Mother Tongue Cafe & Bar
308 41st St, Oakland, CA
Crema's Take
“Mother Tongue Coffee feels like the kind of Oakland neighborhood spot where you can linger for hours, whether you're stealing a rare quiet morning with your partner, settling in with your laptop, or catching up with friends—the vibe is genuinely cool and the outdoor seating catches that perfect sun. They're clearly espresso-focused and creative with their signature drinks, though fair warning that their matcha latte skews more milk-forward than matcha-forward if you're a purist. Fair heads-up that the staff can be a bit inconsistent (some genuinely sweet folks, others less so), but when they're on, this place nails that third-space energy with thoughtful hours, good music levels, and enough breathing room to actually enjoy your coffee.”
What to expect
Espresso-focused, with creative signature drinks, with a pour-over program, matcha and tea options too. A slow-sit, laptop-friendly, outdoor seating spot, good for meetings. Parking available.
Google Reviews
Okay one person here is a huge sweetie but the other one has me so mad I’m thinking of approaching them and asking what their problem is lol. Big septum piercing long flowy skirt and walking a little dog around. They pointed at my drink with a disgusted look on their face as if…
My fiancé and I came here for a rare morning coffee date, a perfect pause in our busy lives as parents. Parking was easy and free just around the corner. We grabbed a sunny table outside, soaking in the morning light and each other’s company, while sipping lattes topped with…
the vibe is very cool here! for $8 i do expect a matcha latte to taste more of matcha than milk & syrup but maybe thats a me problem… might be back for cocktails or coffee! definitely not matcha tho lol
A great neighborhood third space that's open decent hours, 7am-7pm. Great vibe, music not too loud and still good for work and friends catch-up.
Extremely rude barista! Didn’t even sip the drink because of bad vibes. Don’t work in customer service if you can’t check your drama at the door. Customers joyously ordering coffee shouldn’t be met with condescending remarks, scoffs, grimaces and gross behavior. It’s such a…
Crema Reviews
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