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    Penelope's Coffee and Tea

    4.0 (44 reviews)
    Closed 6:30 am - 4:30 pm

    Order Penelope's Coffee and Tea Takeout or Delivery

    Penelope's Coffee and Tea Photos

    PENELOPE'S COFFEE AND TEA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    My food
    Rae P.

    First time going into Penelope's, not sure if it were because it was Friday but I had a little over an hour wait for Brunch! But totally worth the wait because it was soooo good AND then it was free!!! Fruit was a little sour but that's alright because food was excellent!! Can't wait to go back again.

    Inside the Chicken Apple Womelette
    Sara L.

    Sometimes the magic of a rainy, cool Saturday? A buy 1 get 1 free chicken & waffle brunch delivered! And not just any chicken & waffle dish - inside a huge waffle, there's chicken apple sausage, eggs, tator tots,, and cheddar cheese. The waffle is topped with green onions. There's the option of sour cream on the side. Perfectly blended flavors. (Might only drizzle some maple syrup on top next time.) The service includes whipping up your delicious brunch at the right time for your food to arrive still warm. Each entree comes in a sustainable compostable tray. Compostable silverware is an option included in a delivery order. A kids size hot chocolate was the go to dessert. I do believe I've found my new fav East Bay brunch.

    Free Range Avocado Toast
    Ester L.

    The one good thing I can say about this cafe is that their ingredients are high quality and service is very kind. I noticed that when ordering and when a guy came in just to get a cup of water for him and his dog and no one minded. Service isn't the fastest though, and the food wasn't outstanding. I got the free range avocado toast, which was well salted only on the parts with thin avocado (just a bit more salt would be nice). And the sourdough toast was the size of a sandwich slice + not sour at all. It was also cold while being a little burnt on the bottom - I would have preferred it freshly toasted. Ambiance isn't there, not very family friendly with uncensored pop music playing and they allow dogs in the establishment. But it's a good spot to do work with all of their seating and not many people inside.

    Mito I.

    Brief Summary: - When ordering the hot brewed coffee, we were given 2 options to choose from: medium or dark roast - Multiple chairs and tables to sit in side - Close to the BART station, along Shattuck Ave - Coffee was not sour - Paninis had a great crisp texture on the outside We visited the cafe when we needed to take time to sit down and let time pass. We saw this cafe as were walking out of BART and the soft teal colors caught our eyes. Hungry as well, we decided to in and have an early lunch here. The interior is spacious with tables, chairs, couches, and stools along the walls to sit down. We sat at a counter top area, that was stationed near the kitchen. The staff came by and took our order, and they made sure we got the order right by repeating it. We got two coffee orders, one a latte and the other is simply brewed. We also ordered the panini with ham and cheese. I had a fresh and new surprise to the coffee ordering experience when the staff asked me additional questions to the brewed coffee. Apparently there were more than one type of brewed coffee they offered. At the time of my visit, I think it was light or medium-dark, so I requested the medium-dark. This was a delicious sip, not at all sour, and all round bodied. Very easy to drink. The latte was nice as well. My relative tried it, and she thought it was milky and creamy, but I thought this was just right. I also loved the panini sandwich. It was cooked in a waffle machine, so the surface had the waffle indentations. Cheese melted in a nice stretchy way. The sandwich's surface had a crispy crunch texture on each bite. I really enjoyed the cafe experience, so I hope to visit here some time soon and have another cup of coffee

    Pickup station next to coffee prep area.
    Victor G.

    Penelope's Coffee & Tea opened where Peet's was. Decor's changed, infrastructure similar. 5+associates on floor. All courteous, smiling, loving their jobs, efficiently dispensing food, drinks. Tables in front & seats alongside wall for laptopping. Offerings: drinks: coffee & tea, greek coffee. Food: womelettes, omelettes, waffles, desserts, paninis, french toast, sides, breakfast burritos.. Order at counter which wasn't busy. Covfefe came 10ish minutes cuz it was dripped brew to order. Sips: Hot Greek Covfefe (L. 4 oz.) 4.75 -smooth not robust. Bold medium roast beans. Fab covfefe. *only issue was lip of coffee cup had deformity leading to unexpected leakage. Not a problem.

    Dillon R.

    Penelope's serves up stellar espresso drinks--their lavender honey latte is floral without being perfumey. The matcha croissant is a must-try, though seating is tight during peak hours. Service is warm but can slow when busy. Pro Tip: Grab a bag of their house-blended loose-leaf tea to go.

    Penelope's Samoas
    Ethan A.

    Saw a bunch of ads for this place so while I was on campus, decided to try it out. They are new and still working out kinks so be patient, but the staff is super friendly. Cashier did his best to recommend the popular drinks. Getting my actual drink took longer than expected, but it's because the barista accidentally made my drink hot instead of ice, so I got both. Because I got both, I could compare Penelope's Samoas. Although I ordered and usually prefer iced drinks, the hot one resembled more of the actual cookie with the chocolate tones in the drink rather than the iced. The iced drinks had a stronger coconut flavor and not as much chocolate flavor. It could've been because of the temperature or how they were made. There are lots of specialty drinks to pick from which is what I look for and the balance of the actual drink was great for the hot, but just good for the iced. The hot drink reminded me of an actual warm cookie so more on the sweeter side. Inside there's plenty of seating (30+) including both tables and stool chairs. Even though it's located in Berkeley, the pricing is super reasonable and doesn't break the bank. It's street parking, typical for downtown Berkeley. Overall, I think this place is a great addition for coffee at a reasonable price with a plethora of options to pick from so go check them out!

    Sophia D.

    it has been awhile since i came here, but everything was just alright. nothing blew me away but decent choice for a quick study sesh its a great spot and the seating options were pretty good.

    Hickory Smoked Bacon Burrito
    Felicia X.

    Prices online must be really old - everything is a dollar or two more expensive in reality. I should've checked the menu board in the store, but I also thought that the prices on their own website would be accurate. Disappointed. At least the Lillian Latte is delicious. The burritos are pretty meh - could really use some kind of sauce.

    Strawberry Nelly Waffle with added bacon inside the waffle. No strawberries included...
    Ari J.

    DoorDash delivery order- My sweet waffle was the weirdest thing I've experienced in a while. I ordered the Strawberry Nelly Waffle with added bacon. I thought the bacon would come on top or the side, but NO they chopped up the bacon and put it in the waffle. If you're gonna do that, please make that clear in the description. All of the waffles show the toppings on TOP. And not only that, but they didn't give me the strawberries... 1/5 The Hash Browns Side was pretty tasty. 4/5 The Popeye's Womelette was good but dry, and the side sauce was just sir cream. 4/5 The Gummy Bear Tea has almost no flavor or sweetness. The Honey Bee tea latte was also so bland-- can't taste sweetness or fig. I would not order their drinks. 1/5 This place has a great concept, but they need to figure out execution and make sure their DoorDash orders are complete.

    Iced Lillian Latte
    Naomi L.

    Stopped by for breakfast before studying -- they open super early, even on Sunday, which is awesome! You don't get a lot of that from the other cafes around campus. I went around 7am and there were a handful of other parties there, maybe 5 or 6. There was only one girl working, both taking orders and preparing them -- she was super sweet and friendly, confirming my order multiple times. I ordered an Iced Lillian Latte and a Linguica Sausage Burrito. The latte kind of reminds me of Yakult, for some reason. It was good, definitely on the sweeter side. The breakfast burrito was fine, but the sauce it came with was really good. The space was large and clean, and they have free wifi. Overall, nothing to write home about but a quick, convenient, and decent spot if you're in the area

    Lillian Latte

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    Really welcoming and nice people! I didn't know what I wanted and they gave me a good recommendation.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Penelope's Coffee and Tea

    Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - Strawberry lychee roasted matcha latte

    Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley

    (1.2k reviews)

    $$

    West Berkeley

    the mochi donuts are soooo good! i'm still thinking about them a couple days later. i wish i got…read moremore to have for the rest of the week! although i didn't try every flavor, the guava one really takes it out of the park! love it! the texture is just so soft even when refrigerated. it's very different from the mochi donuts that everyone is used to but it's so much better. the banana bread pudding was also so amazing! we got it heated up and it was just so divine. it was not overly sweet which dissolved my worries. definitely will come back to try the other mochi donut flavors! the strawberry lychee matcha was also really good! never been to a place that offers a mix like that. the yuzu sparkler and the passionfruit sparkler were also very refreshing !

    always a fan of the bright pink walls, it's like a bright star among the drab, dark colored brick…read morebuildings around; I usually get one of their mochi donuts, it's more dense than MoDo which is actually my go-to for mochi donuts. this spot is a close second. however, I'm here to talk about the new savory mochi muffin they brought out about a month ago. it was their ham and cheese mochi muffin and I must say, it was not as good as I expected compared to their other mochi donuts. I think it might've been a bit undercooked... I don't think I would try another one unfortunately. I think I would also stick with the sweet bakery items moving forward. I also ordered a lychee strawberry matcha milk tea (with the oat milk option) and I was pretty happy with that purchase. Overall, I wouldn't dock them more than a star for the underwhelming pastry because most of the others are excellent. It might just be that savory isn't their thing...

    Tanzie's - Pork belly sizzling plate. IG: @_emwong_

    Tanzie's

    (294 reviews)

    $$

    West Berkeley

    I just ate here today. It's the middle of the night…read more I live 30 minutes away. That said, I'm debating if I should drive back tomorrow to eat here again. I'm so impressed with the food here. I ordered the garlic pork jowl and I'm still thinking about it. I'm not even an egg person--I usually end up giving my eggs to whoever I'm with--but this one was delicious! It was so light and creamy, it didn't tase "eggy". I also got the jasmine chia bowl. It's very pretty and also tastes good. But the stand out was definitely the garlic pork jowl. Parking isn't the best here but it's not terrible. It's located at the corner of a neighborhood with street parking so you may just need to park farther away. The restaurant kind of reminds me of the restaurants in New York as part of the seating is in this outdoor tented area. Also there's a line so expect a bit of a wait.

    Chiang Mai regional Thai breakfast/ brunch spot that is really popular in the Berkeley area. Came…read morehere with my parents on the weekend and as expected, there was a line. (It'a popular and the restaurant is pretty small). This place has a really cozy vibe because it kind of feels like a converted residential spot. And I'm not an architectural expert, but the windows have a Tudor style feel to them. The owner was here and she was getting people in and out as soon as she could. Everyone there was very friendly and accommodating, especially since my parents are getting a little old. We got a table inside eventually away from the draft coming from the entrance. We ordered the khanom krok to start and we ended ordering a few mains but shared everything family style. We ordered: Gaeng hung le (pork belly) Grilled pork jowl Sai oua (Thai sausage) Each of the dishes were served with a fried egg or 'lava' egg (basically soft scramble). The dishes were beautifully presented and tasted as good as they looked. There were plenty of spices, but it wasn't too hot. Just a beautiful spot with delicious food and really friendly service. I'm a huge fan.

    Café Etoile - Chicken and Croffle

    Café Etoile

    (253 reviews)

    $$

    Downtown Berkeley

    This is one of my favorite cafes ever - will definitely be back!! The staff are SO lovely and…read moreaccommodating. The matcha cloud was delicious and so was the food! Came a couple times with a friend to check it out and see if we could host a larger group event. It was fantastic every time and the event went super well. Great ambiance, easy street parking, and incredible food/drink/staff. Thanks so much!!!

    Came here on a weekday around noon. The staff were super friendly and provided great service!…read moreOrdering was quick, took about 5 minutes, but the food did take a bit longer, around 20-30 minutes, which was understandable as it was a little busy inside. There's both indoor and outdoor seating. The interior has a warm, inviting atmosphere with plenty of windows, making it perfect for a coffee chat or study session. Based on rush, you may not get a buzzer, so watch out for your order at the pickup window! I got the Chicken Croffle, and wow, the chicken was incredibly juicy and flavorful! It was so tender, literally shredding so easily with just a stab of my fork. The savory chicken paired perfectly with the slightly sweeter croffle underneath. The croffle itself had that perfect crunch from all the layers of a croissant but with the softness of an actual waffle. One thing I did notice is that the croffle was a bit challenging to cut with the knife provided, but it was still totally worth the effort! Overall, the food was great! I love that they have other Korean-inspired dishes. I definitely want to come back and try those!

    Standard Fare - spring vegetable ragout with spicy chickpeas and couscous

    Standard Fare

    (296 reviews)

    $$

    West Berkeley

    Cold, military-style, and deeply disappointing farewell from Standard Fare…read more.. My wife and I have been going to Standard Fare for over a year. The food was always good, but the service was never particularly warm--polite, efficient, and impersonal, like a well-drilled operation. Today we took a twenty-minute ride with our six-week-old baby for one last visit before they close for good. We arrived before their advertised closing time, yet were coldly denied service. There was no one waiting behind us, but we were met with an inflexible, robotic "sorry, we're closed." No one was overtly rude, but the interaction felt rigid and mechanical, as if following procedure mattered more than acknowledging the people standing in front of them. It would not have taken much effort to accept one last order from a loyal couple with a newborn--especially since nobody else was waiting behind us. In the end, Standard Fare is closing exactly as it operated: precise, rigid, and lacking warmth. Hopefully the next business in this location will treat its customers with a bit more empathy.

    Very cute and quaint spot for breakfast. A friend suggested we meet here on Saturday for a late…read morebreakfast, what a great choice. It was pretty hard to pick from the menu items, but I settled on the Frittata with a side of Fennel Sausage, sourdough toast and a Arnold Palmer. Although the seating was full, thank goodness out food came out just as some seats were emptying out. It was a chilly day and the outside seating was full too. The service was without any complaints. They did their best to accommodate all patrons despite it being very crowded and crazy busy. Overall I would come back here, probably right as the doors open to be guaranteed a place to seat and not have to wait and hope for a seat. Oh the music was on point!! Put it on your list, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

    Cali Alley - Grilled Prawn Salad Bowl

    Cali Alley

    (224 reviews)

    $$

    West Berkeley

    Cali Alley is one of my go-to spots... I'm constantly trying to convince people to meet me there…read morefor lunch, or telling them to just DoorDash it because it's that good. It's also one of those places that makes you want to stay. The food is consistently fresh, flavorful, and generous. Every time I come here, I tell myself I'll pace myself... and every time I fail because it's just that good. The burgers are loaded and perfectly balanced, the fries are always crisp (never soggy, which is rare), and everything tastes high-quality and made to order. You have to try the chicken and waffles. The waffle batter tastes homemade and the butter takes it to another level... it's one of those dishes you keep thinking about after. I'll even DoorDash it all the way to Jingletown. The patio setup is really well done... there's a mix of larger tables for groups and higher bar-style seating for smaller hangs. The wooden furniture and cushioned benches make it comfortable, and they've got heaters for colder days and umbrellas when it's sunny, so you can usually pick your ideal spot. You order at the window and then just hang out while you wait... it's a relaxed flow and the food comes out pretty quickly. The staff are always kind and welcoming, and the whole place has a relaxed, homey vibe with really good music. Highly recommend... just come hungry.

    Cali Alley is one of those places I have looked at thousands of times when trying to figure out…read morewhat to order on Door Dash or Uber Eats. The food always looked really good, but for whatever reason I always ended up ordering from somewhere else. Well, I finally did it. I finally ordered from Cali Alley, and all I have to say is, why did I wait so darn long? Door Dash was having a 2-for-1 deal on the Cali Alley Burger, so I ordered one of those (and got another for free) , as well as on the small mac and cheese, so I ended up with two of those as well. I got fries as he side for the burgers and saved the second burger and mac and cheese for the next day. I also bought a small side of veggie fried rice for lunch later in the week. OK, let's start with the fries ... wow. Super crispy. Don't know what they do to them, but I think I almost ate all the fries that came with one of the burgers before I even touched the burger. The fries seemed to have a coating like some fries do to make them extra crispy on the outside. Whatever it was, it made them so good, I couldn't stop eating them. I was almost too full for the burger. But who are we kidding? If there is one thing I am good at, it is eating more than I should. The burger, which is described on Door Dash as "char grilled, fresh ground brisket and short rib burger, served on a toasted brioche fun with crisp lettuce, tomato onion marmalade and garlic aioli" was thick and incredibly flavorful. I couldn't stop eating that, either. It was that good. I ordered it medium, and it was pretty pink, but it was sooooooo flavorful, and all the toppings worked well together. I didn't get any cheese on it because I wanted to try to burger by itself and not mask it with cheese. I might try adding cheese next time, but honestly the burger is so good, I almost wouldn't want to cover up its flavor with cheese. Oh, I almost forgot. When you order on Door Dash, you can opt to have them include a small side of their chocolate-chipotle bbq sauce, and I highly recommend that you get it. It's a really interesting flavor and is good for dipping the fries in. I didn't try putting it on the burger, but that might be good, too. The mac and cheese was OK. It's important to note that I enjoyed the flavor but it is more of an eggy consistency than a saucy mac and cheese if that makes sense. It has a nice kick of black pepper, which I liked, though. The vegetarian fried rice was also fine but could have used a little salt. All that to say, don't be like me and procrastinate, get the Cali Alley Burger and fries ASAP.

    Penelope's Coffee and Tea - coffee - Updated May 2026

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