Does a PSL actually taste different inside a real pumpkin? I’ll leave that up to you to decide. We went to S3 Coffee Bar for the festive fall experience, and drinking out of a pumpkin definitely delivered on that part.
But the thing I was most excited about after trying it was the pumpkin bagel with pumpkin cream cheese. It was delicious, and it gave us more than just a cute photo. That was the standout for me.
The PSL was a festive touch. The bagel is where it’s at.
I also had the pumpkin spice matcha, and we tried the Falling for You toast. We leaned into the fall menu across the table, not just with the drink in the pumpkin.
Kyle’s order was the pumpkin spice cookie butter cold brew, so of course he loved it. Anything with cold foam and cookie butter lures him in. Put those together and you’ve already got his attention.
The black and white illustrated room makes the whole visit feel playful. With the fall touches around it, S3 is an easy place to lean into the season without making the drink itself the only reason to go.
It started as a project for their mom.
Before the seasonal drinks and photo ready coffee moments, S3 had a family reason for opening. Claudia Kwong and her two younger sisters started the café to help their mom, who was moving back from Texas and needed work. They also wanted a neighborhood coffee shop where people could come together.
Claudia had been working as a tax accountant while keeping a foot in hospitality. What the sisters expected to be a small side project grew into a destination café. Claudia credits their colorful anniversary latte, later called the Rainbow Latte, with helping the shop get noticed.
I like knowing there is a family story behind a place that could otherwise be remembered only for its fun drinks. The creativity is part of S3’s history, not just a fall photo opportunity.
Three sisters. One project for their mom.Our fall order.
Pumpkin bagel + pumpkin cream cheese
Pumpkin shaped bagel with pumpkin cream cheese.
PSL in a real pumpkin
Espresso, milk, pumpkin butter and spices, served in a hollowed pumpkin.
Pumpkin spice matcha
Iced matcha with pumpkin spice.
Pumpkin spice cookie butter cold brew
Cold brew with housemade pumpkin sauce and cookie butter, topped with cold foam, cookie butter drizzle and cookie crumbs.
Falling for You toast
Before your pumpkin run.
This is the San Diego shop
We visited S3 on Mission Gorge Road at 6225 Mission Gorge Road, in the Grantville area. S3 also has an Escondido location, so make sure you’re heading to the one you intend to visit.
Fall specials are seasonal
The pumpkin presentation and bagels are seasonal, not a promise for the whole year. Bagels were limited to two per customer during our visit. Check availability and current limits before making a trip just for them.
Go inside for the room
The San Diego shop has a drive thru, but the illustrated room is part of the experience if you’re coming for a festive coffee date. The café currently lists indoor dining from 8 AM to 6 PM daily. Check current hours before visiting.