Kyle was so excited to take me to Mud Bar. It was already a regular coffee stop for him before we met, and this was my introduction to it. I liked that he wanted to share a place from his everyday life with me, especially one with people he was happy to see.
Jen has her own long history here.
The little counter on Columbia Street has a much bigger past than I realized. Jen Joniaux marked twenty years of ownership in January 2025. That is two decades of early mornings, making drinks and looking after the people who stop at her counter.
Today, her dad, Rich, works alongside her. I love that this is still such a personal operation: the owner and her father are right there making the drinks and talking to the people who stop by. Jen is an absolute sweetheart, and Rich’s humor is part of the charm. So are the customers who have become part of their day.
The cart has had to move, too.
It has not spent all those years in exactly the same setup. In 2015, San Diego Reader reported that construction had pushed Mud Bar into a temporary spot on the third floor terrace at 1 Columbia Place. The plan was to return across the street to a newly built cart at 2 Columbia Place. Their own October 2015 post celebrated the arrival of the new cart.
I found that chapter interesting because, walking up for a coffee now, you would have no reason to know about it. Behind this small sidewalk business are years of work, a change of ownership and even a temporary move upstairs while its next home was being built.
A coffee counter that looks after its community.
In April 2022, a customer helped fund a morning of free coffee and tea, and Mud Bar invited everyone to come by. For their twentieth anniversary in 2025, they offered coffee to the first twenty customers and brought in tarot and astrology readings for the celebration. I love that the customers are part of what makes this place special, right alongside Jen and Rich.
For our visit, Kyle’s usual was The Goat, their Vietnamese coffee with a creamy foam topping. There is outdoor seating beside the kiosk, including those bright orange chairs you can see in our video. Give yourself a few minutes to sit with your drink and meet the people making it. That is the part of this little cart I would hate for you to rush past.
Before it was Mud Bar.
The cart originally operated as San Diego Espresso Company, which San Diego Magazine identifies as San Diego’s first coffee cart. Jen took over in 2005, giving this little downtown coffee stop its next chapter.
Kyle’s usual at Mud Bar.
The Goat
Vietnamese coffee with a creamy foam topping. Kyle’s regular order at the cart.
Make it a morning stop.
Find the sidewalk kiosk
Look for Mud Bar at 1230 Columbia Street in downtown San Diego, near Little Italy. This is a coffee cart, with outdoor seating beside it.
Weekday mornings
The current schedule lists Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Put this one on your morning walk rather than saving it for an afternoon coffee run.
Kyle’s pick: The Goat
If you enjoy Vietnamese coffee and a creamy topping, try Kyle’s usual. There are plenty of other specialty drinks if you want to explore the menu.