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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Art Galleries, Sandwiches
Neighborhoods: Oakland Chinatown, Downtown OaklandCool Videos: http://www.youtube.com...
Mon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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This is by far the best coffee shop in town. I'm picky when I look for a coffee place, because the people have to be friendly and the place can't be depressing. This one is a gem, and the quality is excellent. You won't be let down, so choose this over every other place for a coffee stop that will leave you smiling.
I wanted to try Awaken when I was studying for the MCAT but the seating area was practically nonexistent, leading me down the street to complacently buy something at Tully's.
I've seen some complaints about the espresso drinks not being as hot as people would like but to me the temperature was perfect. I didn't scald my mouth as I sipped my latte and the milk didn't get that curdled taste I get at Starbucks. The barista truly knew what she was doing, and the hand-pulled espresso was divine. Now if only my new job would pay me enough to go here every day, I could become one of the regulars whose order they have memorized.
Okay, listen. I appreciate what you're trying to do here, Awaken Cafe. The tea that I had was cool and refreshing, the barista friendlyish. Vegan donuts? Sure, why not, I'll have two.
Almost. 8. Dollars. Are you kidding me? I didn't order a mid-day feast, nor was I in for a small lunch. I had two donuts roughly the size of a fist (on a small hand, no less!).
It was at that moment, paying, my steaming tea on my left, my donuts on a plate on the right, that I decided I could not afford to take BART home. I then waited for 30 minutes for the bus -- the lovely music of revitalization jackhammering from across the street -- some pretty decent vegan donuts slowly entering my stomach.
Eh.
I got an Americano. Evelynn got a soy chai latte.
We were in awe! At first taste I thought it was the best I had ever had. When I told Evelynn to try it she thought it was just as good if not better than what she had in Italy.
It's been about a month since we've been, but it comes up in conversation at least every other day.
I can't wait to go back.
Awaken: small with its tiny, modern-deco, street-side storefront
Bf sampled their tasty-though-unremarkable latte, though they gain points for weaving a milk-foam detail
I went for the french-press, black coffee. Thin; tasted kind of like water.
Best part: this shop confirms that small can work in a big way. With not a lot of space, it's managed to garner a number of "best-in-city" awards.
The shop also doubles as a mini art gallery and sells its wall-art. Also, they're renovating the next-door space for extra sitting room.
Mediocre cup, they don't roast their own beans, but the space is impressive for what they had to work with.
I would say that this place is alright. I've had better coffee and the prices are quite a bit higher than I prefer for coffee and some sort of baked good. Closer to $10 than I want to spend before I'm even awake yet.
Though the cheese and herb croissant was the best thing I've had there. Super yummy!
Very friendly staff, extensive coffee selection, plans for expansion to next door art gallery. Live music occasionally. Indoor and al fresco seating. Did I mention the friendly staff? Great word-of-mouth from the locals, great too for the business traveller like myself.
A solid 4.5.
My taste in coffee has been utterly spoiled since I got a barista job that required training at Blue Bottle. In that prelapsarian time before this job, I used to think coffee is coffee, and that's that. Now, I cannot help but immediately scrutinize every drink I get at a coffee shop that I'm not used to, smelling it, taking a tiny first sip and moving it around in my mouth like a pretentious jackass, asking how recently the beans were roasted and what is their provenance, and basically just acting a little too big for my britches (making exceptions, of course, for diner coffee and the like since, you know, it's a diner).
So, from a barista perspective Awaken is very, very good, probably the best coffee shop of its caliber within a two mile radius. Starting with their non-espresso drinks, their iced coffee is smooth and sweet and not made at too hot a temperature or too concentrated. Their chai latte was decent, but nothing to write home about and I probably wouldn't order it again. During the summer their iced teas - none of them just black tea - were a boon and kept me in a good mood when I had to run errands in the area. I bought a can of their Sonoma roast coffee beans recently and am looking forward to making them a regular staple in my cupboard, especally since you can bring back the first can for refills and the price goes from $10-$11 for 10 oz. to $7.75. Still not cheap, but it's hard to find coffee beans that aren't charred to within an inch of their lives (a la the venerable Peet's) or just plain crappy and the Sonoma roast is a lovely, well-balanced blend, roasted a little darker than the Bella Donovan Blue Bottle beans I'm used to but has a comparable flavor. 10 oz. lasts my boyfriend and I a week (one morning cup for each of us on weekdays, and multiple cups over the weekend) and it's certainly more economical than buying it on the go. All their beans are proprietary blends, roasted something like every two or three weeks. I'd prefer a weekly roast, but that isn't bad.
Now, the espresso drinks. Usually when I'm trying a new coffee place I order a macchiato. You can't serve a mediocre shot, and you can see whether or not the coffee shop steams the milk properly (like cappucino milk) or does that lame dollop-on-top thing made so popular by larger chain coffee shops. Awaken does it right: the crema was nutty and rich and had that dappled coppery-reddish hue of a well-made shot, the ratio of milk the espresso was spot-on, and the milk itself was perfectly steamed, light and airy but still liquid enough to be swirled in from the carafe. The bean they chose for the espresso was a little bright for my taste (I suspect a dominance of Central American beans in the blend) but that's a personal preference, and it won't stop me from ordering the macchiato in the future. The lattes are also excellent. I have grown to abhor that chain style of latte, where the milk is steamed flat until the very end with the barista suddenly pulls the pitcher low and there is that terrible hissing that I have come to equate with burned, bubbly milkfoam, and then they pour the whole mess over the espresso and scoop off the top into your cup. No, no, no. At Awaken they steam the milk properly, gently incorporating the air evenly throughout the milk until it reaches temperature. It is lighter than a Blue Bottle latte but definitely closely akin to it.
The prices are also on par with Blue Bottle. A single macchiato will set you back $2.25, a 12 oz. latte with a double shot $3.35. But that is the thing about this breed of coffee shop: they are expensive, and THAT IS OKAY. The baristas are intensively trained, they put a lot of care into your drink, they take their time (be patient!) to make sure it's good, and all in all they know their shit. I can't afford to make Awaken my daily cup, but I know a lot of people who can and do because they know a good thing when they see (taste?) it. Is it the BEST coffee shop of its kind? No. But it's pretty close, and I'm willing to bet you'd be hard-pressed to find better in Oakland.
It's 3pm and I'm sitting in the office. Can't focus on work. Must take nap. Or I could got to Awaken. It's my go-to place for a mocha and muffin to get me through the rest of the workday.
And, the have Fair Trade Certified coffee! Love them for that!
Be sure to say hi to Judy, she's great. She's my go-to girl for muffin recommendations. VEGAN muffin recommendations.
The cafe Downtown Oakland's been waiting for. Premium coffee, tasty sandwiches, good music, cute baristas... If they served burritos, you'd never have to go to the Mission again!
(And if it rained inside the cafe 10 months a year, I suppose you'd never have to go to Seattle again, either.)
I guess Yelp isn't perfect.
I thought the prices were a little high to begin with, but I figured they might be able to back it up.
And the food wasn't terrible, but I certainly didn't get what I paid for. $11.85 for chips (actually really good), ok mixed greens, ok fruit, ok caprese sandwich. But for those prices I wanted to be wowed. And they were out of the chicken sandwich, leaving only two options, the caprese and the vegan tofu-like thing. I have no problems with limited menus, but at least have a meat option.
The coffee was decently priced, nothing special. But what made this go from three stars to two was the day-old muffin. It was totally doughy, dry, and lacking any moistness. Yes, I know it's a day old. But I'm a baker, and I know that muffins don't suddenly change that much in a day.
The ambience is nice though, and could be a good spot to meet a friend for coffee.
Do yourself a favor and walk a few blocks over to Cafe 15, you'll get amazingly delicious fresh organic food for less money.
Not a place to sit and work.
No A/C as they leave the doors open.
But the drinks are good.
The decor is welcoming, especially the art work on the wall.
Good place to sit and chat with a friend if you don't mind the heat outside.
This place is a nice change from the cookie cutter Coffee shops.
Good coffee, great vibe. Dig the people, warm service. Only reason I haven't put 5 stars is because they don't have whole milk canisters -- you've got to do this skim milk with half and half mixture, but I've talked to the manager and they were genuinely interested in my request (read: they listen to their customers). Five starts to come.
Really looking forward to them opening up the second half of the cafe which will take place in near future -- they're remodeling a historical building that will have more great food, entertainment, and art. Good to see Oakland being reinvigorated by good, green, and socially conscious businesses that support the community.
I used to go to Starbucks because my friend worked there and he would give me coffee for free. I even stole a mug once, but I don't think my friend noticed.
Moving on, when I decided to actually pay for coffee, I wanted to go somewhere that I would feel okay spending money at. And so I wandered into the Awaken Cafe, where the coffee is supreme and the food makes me want to only eat organic (except that I'm lazy when I grocery shop).
Also, if said friend who works at Starbucks worked here, I would refuse the free coffee and actually pay for a mug.
I decided to check this place out after a meetup group I belong to "meeted up" there.
The thing I noticed first was that the cafe sign was actually a screenprinted poster hung over the original sign (which looked to be for an old bar or club of some sort). Because I tend to anthropomorphize everything, I immediately felt a twinge of sympathy for the old business that had come before with its old cocktail-shaped marquee, but NEVERMIND that! Life goes on, and wireless cafes are the thing of the future.
I suppose it should be noted that I'm only about two shades lighter than a piece of paper, and I definitely felt fairly white going in here, namely because it just feels so....well, white. Imagine if Dorothy's house got plucked from a tornado in Marin, and landed squarely in the middle of downtown Oakland. It is very clean, and green - according to their website, they're a sustainable and conscious business, which is very cool. Tthe barrista that rang me up seemed to be in a faraway land of fluffy clouds as he rang up my iced latte. Then I turned around and realized it was because there were two very attractive asian women behind me, but not before he proceeded to get the register paper jammed and spent a couple minutes prying out my receipt. Ahhhh, love.
The coffee was EXCELLENT! Seriously -- top notch, and the other women who worked there actually brought it to my table, along with the wireless code for the internet before I even asked for it! Major points.
The folks at Awaken have upped their game lately, by adding fantastic made to order sandwiches to the line-up. My favorite is the mediterranean (vegan!) with roasted red peppers and olives and aoli sauce. The vegetarian caprese sandwich also rocks. The espresso quality has remained superb- the other day the barista spontaneously threw out the shot she had pulled for me because it didn't meet her exacting standards- her second try was creamy, sweet perfection.
As if perfect espresso and great sandwiches weren't enough to draw you in, the beans for sale at Awaken are some of the best around - the Rise and Shine Blend is great for light-roast lovers.
best espresso in oakland, or berkeley for that matter. friendly staff + local artwork = check this… Read more »
Best coffee in the East Bay...Cortt and his crew do it right! Great lunch sandwiches and their bread, butter and jam is yummy! Great local art always on display and now they have outdoor seating!
I didn't drink coffee until I went to Awaken. Now I'm hooked! No joke!
But'it's really all about the people there - honestly - just what downtown Oakland needed.
Thanks for creating the space.
Uh, It was all so new age in there.
I felt like I was transported to Marin?
I got all insecure feeling.
The employees seemed to give me a Hare Krishna vibe.
I did however feel better when I saw a Barista (Lara) I knew whom previously worked for another cafe. (She Rocks)
So I have to give them 5 stars for that at least.
It was a very clean place.
But I did feel dirty inside, cuz it was soo New Age.
Kinda like the Moonies or The Peoples temple zombies used to act
when you'd meet them on the streets back in the 70s, and they wanna
be your friends.
The coffee was kinda weak, I didn't try the food though.
Its definitely a piece of Marin hippie in this toilet we call Oakland.
The first time I came here i was in love.
The barista made me the best mocha I've ever had.
I had to have it again, even though I lived all the way in concord.
The next time I came i had another mocha that was pretty good. They gave me foam instead of whip cream though, and I dont usually like foam, but the leaf design in my foam made me feel better.
The next time i came, I remembered to ask for whip cream instead of foam. when i received my mocha, there was no whip cream, just foam without a cool design. so i asked for whip cream again, and the barista just put a puny amount of whip cream on top of the foam. what a let down. then I drank my mocha. even more of a let down. the drink was luke warm. I asked for another mocha and another barista made me one that was hot and with just whip cream....
but unfortunately i was already jaded. i think about making the trek there again, but then i remember how disappointed i was and that memory takes the wind out of my sails.
I'm still a fan, I'm just not in love any more....
ps. i also like that its green.
Coffee was DELICIOUS!!!
I got a white chocolate mocha with an extra shot. Tastes absolutely wonderful.
This is my new favorite coffee shop. WAY better than Starbucks.
Love the progress this little cafe has made! The coffee is their foundation (and it is delicious), but the additional outside seating, rotating monthly art installations, live jazz on the weekends, and first Friday (wine / food / music) art openings makes it extra special. On top of all that, the staff is friendly, attentive, and fast. Everything you'd want in the morning before work, or in the afternoon when you have more time to chillax. But that's not all...this is only phase one, the next level of the cafe involves re-opening the Golden Bull as a premiere bar / lounge / art gallery and live music space in downtown Oakland! The city needs more of these types of businesses, please do yourself a favor and support them. You're enriching yourself and the community! Great job!
If I worked in the area, I would be here a lot. I tried to study and it was just too busy and small. It's kinda like trying to be productive at Lakeshore Peet's. I am glad that this place is busy; that means that they are doing well. However, seeing all the working people filing in and out while my unemployed @$$ was just trying to remember how to do the chemistry that I learned over ten years ago just made me feel bad about myself.
I'm going to get the drip if I am back; my latte was not that awesome. Their baked goods...oops...I mean "fried" because I had a donut...are quite awesome.
They also get the "We Hella Love Oakland" props for all their pretty Lake Merritt photos.
I am curious what this place is like on the weekends.
Oh, and they're, like, green and stuff.
I haven't walked through the doors of Awaken yet, I've just moved to Oakland. I have, however been watching the development of it for several years. I know Cortt and know him to be a community-minded soul, and kind heart.
I wholeheartedly support Awaken Cafe and intend to go say hi in person in the next week! I have a gift credit waiting there from a friend- how cool is it that you can purchase something and credit it to a friend?? That's the kind of place Awaken Cafe is. Cool. Different.
Word on the street is that the coffee is out of this world, too. I can't wait to come back with a solid review of the Sacred Bean Juice!
Awaken Cafe is small but mighty!! Their coffe is delicious and the atmosphere is completely inviting. My husband and I drive from Richmond to buy their beans. The service is warm and friendly and the coffee is made with attention to detail and great care.
They are working on expanding into a cafe/wine bar with a bigger menu of food and drinks. I can't wait to chill out here, listen to live music and take in beautiful downtown Oakland!!
If you haven't been I highly recommend that you check it out.
I've been growing tired of Peets and wanted to start going to a smaller coffee shop. I racked my brain and finally remember Awaken, so I've been making it my business to go here for coffee this week.
Went in today and ordered a large iced coffee. I've noticed they keep the iced coffee already prepared in the fridge so I figured, why get ice that's going to water down my coffee since it's already cold. So, I told the guy no ice. He *paused* like this was a strange/bad/almost murderous request, and then proceed to fill the cup a little bit more than half-way with coffee.
Okay...I thought to myself. I'll just put in the needed cream and have him top it off. Didn't really seem like a big deal. Well clearly it was (didn't I know?), because you see, he gave ALREADY GAVE ME my 16 oz. The cup is 20 oz (duh, I should've known!) so that allows for 4 oz of ice which I didn't want, thus leaving me with a half a cup of coffee.
*blank stare*
Okay, I get this is a small coffee shop and everything is so expensive right now, and this is a recession, and yada, yada. But I don't really think me asking him to top of my coffee is asking for too much, and I don't think it was necessary to go into a mathematical breakdown of the coffee to ice ratio.
Nevertheless, I'd been going out of my way to go here but I definitely won't anymore. I'm sure they'll still get plenty of business with the downtown breakfast/lunch crowd, but they won't get mine.
Good iced coffee. The shop is pretty small and the seating is pretty limited. I don't live in the… Read more »
This place puts Peet's to shame. Cheaper, better, fresher. At 7:45 in the morning the baristas are always cheery and friendly, which is much appreciated on my part.
The vibe of the place is great - good music and interesting art. Basically this is a great, independent place to grab a cup of fresh french-press coffee and a killer pastry.
First, let me start off by saying that I am NOT a regular coffee drinker. I probably average 1 cup every 2-3 months...at MOST and this is only when I need an EMERGENCY pick me up! Ironically I'm seeing a trend...the last two cups of coffee that I've purchased in the last 3-4 months have been from Awaken Cafe and it's been the Mocha. Which I'm now starting to develop a taste for. OH NO!!!
Anyway I also love that upon request they can make it with rice milk and on top of it all they use eco-friendly cups and what appears to be tasty organic food selections (which I have yet to try!)
Quite literally, the best mocha I have ever tasted was at Awaken. It is great to have such a community oriented business in downtown Oakland.
A cafe will live or die by its staff and coffee, and Awaken has excellence in spades. I can't wait for the expansion.
Be hella kool to have a good place to get coffee around 14th st
Downtown Oakland but this is NOT it.. Slow service and Awful Coffee
Not really a nice place to enjoi your bad coffee (very sterile looking and feeling) also not many food options :( the 1* is for the Vegan donut .
You are much better going to peets which is very close by.
Great service, friendly and smart. The coffee can't be beat, but, most of all,
the owners are giving back to the community by creating a gallery, a place for local artists to showcase their work, so important to the vitality of the community.
I love this place!!! The ambiance, the service and the people are wonderful. I'm not a big coffee drinker but I enjoy hot chocolate and tea, both of which the Awaken Cafe makes perfectly. Every single time I'm there, I have to have the hot chocolate; and I've lived in France so I know what a good hot chocolate ought to taste like.
Also, they now have sidewalk seating so it's great to chill outdoors. Another thing I love is that now they allow the public to use the restrooms, so now I can enjoy my beverage and not have leave so soon cos I have to use the restroom.
This place is a great addition to downtown Oakland and I appreciate that they are a green business. Definitely worth adding to your weekend routine.
The barista was pretty slow!! And the caffe latte I ordered seemed too strong.
They don't ask you if you want regular or low-fat milk -- the default is regular.
There were some very unsavory individuals sitting outside the front door, blowing cigarette smoke and ogling females.
That said, it is a very nice, clean, bright and colorful space. But I am not sure I'll be back, for the reasons detailed above.
LOVE Awaken!
An essential part of my morning! The coffee is wonderful and Cortt and the ladies are always serving up a smile with every cup! This is a wonderful addition to the downtown area and a refreshing alternative to the larger, chain coffee shops in the area.
The outdoor seating, lunch selections, and now jazz/trunk shows are all the more reason to hang out there!
Great job guys....and I can't wait for Phase 2 to get done!
Nice organic coffee shop. Great art on the walls. We tried their mocha with soy iced, a chai latte iced, and a chocolate croissant. Everything was scrumptious. The chocolate croissant was more like a cookie than a croissant with chocolate. It was a lot of chocolate and absolutely delicious.
Awaken Café is, bar none, my favorite coffee shop in the East Bay. I live in the neighborhood; I stop here every morning as I walk to the 12th St. BART Station. Lately, I've also been coming in on Saturdays to read & listen to the live jazz.
The french press coffee is delicious; the baked goods are scrumptious, especially the bran muffins with cherries. I haven't tried a latte here yet, but I've seen some gorgeous latte art.
I just now saw the recently-added box lunch offerings; they look mouth-wateringly good. The presentation is also quite attractive and colorful. I'm looking forward to trying one, especially the vegan sandwich offering.
Another notable feature of Awaken is the beautiful art and photography on display (and for sale!) on the walls. I highly recommend stopping by to check out the gallery openings/First Fridays.
To top off all of these great things, the barristas are very friendly and engaging. I eagerly await the opening of Phase II next door, which will include a wine bar and performance space!
Also, big time props for running a sustainable businesses: from the compost & recycling bins out front, to the fact that they give me a discount for using my own coffee mug.
If you live or work near downtown Oakland, you should make a point of stopping by Awaken Café!
Awaken Cafe is where it's at. The new outdoor seating has really changed the way the entire block feels when you are walking there. I cant wait for the expansion into the rest of their space and more food options!
Great coffee! Nice people. I held one star (before editing) only due to the size and lack of bathroom (although there is a cafe nearby that will let you use theirs). This place is top-notch though, with a good mission to boot.
Sweet! Just found out they have their own restroom facilities available now. The only thing left to complain about is that its not a spacious, loung-ey coffee house. Oh well, nobody is perfect. :)
A is for Awaken. B is for Brewed. C is for Coffee. D is for Delicious!
Awaken is one of my favorite coffee shops in the bay. The baristas are super friendly and make the best organic coffee! They even have agave to make my day sweeter!
They also have a monthly art which opens the first Friday of every month.
Aaaah... at long last.
Oakland is a revelation to stroll. There is so much history, so much amazing architecture, so much potential, so much neglect. Appropriately enough, Oakland is starting to wake up.
Awaken gets it right. Coffee that will compel you take a moment and just savor (not to mention chai that isn't from a box!) Pastry goodness. And love...for this town, for their customers, for the community.
Better still, the name plugs into more than just the narcotic effect of the coffee. It is a call out to this place and all of us in it. Whether it's art on the walls from local minds, or the next concert being advertised, Awaken makes you want to look around, be curious, find new connections.
All that and vegan donuts, too.
Oakland, CA
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Downtown Oakland
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: East Oakland
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: West Oakland
Category: Coffee & Tea
Oakland, CA
Category: Coffee & Tea
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