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Central Perk - CLOSED
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Shopping Antiques Coffee & Tea, Antiques [Edit]
10086 San Pablo AveEl Cerrito, CA 94530
(866) 417-5206
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Dabney O. said: "We had a really good experience with our salesman Dave. he helped us pick out a mattress and then was able to beat the price we had found at Macy's. When we got home we decided the bed was too soft and he had no problem - in fact he…" read more »
30 reviews for Central Perk
Review Highlights
"Pros: Free wi-fi, cheap coffee, really friendly staff, lots..."
(in 3 reviews)
"This is a coffee shop that carries collectibles."
(in 8 reviews)
"...a coke can telephone, some cool old 50s style cocktail set..."
(in 3 reviews)
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30 reviews in English
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Review from Cory D.
Berkeley, CA
11/2/2007
Central Perk is amazing. It's on Central Ave. so that's where part of the name comes from. On the awning, they say "A place for 'Friends' to meet" in the same font as the show's logo. I wonder how much that will cost them when NBC finds out.
This is a pretty cool place. It's part cafe and part collectibles shop. Lots of vintage lunch boxes, cereal toys and figurines. They even have TWO giant Sully statues that Toys R Us raffeled off when Monsters Inc. came out.
I ordered a large house blend with room for cream expecting a 20 ouncer or something. He asked "for here?" and I said "sure."
He pours my coffee into a giant green mug which can only be described as a cereal bowl with a handle. It's got to be 32 ounces.
If you show up before 10am, drip coffee is 99 cents for a large. Best of all, there are plenty of outlets and free wireless internet to get some work done. -
Review from jay h.
12/12/2006
This place is hella fucking wierd! For one thing there has NEVER been more than one or two coffee places in El Cerrito/Richmond Area for the whole span of my 27 years of life. Shit....Starbucks didn't even penetrate this area untill two years ago!
Now there are TWO Starbucks AND a Pete's and this place called Central Perk. I have to say that I saw it before it opened and I did the rolling my eyes bit. "What the fuck is this shit? Central Perk...like in Friends? Lame...."
When it opened that nagging voice in my head kept telling me to go there. You know that nagging voice that tells you to go ahead and give that guy your "real" number even though he's not quite what you'd go for...it's not really wrong but you aren't really betting on it resulting in some great magical experience.
So the other day I walk in. I don't even see a coffee counter! I see stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. Mostly I see TWO big ass Sulley's (the blue monster from Monsters Inc.). One is strangling a toy Woody (hee hee...that sounds dirty but it's the cowboy toy from Toy Story).
Then I see thousands of pez dispensers, a creepy ass collection of Jack in the Boxes, thousands of bobble heads, all sorts of shit. Really...ALL SORTS of stuff.
I find the coffee counter in back and get the low down.
Owner and her hubby are from NY. They have been amassing aforementioned knick-knacks for 12 years or so. They moved here with 4 UHaul's of stuff and they have a storage garage filled with more stuff and boxes of stuff in the back of the store.
They even have local performers sometimes.
She put it well....
This is a coffee shop that carries collectibles.
Nice folks, cool stuff to look at and buy. They have stuff in their original boxes and stuff that old as hell but still cute. I'm sure if you're looking for something specific they just may have it...just ask. Their coffee isn't too bad either. -
Review from Rinky N.
East Bay
11/10/2006
RIP -closed April 2008
I think they probably did themselves in by being a little too overtly Christian/Jesus-y. A lot of people I know were put off by the religious literature and/or the stealing of the name Central Perk from "Friends."
There service seemed to be a little "iffy" and the food was average.
I had also heard from others about the dirty dishes----no excuse for that!
The kitschy factor was nice but not enough to sustain it.
Original review follows:
This is a place whose decor you'll either LOVE or HATE.
A coffee house AND a retro museum in El Cerrito!!! This delightful place has:
--The LARGEST collection of Jack-in-the-Boxes ever!! At least 100 Jack-in-the boxes from Charlie Chaplin to Homer Simpson to clowns
to every pop icon.
--Pez guys and those ever popular Fischer Price guys with the round
heads (as mentioned previously)
---Giant Figures (ie. Homer Simpson, the Blue Guy from Monsters, Inc) that talk, dance and sing with buttons at their feet that you are
encouraged to press by the affable owner of Central Perk.
---Super clean and super appealing knick knacks and toys (most not
for sale).......a trip back in time that any kid to Baby Boomer to grandparent can enjoy. All of these friends and figures sit on shelves
or on the rafters or in glass cases.
This place has captured many of your pop icons and enshrined them
into a coffee house with plenty of comfy sofas and standard fast food
tables and benches. A place that you can hang out!
Small but tempting menu of teas, coffee, espresso and other drinks,
as well as panini sandwiches and pastries.
Their hours are 7am to 10pm ish.
I wish they hadn't named it Central Perk because of the reference to the tv show Friends---seems to turn some folks off. I guess they were probably naming it because Central Ave is the cross street?
(FYI Located next door to the new El Cerrito Speakeasy Theatre)Listed in: Please don't forsake them, oh…
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Review from Pat T.
Berkeley, CA
2/23/2007
I like that Central Perk is trying to be supportive and a part of the local community. It reminds me of another area cafe, Nomad, in that respect. But despite many promising ideas, the cafe needs to work on three key elements - coffee quality, customer service, and layout.
On my first visit last week, I noted the collectibles others here have talked about. It's an amazing selection and as some of my relatives are antique dealers, I'm not put off by shelves and shelves of cool old stuff. But as a customer of the place, I couldn't tell if they were for sale (no price tags) or show.
The coffee counter is way in back, far removed from the sitting area, which further deemphasizes the cafe feeling here. When I visited, the person working behind the counter was on the phone while taking my order, which made it hard to communicate with her. It further added to my feeling that the cafe wasn't the main thing here.
Finally, I got my coffee and sat down in front. The front area is cold and lit with bright white lights - the big ceiling-hanging kind used in school gymnasiums. The front door is open, which is both welcoming to customers outside and chilling if it's cold out and you're sitting down with your cuppa.
To top it off, the coffee wasn't good - the flavor was weak. It wasn't burnt or bad, but it was more like OK diner coffee than what I'd expect at any other cafe in the area.
And that's the problem - there are so many good cafes in the area, that you have to focus to be competitive. Central Perk doesn't feel like a cafe - it feels like a store that happens to have a coffee counter in back (way in back).
Here's what Central Perk could do to improve:
- put the coffee counter up front next to the seating area
- cluster the chairs in more intimate "pods" of four each facing one another, rather than 12 or so facing a central area
- make the seating area warmer at night
- use incandescent or warm fluorescent lighting in the seating area
- improve coffee quality
- maintain customer focus
- establish a separate collectible selling area if they're for sale, otherwise use them more sparingly as accents so that they don't distract from the cafe focus
Summary: One star for so-so coffee and service and a cold seating area, with an extra star for supporting the community. If Central could adopt some of the suggestions above, I think they could become a real gem. -
Review from Sophia C.
Berkeley, CA
11/13/2006
In addition to the knick knacks and late hours, they have free wireless and pretty decent Peerless coffee and coffee creations (like pumpkin spiced latte... stuff like that.)
The owners are sweet people and I really want to see them succeed. The cafe is really quiet now but visit Central Perk, bring your friends, some conversation and laughter, (board games even!), and help breathe life into this museum/cafe/walk-down-memory lane kind of place.
Some Cole Porter background music wouldn't hurt the place either.. -
Review from Timothy O.
Fresno, CA
5/20/2007
I found myself in El Cerrito and in need of coffee. The parking lot at the Peet's down the street was full, so when I saw this place, I figured I could just get a coffee here.
There's just too much going on in this place. It's trying to be three different things at the same time. First, it's a Friends-themed coffee shop. Second, and much more prominently, it's a memorabilia store/museum. There are dozens of collectible toys and lunchpails and just stuff all around the place - from the floor to the rafters. Quite frankly, it was a little too much to take in before I had had my coffee. Lastly, it tries to be a community hangout, with the requisite flyers from community groups and some sort of open mike or music night. There's also WiFi, but I don't think that rates it's own category.
Oh, and a large mocha is nearly five dollars. For that much money, Jennifer Aniston had better be serving me... or at least Gunther. -
Review from kristi l.
CA
7/23/2007
I walked in to the Central Perk not knowing what to expect: There was so much to look at while we waited for our food and I was ecstatic to see some old fisher price Main Street stuff that I hadn't seen for AGES (: Lots of old school metal lunch boxes and cool disney stuff too.
I had a Turkey Panini which was as simple as could get - turkey, cheese, tomato (although I opted out on the pickle and mustard). It was $6 and pretty filling and good! Came with potato salad instead of fries so I was definitely full afterwards. My boyfriend had the Pastrami Panini but I could see the outrage in his eyes when he realized that each half was no bigger than the palm of his hand. Although, he's used to Quizzno's GIANT subs for $6 so it's kinda understandable.
I gave this place a good rating based on the atmosphere more than the food. The food gets a 3 but the free wifi, free newspapers (including the Onion!), and the board games left open for anyone to play was really cool. There was a calmness inside the Central Perk despite the hectic decor; I could definitely see myself studying or wasting time here (: -
Review from Alyssa R.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2007
My first impression of Central Perk: This place is in-fucking-sane.
My lasting impression, thirty-six hours later: That place was in-fucking-sane. And the owners probably wouldn't appreciate me saying that.
After a great movie experience (though a disappointing flick... Netflix "The Lookout," if that. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, you're on notice. Your good looks and acting ability can't make up for your lousy choice in roles) at the Parkway, my movie companions and I stumbled into Central Perk for some coffee before heading back over the bridge into the city.
As other reviewers have noted, this place defies description. Mix a cafe with a candy store, surrounded by castoffs from Antiques Roadshow: Pop Culture Throwdown and not-so-surreptitiously-placed religious tracts, staffed by really nice, patient people who mercifully laughed at my self-inflicted blond jokes, and you've got yourself Central Perk.
I would totally go here again if I lived in the area and were it not for the JESUS JESUS JESUS around every corner, but I highly recommend you go if you've never been. In-fucking-sane. -
Review from Wella L.
Oakland, CA
3/3/2007
You must prepare yourself for your first visit. This place is not just a cafe, it's a veritable museum of pop culture collectibles. I stepped in and had to stop and stare and soak in all those toys, lunchboxes, figurines, lamps, etc.
When you think of it as a collectible shop, then the fact that they serve drinks and beverages and offer free wifi and plenty of seating becomes a fantastic bonus.
When you think of it as a cafe, and you're hanging out with your coffee and surfing the web on your laptop or reading a book, it becomes annoying when parents bring their noisy kids in to gawk at all the stuff. -
Review from s r.
San Francisco, CA
1/3/2008
Eerily weird place...popped in to grab a tea one morning...my guy wanted a latte...neither of us had any idea that this place was primarily a shop for collectibles....it's a little misleading from the outside.
The name"Central Perk" implies that it would be a coffee house. Yes, they do serve coffee, tea, and some light snacks...but that seems to be an afterthought. My best guess is that they "borrowed" the name and logo from the TV show Friends because it's widely recognizable....sort of like bait to lure in unknowing drivers-by, in hopes that we might buy some of their collectibles while we wait 15-20 minutes to get our coffee/tea...when there is NO ONE else in front of us being helped. Clearly, serving coffee/tea is NOT their forte.
Speaking of service...it was seriously lacking. At first, I thought it was serve yourself because they were so slow in coming out of the back to help us. We could see the guy hanging out....and he could see us, but this didn't seem to matter.
Overall, they seem to be disorganized in a big way. I really wanted to like it here, but as I was walking back to the car, I found myself wishing I had just stopped at Starbucks (who's tea I can hardly stand to drink) .
I can't recommend Central Perk and I definitely won't be giving it another try. -
Review from Ruth S.
Oakland, CA
2/10/2008
Ok, I really want to like this place, I get a guilty conscience whenever I go to Starbucks so I keep going here in hopes that it will be good but I think I need to give up on it.
Visit #1 Summer of 2007.
it was REALLY hot and their pear salad sounded incredibly
good. I was anticipating a crisp cool salad and was served a
hot salad. Not lukewarm but hot.
Visit #2 Fall 2007
I decided to try again. I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich. It
was passable but the side potato(or was it pasta) "salad" was
more mayo than anything else. Plus I have a difficult time
paying money for something I can make better at home.
Visit #3 Today--Winter 2008
I ordered a chai tea and a bagel. I got my tea and the guy
behind the counter said he'd bring the bagel out to me. 15
minutes later and no bagel. I went to the counter and the guy
was really apologetic. I was tempted to let it go but after I
finished my bagel I saw this:
[IMG]http://i60.photobucket...[/IMG]
There was a small piece of egg and a piece of bacon on my
plate. Not only did I not order my bagel with a side of someone
else's breakfast, I'm vegetarian and hopefully I didn't eat any of
that bacon. yuck -
Review from Hanson Q.
Berkeley, CA
10/21/2007
I was really surprised to finally walk into this place, after driving by it so many times. I had expected coffee, a few sandwiches, and maybe a few "Friends" memorabilia. But it's definitely a different place, much bigger than I expected, and packed with the collectibles that so many other yelpers have pointed out. What I really like, though, is that it adds personality to El Cerrito, finally!
I was very pleasantly surprised with the funky feel of the place that kind of took me back to my days in L.A. on Melrose Avenue. I cannot yet vouch for the food, but the white mocha is a generous cup of goodness. I also work from home most of the time, and would definitely try to spend a few of my days here amidst different scenery. -
Review from Gray D.
Albany, CA
3/24/2008
Central Perk is a pretty chill place. As a mobile office, I'm constantly on the lookout for a good spot with free wi-fi, and it generally fits the bill.
Pros: Free wi-fi, cheap coffee, really friendly staff, lots of cool old toys to look at.
Cons: Really mediocre food (don't bother with it), not quite as mediocre coffee (but definitely not great), kind of dusty.
Central Perk is definitely worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood and looking for a cheap cup of coffee and a place to work. Just don't expect to eat there. -
Review from Holly H.
San Rafael, CA
9/18/2007
I am an action figure collector so walking into this place was quite amazing. I absolutely love the atmosphere. The food is another story. I asked for soup and a grilled cheese sandwich and I was handed a bowl of ramen like you get in packages when you're broke and living the dorm life and a slice of white kraft cheese in between some slices of bread....the bread had mold on it. I shit you not. This place is nice if you want to grab something to drink and hang out on your laptop for a while. I do not reccommend it as a place to eat....obviously.
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Review from Irene S.
11/7/2006
to be honest, i haven't technically been a patron of this place, which just opened. i've been in, looked around in awe, and amazed.
i'm in love.
okay, i know, you're thinking... central perk... friends... what the fuck is this? it is called central perk, yes. there's a sign out front that calls it "the place where FRIENDS meet" (friends is in that font... THAT FONT... the TV SHOW FONT), yes. that is kind of cheesy. but that's where it stops.
this huge space is a cafe. according to the Man Friend, the coffee is tasty. both of us are looking forward to testing out the food, which looks to be standard cafe food fare and more than likely won't disappoint. it might not be overwhelmingly good.
in any case, food and coffee aren't the point. (or not the main point, anyway.)
the point is the massive array of collectibles, which is sure to make you shit your pants with delight. the place is crammed to the rafters - and IN the rafters! there are rafters full of giant stuffed animals! - with delightful stuff. antique jack-in-the-boxes, old glass perfume bottles, more bobble heads than you can shake a stick at, really rad lamps that i wish i could string up all over my house, star wars memorabilia, a huge display of little people (remember those?) which caused me to shout in delight at the MF: "i had that one! oh, and that one! my sister had that one! we had that one! and that one!" despite the fact that someone was trying to enjoy coffee almost directly beneath me.
some of it's for sale, some of it's not.
in any case, the place is a delight. a delight for your eyes, a delight for the child in you, a delight for the adult in you, too. i highly recommend making your way out there, though i might give it another week or two so that you can view it in its completely set up glory. (as of now, there are a couple sections that are still blocked off, full of boxes of what you know is going to be really neat stuff!) -
Review from Leigh T.
Richmond, CA
12/13/2006
this place is just effin nasty. people who have said so only know the half of it. the people who give raving reviews were probably somewhere else.
their employees are clearly unhappy (under paid perhaps?) and it definitely shows. the owner themselves are greedy, dirty people who ought to comb/cut their hair but obviously don't.
the food is just awful. if you like costco food and maruchan noodles marked up 550% then you should LOVE this place. that's all i've gotta say.
and btw, to 'danielle p': no, i do not know the employees and owners personally but any one with eyes can see the obvious! i've been to central perk maybe 3 or 4 times (with friends, forced to since everyplace in el cerrito closes so early) and every one of those times i've gotten dull, listless service from the man and woman who work there and sell their overpriced, quality-devoid food. former employee or not, you'd have to be brain-dead to be so brain-washed as to believe this place is CLEAN. teehee, that's a funny thought! dust is everywhere! bussing dishes is non-existent! the couches smell bad! i say the employees are unhappy because they've got frowns on their faces and look miserable. minimum wage is a wonderful thing i'm sure!
this is the sad but truthful truth! but here's a tip: edible food+cleanliness+smiling-junk = not central perk. if they can fix this equation perhaps people would actually go here. -
Review from Benjina D.
Lake Mary, FL
2/27/2008
I can sum up this place in one word: YUCK! Do not go here! I work nearby and pass by this place daily. I love coffee and was always curious about their cutesy window display, which is a Friend's knock-off. I went in this place expecting a small, intimate, clean coffee shop, but instead walked into this horrendous maze of creepy, smelly, "vintage" junk. I say junk because there is no beginning or end to this place, and it's packed with so much stuff that you'd find in your mom's attic or a junk yard sale. It looks like the owners were pack rats and decided to buy a store to show off all the stuff they hoarded over the years. The window actually says that they sell fine vintage tea sets, etc. I saw nothing worth anything over a few bucks.
Now, I'm not that scared of weird coffee houses (although this one was the weirdest), in fact, my favorite coffee hangout in college was a weird little place across from campus that served the best lattes and espressos for under 3 bucks. So, I head over to the counter, despite my gut telling me to head back to the door. There was an array of food, but nothing looked appetizing. Homemade cookies wrapped in plastic wrap. Some pre-packaged brownies and candy you'd find at 7-11, and a couple of homemade cakes on the counter. I also noticed a very strong smell coming from the kitchen area. It smelled like dirty mops and floor cleaner. Not very appetizing.
I decided to order a caramel latte from the unhappy looking lady behind the counter. While waiting, there were a few samples of the cake they had on the counter. I tasted one, and it was very dry, stale, and very homemade-out-of-a-box taste. When she came back with my latte in a cup, I apologized and told her it was to go. She gave me a dirty look, but turned around and poured the coffee in a generic to-go cup with a Wachovia Bank sleeve (are they stealing these from the bank or getting a bulk discount on leftover supplies?!). Although it looked generous in the humongous cup, when transferred to a to-go cup, the coffee was the equivalent to a small or medium elsewhere. The total was about $4, the same price I'd pay at Starbucks or Peets. I asked if she sold any boxed tea, to which she pointed to her tea display behind her. It contained boxes of "Stash" brand tea, the kind you get at Safeway and tastes like crap. So I told her I didn't really like that brand, but thank you anyway. I was rewarded with another dirty look.
After all was said and done, I thought maybe the coffee would make up for the shitty experience. I was wrong. It was hot, but it tasted like sweet milk. No taste of espresso. Not even espresso flavor! What a waste of time and money. Bottom line, don't go there. The place stinks (literally), everyone including the customers look unhappy, the food looks like crap, and the coffee sucks. -
Review from Mike K.
Alameda, CA
1/2/2008
Weird weird weird. Free wi-fi and they didn't mess with us when we ordered a cup of coffee and then held a table for hours and hours working on laptops. Lots of weird knicknacks for sale and occassionally you'll run into a bible study or guitar lesson group, but if you want to camp out with laptop, wifi and not be bothered for a while it's great.
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Review from Allison L.
Berkeley, CA
1/30/2007
Totally quirky and hella cool! How can you beat Huey Lewis on the radio?
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Review from G. H.
El Cerrito, CA
1/14/2007
Kind of a cool place for th first 5 minutes, & then SCARY!!! Too many fucking scary-ass jacks-in-the-box! Crazy collectibles everywhere you look. Awful AWFUL veg. sandwich (grilled cheese with pickles & mustard.) & the Cokes we ordered didn't even come with a glass. They brought the cans to the table & that's it. Also, my BF noticed a lot of Creationism shit in the corner of the cafe, & something about a Bible study group. I've got an open mind, but JEEEEEZUS! that was kinda weird. Seem like nice folks, but the Creationist stuff has NO place at all in a cafe/collectibles shop. Still, I would recommend that you try it out ONCE. Very trippy place, especially if you collect crazy stuff from the 50's 60's 70's... I wouldn't ever go back, after the Bible action in the corner, but it's a free country & for that I think we should take a minute to PRAISE THE LORD. I'm no monkey.
Adam & Eve were real people, right? BULLSHIT -
Review from Scott A.
San Francisco, CA
6/6/2007
This place will really take you back to your childhood. That is if you are at least in your 30's or better. They sell all kinds or vintage toys and related objects. It is well worth your time to stop by if you are in the neighborhood. Unless you are specifically looking for something here it is not worth a special trip. The drinks and food are quite on the average side. But you will have a lot to talk about with whomever you go with. Quite a throwback!
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Review from J R.
El Cerrito, CA
1/17/2008
I've been visiting this place for over a year. The main thing I like about this place is the WiFi access. I have internet at home and work from home but from time to time I need to get out of the house and this seemed like a good option.
Toy Collection: Not crazy about it - actually don't care much for it. 100% unbalanced feng shui if that is important to you. :)
Food: BAD! Think canned and microwave food for outrageous prices. Tried dfferent meals there when I had to focus on my work for long stretches.
Environment: a bit too much religiousness for my taste but I could ignore it. On weekedns they have live local musicians - sometimes entertainigly good but most of the time not great.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: VERY BAD! And this will be the reason #1 I will not return to Central Perk.
In all this time as a customer I've never gotten a smile out of neither partners (husband or wife - although he can be nicer). Their employees tend to be much more normal but they don't seem to last very long. More often than not, my many different attempts at being friendly or having a conversation with them are returned with dead silence and a blank stare as if I were speaking a different language all together or as if talking were not allowed in that space. So don't try to be friendly - they either like you or they don't. Customer Service is none existent in their business vocabulary.
Today was officially my last visit to this place. The wife was being more agressive and unpleasant and just plain mean (or as others have put it "unhappy") than usual and there's only so much I'm willing to ignore. They will not be getting my business anymore. -
Review from Leslie D.
El Cerrito, CA
4/27/2008
Central Perk is gone, soon to be replaced by 33 Revolutions, which bills itself as a record store/cafe. Hopefully it will have better food and service, less Jesus and fewer googly eyes staring at you from the walls.
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Review from Anh N.
El Cerrito, CA
5/11/2008
This was a great coffee pub with very odd but interesting knickknacks. Actions figures, toy cars, and life size Disney/Pixar characters makes this place lively.
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Review from Andy C.
Alameda, CA
10/13/2007
This place is pretty hip. Lots of space, food available, wi-fi enabled (connectivity and bandwidth is very good). Some, though not a lot of plugs visible, so you vampires should be charged before arrival.
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Review from Mike R.
Albany, CA
5/13/2008
Great idea but they did not treat the musicians well. I wanted to have a party for my wife's b-day there and the price was a joke. I'm sad its closed now because I never saw anything like it before. Cant wait to see what takes its place.
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Review from Erika B.
Bethesda, MD
1/11/2007
All of the tzotches made me nervous. I can't comment on the coffee itself. My brief visit to this cluttered joint was enough to overstimulate my neurotransmitters, thus eliminating any need for artificial stimulants. Apparently a bible study group meets here, which struck me as a bit odd. I'd imagine reading about Joseph and his coat of many colors whilst gigantic stuffed disneyesque creatures hovered above would prove too distracting for even the most fervent believer. The bottom line is that this just wasn't my scene. However, this is a perfect place for hoaders of every ilk, ADHD kids, women who subscribe to Cat Fancy, and serious beanie baby collectors.
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Review from Julie P.
Richmond, CA
5/4/2008
33 revolutions is open! bye bye central perk! the new owners are great. the cafe au lait was just right. the live music was nice, not too much. finally someplace cool to hang out in el cerrito.
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Review from Tom M.
Berkeley, CA
11/15/2007
I stopped in here before going the the movies at El Cerrito Speakeasy Theater last night (btw 5 *s on that!). wow!!! I had looked in the door b4 but never been inside. Amazing!!! whoever runs this joint is eclectic to say the least. lots of toys and figurines and a table you can sit and w/ lifesize Homer Simpson and family. everything is arranged by type you've got Pez dispensers, bobbleheads, Batman and Superman stuff, Wizard of Oz stuff, lots of Star Wars stuff and on and on...seriously the work of a lifelong obsession. And "everything in the store is for sale". Other than the Homer and Yoda pez dispensers that I coveted there was a coke can telephone, some cool old 50s style cocktail set, interesting moderne lamps, jewelry etc. This is a one-of-a-kind place. They also have food and coffee/tea drinks and last night and many nights live music. and free wi fi. What's not to like?
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Review from Frances s.
Richmond, CA
11/11/2007
I love this place. The seating has a really "at home" feel. I could sit here for hours while looking at their marvelous collection of antiques. There is always something different to see--something you may have not notice before. The workers are very friendly and patient. I have never been brutally mistreated. They make the best lattes. The food itself is pretty decent. I must say that the turkey sandwich is quite good. The restrooms are large and usually clean. Overall this place is good for a hang out and a little 'pick me up' through out the day.
