Oaklandia Cafe X Bakery

I came in genuinely trying to compliment the shop because there really aren’t many coffee places nearby with the kind of options they have. Instead of receiving that positively, the manager working the counter (she had a green hair clip) immediately responded in a very defensive and negative way, insisting that no other coffee is like theirs and shutting down what was meant to be a simple compliment about the area. The interaction just felt uncomfortable from the start. When I was trying to order and ask about the menu, she abruptly said, “First of all, pick a size,” in a very impatient tone. Then when I tried to continue the conversation, she cut me off mid-sentence and said there was someone behind me and she had to help them. Not to mention, the friend I was with had a very similar interaction. She simply asked if they had vegan options, and the manager yelled at her and told her that if she wanted that, she should “go out there,” pointing outside instead of helping. It also wasn’t busy at all when I went in. My friend even mentioned that during her visit the manager was scolding a new employee in front of customers, putting her down and saying things like “How do you not know that?” which was uncomfortable to witness. I understand places can get busy, but the attitude was unnecessarily rude. It felt like anything we said was met with negativity instead of normal customer service. The shop might have interesting drink options, but the interaction with the manager really ruined the experience.

Not great first impression with staff. They had several opportunities to tell me that indoor seating was not pet friendly and only chose to tell me after I had settled down at a table with my drink and food. Wish I was told when I first entered so that I could choose to leave and go elsewhere instead of being forced to then sit outside. Inside had no A/C and was decently warm on a hot day. Food and coffee tasted fine though was ultimately soured by the service experience. Overall, personally not coming back myself.

The Oak Caesar Salad is perfectly crunchy and savory. The lavender tea lemonade refreshing and mixed perfectly. An amazing calm vibe during the lunch hour. Also, had a blueberry muffin, yummy

Went here to meet up with a friend - perfect place for catching up, chatting, or getting some work done! Plenty of indoor seating with some tables outside. Very large interior and pretty comfortable chairs. Plenty of outlets. It's in a really nice part of Oakland within walking distance of Lake Merritt, which I HIGHLY recommend going to for an afternoon stroll. The spinach ricotta croissant ($4.25) was pretty good but would have been better warmed up. Drinks and pastries are reasonably priced, especially compared to a $10 Starbucks matcha latte.

I'm always looking for places to work on my laptop that aren't Starbucks, and Oakland is ripe with cafes. This one was on my list for a long time and did not disappoint. I had the spinach, egg, and cheese sandwich on a croissant. The cashier was an absolute delight and asked me a lot of questions about what I'd like on the sandwich and ultimately recommended the cheapest way to get what I wanted. The price ended up being almost half of what I pay for a similar sandwich at my local bakery. The matcha latte was made with real matcha leaves and not overly sweet. I've been duped on matcha way more than I'd like to admit, and I'm always looking for matcha that reminds me of Kyoto. This cafe is located inside of an office building on the ground floor but is accessible via street parking. It's a nice location downtown. I gave the atmosphere a 4 because while the inside is spacious and clean, many of the plastic seats were cracked. I was wearing shorts and the plastic pinched my skin. Cheap furniture will do that. Overall I'd come here again.