Muddy Waters Coffee House

An idiosyncratic, conveniently located coffee shop. I didn't like the decor very much but it's a matter of taste. Unfortunately, they have no food but bagels or pastries - not good for lunch, unless you are a bagel person. Though it's inexpensive. Note that the coffee house is cash-only.
They have a plenty of power outlets but only will let you use the wifi for three hours. If you want to work, also check the semi-hidden back section of the place.

I don't really understand the concept of MW. The shop is big but quite dark, definitely not the standard SF artsy coffee spots. Besides that, coffee is good and people seem to feel comfortable about chilling / working / reading there.

You should go if you want to stay away from the more traditional SF techie crowd.

Good: The atmosphere is pretty mellow and there's a lot of seating.

Bad: The drip coffee is mediocre. I've tried it several times and it's always so-so. Afraid to say that McDonald's coffee may be better compared to here.

Final: Swing by here after a local meal to wind down, but don't be expecting great coffee.

Muddy Waters is a classic of the mission district: wood floors and a cosy feel, but sort of run down since it's been there for years. The people watching here is hilarious, usually you will see some very strange interactions between mission characters. Overall the coffee is not the best, but they have snacks, are open late and a restroom for customers that is decently clean for the mission.

A little dicey but a perfect example of the Mission before gentrification really went bezerk. Decent coffee and espresso beverages and cookies, pastries and snacks. Good free WiFi for 3 hours with a purchase

Stanza has a lot better coffee. This place is a little cooler temperature wise and less pretentious than Four Barrel. They also kicked me out for having an iced mocha from dandelion, I've been there a few times but I won't be returning.

I love the main barista, the mocha's are on point, she makes my bagels perfect, & they have good pastries. It's also a great atmosphere for studying, working, or just unwinding.

No frills? Lol. They give you a smaller coffee serving while charging more than Starbucks. Five bucks for a "medium" cappuccino which had 80% foam and two sips of the actual coffee. On request to splash some brew to at least finish the cookie purchased here too, was offered to pay for another cup. Such a rip off

Excellent coffee shop where you can get some work done. The coffee bread rocks! So does the banana bread! The wifi is a bit slow, but it is most other places I've been in town as well. The folks who work here are very friendly and helpful!

Last update 6/5/2015

Reason for being here:
Waiting for the traffic on the L train to die down.

The service and coffee was top notch! Not sure how to spell her name but Nadjet went out of her way to assist me while I was waiting for a friend arriving in from the airport. I wanted to go next door and grab a taco for my friend so he would have something to eat when he arrived and Nadjet offered to put my suitcase behind the counter while I ran next door. We also exchanged some life stories, this is what coffee shops are supposed to be! My friend finally arrived and she treated him equally as well. Loved it!