Named Roast Magazine's 2020 Micro Roaster of the Year and winner of the U.S. Coffee Roasters Championship, Mostra Coffee operates its Hillcrest cafe at 3921 Normal St in the 92103 ZIP code. The championship-winning roast profiles range from light single-origin Philippine highland beans to dark espresso blends, a competition pedigree that anchors the Hillcrest cafe scene alongside the outdoor courtyard pours at Espresso Mio on First Ave. Founded in 2013 by four Filipino-Americans, the operation holds women-owned, minority-owned, and disabled-veteran-owned designations while sourcing high-grade specialty beans directly from Philippine coffee farms. A portion of retail bag sales goes back to Philippine farming communities to fund infrastructure and educational programs. A portion of retail bag sales funds infrastructure and educational programs in Philippine farming communities, a direct-trade philanthropy model on the same Hillcrest corridor as the cupcake and dessert program at Babycakes Hillcrest. The cafe's most technically demanding offering is its signature creme brulee latte, a layered espresso drink that applies fine-dining torching and custard techniques to the standard latte format.