The baked goods and breakfast are good here. Things are well priced. The coffee is good, but the matcha tastes kinda weird and needs a lot of sweetener. There was a lot of flies inside where I was seated too so that wasn't great. But the workers are very nice and that's a plus. read more

overpriced and would not come again. Ordered a biscuit. Food is average at best. Would not waste $20 on one sandwiche for McDonald's quality sandwich read more

Absolutely delicious chocolate chocolate chunk cookies (disclaimer: probably not the actual name). Perfectly crackly exterior with a fudgy, decadent inside. Couldn't ask for more from this cookie! read more

Baker & Commons - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Today is winter solstice. The Toddler and I shared a piece of delicious, moist, flavorful gingerbread, and a piece of the daily fresh frittata. A good brunch on the go! Before the Baby was born. I had a gingerbread-making obsession and a quiche-making obsession and I've tried quite a few examples from restaurants, but this is the first place that does as well or better than my home cooking. The people here are so sweet, clean and careful without being uptight or weird during COVID. I love this bakeshop and can't wait to return to the full menu and sit down dining! read more

Baker & Commons - Mid-hike Creekside Dining for us today. - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Very cute and nice atmosphere. Portions were light, which I prefer, but keep that in mind if you plan on going. Service was good :)

Get the biscuits! I don't know who's doing the baking there, but they're killing it! So many baked goods worth eating too much of. The people there are friendly and it's a sweet little cafe to grab a bit on a chill morning. Had some panna cotta the other week that was delicious! Went back the other day and it was moved on I guess. Please make more bakery person! read more

Went here for this first time during lockdown! The food here was so good. I kept having to come back here for their BLTA and smoked salmon toast. The smoked salmon toast was the best toast I've ever had and the pickled red onions and lemon pepper were amazing with the bread. The salad it comes with on the side isn't good but the salmon toast is worth it. Only complaint here is the service. I ordered for pickup using Caviar the 4 times I've been here and it's never ready when it says "ready for pickup." I've had to wait 20-30 minutes every time. read more

Baker & Commons - Salmon toast to go - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Normally love this place and find it comforting but today an employee was so rude in her mannerism that she made me cry, ruined the whole experience, would have left without my five dollar coffee if my friend hadn't gone back for it. read more

Baker & Commons - "Medium" coffee - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Cute local coffee shop with pastries, baked goods, and plenty of coffee selection! I needed an afternoon pick me up so I stopped by to try a latte. Nothing special, just got a regular one but it wasn't regular, it was soooo good! They made it really hot how I like it, the espresso was tasty, and they did a cute leaf design. I'll be back next time I'm in the area! read more

Baker & Commons - Latte - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

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My staff and I have been enjoying this place while doing temporary work just down the street. It was slightly confusing ordering at the counter and staff were unfriendly (downgrade of rating). Our coffees were piping hot, yet served in "bowls" or cups with no handles - it seems that you have to request a saucer even though they know themselves it's too hot to carry out without one. Makes zero sense. Overall - food and pastries are wonderful which is the only reason we have returned multiple times. I've had the tuna sandwich and the staff ordered breakfast sandwiches. We finally stopped waiting forever in line and ordered online - be prepared, they automatically give themselves a 15% gratuity online that I totally missed. I would plan to keep coming here until I venture and start trying out other places. For now, their tuna on wheat is definitely my favorite! read more

The food is pretty good, but the staff is very unprofessional. They talk amongst themselves instead of taking your order. Or finish their text before they look up at your. I ordered a sandwich to go and no one else was in line or waiting for food. It took 20 minutes to get a curried chicken sandwich. Why?? I think because most of the staff is very young and working behind a counter is not their first priority. Pay a little more and get folks that want to work. read more

This place has great food quality but the particular day I went was filled with gaffes. I really wanted to like this place and it started out with 5 stars for the food quality but rapidly went downhill. Knocked off a star for being overpriced for the small portion sizes, another for not keeping the self-serve water and water glasses stocked, another for being extraordinarily stingy and sparse with the takeout portions. Came here with a couple of friends. I ordered the curry chicken salad sandwich which came with a small side salad. One of my friends also had a side salad with her sandwich and we were both very disappointed with the salads. The dressing was not very good, the vinaigrette tasted like fish sauce. It overwhelmed the salad and my friend could not eat hers. The portions were very small and we were all still hungry afterwards. I decided to get some takeout for later and ordered a BLTA (Bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado sandwich) and a Shrimp Louie to take home. It's a good thing I looked inside the takeout boxes before I left the counter because I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw how chintzy and miserly the portions were! The shrimp louie filled less than half the box and only had 4 shrimps, cherry tomatoes, 2 stalks of broccolini, and only 1/2 an egg that was more soft boiled than hard boiled! Where was the bed of lettuce it's supposed to be sitting on? The BLTA was also supposed to come with a side salad but they hadn't included that either, just a lone sandwich inside a take out box. When I complained and showed it to the counter person, she went in the back and got some extra salad greens to put into the shrimp Louie and got a container of side salad for my BLTA. I'm glad she agreed with me that the portions were not right, but I shouldn't have had to call it to her attention in the first place. I would have been pretty angry to get home and find out that I had been gypped. This place has a good reputation for its breakfasts and scones, but it sure was lacking at lunch. And if you order anything to go, make sure they got it right and gave you proper portions before you leave the premises. read more

Baker & Commons - Shrimp Louie takeout that filled LESS than half the box. They forgot to put in the bed of lettuce! - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

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How to have a five star experience: 1. Don't go here This place is pricey for making you stand in line, grab your own silverware, and bus your own table when you are done eating. Latte is in a bowl, but no latte art? What's the point? They didn't even attempt a leaf or a heart. Also the shot pulled was very bitter. I got the biscuits and gravy. Don't make the same mistake I did. It comes in a bowl, looks like dog food and tastes ok. It comes with a small cup of mixed fruit. Pineapple, fig, blueberries and strawberries. That was the best thing I had there. read more

Baker & Commons - Biscuits and gravy disguised as dog food. Tastes ok. - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I'll always have a soft spot for this place! Having a nice hot latte and pastry from here was what I would look forward to on my runs. Such a cute spot located in Elmwood with great outdoor seating and a cute yellow covering over where the line is. One of my fondest memories is coming here with my best friend and having coffee, snacks, and for some reason she ordered soup lol, and reading. My friend had a pleasant conversation with the cashier and ended up getting a free scone too. Definitely recommend checking out if you are in the Berkeley area! read more

Baker & Commons - Bread and pumpkin soup, hot latte, hot mocha, and blueberry scone. - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Such potential, but it's not quite there yet. Gave this place a shot for restaurant week. Service was great. The woman at the counter was polite, helpful, and answered all my questIons about vegetarian friendly food and desserts (you gotta be on the watch for that gelatin). When the food came out to the table, it was a bit of a mixed bag. The butternut squash salad was AMAZING! The many different flavors in the salad all came together beautifully--I will definitely be back to get this in the entree size I see on the regular menu. The white bean salad was just okay though; the large white beans seem to overpower the rest of the ingredients. On to the entrees: I didn't see these on the regular menu, so it seems they're trying them out during restaurant week. My baked penne was rather disappointing. The bechemel was in a large clump on the bottom and it was surprisingly watery (likely due to the water not being cooked out of the tomatoes/spinach/peppers beforehand). My fiancé's chicken over wild rice, on the other hand, was the star of the evening! The wild rice was almost fried, a little crunchy, and the roasted squash and lightly charred broccolini with the lemon sauce really wowed (especially since it paired so well with the chicken). If this ends up on the regular menu, it will no doubt be a huge hit! The desserts were okay, but nothing to write home about. They were out of pie, so I'm looking forward to trying that next time. read more

I just want to update - We've been getting the biscuit sandwich with sausage and it is super super good! One of my favorite biscuits, very buttery and flaky. The sausage tastes like it has a filipino influence, with its sweetness. It all works really well together and is delicious. Highly recommend it and it's become one of our go-tos. Also they have lavender syrup and ya girl is a slut for an oat milk lavender latte, so I'm very happy. I love the seating they have outside as well, so as much as I do think its a bit expensive for an every day visit I enjoy being walking distance to it. Rounding up to a solid 4 stars now :) read more

This place is delightful for an outdoors brunch! Outdoor parklet is delightful to dine at, with lots of greenery to surround you. Took a turkey sandwich and a scone, and the scone was freshly baked and so so soft. I dearly wish to try the other numerous baked goods on display. The baked goods aren't sealed, so I saw a few flies land on the food while I was waiting in line though. Sandwich was of few ingredients but the flavors worked very well together. I'm typically not a cheese person, but decided to keep the cheese on for this sandwich--it was a great choice! Will come back for a light bite or coffee! read more

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I really like this place for the pastries they have, but I now feel compelled to leave a review to share my concern with the inattention to allergies that their employees have had in 2 different instances. This morning, I asked the person at the register if the persimmon coffee cake contained nuts as I am severely allergic , and she confidently answered no. I bought it and sat down. I had a gut feeling that there were nuts in the crumble, so I got up and asked her again and she told me there are no nuts. I asked if she could ask the kitchen, and then after she did that, she came back and told me that there are indeed almonds in the crumble. A similar experience happened another time last year that made it clear to me that there is a lapse in communication with the kitchen and the baristas. If you have any allergies, I urge you to confirm with the kitchen about the ingredients in anything you get and if Baker and Commons is reading this, please change the way you handle this so that nobody ever is in this situation again. read more

I wanted to love this sunny cafe--it is a cute place with a good community spirit and a very appealing menu. We tried several dinner options, and there was something a little off about each of them--under salted? Off olive oil? An overpowering dried herb? I couldn't figure it out, but every dish was off. We had tomato soup, lentil salad, other salads, and a sandwich. I would definitely give it another chance as a breakfast place to try their coffee and pastries. It has a good ambiance for hanging out and chatting or catching up on a book. read more

I love the food here - it is truly delicious and the coffee is wonderful too from the excellent drip to the amazing lattes. The reason I have downvoted this place is that the wait here just to order is ridiculous. They have the most inefficient set up I have ever seen. I think they should really think about taking orders at the tables and think about how they handle their counter - get some wait staff and change how they manage things. Only people getting food to go would wait in the line and the dine in people would be handled at the tables. Just a thought. Work like a restaurant which is kind of what they are. They are a legitimate restaurant. The counter is not working - well not for me anyway. Again - love the food and think they could handle things better. read more

First off, I wanna say that I love the concept of this place - a nice community spot that serves high-quality entrees, pastries, and beverages. Every single food and drink item I've gotten at Baker & Commons (I've been here about 5+ times) has been excellent, whether it's their sweet, savory, warm, pastry, cold, or hot beverage items. It also serves as a great place to catch up with friends, or to just chill by the window with a nice cup of warm coffee to people-watch on College Avenue or read a book. That being said, because I enjoy the ambiance and food here, it's pretty disappointing that the service is not up to par. As other Yelpers have mentioned, the staff never seem to be enthused to be here, don't smile, greet, ask if new guests have any questions, and just don't take the effort to really...care. I'm a huge stickler on service (as I've worked various customer service jobs in retail and food/beverage before) and it's sad that a great place has such a lackluster staff. Also, this place is pretty much self-serve (you order at the register, seat yourself, get your own utensils, bus your own dishes, etc.), so there's really not much the staff have to do with customers besides try to somewhat be friendly with them. This, in my opinion, pushes me to go to other places where guests feel more welcome and appreciated. Hoping management addresses this at some point because Baker & Commons really is a great place. Sad. read more

Baker & Commons - cornmeal waffle (back), poached egg sandwich (front) - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

TLDR: I like the hot chocolate but the food is decent I enjoy this place for a good breakfast sandwich but I never feel as full as I should after spending so much money on brunch. The ingredients are all fresh and good quality but I think your money could be better spent at other more filling brunch places. It does provide a good homey ambience but has very little seating so be warned. I would come here just for the hot chocolate which is absolutely amazing and thick and creamy. Writing about their hot chocolate makes me want to go and get it so do yourself a favor and go TRY THE HOT CHOCOLATE! read more

Baker & Commons - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Better than ever. Great food, kind service. Can get busy so use the app and order ahead!

Only tried the 2 of the baked goods, the biscuit & the coffee cake. Both were freshly baked; however received a biscuit that was from a second rolling (that's when the leftover dough is gathered & re-rolled to make another set of biscuits). I'm all for not wasting food, but instead of re-rolling the dough perhaps switch to cutting squares or rectangles. I'm sure biscuits from the first rolling were tender. All in all, tasted good but texture left a lot to be desired. Now onto the coffee cake - it was freshly baked that day but for some reason there were over-ripe (to the point where it tasted of alcohol) banana slices in it. Definitely not to my liking. I've never had coffee cake like this & would avoid this in future. Staff is pleasant for the most part except for 1 female staff who just plopped my bag of baked goods onto the counter & walked away. Oh well, lots of other bakeries in the area. read more

I came here for the biscuit breakfast sandwich, and I understand why I did! The biscuit is homemade and delicious. I got an egg, cheese and avocado biscuit sandwich and it was very tasty. I also got an iced latte that was delicious. I would recommend this place for breakfast or lunch, they also have a few types of pastries and cookies that all look delicious. There are a few tables outside on both sides of the restaurant. When we got there, the line was long, but it went fast. read more

Baker & Commons - Egg, Cheese and Avocado biscuit sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

I'm surprised this bakery doesn't have more stars! I'm a foodie and it's my favorite American bakery in the East Bay (yes, I have tried them all). They have a killer cheesecake, the tiramisu is amazing and the lemon/olive oil Bundt cake is perfect! My wife also loves their cookies. The quality is consistent. There is plenty of sitting (indoors & outdoors) and the long line goes fast. I highly recommend it if you want to treat yourself and your friends!! Definitely queer friendly and accessible to wheelchairs ‍‍ read more

If you want to splurge on simple cafe food, go ahead at Baker and Commons. Not my favorite, but it's in such a perfect location. Especially if you're doing a load of laundry across the street and Nabolom isn't serving pizza. . . But seriously, BEST MOCHA EVER!!! read more

Baker & Commons - Sandwich and salad - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is one of my favorite cafes in Berkeley. It used to be elmwood cafe but turned to baker and commons and the food and the vibe is way better. They have such great friendly staff, the coffee cake and the breakfast egg and cheese sandwich are my go to's. The hot Chocolate is divine and it's such a great spot for family, friends and dates. Highly highly recommend baker and commons. read more

Not a fan of forgettable service and a BLTA, which had ONE slice of bacon on it. My friend got someone else's cookie and au lait order after ordering and paying for a poached egg sandwich and an orange juice. Furthermore, I won't be back because this place has posters of the conflict between Gaza and Israel and villainizes Israel. If they're going to depart from being a cafe/bakery, I suggest they do a deeper dive into objective and reliable sources. read more

Why do I keep eating here? It's in a great location, the line always moves quickly, and reliably open. Besides that, Baker & Commons is overpriced and bland food. I've come here a fair bit and ordered everything from the avocado toast to soup of the day to their mochas to the financiers to their poached eggs, etc etc. I can't recall a single time I've left and felt like I got my money's worth for what I paid, besides their gigantic mochas made with ganache (mmm). Baker & Commons is pretty much identical to Elmwood Cafe. Menus are similar and the employees are just as harried and mildly rude. This particular visit, I got the soup of the day which was cheddar broccoli and came with a slice of Acme bread and a side mixed greens salad. The soup was just okay - hit the spot on a cold day and the bread was great it in it. However, not really worth the $8 I spent on it. They also don't have WiFi, so not an ideal study spot unless you're cranking out readings. My recommendation is if you're on College Ave looking for a good meal around $20, skip this place and go to Southie. read more

Baker & Commons - Poached egg sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I used to go to this place, sometimes 3 to 4 times a week for breakfast and lunch. Unfortunately, I got tired of the inconsistencies in food and service. You order coffee with your breakfast, but the food gets to your table when you are all done with the coffee. And sometimes, your breakfast is a completely different dish than the one you had the day before. So why do some restaurants continually run out of a product? The answer is simple: They lack an effective ordering system. Someone underestimated sales. There is nothing more irritating for customers than when restaurants run out of items on their menu. The espresso drinks are good, but sometimes the priority for the staff is to answer the phone, text or take a break. The system you have in place now, is not working and if you read the comments, you will see I am not the only one. https://tinyurl.com/26pqjwff read more

This establishment reminded me of brassieres in Paris. Quaint and charming, it is wonderful having options of beer, wine, coffee, sweets and full entree menu item choices. I loved my Parisian lentil salad! Perfectly seasoned, fresh, and satisfying. Best part are the very friendly patrons who are ready to strike up an intelligent conversation. Yes, I felt as if I was in Paris! read more

Update: after posting my experience on social media, friends reached out to me that this is a common experience for people of color with the previously named establishment Elmwood Cafe - same location but different name (https://www.berkeleyside.org/2018/04/20/elmwood-cafe-closed-as-2015-racism-charge-gets-new-life-with-starbucks-arrest). Original post: 3 stars for the food. 1 star for the service - our breakfast sandwich and coffee came out within a reasonable time, however, we waited 15-20 minutes after the sandwich for our vanilla latte and then I inquired about our veggie frittata which they had not even plated or warmed up. Once I asked, they finally plated and placed the frittata in the oven to warm it up (note this was 15-20 minutes after the sandwich). To top it off, they let the frittata sit in the kitchen after they warmed it up and did not serve it until I asked a second time. I sat down to eat a lukewarm frittata and coffee turned cold (I had gotten the frittata 40 minutes after my coffee, based on my partners calculation). To be honest -I looked around and I was one of the few brown people at this establishment and my sentiment and experience reminded me of my small hometown up north where people of color were overlooked and service was purposefully lacking for a specific demographic group. Note: my white boyfriend got his breakfast sandwich early in our meal -- well before my frittata was even placed in the oven and, only after, I inquired well after he finished his breakfast sandwich . 0 stars - my personal experience. We both agreed we would never return to this establishment. read more

Cinnamon chocolate banana muffin thing - BOMB. Crumbly, crusty, moist. Right amount of sweetness. No Wifi though :( read more

Wondeful cafe with fresh baked sweets, other food and array of drinks. Having a wide variety of people there having different and often interesting conversations. read more

I do agree with others that you don't get much for what you pay for, but I do think the food is really good. We sat outside because we had our pup with us and ordered a few things. The pumpkin waffles, poached egg sandwich, & 1 egg breakfast sandwich. The pumpkin waffles had great flavor, and it's a thinner waffle, not Belgian style. It also came with a tiny container of syrup. I don't mind since I'm more of a whip cream gal, but if you like syrup make sure to ask for extra. The sandwiches were both pretty small, but tasty. I liked the tomato like jam on the poached egg sandwich. Overall, if I'm in the area I'd come to this place again, but would not come out of my way for a meal. read more

I have been to this place many times and have consistently experienced long wait times to order with only 1 or 2 people in front of me. The food is pretty decent if you can stand the wait. Bigger problem is the lack of wi-fi. read more

I walked into this place feeling a little paranoid about its history, but I went in with an open mind. I'll start with the food: It was excellent! I had a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit with a lemon balm spritzer and a double shot on the side. The biscuit was delicious! Quite possibly the best I've had in the Bay Area. The bacon, egg, and cheese were all quality ingredients. The espresso was smooth and masterfully pulled. But if the food was so good, why the two stars? It all started at the counter. There was one person behind the register, one person behind the espresso machine, and one person preparing meals. I don't know if rude is the right word to use here, but maybe condescending fits better? Or, I don't know, what's a word that means "It's like they're deliberately treating you poorly so that you don't come back." The person behind the counter repeated my order back to me as though I didn't speak English. When my drink was ready, the girl behind the espresso machine called the names of everyone before me but then just placed my on the counter without saying anything. When my food was delivered, it was served with an obviously dirty napkin, smashed avocado specifically--there wasn't avocado in my order. The person serving the meal saw that it was dirty but walked away without saying anything. read more

The food here is FIRE. I mean absolute fire. I could eat the food everyday and still love it. Get the avocado toast, you will not regret it.

The food is so good their breakfast sandwich is bomb!! And their roasted red potatoes are delicious! Highly recommend. I usually order for pick up bc there's lots of ppl waiting in line for brunch. But highly recommend this place everything is fresh and I think hand baked as well bc all of their pastries look like they were made in-house. read more