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Actual Cafe
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Restaurants Sandwiches Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches [Edit]
6334 San Pablo Ave(between 63rd St & 64th St)
Oakland, CA 94608
Neighborhood: North Oakland
(510) 653-8386
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 7 am - 9 pm
Fri 7 am - 10 pm
Sat 8 am - 10 pm
Sun 8 am - 8 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Michael H. said: "It's a bit bizarre that I've never been here until just recently. I mean they have beer on tap, pizzas, music, wine, and more food. A couple of friends and I hung out in the back patio where a DJ was spinning some tunes. I think we…" read more »
215 reviews for Actual Cafe
Review Highlights
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"the dreaded "laptop-free weekends." In 20 reviews -
"Bike parking is very convenient." In 19 reviews -
"The cubano con leche was delicious, I will get a double..." In 5 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
215 reviews in English
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Review from Andrew H.
Oakland, CA
5/9/2012
Affordable sandwiches, quirky personality, cool atmosphere. Solid vegan options, even for weekend brunch.
P.S. I love the laptop-less weekends. -
Review from Tom K.
Berkeley, CA
I've eaten here for lunch a few times and the food is the basis of this review. The menu is pretty small with some sandwiches and salads.
My last visit included the daily special, an empenada with house slaw. I added a cup of the vegan broccoli potato soup. The soup was piping hot, but once it hit my lips, there was a lack of excitement for my taste buds. Even with a little salt and Tabasco, something was missing. The slaw was fresh, crunchy, and bright, but also came up short in the flavor department. The chicken empenada was the savior for my taste buds. The crust was flaky and buttery, reminding me of a croissant. The chicken flavor was intense with some green olive goodness. Only thing was, there was only one, and with a small slaw and soup, it was a about $12 for a lunch that left me hungry.
I gotta say, this place has potential as a great neighborhood spot. It's great for hanging out for coffee or checking out art from local artists or even the bicycles that hang from the ceiling. The neighborhood feel is evident in the large communal table where people have their laptops setup. It makes for a great social spot for people to chill for a few hours and have coffee. The back even has some small tables that are semi private. There are also a lot of bike related events on their calendar. Seating was also pretty slim on a Friday at lunch, but that's expected.
I would not return just the food, but I could be tempted to return for their afternoon (3-7 pm) happy hour which has $10 pitchers. They have a good selection of local, craft beers so a reasonable priced pitcher is tempting.
Giving this place 4 stars for atmosphere and 1 for food. -
Review from A. M.
San Francisco, CA
3/27/2012
Thank you Sal for turning a lonely corner into a bright, happy and amazing community destination and hang out. I can tell that you are motivated by community love and that you take pride in what you do.
Thank you also for hiring all the incredible and sweet smiley faces at your cafe. The entire staff are super genuine from the amazing manager Chris in the front to Sergio's huge smile in the back and all the gorgeous faces in between.
I am glad that your doors are always open whenever I am feeling down, all I do is drive up to your little oasis, park my car in your green zone and walk into your little tight community hole with a fabulous cat walk showing off my smoking hot stripper legs in teeny tiny booty shorts and "BAM, BAM ,SPANK MY YAM" my ego booster kicks in:) lol
In a nutshell my dear Sal, your cafe rocks weather you decide to wear booty shorts like me or not:)
Xoxo -
Review from Vicki V.
Carlsbad, CA
5/25/2012
Like: Morning bun with cranberries.
Not so much: Thai-ish coffee. -
Review from Jerry M.
Fremont, CA
5/12/2012
The place is chill, it's vibrant, it has the pulse of the city. Bikes hang from the wall and the ceiling, and they have various artists' work on the walls. GF and I had Thai food in Berkeley and checked Yelp for a nice little coffee place and decided to come here. What a find.
I was blown away by Randal Roberts' artistry (the acid-flavored Homer Simpson and Guy Fawkes mask posters), and I look forward to returning soon. -
Review from Ash J.
Berkeley, CA
5/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Cool space, you can bring your bike in and if you are obsessed with your bike like me, this is a very good thing. I get to sit at a table and stare right at it and not have to worry about any part of it getting ripped off. I have not tried the espresso yet, I already had too much in the am, but went with their homemade pear soda and it is delicious and refreshing! They also have (ginger, mint, cucumber, and jalapeno) have to come back and give those a try. Wish they had some gluten free treats! (or I might not of looked very hard, they very well might).
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Review from Racheljoy R.
Emeryville, CA
3/7/2012
I love coming here. I even got one of those yellow coffee cups and get 50cents off my drinks. I mainly get the same thing each time when I'm coming for breakfast, brunch, or dinner: the B.L.A.T. plate with wheat bread and a double cubano con leche.
Silly but I LOVE the Pickled stuff you get with the plate and I'm not a fan of wheat bread but I only order the wheat bread at Actual because it tastes so good. Sometimes I get empanadas and I've tried all of them, meat and vege and sometimes I get pastries. Great vibe, friendly staff, and cool set up and space. -
Review from Saundra D.
Pinole, CA
Updated - 3/4/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Service has really taken an upswing oh and the Cubano con Leche...need I say more?
A laptop free day...delightful! And they have almond milk.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/3/2011
The atmosphere here is great and I really wanted to love it. On my first visit (I was taking a… Read more »
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Review from Sara J.
Sacramento, CA
3/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Cubano con leche = yum. Props for indoor bike storage! Cool enough vibe but not intimidating at all. A middle-aged guy was on a blind date at the table next to us. It seemed to be going well.
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Review from Art O.
San Francisco, CA
2/25/2012
I dig this place; it's ACTUALly really good - ha!
We'd heard about this cafe for a while (something about laptop-free days - sounds like an interesting idea) and driven by it many times so after a late lunch at Greyson, we decided to finally give it a try.
Well first of all, there's a cute blonde girl working behind the counter so that was the first good impression. Second, the decor and layout were different from other cafes; there was room to park bikes on a rack and they had a lot of local artwork up (and for sale).
I only spotted the beer taps after I'd order my expresso drink so I'll have to throw down a pint and have a sandwich the next time around. -
Review from Cristy J.
Oakland, CA
1/17/2012
Despite best efforts at community building with wifi free weekends, communal tables, and live events in the evenings to go with the beer, Actual Cafe is overrun by the lapsters- the laptop wielding hipsters- that judge you on the width of the pant leg of your jeans and how beat up your fixie looks as you hang it on the indoor rack inside.
So, if you don't mind shuffling a bit to find an open spot during the week to have lunch/coffee/or a meeting then brave the lapsters and try the food which is adequately priced and very accessible. My favorites are the tuna sandwich on whole wheat- there's a delicious chimichurri spread instead of mayo on the inside. I always get the big plate which includes a green salad and pickled veggies. The ginger beverages are equally tasty, the coffee is okay. The empanadas aren't very authentic but they will do. What I do give the place 4-stars on despite the clientele is the super-friendly and welcoming staff. Not as bitchy as equally annoying lapster haven Pizzaiolo during the day. -
Review from Nat R.
Berkeley, CA
Updated - 4/17/2012
After giving Actual a 2 star review, the owner messaged me to apologize and offer a free lunch.
I still stand by what I said in my previous review for that visit (although I'll admit I felt freer to let loose since they have such a high rating), but I appreciate his reaching out to me so gave it a second chance. I didn't take him up on the free lunch, mostly because I would have been chicken to talk to anyone.
It was 2pm on a Tuesday. The bearded, bespectacled, flanneled, tall guy at the counter was super nice and asked me what I was reading. I ordered a cauliflower soup and veggie sandwich combo for about $9.50. The soup was delicious and hot and tasted homemade with yummy rye croutons. The sandwich was good although a little heavy on the lettuce and light on the avocado, tomato, cucumber and persian pickles that made it tasty.
Magically, after being treated as a welcomed customer, I was in a good mood and actually enjoyed the big communal table, noticed the eclectic and pleasant music they were playing, and felt like I was in a sunny, happy place. AMAZing what a little good service can do. Oh, and ordering things that don't immediately get shoved in a microwave.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/30/2012
I finally made it down to check out this spot in my neighborhood after liking what I saw on their… Read more »
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Review from Daniel L.
12/29/2011
This is really hard to say as a really carnivorous person but...
...Whenever I'm in the bay, I am tempted to become vegetarian. There. I said it.
Honestly, vegetarian food actually looks awesome in the bay, and I can actually understand why people would do it.
But onto the actual review...
This was recommended to me by a coworker... she said- Do you like starbucks? I said "meh". Then you must love peets. I shrugged yes. Then you will absolutely love this place, daniel. I think it was started by people who rebelled against peets.
The inner hipster that I try to suppress and pretend doesn't exist leaped out of my heart. I had to see what this was all about.
The decor is great, with even an indoor bike rack.
I had an okay latte pulled for me... and a grilled cheese, tomato and bacon sandwich with a ginormous side salad. Now, the grilled cheese sandwich was good... but really the star of the show was the side salad. It was just a simple mixed green salad... but something about the high quality greens and the simple vinagrette... it was the favorite part of my meal.
And so this hipster carnivore thought to himself- Yes. I can become a vegetarian if all side salads were like this...
... and then I remembered how much I love pork belly.
Sorry vegetarianism. Maybe next year. -
Review from Tarah D.
Oakland, CA
12/30/2011
I admit that I find it both charming and ridiculous that Actual has "technology free weekends." I get it: we're into community building. But, uh, some of us have work to do... including Saturday and Sunday.
That being said: the vibe at Actual is awesome. I love the long community-style table in the middle, and the service is always nice. I'm kinda underwhelmed by the food, to be honesty, but the coffee is great. So, my hope: they step up their (vegetarian) food game, because I like coming here, and want more yummy food that I don't need. -
Review from Nique F.
I heart Actual Cafe even more after reading this manifesto on their website:
"That blue light coming from your screen isn't love. Those text messages from your friends aren't hugs and kisses. Your Facebook profile is not your flesh-and-blood self. Close your laptop. Put down your book. Say hello to the person next to you...whether or not you know them. Have a cuppa joe."
The search is over; my cafe soul mate has revealed itself.
God, this place is everything a laptop-weary worker could ask for. A sun-filled room with a chill Sunday morning vibe (even on a Tuesday). Tons of seating to suit your mood: one long communal table, sofa nooks, window seats, bar stools. And even though they gently shun the techno-dependent cafe dweller, there are enough electrical outlets to get some juice when you need it.
The case of cutesy baked goods will greet you at the front door. Neat little stacks of crusty scones, veggie quiches, and the requisite vegan donuts. Since my productivity always soars with sugary inspiration, I opted for 3 of their miniature cookies (3 for the price of 2 in the afternoon!) and upon gobbling up the chewy gingerbread, chocolate almond, and oatmeal raisin nuggets I suddenly felt ready to take on the world. Or at least...my inbox.
The baristas are mystically mellow (are they drinking decaf?), giving you the feeling that you - yes you - could become a welcome regular here. Actual Café has an interestingly vast drink menu, with much more than just luscious caffeinated bevvies like the espresso cubano. They do fresh juice, spirtzers, beer and wine too. Yeah, I'm moving in here.
Yes, you can bring your laptop (on weekdays only!), the wireless flows freely. But you'll be more popular if you bring a newspaper, or a journal, or a textbook. Whatever you do, plan to stay a while because this place is just too sweet to appreciate in passing.
Loveya too, Actual!Listed in: Go Solo!, Sunshiney Day, Coffeeshop Campout!
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Review from Andrew G.
Lafayette, CA
12/17/2011
I love this place. The staff are super friendly, it's, in my opinion, excellent value for money and the food is good. i've never listened to live music there but I relaly like the atmosphere. I'm not a biker and when they first opened I was sceptical about the bike rack thinking it would hvae been better to set more tables - I was wrong - I can see how useful it is and it avoids the front of the place being cluttered. Clever marketing, i have to say.
They have a great book swap come library, which I think is awesome. Food prep is fast and their home-made sodas are fantastic. Kudos.. -
Review from Joel G.
Albany, CA
3/24/2012
Nice place.
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Review from Melissa J.
Oakland, CA
3/29/2012
I love Actual Cafe. The staff are super rad, they have great lemonade, yummy snacks, and a place to keep your bike inside outta the rain. Bingo on Thursday nights is definitely a plus.
I'm also a new fan of the laptop-free weekend rule. It's nice when you're in need of a table and can't get one because some Cal student is posted up doing "research" when you KNOW he's got free wireless in his dorm room.
The reason why only 4 stars? They close at 8pm during the week! The east bay is definitely lacking the late-night cafes.Comment from Sal B. of Actual Cafe 3/29/2012
Melissa: Thanks for the great review. We're working on… More » -
Review from Christina S.
Oakland, CA
2/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
The vibe is a mixture of blues & modern day health hippies. The service was good--laid back gents who blend right in with the mood promoted by the cafe--and the food is even better. The Tha-ish Iced Tea & a cup of the Vegan Broccoli & Potato soup were perfect. And the latte after was sweet without resembling anything Starbucks. I'm definitely coming back, y'all.
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Review from Eva Y.
10/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pretty chill place for coffee, pastry, sandwich, or cake. Parking is pretty easy here and there are plenty of seating at this place. It's not too loud here and it feels like a combination of "The Grove" and coffee shops in Berkeley.
There are also a few outdoor table and chairs. It's a nice shop to hang out and have a nice cup of joe. -
Review from Dawn S.
Albany, CA
3/17/2012
LOVE this place! I am one of those students who cannot focus when things are quiet. No library for this girl! I like to sit at the big table, eat my egg sandwich, and do my homework. I like the communal feeling. I find the prices to be fair and the food to be good.
I LOVE laptop-free weekends. Sometimes, it sucks for me because I have a paper due, but I can deal with the disappointment. I much prefer coming in on a Saturday and hanging out with friends.
It's refreshing to have a cafe where people can still talk to each other. I bring my 9-yr old there when we both have homework to do. She loves to drink those cherry colas! I helped plan a baby shower while sitting in one of the booths. When people need to use the restroom, their neighbors watch their stuff for them. There's a much nicer feel to this place than to most other cafes.
Last week, a bunch of Moms came in with their kids, and there weren't enough chairs near each other for them. Some of us volunteered to move around for them. For the next hour, they talked while their kids played (respectfully). Sure, it was a little louder that day, but it was cool to see all kinds of people enjoying the space.
Different art on the wall every week. It's fun.
Sal has created a nice community space.
My only complaint? Sometimes, I'm getting into a song that's playing, only to have one of the staff members abruptly change the song. C'mon, it'll only last a minute or two-have some patience. -
Review from Edward L.
Emeryville, CA
4/7/2012
I only visited twice and will never again. There are 50 other places I can go to in Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville. So don't waste your dollars with rude staff members and mediocre coffee/food.
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Review from Matthew C.
San Francisco, CA
9/25/2011
I've tried this cafe on a number of occasions -- it has a decent, "green/eco" theme, and I believe that such a forward-thinking attitude should be rewarded. I try not to make judgments based on a single visit, so (unfortunately), I've gone back a few times.
I wish I could say the food and/or service was worthy of my repeat business. The service itself was worse than a snail's pace on every visit -- and not just during a rush moment, if one can tell the difference, given that the painful lack of staff-movement actually created the long lines. Adding to this was their combined uptight and snippity attitude toward customers.
The food was terrible on all occasions [read: every single time]. I can't give any other realistic description, except that the egg sandwich was edible, though by no means worth the cost.
The other customers [read: two-four sitting on each visit] were very much into themselves -- not conducive to a friendly atmosphere, and I hate to admit that I've had better experiences in a corporate-style Starbucks.
They also try to have live music -- but offer the musicians very little in the way of actual support... it's really a joke to attempt to play/hear music there. You want to listen to live music -- go anywhere else; you want to play live music -- avoid this place at all costs!
As for price -- EXPENSIVE! Simply not worth it, given the lackluster food and unfriendly, slow service.
The owner is akin to a "self-righteous moronic authoritarian" type: loves to make up rules so he can enforce them -- and doesn't mind being disrespectful to a paying customer in the process of doing so.
You can't pay me to ever go here again... period. -
Review from Jose M.
Emeryville, CA
10/26/2011
I can't agree differently about the other reviews. The staff is super friendly and great food.
I am usually here for my morning coffee fix. -
Review from Nik N.
1/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
cool vibe.
decent snacks.
good coffee.
and you can park yer bike right there on the wall where you can lovingly keep an eye on it.
we are in the neighborhood.. and we will return.
often. -
Review from Alison R.
Berkeley, CA
10/26/2011
I really like Actual Cafe! Their food is delicious and they're always extremely friendly. I do agree with what some people have said on here, they are a little slow at times, but they're so pleasant and I enjoy what I get so much that it doesn't bother me too much.
I sit in there for hours. It's a nice place to do work. -
Review from Jana S.
8/12/2011
Early morning training for work led me here yesterday. OK....what a cooooool place this is! So many thoughtful features, beautiful design and usage of the corner space abutting Alcatraz.....
It's so cool, Actual reminds me of a Portland cafe (thx, CB, for picking me up a few lbs of Stumptown when u go!).....
Comfy, with long bars for patrons, as well as long tables and comfy booths...cozy couch corner in the NE corner of the place...bike hooks for those cycling in for a buzz n nourishment.
My double Americano did the trick.....they sell El Porteno empanadas, Pepples donuts, among other top notch goods. Full lunch offered and specials daily. Day olds get pawned off for $1.50
For me, this is THE quintessential place to go with a tablet or a laptop. i love Actual cafe, and have found a new place to hit up after work.
The apotheosis of what a perfect cafe should be! -
Review from Tom M.
Oakland, CA
10/18/2011
Coffee: Kind of overpriced. Taste is on point.
Staff: Usually nice, occasionally indifferent, but I didn't come here to make friends so I'm okay.
Food is kind of overpriced too, I usually feel like I could have gotten something better for less money elsewhere.
However, I can usually find a seat and the wi-fi is pretty fast. It's a good place to work, just be aware it will come at a price. -
Review from Joe B.
12/19/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Convenient bike parking inside, communal tables that encourage you to socialize casually, but don't demand it, and a friend of mine had her art opening here. Love Actual Café. Good coffee, camaraderie, local favorite Periscope wine on tap, Actual Café is a fixture here after just a few short years and I hope stays around for some time to come.
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Review from Nubian F.
Oakland, CA
9/16/2011
Let me start by saying that I LOVE Actual. It's my neighborhood cafe and they are doing some great things in the area. With that said, I HATE gherkin or whatever it's called, on my damn egg sandwich. My husband loves it but the combination of eggs and mustard (or things that taste like it) just don't cut it for me. So I always call ahead and clearly state NO GHERKIN please. Yet when I get my sandwich there is often gherkin on it. OR if there is no gherkin there is the taste of gherkin where they remembered my request and just took it off leaving the disgusting taste behind. So, I've given up the egg sandwich all together..no sense in throwing away my hard earned money.
My second annoyance with them is their SLOW register. They have a booming business and there is always a line. Not because they are packed but because it takes so long to do a transaction. Please upgrade to a faster system so I can get my coffee and go.
They have great food and even better coffee, tea, ginger drinks and house made soda. They have also sponsored some really cool benches on the block that brighten up the area. Thanks Actual for caring about our neighborhood! -
Review from Kira B.
San Francisco, CA
9/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
I just got a job a few blocks from here and this cafe is the closest healthy lunch place around. Love the grilled cheese and soup. Fresh salad. Free wifi.
Happy to have found it and glad I have someplace to walk to lunch by my work that makes me feel good about what I just ate. -
Review from Jeremy G.
8/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
The positives: delicious empanandas, huge workspace table in the middle of the room, free popcorn after 5pm
The negatives: the power outlets are not convenient at all, prices are little too high
I am not a coffee drinker and the novelty of the bike parking inside is just that for me. When I go for a place to work, being able to easily plug in is pretty important. Get some outlets under that table, Actual. -
Review from Kristina F.
Sacramento, CA
7/4/2011
My boyfriend came back bitching about his horrible encounter there this morning.
He went in for a scone and soy mocha, waited 15 min. served him the wrong thing then were out of mocha. This is the 3rd time he waited for over 15 minutes for a coffee or mocha (during weekends and weekdays). "How early do you have to wake up in the morning to get a cup of coffee and make it on time to work if you have to order there?"- Boyfriend.
There weren't many people there when he ordered today and he said everyone who ordered after him got their drinks before him. He said that they messed up the two orders for the people who ordered ahead of him when he arrived.
I've only been there once with him and we ordered food and italian sodas. I didn't think the place was too bad, but I didn't care of the long wait for our order either. I thought they were overpriced as well for the quality of their drinks.
This didn't strike me as the most amazing cafe to stop by. It has a nice aesthetic and wifi, that's about all I'd care to give that place props for.
***UPDATE 7/29/11 (*Sal the owner read my review and said that he has been working on the staff's responsiveness in the morning with orders. Thank you Sal for reaching out. I hope to come by again soon.) -
Review from Funk U.
Brea, CA
2/8/2012
Customer service is friendly. The bike rack inside provides peace of mind. Try the real big salad. Real fresh, real variety, real good.
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Review from wendy a.
Oakland, CA
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Sipped cucumber lemonade while reading why the photographed tattooed people in the art series composed the tatts they wear as well as the aeriats' statements. Awesome.
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Review from Debora L.
8/29/2011
When I went, I found this little gem not your standard cyber cafe; it's a great spot to gab w/ friends and enjoy a sunny Sunday afternoon. the food options are fresh, and the housemade sodas pretty awesome. coffee was great too, and loved the soy add-in option.
outdoor seating available, although the view leaves a bit to be desired (san pablo circa golden gate district = classy). vibe is homemade meets hipster. parking is at your own risk on the street, with lots of bike parking options.
the long and short: great place to meet someone, chat it up, over a solid coffee. -
Review from Allie S.
7/26/2011
I love their big yummy salads! Massive pile of fresh greens + shaved parmesan + weird pickled veggies + fresh fruit of your choice sounds bizarre but works REALLY WELL.
I'd give em four stars but it's pretty spendy and although I know not to come here for amazing coffee, it's not amazing.
Most of the time the service is pretty good, but why is there a new group of people here every three weeks?
A while back a friend and I were having lunch and our food was up while we were outside during a big rush. Some jerkoff grabbed both of our plates before I went in for them and they made new ones no problem. I think they really need to stick to taking and calling names not dishes because apparently some of their clientele take whatever the hell they want. -
Review from Lorne I.
San Francisco, CA
12/10/2011
Amazing food, amazing coffee, amazing atmosphere. I think about their Thai chili bar mix when I'm alone in the shower.
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Review from Navi T.
Hercules, CA
5/12/2011 13 Check-ins Here
I've heard about this place from the bike party. So me and Bella(my bike) roll in a few weeks ago. Unlike other coffee shops, this place does enforce a no laptop policy which I found interesting but I can see why - we tend to live in a virtual world.
I only had their homemade soda which was really good but a little pricey - I don't blame them since everything these has an emphasis on being sustainable and homemade(as far as food goes). The indoor bike racks and reading area are nice touches.
Maybe I'll write a more through review next time I find myself here. -
Review from Calvin S.
Oakland, CA
3/22/2012
They have a good beer selection on tap. Everything else if for girls or very skinny men in fashionable clothing. Also expensive.
