Better Buzz Coffee is the best thing since sliced bread. I can actually hear San Diego java junkies rejoicing in agreement! This local spot bows away the competition by a long shot. I’ll have you know I have been a proud Starbucks Gold Card member since 2012. I work hard for my gold stars, linking all of my gift cards together onto my account like a loyal puppy. I even have a Starbucks christmas ornament, indicating how near and dear my caffeine fix is to my heart (figuratively and literally- it’s bad for my blood pressure).

There is almost nothing in the world that a Grande iced coffee with two pumps vanilla and nonfat milk cannot fix. I get irrationally excited when I see those familiar red holiday cups arrive in stores every year. Like every other 20-something female, I feel the need to alert the world via social media that I have, in fact, ordered my first pumpkin spice latte or peppermint mocha to kickstart the holiday season.
I don’t tell you this to get you on the Starbucks bandwagon. I am well aware how completely ridiculous my love affair is with the little green mermaid. Trust me, I am pretty embarrassed of the addiction. I am simply attempting to display my coffee affection, to validate my next statement: Before I tried Better Buzz Coffee, I thought I had life figured out… boy, was I wrong.

A friend introduced me to Better Buzz at work one day, explaining to me that she would trek to Pacific Beach just to get an iced coffee before work. This is significant for two reasons. 1: TIME. We lived 20 – 25 minutes from Pacific Beach, and worked 25 minutes south of there, which meant she carved out a solid 45-50 minutes before our 6am shifts to get this coffee. That right there told me the coffee was something fierce. 2: GAS. We were in college, so to spend that kind of money on gas to drive 45-50 minutes for a cup of coffee was serious dedication. I knew I had to try it to see for myself.

Sitting in the too-small drive-thru lane on Garnet Ave on Pacific Beach, I rolled up to the window unsure of what to order. And then I saw on the menu “Best Drink Ever”. Seriously?! That’s a little confident if you ask me- but it was the kind of confident that allured me. Obviously, I ordered it. And just so we are clear: The “Best Drink Ever” (also known as BDE to true diehards), is actually the Best. Drink. Ever.

I’m not kidding. This coffee was just the right amount of caffeine, sweetness, and flavor to start my day. It was voted Top 10 Best Coffee Shops in San Diego by EatSD and was on The Best Restaurants in SD List in 2014.

With locations popping up across the Southern California area, this is definitely a must-try for all caffeine junkies out there. The Lab, their new location on Mission Boulevard, offers a modern feel that allows customers to watch their cold brew coffee drip effortlessly through glass spheres right before their eyes.

It truly is a coffee lover’s dream.