Neigbor Vic brings sad news from the Bernalwood/La Lengua Liminal Zone. Nervous Dog Coffee is closing:
I saw this today and it’s a major bummer for me.
I get all my beans at Nervous Dog Coffee on the corner of Mission and Kingston and always appreciated their deliberately unhip, unpretentious atmosphere. Ritualistic Blue Barrel Coffee is all well and good, but sometimes I don’t care who massaged my beans and would prefer not to cross a street to get my fix.
I’m sure a lot of Bernal-Lenguans appreciate the cafe. The owner was always awesomely nice and it was a good place to work. So maybe you could get the word out so folks can stop by and say goodbye.
Also, economic downturn on the 3400 block? Say it ain’t so. If Zante goes I’m rioting.
I’ll be right there too, with pitchforks and torches.
PHOTOS: Top, via Google Maps. Nervous Dog sign by Neighbor Vic.
Bernalwood 
It’s a bummer they’re closing, though I have to admit that their limited hours meant that I rarely made it in there. It seems that every time I went by, they were already closed for the day.
I’m less convinced of an over-arching economic decline on the 3400 block of Mission, or any other part of La Lengua, for that matter. If anything, things seem to be going remarkably UPscale. If Zante’s goes away it will be a result of being priced out of the location, not because they’re not getting business.
Agreed… They actually were the exact sort of business you’d expect to thrive there… Not too up/down-scale.
But you gotta be open when your customers want to buy your product.
Ah, shoot. I’m sorry to hear it, for several reasons. Joe is a class act and hired great people to help run his cafe. He cares about this neighborhood, and worked so hard to make Nervous Dog such a great cafe. He appreciated and supported the local artists, and gave generous wall space and time to a diverse spectrum of talent. Besides great coffee and good eats, I also loved the diverse music that played behind the scene, as I sat on the couches or comfortable tables. And always there was Joe, talking and supporting anyone and everyone who entered. Yes, good health is the bottom line, and I wish Joe a full recovery. I wish him and his staff all the best moving forward.
I was just thinking as I went by the other day that Nervous Dog had survived for many years, and I was impressed. That’s a tough block to have a biz on. I’m sorry it’s going to close. I hope Joe Belen returns to good health, too.
That’s sad. Nervous Dog was a great place to get a cup of coffee and hang out. Joewas super nice, and the vibe was friendly. I live at the other end of Bernal, but often went out of my way to go to the Dog.
Dang it. They were patient at letting me be super-picky about my cappuccino… and having a dog water bowl out. Good luck with the next chapter!
This is very sad news. The Nervous Dog has always been such a friendly down-to-earth place. This is a definite loss for our neighborhood. I’m sending best wishes to Joe and his staff.
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The 6 years have flown by. Sorry to see that Nervous Dog will close. Enjoyed going to this coffee spot. Joe & his staff were so welcoming & friendly. They always acted as if they’ve known you for years. Plus the shop had an excellent selection of coffees & munchies. The only drawback was the location. The 3400 block of Mission is pretty grim. Surprised that any nice business can survive with all the schlock & lowlifes hanging around. Get rid of the trash & keep Nervous Dog. Good luck Joe & Staff!
*Are* there a lot of “lowlifes hanging around”? Maybe I walk the dog through there at off-hours?
Weird, I’ve never seen much of ANYONE (“lowlifes” or otherwise) “hanging around” the 3400 block. I mean, I’m not even sure WHERE they would hang around. There are the benches at Cortland, but really that’s the only place one could even sit, and those generally just have normal people waiting for the bus.
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Not surprised… Since they were never open when folks want to get their morning coffee.
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