Worth a detour
Academic Coffee
San Jose · Downtown, United States
Why it’s on the route
Academic Coffee was opened in SoFA, downtown San Jose's arts district, in August 2017 by Frank Nguyen and Kathy Duong, after Nguyen ran a pop-up on West Santa Clara Street. The bar serves single-origin espresso, batch brew and seasonal drinks with Asian-inspired flavours, using a custom blend from partner roasters, and staff are keen to coach customers on home brewing. A second café sits beside Agrihood, an urban farm, in Santa Clara.
At a glance
| Address | 499 S 2nd St |
|---|---|
| Google rating | ★ 4.5 (921 reviews) |
| Last checked | October 2026 |