How have I missed this place? They have been here for 10 years and all those warm, sugary powdery beignets? Can get. crowded during the commute bit worth the wait read more

I've only come here for the southern style beignets, but I have to say that they are excellent. The staff does a good job in frying the dough to just the right temperature, powdering the pastries completely, and serving them while they are piping hot. I've been here a half dozen times or so, and will surely return in the near future, but next time I'm buying these things by the dozen. read more

In my experience everything here has an off taste. Everything could be better but to each it's own. The only thing good here was the beignets! and even still they were not the size they look like in the yelp pictures. They are as small as a credit card! Over all I had high hopes of this place but left disappointed. read more

Haven't tried the beignets but the pastries and coffee are tasty and they have great service. This place is better than starbucks any day

I stumbled upon this place today after trying to go to the Oakland library to work (via laptop) and found that they were closed for the week due to budget cuts and the holidays. I kept walking for some reason in the off chance I could find a cafe where I could sit for a while. I doubted I would find anything. So, I was pleasantly surprised by this place given the area. I love that they have outdoor seating (except that the horn player was a little annoying so I sat inside). The staff were very courteous and allowed me to sit there for a couple of hours working on my laptop. I was very happy to find that they had A/C outlets and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the beignets -- they were very good. The menu looks great and I'm sure I will be back. read more

I'm posting this review not to knock this cafe, but to explain a little bit about what a beignet from New Orleans is like so you know that Powderface's beignets aren't how all beignets are. An example would be, how all beers are exactly the same. I just got back from New Orleans today, literally. And I went to Cafe Du Monde 4 times and even had beignets at Cafe Beignet. Cafe Du Monde is a few hundred years old and they serve beignets and Cafe Au Lait (with chicory) 24/7. I know it's wrong to try to compare Powderfaces beignets to God's (Cafe Du Monde) but let me explain to you the differences between the two because I just had Du Mondes. On my way home I got off at Fruitvale and knew Powderface was there and I decided to do a taste test. Powderface's beignet was very thin, completely hollow, and very bland. My girlfriend said it tasted like the dough was savory instead of sweet and tasted more like a waffle. Beignets in New Orleans on the other hand are very thick, not hollow at all, and have much more flavor. But I gotta hand it to Powderface. Even though I didn't like their beignet it's cool that they're serving them. You can make your own at home and you can even buy Cafe Du Monde beignet mix at Cost Plus and even Cafe Du Monde coffee with chicory. I'm going to try to upload a picture of a beignet I just ate at Cafe Du Monde so you can see how thick it is. read more

Powderface - This is a beignet from Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans. You can see it's thick and not hollow. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

The coffee I got from here did the trick. I wanted to try some of the pastries, they all looked great. I don't remember anything being special or nice about the service I received here so three stars it is. Cheers to coffee. read more

I came here last Saturday. It's quiet and they always keep the place clean. I ordered a breakfast sandwich and beignets. Both were delicious, however, you have to eat the beignets while they are fresh and hot. This place is a good place to study and relax. It's also convenient if you ride Bart. read more

As I left the Fruitvale BART station on my way to a meeting (scheduled FOR FREE in the fabulous nearby Cesar Chaves library--part of Oakland PL), a seductive aroma lured me into this cafe. Having gone to school in New Orleans, I was... skeptical...about the beignets. But OMG they were making them from scratch! So I ordered two boxes, one with cinnamon sugar on top and one with powdered. For the rest of the board. Of course. We even had a few left over and shared with the library staff (who are great!!) And, I picked up a can of Cafe du Monde chickory/coffee. We usually grind our own, but hey. I'm thinking it's worth another trip to Oakland from SF! The staff of the cafe are lovely. read more

Convienent to BART Fruitvale and prices are fair

This place has really nice employees and great food/drinks. All I have to say is the Mexican Spiced Mocha is a DREAM in a cup!

So I've had their beignets before and they are pretty good, close to New Orleans flava. This is a review of their Thuderbird/Vietnamese Iced Coffee. This was bad. Maybe I'm spoiled living in Viet Nam for a year, one of the owners is even Vietnamese American, but wow. First, it was waaaay too sweet. I am use to it being normally thick but it's usually because the coffee is made that way but the sweetness just overwhelmed any resemblance of what a Viet Iced Cofee tastes like. Granted, I also usually leave out the milk bc I'm lactose intolerant, but it's like they may have used creamer. If you're looking for a melted mocha icecream maybe this would work but I will testify this is certainly not Vietnamese Iced Coffee. No way. I might give it a try without the milk (creamer?) next time, but it's asking too much for $4.50. Dang I just remembered the price, I wish I could give it no stars. read more

Good food and coffee considering the neighborhood, and it's very conveniently located for Bart.

Sorry folks. I did not like this place. I ordered an ice coffee and it had a dirty taste to it. I asked to exchange it for ice tea. Same thing. They should consider filtering their water. On a positive note the crepe I ordered was good. read more

This place is sooo good..when i walk in the place its clean and smells good and the young lady at the counter always helps me with my drink and pesto turkey grilled sandwich oh my god with Swiss cheese it is the best read more

I dont think it's good. I ordered a strawberry smoothie and it just tasted like ice YUCK! the only good thing about this place is that most of the time it looks clean but other than that their food is bad because it doesnt have any flavor. If I ordered a strawberry smoothie give a strawberry smoothie not an ice flavor smoothie! read more

We checked out the website prior to our visit on a Sunday morning. Somehow, the link took us to a porno site (www.rudespace.com - not exactly what we were expecting - I was looking for beignets this morning, not an orgy ). When we arrived, the place is cute and quaint. The gentleman who took our order seemed young and unexperienced, and had to ask how big the lattes come. No big deal that he had to ask his supervisor, but the supervisor wasn't all the responsive to him. She didn't seem to answer his question in a fashion that was "presentable" in front of customers. I'm not sure if she had a bad day, but you can just tell she didn't give good "energy" and didn't seem very friendly. We ordered 2 orders of beignets and a latte. The beignets came out hot out of the fryer. They either should have been cooled down or needed time to rest after cooking because about 10 minutes after receiving the order, some of the powdered sugar started to turn yellow from the oil from the beignets. The beignets were definitely not as good as Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, but what do you expect? I'm not driving to Louisiana for donuts. The latte tasted good, but didn't have good foam. We told the supervisor (we assumed she was the supervisor - she was the oldest one there, and seemed to be in charge (40-something Hispanic lady) about the website issue. She chuckled condescendingly, and seemed to not take the issue seriously. So all in all, it was eh...some small improvements with service and dialing in the recipes would make this place fantastic. Until then, it's a one star. read more

I love all their products, but i feel like their prices tilt on the higher side. They push the powder on the nose theme a little too far and the employees always seem really stressed out. Maybe they are understaffed. read more

This is my first time here and I have to honestly say this place is a diamond in the rough compared to what's around it. I just so happened to stumble upon it when getting off at the infamous Fruitvale station. Although i did not get any beignets, and of all the things to get i got a frappe and i have to say it is honestly the best frappe I've had in recent memory. The place is very cool with a simple to read chalk board menu and great music. This is a great place to just grab a snack while waiting for your ride or on your way to your destination. Minimum 5 dollar purchase for credit card otherwise there is a 25 cent fee. read more

Perfect concept coffee shop in front of Bart. However, if the station is in a low income high crime area those businesses should accomodate the community. I suggest Cherie doughnuts around rhe corner or Starbucks a few blocks away if you want gourmet coffee. read more

chill cafe but they need to clean up in here a bit. the floor is in a desperate need of a broom and I had to clean my own table before sitting down. no good powder face, shame on you! read more

See all

My favorite coffee place when im sick i get my tea, when i need to wake up i get my mocha and when im craving my crepe this is where i come too, not only that but the staff already know me as a regular and they always greet me w a smile;-) so as a thank u - i give them my best review - thank you guys for putting up w my picky request lol always read more

Since forever they've always been a good business, always polite & food is A-1. I give it 4 stars because the location could be better, other than that 5 stars. read more

First time here and most likely my last. Customer service wasn't good & croissant over priced 6.50 for a small croissant not worth it.

I had a bad experience in powderface they are very rude but in a nice stupid way two times i pay attention that they are not business people and disrespectiful in a sweet way maybe they think all people there are the same ! Who knows. First bad experience : I bought two coffees. Caramel macchiato and vanilla late i ask for another empty cup she said 75 cent with not even smile with her ugly face for me just showed how ugly theirs heart and theirs service just advice from a serveur 7 yrs if you make customers pay extra for stupid thing at least have a smile. Asking for extra cup from a daily customer is not a crime more if he pay it he deserve a smile at least not ugly face i think i pay double paying the cup and feel not welcome and stupid going there Second time is today second mistake i got caramel macciato but was macchiato milk or macchiato with flavor so i asked for extra caramel she said "i put a lot and wasn't True i notice that all right not reserved there " the worst of all that i asked her again for extra caramel but i pay she did it in a hurry and she said yea sure 75 cent .......lol i don't care about 75 cent but about the way they treat customers there is no zero star otherwise i give it to those two lady's. All i can say is wrong people in the wrong place someone less education and less respect not good for customers service just very simple that level very down is .......savage service. Barrem line. respect people at least for theirs money someone doesn't Have something can't Give it to you.... You have latino service i have algerian tongue read more

I absolutely love coming here !! Their bagel's area delicious, beignets are amazing and don't get me started on their croissants. YUMMY. Staff is so friendly too. Love It not to mention it is right in front of the fruitvale bart station. read more

One of the best places to eat in Fruitvale Village Oakland CA!!! Order the best bagels, sandwiches-by the way, dont forget to eat the beignets with a friend for a great foto!! read more

I've had meetings here several times and really like their iced coffee, and their breads are really dangerous - so good. I really need to try one of their Beignets sometime but haven't done it quite yet. read more

Eating beignets with mad powdered sugar is like Al Pacino with blow on his nose in Scarface!

fruitvale and san antonio have so many great hole in the walls, it's really hard to make myself pay so much for pieces of puffed bread with powdered sugar. the location is good though, and so is the product, so powderface is worth it... sort of. read more

I really like the atmosphere at Fruitvale Village/BART. Had an egg + tomato + cheese bagel (an everything bagel) for breakfast this morning and it was really awesome. I guess these are difficult to screw up. Don't even know what this "beignet" everyone keeps talking about is; maybe I'll update this when I get one. read more

I'm LIVID. I will never go here again. I work right across the way and I went in today to get 2 hard boiled eggs because I forgot my breakfast. Coworkers asked me to get them croissants. I went in, ordered, paid and sat down to wait. 20 minutes later, I asked about my order. THEY HADN'T EVEN STARTED IT. REALLY? I was LIVID. I'm on the clock, I can get fucking fired! Thanks for taking my lunch time. Seriously? 10 minutes later, I had the orders. I was upset and talked to the manager. All she said was sorry. Really? Not even a coupon or discount? Seriously? The food here is waaaaaay overpriced and NOT worth a 30 minute wait. HELLLOOOOO your establishment is right by the Bart, most people are commuting and on the way to work. And you FORGET TO MAKE AN ORDER WHEN I'M SITTING RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU? WHAT THE HELL?! If you value your money and your time don't give these rude incompetents your business. read more

It's my first visit here for the beignets... if you haven't tried it before... it's basically a fried dough covered with powdered sugar... A French Style Powdered Donut originally from New Orleans... now can be purchased at Powderface Cafe in Fruitvale... Becareful of the mess it can create... try not to breathe or laugh when you bite into the biegnets because you might blow it right onto the person who is sitting across from you! Seriously... it was a mess for me but a really fun sweet to eat! The biegnets are made fresh to order. 3 for $3.50 or 12 for $12.95... they are not what I expected when I first bite into the biegnet... I thought it was a bit hallow on the inside... I liked it though! I also ordered the White Chocolate Mocha and I'm definitely satisfied with it! It is not overly sweet like other places... it's made perfect! By far the best White Chocolate Mocha I ever had! I will definitely come back to explore the rest of the menu at this spot! Clean cafe and Great Customer Service here! You got to try it out! read more

This placed ripped me off. I handed Julianna a 20 for a 6 dollar purchase. She handed me 3 bucks and some change back. Lesson learned today that if I want to get a snack before hopping on Bart, don't get it here. The employees were rude and and said they would review their cameras/count cash after hours. Meanwhile, I'm out of my own cash and I know they will pocket the 10 before being good Samaritans. If I could give this place no stars I would. read more

Whenever I visit my grandma for the past 5 or so years I'd always take Bart to Fruitvale. After that I go into Powderface and get myself 3 beignets. Yes it's hollow in the middle and yes it is piled on powdered sugar. It's got its own style and they do it well and fresh. I will always come around again and again without fail. Interior is nice. And every so often I find new improvements and furnishings here and there. I'd say this a great place to stop by if you have about 10-25 minutes to yourself. Just sit and take it in and enjoy the noises and foot traffic in front of you. Stare at the pictures or into the ceiling. That and finally clean off the white specks of sugar off of your clothes and face. read more

Powderface leaves you looking like you did a scarface into a bag of coke! Nevertheless, this place is really good and delivers. I've tried their sandwiches, because I am a sandwich whore, and they too are extremely good. They also offer smoothies, not the best but tasty, and they sell good ol french coffee; the brand you make Café sua dá with. read more

Even though it's right near the train and always busy during commuter hours they don't seem to get the idea of how get the speed and staffing thing sorted out. They have a super long line and I feel like I would miss the train 2x just getting a coffee. I used to have this issue there whenever I asked for "no cheese" they would put cheese on my breakfast sandwich. It happened all the time and the counter people thought it was hilarious. Luckily there are new options in fruitvale plaza. read more

Coffee is ok (not great) ... however there is no internet guaranteed. They use some comcast wifi account and it tends to hit the device limitation. So if you plan to get wifi access, while having coffee this is not the place for you. read more

Very clean, friendly place with free WiFi, good coffee, and an excellent "mini-sandwich" that was perfect for a snack. I don't care what others say about their beignets that I didn't try but if you like the above, this is great! read more

This place is alright. If the service was better I'd give it an extra star. I've stopped by few times just to get a green tea latte after a long overnight shift. Today I decided to try their powderface breakfast sandwich. Worst breakfast sandwich ever! The idea of the build your own breakfast sandwich was what reeled me in. I went with a jalapeño bagel egg and cheese with tomatoe. Sounds good right? Well, I was disappointed. The egg was a big blob of scrambled mush and NOT cooked all the way through. For a moment id mistaken the half cooked egg whites for mayo which i am NOT a fan of. Totally turned me off. I substituted meat with tomatoes. They gave me one tiny slice of tomatoe -__- just great. Not worth it! Never again! And to top it off my green tea latte was filled up to only 3/4 of the cup! They were holding out on a player today! Despite all that had happened today their green tea latte is delicious so ill be returning for that and ONLY that. read more