Update:
A recent revisit to Four Barrel completely changed my mind about the place. It was lively, full of an unpretentious crowd late on a sunny Saturday afternoon. The service was friendly and surprisingly fast despite the line.

I had a macchiato, and I realized that Four Barrel really shines with their espresso. By that I mean their espresso...alone or with a tiny amount of steamed milk as is the case with a macchiato. The flavor was nutty and nuanced in a way that I rarely experience with coffee.

Unfortunately for them, this subtle flavor doesn't translate well to lattes or mochas or other mixed espresso drinks well, at least not in the coffee volume they use. This led to a previous assessment that their coffee was weak when it's actually quite lovely on its own.

I suppose I'm stuck with choosing my coffee location based upon the precise type of coffee I want, for now, until someone solves for all in a more delicious way. Four Barrel wins for straight espresso and macchiatos, but check out Ritual or Blue Bottle if you want a latte or something iced.


Original 2 star review (October 8, 2008):
Although the boar heads on the wall here are charming ;) (you think I'm kidding, but I'm not...at all...there are 4 of them above the lids & sugar), Four Barrel isn't on its way to becoming my new fave. I will give them credit for learning from Ritual's inefficient workflow and coming up with a much better process that makes any lines move more quickly, however the coffee itself leaves much to be desired. It wasn't anything special, and you can't get away with charging $4 for mocha that doesn't transcend commodity-status in this neighborhood.

My major complaint is that despite a note on their sign that all the espresso drinks contain a double-shot, my mocha tasted rather weak (and it was only 8 ounces, so with a true double-shot of good, well-brewed espresso it should actually have been stronger than normal).

The lack of wi-fi is borderline pretentious in this neighborhood if it's an intentional decision, and not just a temporary oversight. I get a lack of outlets if you really have trouble with providing seating over the course of the day, but the Mission is pretty connected, and this is San Francisco...c'mon guys. I'll update my review accordingly if they add this in the future. That said, although the interior of Four Barrel makes me want to like this place, the coffee doesn't do anything for me, so even though it's a mere 5 blocks from my apt, I probably won't return anytime soon.

good,I like it

The staff at this place has always been very friendly and the coffee is alright, but I think I am over it. They seem to be caught between wanting to be a pick-up-window-like kind of a place like Blue Bottle and a sit-down coffee shop. I mean, no wi-fi?!! Really?! And those limited and super uncomfortable seats with those tiny tables. Why have all that space then? The thing about charging $4 for a latte is that one needs to provide either an experience (a la Starbucks) or extremely good coffee (for example, Blue Bottle). So to keep those sky high margins Four Barrel is going to have to at least focus on one. Just being "hip" isn't going to cut it in the Mission where every other business is already (or at least pretending to be) starting at that level.

It's a beautiful space and the coffee was pretty good. But there's no wifi, no outlets, and no food. If you're looking for an ultra tendy, "nightclub during the day" kind of place, this is a good bet. I was looking for a bagel and a place to get online, so it didn't work out so well for me...