The best coffee shop in Potrero Hill. Huge magazine selection, big space, great staff, open late night. I love Farley's!!

In San Francisco, we often have a problem with wait staff. Despite their lack of education or real skills, there exists a pervasive attitude of, "I am way too cool to be your barista." Yesterday at Farley, the male barista there at 5 PM really took the cake for world-class rudeness and cruelty.

I am not going back in there any time soon. And here's why:

An old man comes in there listening to his cell phone. He asked for an espresso. I heard him use the word, "please". The next event to transpire is that the barista CHUCKs the old man's money back in his face and says, "I don't serve rude people."

Maybe Mr. Barista was having his period, I don't know what-but I was so sitting there going, "WHAT???!!" That was totally over the top and uncalled for.

The old man objects and says that he's been going in there for twenty years and tried to reason with the barista.

Hint to old man: Don't waste your time trying to reason with crazy baristas. It's like trying to reason with the Soup Nazi from "Seinfeld."

And you know what the barista does? He starts parodying the old man in front of the other customers while laughing hysterically with the shrillness of shattered glass.

Everyone just sort of gawked at this situation like we were caught in a bad B movie of sorts.

The old dude shuffled out because that's what old people do when crazy baristas act that way. I thought that he was going to cry.

I was really bothered by the encounter. So, I thought that I should make mention of this here.

By the way, I am an attorney. And that barista is fishing for a lawsuit for age discrimination and intentional infliction of emotional distress, which is such a pity since the dude who owns this place is actually a really nice person.

Lawsuits are expensive. I would have slipped the old dude my card, but I will let the next ambulance chaser have this one...

I love this coffee shop.  It's hard to put your finger on why the place has such a good vibe, but it does.  The guys that work there are cool, there's good music playing, it's a light and airy space, and the coffee is good.  Definitely has a neighborhood feel to it, and is less of a "scene" than the hipster coffee shops in the Mission.