Steady State's San Marcos Café Is Next Door to the Roastery

Overview

Steady State Roasting has two North County cafés, and the San Marcos one sits next to the roastery.

That's the reason to pick it over the Carlsbad shop if you actually care about coffee. You're drinking it where it's made.

The company describes itself as an "award winning specialty California coffee roaster," and the awards are real: a Good Food Foundation win in 2020, a Roasters Village placing in the 2018 CoffeeChamps rankings, San Diego Magazine's Best of North County in 2019, and repeated reviews from Coffee Review.

On sourcing, their own line is: "we work closely with our farmer and importer friends to source the best green coffees from around the world," roasting "to bring out the flavors of the coffee's varietal, processing and terroir."

Here's what's worth knowing before you go, because the two cafés are not interchangeable.

Carlsbad is open 7 a.m.–4 p.m. daily. San Marcos is 7 a.m.–2 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday only.

So San Marcos — the roastery one — is closed Sunday and Monday and shuts two hours earlier. If you're making the trip for the roastery, check the day.

The Beans

Prices run $17.50 to $30, and the range tells you how the roastery thinks:

Single origin:

• Guji Uraga, Ethiopia — $30.00 — the top of the list
• Aquiares, Costa Rica — $28.00 · Kerchache Wush Wush, Ethiopia — $28.00
• La Pradera Castillo Organic, Colombia — $26.00
• Huabal Organic, Peru — $24.00
• Gore Kone, Ethiopia — $19.50 · Adanech, Ethiopia — $19.50
• Magdalena, Colombia — $19.00
• Inzá Decaf, Colombia — $18.50

Blends:

• Way Out Blend, organic — $20.00
• Space Traveler — $17.50 · Daybreak Blend — $17.50

Three Ethiopians on one list, at three different price points, is a decent signal of where their interest lies.

The Cold Brew

They make two, and they're sold in cans as well as in the café:

• The 11:11 Blend — their own description is "not your average cold brew"
• Way Out Blend organic nitro cold brew

You can also find the cans around North County — they list Pure Project in Carlsbad, Seaweed & Gravel, Craft Coast Tacos and Belching Beaver in Vista as stockists. Wholesale is by the case of 24, local delivery only.

How to Visit

Carlsbad

• 2562 State Street, Suite G, Carlsbad, CA 92008 — in Plaza Flores, Carlsbad Village
• 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., daily
• 760.696.3066
• Parking: the Plaza Flores lot, plus street parking on Roosevelt Street, State Street and Laguna Drive

San Marcos

• 1320 Grand Ave #9, San Marcos, CA 92078 — next to the roastery
• 7:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., Tuesday–Saturday

Good to Know

• San Marcos is the roastery one, and it's closed Sunday and Monday.
• Both open at 7 a.m., which makes either a genuine before-work option.
• $17.50 is the entry point for a bag, and $30 the ceiling. That's a reasonable spread for a roaster at this level.
• Carlsbad parking is spelled out on their site — Plaza Flores plus three named streets, which is more than most Carlsbad Village businesses will tell you.
• Look for the cans if you can't get to either café. Four North County stockists are listed.
• They run a monthly playlist series, Airwaves, paired with limited coffee releases — a nice thing to know about if you subscribe.

The Takeaway

Drive to San Marcos on a Wednesday morning, drink a cup next to the roaster, and take home a bag of the Guji Uraga.

What makes Steady State worth the trip isn't the award list, though it's a genuine one — it's that you can stand in a café in San Marcos with the roastery on the other side of the wall. That's as close to the source as coffee gets in North County.

For more spots worth knowing, browse our Local Picks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Steady State Roasting? Two North County locations: Carlsbad at 2562 State Street, Suite G, in Plaza Flores, and San Marcos at 1320 Grand Ave #9, next to their roastery.

What are the hours? Carlsbad is open 7 a.m.–4 p.m. daily. San Marcos is 7 a.m.–2 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

How much are the beans? From $17.50 for the Space Traveler and Daybreak blends up to $30 for the Guji Uraga from Ethiopia.

Has Steady State won awards? Yes — a Good Food Foundation award in 2020, a placing in the 2018 CoffeeChamps roaster rankings, and San Diego Magazine's Best of North County in 2019, alongside Coffee Review scores.

Where can I buy their cold brew? In both cafés, and at stockists including Pure Project in Carlsbad, Seaweed & Gravel, Craft Coast Tacos and Belching Beaver in Vista.

Is there parking in Carlsbad? Yes — the Plaza Flores lot, plus street parking on Roosevelt Street, State Street and Laguna Drive.

Do they sell wholesale? Yes, cold brew cans by the case of 24, local delivery only.