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Ain't Normal Cafe

★★★★½ 4.7/5 (83 reviews)
5701 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618 (510) 735-9990 Website
Ain't Normal Cafe Ain't Normal Cafe Ain't Normal Cafe Ain't Normal Cafe Ain't Normal Cafe

Reviews (83)

Raymond Carbonneau Robles
Raymond Carbonneau Robles
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Remarkably good pastries and coffee. Very nice staff. A+!

Iraklis Koutrouvelis
Iraklis Koutrouvelis
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Best coffee in town! Love it!

Ruby Christine
Ruby Christine
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Fun place! Great cup of espresso. The breakfast sando was devoured. Grabbed a few different kinds of sardines from the fabulous selection for our picnic later that day. Friendly staff which is a rarity in these parts!

Georgina Terkovics
Georgina Terkovics
★★☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

Wanted to try the place, asked a question about a tasty-looking pastry product, couldn't get a useful answer. Maybe next time.

Ariella A.
Ariella A.
★★★☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

This used to be my favorite place in Rockridge for a breve cappuccino until I had the misfortune of meeting the owner this afternoon. He was not only rude and aggressive about my therapy dog - I had been paying $5 or $5.50 plus a tip for my breve for months, which is already more than any other coffee bar in the area, when he instead rang me up for $6.50(!) I pointed this out and he said the other baristas had been making a mistake but he was the owner, so I ordered a $4(!) espresso instead. The espresso, while made from nice quality coffee and exceptionally strong, tasted burnt. What was worst about this experience was that he served me a brimming glass of sparkling water with my for-here espresso but neglected to offer a tray, so that when I carried the espresso and water to my table, with my dog, my jacket, and a Street Spirit from a homeless person outside in one hand, I spilled it all over my things. I will try Souvenir coffee next, or head back to Hudson Bay which serves a decent espresso and has friendly service! I won't be coming back here for a while. I give the service *zero* stars today but the coffee is still good quality, and I used to love the cappuccino art, it made me happy

G K
G K
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Great Matcha latte with Oat milk… & the Avocado Toast is ‘divine’ and the people are really great. Urgent Reminder: Despite the recent devastating news of 18,000 dairy cows perishing in a Texas dairy farm fire, our barista still asked if "Whole Milk is okay?" as their default question. It's high time we make a conscious effort to shift to a more sustainable option. Hence, it would be greatly appreciated if we could switch to asking, "Is Oat Milk okay?" as our default question when taking orders. Let's take a moment to reflect on the bigger picture and consider the impact of our choices on the environment. Thank you for your consideration in making a positive change. In comparison to dairy, Oat milk requires 60% less energy, produces 80% fewer gas emissions, uses 90% less water, and occupies 80% less land - all of which are crucial to the survival of our ecosystem in the ever-changing modern world. Moreover, Oats consume the least amount of water, even when compared to other plants. Unlike cow's milk, Oat milk doesn't cause any harm to animals. We appreciate your consideration in making a sustainable choice that benefits both our planet and its inhabitants. Thank you for being a great cafe!

J Czeee
J Czeee
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

I love the food they make, always fresh and creative. The pastries are my favorite. Super friendly people making beautiful concoctions. Coffee is outstanding.

Charles Lamb
Charles Lamb
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Nice coffee. Lots of interesting tinned fishes.

Ian Douglass
Ian Douglass
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Fantastic local coffee house. Love the food, always lifts my spirits when I don’t have time or energy in the morning to cook. Great coffee and when I asked about bean recommendations they really worked with me to find good ones. If your on the way to rock ridge Bart. Don’t miss out!

Karen Sachs
Karen Sachs
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Exceptionally impeccable standards, and a chill vibe, outdoor and indoor seating, sunny patio, wifi. I had the cappuccino and kale salad which were both excellent. Baked goods looked amazing.

Michael Tong
Michael Tong
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

great coffee - espresso drinks and 4 pourovers to choose from and lots of retail beans to buy (heart, fritz, and a couple others). would recommend. food also looked good but didn't get to try any

Colin Warnes
Colin Warnes
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Really good coffee and really solid pastries. Great variety as well.

Richard Woo
Richard Woo
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Super cute place for morning coffee

Minea Herwitz
Minea Herwitz
★★★☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

Coffee (cappuccino) tasted like milk. Next time I will ask for four shots (half of them decaf) because I like the taste of coffee. They do sell a whole lot of cool coffee beans and wines, and the decor is beautiful.

Evan H
Evan H
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Really quality coffee, matcha, and espresso drinks. Thoughtful choice of beans for sale. In-house they make *great* breakfast sandwiches with perfect biscuits and also make their own buttermilk scones, super fresh and warm. Highly recommend! Updating a year later— been coming since the height of the pandemic. This is still one of my favorite cafes in the Bay. Since day 1 their pour overs and espresso have been among the very best. Their breakfast sando is consistently good. Their other baked goods—scones, recently a Japanese curry pastry, and others—are always *very* good. The key is their in-house bakery, everything they make is quality. Variety of beans to buy. Space to sit indoors and outdoors in the sun. Everyone working there is super nice. Becoming a community institution. And I haven’t even been for wine yet!

Tommy Giglio
Tommy Giglio
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

My new favorite coffee shop in the Bay Area. Finally a spot that has both great coffee AND knows how to make a damn fine cappuccino. Love how they are rotating through different roasters all the time and the respect they have for both local and non-local roasters. There's always parking nearby and they have great baked goods and snacks, too. LOVE THIS SPOT!

Aj Froman
Aj Froman
★★★★☆ Jan 20, 1970

Very good coffee spot.Friendly baristas.

no Nah
no Nah
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Really nice baristas!

Clare McParland
Clare McParland
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Delightful hospitality and wonderful coffee and treats. Great selection of specialty coffee beans from around the world. One of a very few spots to pick up June Taylor Jams!

Eric Lobdell
Eric Lobdell
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

The best selection of retail beans in the bay. Pastries are mind-blowing. Place is stellar.