee shop founded in 2015 when specialty coffee was nowhere to be found in Los Cabos, Coffee Lab’s expressed mission is to both introduce new people to specialty coffee as well as create a space that builds community through “cultural events” and building a space for the fledgling creative community in the region. Explore more at their website here
Drink
We visited Coffee Lab on a quiet Monday morning in January, hoping for a spot to get a delicious morning coffee and potentially some breakfast as well. We were very pleased to find open seating in the small outdoor seating area, and I quickly ordered from the classic selection of third wave coffee beverages they offer, though the menu definitely offers far more beyond that. The options they include vary from lattes and cappuccinos to the more adventurous, such as espresso tonics and carajillos. I personally ordered a classic whole milk latte, and my partner ordered a mango smoothie from their fresh juice selection; my latte was wonderfully extracted and perfectly poured, and the smoothie carried the flavor of fresh fruit perfectly.
Coffee Lab’s Coffee Drink List
Everything from classic Italian coffee drinks to newer third wave options
Prices in Mexican Pesos
Coffee Lab’s Fruit Drink List
Several options, all done up with fresh fruit.
Prices in Mexican Pesos
Food
There were plenty of great food options on their menu as well, leaning more American classic brunch overall flavors, but with some dashes of Mexican flavor in there as well. Some highlights on the American side include maple bacon French toast, an avocado toast, and panini fried chicken, with the chilaquiles holding up the Mexican side of the dishes. I ordered an Acai bowl, feeling some fresh fruit and cool food, and my partner got an egg sandwich. I found my bowl as refreshing as I hoped it would be, and while I’m no expert on the dish, I found it to be very balanced flavor-wise. My partner loved their egg sandwich, from the brioche down through the scrambled egg and cheese, with the bacon being cooked to perfection. I ate her side salad, which I found to be well-dressed and made with very crisp greens. All in all, the meal was excellent, and I would happily go back any time.
The Spread!
Merch
They also had a few small things you can buy, as well as bags of coffee (roasted in-house, as mentioned before). I purchased a t-shirt with a replica of a mural they had on the side of the building, as well as a bag of their coffee. Having now had the chance to try it as well when back home, it’s a solid medium roast well-suited for espresso drinks and Aeropresses to my personal tastes, but a little too dark for my typical V60 pour-over recipes.
A video of the interior/exterior space Coffee Lab has for seating
Conclusion
Coffee Lab hits all the notes when it comes to a cute and cozy place to grab great coffee and a quick bite to eat, but it also turned out to be more than that. While we were not there to do so ourselves, they seemed to be a local hub for people to come and work or meet with friends, as any good coffee shop capable of serving as a third place does. They also have local community-building events, from movie nights to gallery exhibitions, and roast their own coffee to boot! I would happily grab espresso beans for my daily use here if I lived nearby, and would also love to come and work on any given beautiful day too! Will happily come back the next time we’re around.
