Pump Coffee

While most PB coffee comes from grab-and-go counters designed for wetsuit-clad crowds, Pump operates more like an actual café — the kind where baristas remember your order and you might sit down for twenty minutes instead of sprinting back to your beach towel. The espresso gets pulled properly (reviewers who know the difference call it out), and the lattes come hot or cold depending on whether you're pre-surf or post-shore-break.

The vegan pastry selection is the real differentiator here. Most beach coffee spots stock day-old muffins and call it breakfast; Pump actually commits to plant-based baking, which matters in a neighborhood where half the morning crowd is coming from yoga on the boardwalk. The **caramel macchiato** gets surprising praise from people who didn't plan to order it, and the **cold brew** and **matcha** hit the price-to-proximity sweet spot when you're this close to the ocean.

Consistency is the catch. Some days they're out of matcha by mid-morning, and one reviewer clocked an $8 iced vanilla matcha that tasted like expensive milk-water. But the staff — especially Gloria, who gets called out by name — run friendly enough that people come back anyway. It's the kind of spot where you forgive the occasional miss because someone actually talked to you like a human instead of shouting your name over a crowd.

Parking is typical PB chaos (good luck on weekends), but if you're already on the boardwalk or coming off the beach, it's a straight shot. Go early if you want the full pastry selection, and if they're out of something, trust the barista's pivot — they know what's working that day.