Update: This location is now closed.
Unlike mega chain Starbucks, It’s a Grind is well, a smaller chain. At least compared to Starbucks and compared to the number of locations in San Diego. I had a small hunch it was a chain, but I didn’t really know it until the internet confirmed my suspicions. In any case, it was still lovely for a chain.
The particular location I visited was the one in Littly Italy. My friend and I wandered through all of Little Italy on Friday night, after we visited Hudson Bay Seafood earlier in the evening for some fine seafood. I’ve already reviewed Hudson Bay Seafood, but I will say that their fried shrimp is excellent but that I’m not very keen on their clam chowder. The clam chowder had bit bites of celery in it, which is a turn-off for me. I like celery, I just don’t like chunks of it. I like them to be itty bittier pieces so it doesn’t overpower my poor little taste buds.
We stopped at It’s a Grind on a whim. We bypassed a little gelato place just east of the main Little Italy drag and a few of the other hopping coffee places. Defintely bypassed the Starbucks as well as we’ve both been there and done that. It’s a Grind was pretty nice. They had a bunch of high backed cozy chairs for sitting and sipping your drink.
The service we had was also really excellent. The girl who served us was super nice. She explained of all the tasty goods in the case and told us they could make us pretty much any kind of coffee we wanted and to our liking. If we wanted something sweeter, or not so sweet, or even combine things (she spoke of a mystical drink – the “Tuxedo Mocha” which would have white chocolate and dark chocolate in it which sounded very tempting and is not displayed on their regular menu) for us. I opted to have the “Nutty Cow” – a hazelnut latte. My friend and I also this pink cookie I spotted in the case. I asked the girl, “Is that a pink cookie I see?” She said, “Yeah, it’s actually a raspberry white chocolate chunk cookie.” I thought, “Yes! I need to try that.”
The “pink cookie” was divine. She heated it up a little bit for us so it got just a little bit melty. The best part was that it had just a few chocolate chips in it, kind of a nice little surprise while you’re eating the rest of it. It was just the right amount of dessert to top off the night. The pink cookie was also $1.99, not too shabby. The coffees are pretty much priced the same as Starbucks or similar – the small coffee was just over $3.
They also let us stay past closing. It was a Friday night and they closed at 9PM but she assured us they wouldn’t kick us out right away. We stayed until 9:30 until they started to mop the floors. The girl also offered to give us the rest of their baked goods for the day – muffins and scones – which we both glady took since she said they were just going to throw them away anyway. After working there for quite some time, she was pretty much all “baked-good-out” and had no interest in taking them home herself. We were totally happy with the experience and I would go again, it if were closer to where I lived, but it’s a good option for another night if anyone wanted to just go and chill out for awhile.
It’s a Grind
(multiple locations)
1603 India St.
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 795-6209
