Great team. Great service…read more I was taking a painting class at Berkeley City College right next door, which is how I found this spot. They were always friendly. I'd come in to grab a toasted bagel with cream cheese, and they were always great. In fact, after a few cycles of that, they knew what I was going to order. If I ever take a class there again, I'll definitely go back!

I go here all the time for a quick stop for a snack, sandwich, pastries and they are always so kind…read moreand perfect spot next to the college. Great place for studying too.

UNDERGRADUATE COFFEE…read more I know. When I was a student at California during the late 1990s there were numerous coffeehouses near the campus. One of those coffeehouses as was Café Berlin, which used to be located on Durant. Café Berlin no longer exists. The other coffeeshop I used to drink regularly when I was a student was Caffe Strada. This coffeehouse isn't a place to drink your coffee in peace. Caffe Strada has an energy amongst its customers because it located across from the campus. When I first went to Cafe Strada the first drink I ordered was a strada bianca mocha. The drink had a touch of sweetness yet there was a strong coffee taste. The other drink Caffe Strada is known for is bianca mocha, which does not have coffee. Since I've been going to Cafe Strada the drink i order the most is strada bianca mocha. Apparently Cafe Strada claims to be the first coffeehouse to invite the white hot chocolate drink. I've drank a lot of white hot mochas at different coffee places. Actually white hot mocha is my favorite coffee drink because of the strada bianca mocha at Caffe Strada. Most white hot mocha I drink tend to be very sweet. The strada bianca mocha has a slight taste of expresso that distinguishes from other white hot chocolate drinks. When I visit my alma mater on a weekend I like to go to Caffe Strada to sip my strada bianca mocha.

Cafe Strada has such a beautiful setting, especially if you want to sit with a tea and a treat. My…read morego-to is the Earl Grey with a chocolate chip cookie, and now they also have these scones that look almost like cookie muffin tops: soft, not too sweet, and really good. The only downside is that the area can come with some city issues, including people asking for change nearby, but the cafe itself is charming and absolutely worth a visit.

their espresso was solid and croissant was buttery. service was friendly remembers regulars. place…read morehas relaxed neighborhood feel. good spot to hang out.

coffee was solid and pastries were fresh from their bakery. staff is friendly remembers regulars…read more place has chill vibe good for working or just hanging out. decent neighborhood spot.

Wow. Just wow. Talk about a NICE refresher…read more If you like juice/refreshers and have been looking for a good spot outside of Starbucks, please definitely give this place a try. Their service was very quick and nice. The ambiance was very nice as well, with a lot of nice decor.

- I bought a bag of coffee beans and asked them to grind it for my French press…read more - Got home, brewed some coffee and realized grind was too coarse for proper extraction. - Went back, the team happily reground the beans THEN THEY SURPRISED ME WITH A COMPLIMENTARY SLICE OF BAKLAVA. I INSISTED ON PAYING AND MENTIONED THAT GRINDING BEANS I PURCHASED WAS ABOVE AND BEYOND ALREADY. They said they "appreciated the opportunity to make things right with my coffee beans". 10 out of 5 stars for this team.

Had the cold brew and coffee cake; they were, as expected, caffeine and cake. I liked the self…read moreservice (there were a lot of people waiting to get service); and service itself was relatively quick. There's a lot of seating in the back; can do work and eat and hangout there.

This place is good for the aesthetics. The cafe is beautiful, with a nice, spacious interior, and a…read morelarge, beautiful exterior with ample seating. There are two large restrooms and some seating out front on the curb as well. The food and drinks look nice, are plated well, and the baristas are very talented at latte art. However, the coffee was not great. I wanted to like it, but the espresso was very watery and almost imperceptible. I get that a cappuccino would be milky, but it just wasn't good. They get bagels from a local restaurant (Boichik Bagels), and it was fine. I honestly don't think it's worth the price though. I really wanted to like this place. It's very well designed and they have good branding, aside from the AI matcha sign, which looked pretty unappetizing. The workers are very efficient and nice, so I was hoping the food and drinks would match the quality. I think this is a good place to go and take pictures or for events, but if you're going for the food or coffee, there's much better cafes around.

spot right in the Student Union, and honestly, the bear-and-quail wallpaper is just elite. It's got…read morethat perfect "between-classes" energy, and I love that it's entirely student-run. The service was super solid, the staff was friendly and kept the line moving fast, which I definitely appreciated. Plus, they have a whole setup with rice and paper straws, which is a nice touch. I grabbed an Iced Honey Oat Milk Latte, and it was honestly great. The espresso was smooth and the oat milk made it really creamy. For most people, this is a 5/5 drink, but I'm giving it a 4/5 just because I love sugar and wished I could've added more honey to make it extra sweet. If you like a more balanced drink though, you'll love it. They also have Boichik Bagels and Starter Bakery stuff in the case, so it's a perfect place to grab a snack too. Definitely worth a stop if you're on campus!

Super convenient to my office in Eshleman, also located next to the Amazon pickup location and,…read moreobviously, inside the MLK Student Union. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I've had a great hot cocoa from here. My colleagues get coffee here regularly. Goldie's is staffed mostly by friendly students, and I think is often closed during school breaks (including summer). The impetus for my review is: (1) they have bagels from Boichik, which in case you hadn't heard was rated by the NYTimes as the best bagel in the country when it opened a couple years ago. I live near the original Boichik location, but the lines are long in the morning, and Goldie's is right on my morning commute. Sesame bagel with cream cheese, YES. (2) the service: the cafe manager (I think her name is Deborah, with the emphasis on the second syllable) is warm and helpful -- once actually saved a sesame bagel for me when I had arrived too late and they had been sold out the day before. She actually remembered to instruct her staff on the following morning to save the bagel for me, and they had it ready. I've worked retail before, and it is actually quite challenging to accomplish saving a bagel that will not arrive until the next day when you are not present, and to have your staff all be informed enough to catch the request. I've seen lots of sophisticated restaurants fail in similar tasks; it takes focus and personal attention for a place to do it successfully. I should note that I am NOT a regular customer and have no "favored nation status". I'm just a guy who happened to casually express disappointment one day at their being sold out of sesame bagels one afternoon.

Super super cute spot along with tasty bagels!!! Located on a somewhat busy street, however, there…read moreare plenty of street parking around. We ordered the turkey deluxe & the gold standard. The bagels were delicious and the toppings were so fresh. I thought the coffee was delicious too, I'm def interested in some of their wine options the next time I'm there towards the afternoon. Service was friendly and kind. Can't wait to come back.

Damn, I just missed my bus, and the next one isn't coming for an hour. That's how I came upon this…read morepopular corner spot already bustling late in the morning. It comes from the team who owns the excellent Rose Pizzeria nearby (review: https://yelp.to/EOBUVdaW9G). That was enough of an endorsement for me, so I decided to try a light lunch here. As I was waiting patiently to order, I quickly read online that the Bartavelle was the bagel sandwich to order here since it's a staff favorite. Conveniently they offer a half-sandwich for $7.50, so I ordered a fennel & orange half-bagel with an herb schmear, sheep's milk feta, fig jam, cucumber, radish, herb salad, za'atar, olive oil, and lemon. Although it was crowded, I managed to secure the last empty seat at the front counter. My open-faced bagel was quite a healthy sight to behold (Photo 9). Fresh and crunchy with the fig jam lending welcome sweetness. I ordered a $5.50 Cappuccino, rich and smooth, a nice complement to the bagel (Photo 8). Made the next bus, too. FOOD - 4 stars...fresh, tasty ingredients on a soft bagel AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...very much a convivial social hangout SERVICE - 3.5 stars...everything done fresh with minimal interaction TOTAL - 4 stars...nice dooption for a light lunch RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/MBKMAXggN_

Summer is sometimes a stranger and it can be sunny one day and rain drops on another day. This…read morehappened while I was on a drinking binge this week on my matcha bender in Berkeley. Although I go get some Pho after a night of drinking this time I decided to go before noon . Any day when there is rain falling would be an excuse to grab some Pho. There is one place in Berkeley which has been serving Pho for years. I haven't reviewed it until now. It's called the Saigon Express. On a Summer stroll in Downtown Berkeley while rain fall on a supposedly sunny day I landed at Saigon Express. This is a good casual spot to get some Pho. I decided to get chicken pho and it was tasty. I could had a whole bucket of the chicken broth. The noodles were like Angel hair and soft and fresh. The chicken was tender. This place also sells banh mi like the fish cake banh mi on a flakey baguette like some on my social media feed. Overall a good spot to grab a good bowl of Pho rain fall or shine. Walking in Downtown Berkeley I felt the rain fall "on me" a place which has " drawn me" to the Pho place for the one and only "Don Juan V." which also serves some flakey tasty Vietnamese sandwiches called " Banh Mi" Go on a stroll party people from dusk till "dawn"with the hella cool "Don Juan" and they even have a "Seafood Udon "so make an express line to a place with the last name express and the first name "Saigon"

Who's impressed with Saigon Express?…read more Possibly, maybe the worst bowl of pho you will ever stumble across. The pho dac biet lacks tripe. In lieu of a lime wedge, they give lemon. The whole condiment caddy is insufficient with two slices of jalapeno and maybe four or five cilantro springs. Everyone's polite though. Anywhere else, you find heaps of cilantro and basil, several limes and jalapeno rounds. The dirth of herbs, which form a nest to raise the raw flank steak means the flank it's submerged in hot broth, rendering it rare no longer.