Red Bay Coffee Headquarters & Cafe

A landmark in Fruitvale - the coffee house is very relaxing and spacious with a friendly vibe. Great place to read a book and chat with friends. The store in the Ferry Building, San Francisco is beautiful and vibrant, too!

Amazing coffee and Caribbean pastries (ethical rating: 5 Green Stars)
Where to start? The place is gorgeous and spacious, the music is great, and the staff members are all very welcoming. Free street parking with no time limit a block away on 33rd Ave. Call me basic (ya basic!) because when I order coffee it’s normally a straightforward drink – a pour-over, drip, Americano, or maybe a latte or flattie when I’m feeling wild. Due to my scientist / control freak nature, I like to doctor my own drinks (2.4 grams of sugar, 15 mL of milk, please!) but I gave up control and had an iced charcoal latte (in my own cup!). It was, to put it bluntly, totes delicious. It was sweet, but not too sweet for my taste, and the coffee was still the star of the show. I want to try a regular coffee next time so that I can deconvolute (scientific term) the flavors.

Just as exciting were the pastries. There were pastries from Firebrand bakery, which I’m familiar with. But even that pastry (a blackberry Danish) was exceptional because it was warmed just right. Honestly, I think that people who eat pastries without warming them aren’t living life to the fullest. Then there were some Caribbean pastries from the Pleasure Principle (also in Oakland) and I tentatively asked if any were vegetarian. Turns out that all three were vegan! One contains Beyond Beef (actually my favorite meat substitute) and the other two had curried vegetable fillings.

The pastries merit a new paragraph because that’s how good they were. First I had the curried chickpeas and kale – the pastry looked very appealing and reminded me of home. I just read up on The Pleasure Principle and learned that the pastries are influenced by British culture (e.g., the Cornish pasty) while being filled with Afro-Caribbean flavors. The puff pastry is so delicate and flaky that you would never know it was vegan. The turmeric-rich filling is just right – not too spicy but it comes with a side of amazing green sauce that added just the right amount of kick for me. Same deal with the other pastry, made with a Beyond Meat and veggie filling, except that it had a different flavor that was quite memorable (and this pastry was big!).
I highly recommend coming for the coffee, pastries and ambiance.

I’m also giving the Red Bay Coffee 5 out of 5 “Green Stars” for social and environmental impact, based on this:

• From Red Bay: “Our farmers use organic practices and don’t use pesticides. For us, sustainability is not just environmental but also socio-economic.”
• More detail should be provided on coffee sourcing (besides the statement, above). If you dig around in the FAQs section you can find good info on the East Fourteenth beans but most varieties don’t have any info.
• From Red Bay: “Welcoming into leadership those historically marginalized within the specialty coffee industry, especially people of color, the formerly incarcerated, women and people with disabilities.”
• Black-owned business with 60% women in management; working on employee-ownership program.
• The nearby Red Bay coffee roastery is B-Corp certified.
• Great selection of vegan Caribbean pastries from the Pleasure Principle. They are filled with veggies or Beyond Meat (one of the most ethical meat substitutes, in my book).
• The sweet pastries are made by Firebrand Bakery from mostly organic ingredients. I rated Firebrand 5 Green Stars in a previous review.
• I used my own coffee mug but the in-house iced coffee cups are compostable. Same deal for utensils, if you need them – from World Centric. Minimal brown paper bags for pastry delivery.
• Rather than going down the usual coffee pod route (boo!), Red Bay worked with Cometeer – an interesting approach that uses freeze-dried coffee tablets in recyclable aluminum pods.
• The oat milk is from Califia (it’s good) and there’s also organic whole milk available.

Interested in writing green star reviews? If so, please check out the Green Stars Project.

Beautiful building, coffee and food is crazy tasty, several delicious vegan food options, people are friendly and helpful. Quick service, even with order modifications and during a busy time.

Really cool building. Our barista was very nice and chatted with my 10 yr old, which I found endearing. when my son asked for extra syrup, he acknowledged and jumped right on it. Love that it's black owned. Coffee and teas were good. I ended up trying the charcoal latte. I'd asked the cashier if it's better cold or hot as it was my first time. She said she'd only had it iced and it's good but not something you should drink more than 1x a week. I ended up saying I wanted it hot but she didn't hear me and I didn't check the screen as my husband paid. I was prepared the iced version. I didn't ask them to remake it but I def was in need of something hot so while tasty and different, I was a tad disappointed.

Whent at 1030 on a Sunday only to be met with locked doors and a dude inside shaking his head "no". Update your hours please.

I was pleasantly surprised to see this coffee spot listed online, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. After going in, I'm really glad I did. I wish I had discovered this place sooner as I'm relocating out of the area tomorrow. The coffee is great and I love the atmosphere inside. It's really clean and inviting. I love supporting black/minority owned businesses using fair trade products. The staff are friendly. My only very minor piece of constructive criticism is that the staff could maybe do a better job of acknowledging customers when they come in even if they're busy, just at least to say hi. I have only been there twice though.

I love the coffee here. Innovative and inspiring takes on classics and the staff are kind/know what they're doing. The atmosphere is relaxed and aesthetics are on point. The vital African and American/Oakland BIPOC heritage involved in the company is a huge reason I love to be there as well.
Don't miss their seasonal candied yam latte (especially if you don't mind some yam sediment at the bottom, like me), and the Honey Lavender latte (oatmilk/iced).
Also, we get the Carvers Dream roast by the 5lb bag... It's just amazing.

I really like the space. Coffee is good and the seating is really comfy.

I feel so lucky to live so close. Not only are they my favorite coffee roaster, but the space is bright, airy, and inviting while still making it possible to socially distance.

The staff's skills cannot be overstated. From pourover to espresso drinks, they are really really good at making coffee. In fact, I would love to take a class one day!

Beautiful space in the heart of Fruitvale. High ceilings, great light, calm vibe.