On our second to last day in San Diego, we made an unexpected stop into Ryan Brothers Coffee Shop. Our intent was to quickly stop in for directions to Coronado. Nik grabbed a cup of joe and we asked for directions and just as we were headed out the door, Rob noticed that they roasted their own beans. We were intrigued and wanted to find out more. It just so happened that Carmine, one of the Ryan brothers, was behind the counter and was kind enough to share their story and their product. Bottom line, these guys know coffee and tea. We sampled some of their Red Rooster tea, which was incredibly aromatic and so fresh that it only needed to steep for 30 seconds. Most high-end teas you’ll find on a store shelf need to steep for about 2-3 minutes. He also served us a hot chocolate espresso and it was so incredible, I was ready to beg for more. They make great stuff.

In the end, we didn’t need directions over to Coronado because one of the Ryan brothers’ friends was generous enough to go 15-20 minutes out of his way to drive us over himself. Everyone we met in the coffee shop was just so friendly and helpful; it certainly was a stand-out experience from our trip.