Talitha Coffee

Talitha Coffee operates a counter inside Liberty Public Market in San Diego, which means the experience is the market's experience as much as the cafe's. Foot traffic, noise, people pushing past with bags of produce and tacos. That is the soundtrack. If you wanted a quiet pour-over moment, you wanted a different shop.

The space was previously a WestBean location and is now under Talitha, which has carried over the working espresso setup with beans on display. Dominique and the other baristas pull drinks within view, which gives the counter the feel of a small bar rather than a closed kitchen. People who knew the WestBean version have mixed feelings about the change at the related Morena Boulevard space, with one customer calling that redesign less classy than what it replaced. The market counter is its own thing and stands on its own.

The order is espresso-driven. Flat whites get repeated mentions, as does the iced americano. The peppermint mocha latte is on the menu for people who want a sweeter direction. The chai is made in-house, which matters at a market counter where the default move is to use a syrup mix, and the cold mocha works for the San Diego summer.

What to know before going. Parking around Liberty Public Market is tight. The counter is not a workspace. There is no quiet corner to settle into for a long laptop session because there is no quiet corner at all. The whole proposition is that you are already at the market for other reasons, and you want a real espresso drink while you're there instead of whatever the closest vendor with a steam wand is selling.

For that use case, this is the right counter. The drinks are made carefully enough that they read as a small roaster's bar rather than a market-stall espresso. Drink it standing up or take it to walk the rest of the market.