CUPS Lounge: La Jolla

CUPS Lounge
7857 Girard Ave.
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 459-CUPS
www.cupsLJ.com

Mon-Thur: 9am-8pm
Fri: 9am-10pm
Saturday: 10am-10pm
Sunday: 10-8pm

You COULD get a latte on your lunch break — or, you could take a trip back in time, back when you didn’t have to file taxes or do laundry, and all the world was a glitter-dusted wonderland. That’s right, we’re talking about cupcakes. What better nostalgic treat than a pink-frosted, spongy bit of cake? Then again, what we really liked about Cups — La Jolla’s brand-new, green-friendly cupcake “lounge” — was that it didn’t feel like a four-year-old’s birthday party. In fact, it was a rather sophisticated joint, with sleek lines, leather benches and glossy surfaces. The lights were even dimmed to a cool glow (we found out later that this was, in fact, an effort to conserve energy), and the girls behind the counter-top wore “uniforms” that were more like band t-shirts.

Initially, we wanted to hate on Cups for the overt hip factor: But the names of the cupcakes alone were enough to win our hearts over:

From the Hazed & Confused to Chocolibre to the most ahhh-mazing name EVER: DEEZ PEANUTS (even SPELLED that way), we can’t help but have anything other than googly eyes for Cups.

Especially ones so delicious, moist, and delicately sweet. There were a dozen different flavors offered that day (they rotate about 80 different kinds in total!), and we couldn’t resist sampling way more than our caloric intake’s worth. The best was, by unanimous vote, the Red Velvet, which boasted the most buttery smooth cream-cheese frosting to ever grace our palette. We wanted the mini version, but the flavor’s a crowd-pleaser and (unsurprisingly) sells out fast — and really, we weren’t going to snub the full-size portion.

Coconut lovers should definitely go for the Snowball, made from devil’s food cake filled with marshmallow, and topped with fine shavings of coconut. We were also impressed by the gourmet-tasting Green Tea, a matcha-vanilla bean cupcake coated in luscious hazelnut-laced chocolate. They also offer gluten-free and vegan varieties, which are (surprisingly) delectable enough for everyone to savor; it’s pretty hard to believe that the Chocolate Decadence — a dense chocolate torte, topped with rich cocoa cream — is entirely flourless. My knees start to quiver just thinking about the Lemon Ricotta cups… Which, sadly, are available only on Sundays… Pair it with a glass of fresh organic chocolate milk, on tap at the bar and always ice cold, and you’ll understand why we voted Cups as one of this year’s perfect summer hangout spots.

All flavors are organic and fair-trade (down to the flour, eggs and sugar), and this kind of eco-conscious dogma extends to Cup’s reusable materials AND architecture. The bar is made of recycled glass, the walls are sustainable Richlite, and even the floor is tiled with found pebbles. It’s one of only a handful of enterprises in the nation — and the only one in California — to earn LEED’s authentic “green certification.” So while you’re feeling guilty about your waistband,  at least you’ll feel good about contributing to a worthy cause.

There’s a reason why every major city is embracing the cupcake craze, and it’s about time San Diego had its take. We’re certain that Cups is a lasting venture — it’s an ideal place to bring the little sister, or anyone really, and the prices ($2 for a mini, $4 for a regular) are reasonable enough. Hey, if you’re going to indulge, do it right.

Mix Tip: Sign up for their newsletter and get 20% off!! (sounds easy enough to us!)
Dj Event: Friday and Saturday 6-9:30 pm
Sunday Karaoke  3-6 pm.


 Daily Specials***

Monday- All day: 25% off dozen
Tuesday- All day 2 for 1 full size cupcakes
Wednesday- All day 25% off for students
Thursday- All day 15% off merchandise
Friday- All day 25% off for paycheck industry

Remember: Their patio is dog-friendly too!!!

(This was too cute not to include)

By: Sonia