Loved the grits with egg and chorizo. Good lattes as well.

came in on sunday morning, excellent coffee and cute coffee and quickly bay area / coffee / misc. related gifts. only downside is no indoor seating still, there's counter space but no stools and they aren't allowing more than 4 customers in at a time despite loosened COVID rules. they have some outdoor sears but not an ideal location where you'd go to work outside, surrounded by construction and right next to rockridge BART station, more a grab and go place read more

Ain't Normal Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

I have purchased beans twice now and both occasions the customer service has been phenomenal. I asked for a recommendation and it was obvious how knowledgeable they are. I was also given instructions for how to make my pour over coffee at home. They have not led me astray. The coffee I make at home with the beans I have purchased from the cafe are stellar. read more

Excellent cafe. Espresso is consistently delicious. Pastries are made in house. Scones are better than bakesale betty's in my opinion. Super buttery. Staff knows coffee. If you go for the morning rush, they have drip coffee ready and pour overs if you have time. They cycle through a really great selection of local roasters and feature some from far away as well. The baristas are on fire and they know their stuff! I moved to the east bay from NYC a few months ago. I have visited many cafes in the area and so far nothing compares to Ain't Normal Cafe. read more

Well, been going here a lot lately and it's absolutely the best, most consistently good coffee out there in my opinion. Better than Equator, better than Peets or Philz. It's real good. They use really tasty espresso and use 1 inch ice cubes for the iced drinks. I'd highly recommend this place, but please don't all of you run there and create a line around the block. read more

Nice staff, however they only have a 16oz iced latte option at $5.50, expensive and too much milk, most places do a 12oz, at 16oz you're basically paying for mostly milk! I asked for less milk so I could taste the coffee and she was fine with that. The iced latte was bitter, this may have been due to it being a lighter roast, not good. Atleast I got to try it out, but not for me. read more

The service is impeccable! the staff is amazing. I was served quite quickly and it's a good price for coffee now a days! the cashier with the red hair was very kind and has amazing customer service skills. overall great place read more

Love their matcha latte and the avocado toast is a must they use sliced avocado (not guac trying to pass as avocado), great bread and flaky sea salt ... if it wasn't $12 I would get it every day! read more

I AM OBSESSED WITH AIN'T NORMAL. If you are looking for truly amazing coffee in a hip little shop, I highly suggest that you check this place out. My husband and I were quite shocked when Bica closed, but we were delighted to see a new coffee spot opening up in the same location. I am so happy this lovely little shop is now open! The people who work there are so nice and truly care about their craft. They also seem to really care about the customer experience, even in these wild COVID times. When you pick up your drink, they politely leave the plastic lid on a plate--such a lovely presentation. I have much respect for this sweet shop, especially having opened in the middle of a pandemic. I really want to show my support and highly suggest everyone and anyone check this place out. Lately, I have been loving the oat milk espresso drinks, but their quick coffee, pour-over, and dairy milk espresso drinks are ALL AMAZING too. GO! read more

Stopped by for an espresso and to try out a new bean for home brewing. Faunus helped me out, talked me through some available options, and educated me about a few things along the way I hadn't known. I had one of the best espressos I've had in a LONG time, met a cool person willing to share their knowledge/passion about coffee. He even offered option to stop by after hours to sample espresso variants to help decide in the future. Amazing. Oh, and the local bean selection is amazing. read more

Fantastic addition to the neighborhood. The coffee is excellent. Baked goods equally impressive -- in-house made scones, among the best I've had and often still warm at 8am. Looking forward to exploring the rest of the menu. read more

Thanks to the friendly guy working today (I believe the owner?) who threw in some coffee with my filters, you made my day! Although my husband says no thank you to anyone trying to get me hooked on $2 an ounce coffee! In seriousness though, we made some and it was delicious. Looking forward to coming by for an espresso drink next time I'm in the neighborhood. read more

I was so sad when Bica closed because it was my go-to spot for trying coffees from various small producers. So I was thrilled to check out Ain't Normal and find out that they will be doing the same. They currently offer some great Bay Area coffees and are planning on bringing beans from other states in the future. Their remodel looks great and the staff I spoke to were friendly and enthusiastic. Will be returning routinely. Welcome to the neighborhood! read more

Great neighborhood spot! Outdoor seating, friendly staff. Rockridge gem across from BART

Great specialty coffee shop. Pulled really sweet single origin espresso and friendly barista read more

Ain't Normal Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Stopped in here earlier after some exercise and a trip to the Trader Joe's a couple doors down. Decaf iced latte absolutely hit the spot on a warm day! Tasted delicious and the cafe itself is charming. Great customer service too - will be back. read more

Ain't Normal ain't my coffee spot. I wanted to get just a regular drip coffee, but they don't serve drip coffee after 11 am or something (Seriously, a cafe with no drip coffee that early? That should have been the first sign for me to leave). But I was already there and just got the latte instead. I went here when it wasn't busy at all, pretty empty so I didn't have to wait in a long line, but it still took pretty long for my coffee to come out. The space is pretty clean and the long wait wouldn't be an issue if there were any chairs or stools for people to sit on. It may be clean, but the space is cramped. On a busy day people will probably spill drinks bumping into people. They do have outdoor seating with a few tables and chairs on the sidewalk, but no heaters. It was a cold day and the few sitting outside looked really uncomfortable despite being dressed in layers. So this definitely is not a good cafe to chill and chat with a friend for most of the year. They also sell wine here, which you can pair with the no meals served here to go with your to go coffee. My latte tasted ok, but I can't say it was worth it for the price. I won't be back. I should have just went to Highwire down the block or Peet's a couple blocks in the other direction, or any other cafe in the area. There are also plenty of wine spots on College. Heck just take a few quick steps to Trader Joe's for a larger wine selection and better prices in a roomier setting with friendly clerks. TJ's might even have their coffee sample back too. Over all Ain't is just an expensive and uncomfortable cafe experience. I miss Bica Coffeehouse. read more

It's really hard to find good cafes with tasty specialty coffee, especially since it's become pretty trendy and every other cafe seems to have 4+ stars. Ain't Normal Cafe is one of the best specialty coffee shops in the Bay area. The pour overs are really tasty and the higher priced ones are insanely expensive, but pretty worth it for how unique the coffee is. I have not tried any of their food so I cannot speak to the food, but the coffee is easily one of the best in the area. If you're on the lookout for some stand-out specialty coffee (single origin, light roast, interesting notes), this is the place to get it. read more

Amazing selection of single origin coffees, friendly service, and delicious scones.

I decided to try a new cafe and that may have been the best decision I ever made. I had the best oatmilk latte I've ever had. The espresso was so yummy and smooth and not at all bitter like can sometimes happen. These baristas clearly knew exactly what they were doing! Along with the latte I got a savory scone that had Gruyère, green onions, and red peppers (If my memory serves me correctly) and it was SO GOOD! So soft and savory and flavorful and by FAR the best scone I've ever had. I absolutely loved this experience and will be returning!!! read more

Great locally owned neighborhood coffee shop. Friendly service and their scones and sandwiches are fire! read more

Ain't Normal Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

easily my favorite place to get coffee in the bay! love the baristas and the lavender latte!

BEST pour over. And I feel comfortable bringing my 6mo inside for a few minutes since they are still requiring masks.

Great spot! The coffee is excellent, and the people are amazing! There are plenty of options for coffee in this area, but Ain't Normal is my go-to. read more

I stopped in quickly for the first time and was in a rush before catching BART, so I just ordered the sweet scone, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! The scone was the right amount of crumbly--and not stale--and the texture resembled a warm, freshly baked cookie but without the over-the-top sweetness! The tartness from cherries definitely balanced out the chocolate, and I couldn't help but eat it like it was the last thing on earth. What a cute café, I can't wait to try everything else! Not to mention the staff was super friendly too. read more

My husband and I got kicked out of this place this fine Sunday morning for eating a croissant that we didn't buy from them... We go to a local bakery every Sunday and on our way back, if Ain't normal has an open table in the sun we stop by for a cappuccino to compliment a pastry we just bought. That worked well and didn't bother anyone before. However today, when I took a first bite, one of the staff members came outside and said: "We don't like when people eat pastries from outside. Because we sell our own here." I thanked him for letting us know and said that we took a note and won't do it in the future. He nodded and left. To be honest, I didn't see croissants and other pastries for sale at this place before and thought it may be new. I didn't see signs informing people to not bring food from outside either. That wasn't the end of it... A couple min later another staff member came outside. She stopped by our table and in a very irritated manner started to tell us how this is the second time they are letting us know that they do not allow people to eat food from other places. I was genuinely surprised to hear that twice in a row and told her that they already let us know. This time I thought I'd clarify so I asked her whether they want us to leave. She said: "Yes, that will be great!". So yeah... without finishing our coffee we had to leave. Needless to say, it didn't feel great and we won't be coming back ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ read more

Had the pleasure of drinking an expertly prepared oat milk matcha latte from Ain't Normal Cafe at an event on the peninsula. Hands down, best instance of this beverage that I have experienced in this life. Service and quality +++ also sweet sticker. read more

I worked with Ain't Normal Cafe for a private birthday event and I could not recommend them more. Faunus was fabulous to work with - very professional and a joy to work with. All of our friends loved the experience and high quality ingredients. Would highly recommend working with Faunus for your next event! read more

Batch brew is the best brewed coffee on College Ave. and at $3 these days it's even a decent price. Frittata a little small for the price but delicious. read more

I wanted high quality coffee and espresso for my event and a dependable and friendly barista. I got both with Ain't Normal Cafe. I can't recommend them highly enough. I got so many compliments from my guests! read more

Faunus sells the best offering of beans in the east bay and always bringing on new roasters on a weekly basis. Ain't Normal knows their stuff and can pull a mad espresso! read more

new coffee shop! friendly staff & delicious drinks. Limited outdoor seating

Fantastic bean selection, great brewed coffee, friendly and knowledgeable people, and beautiful shop.

Ain't Normal is our go-to weekend coffee shop! My husband and I like a nice cup of coffee on Saturday and Sunday mornings, so we've been coming to Ain't Normal for over a month now and are extremely happy with the quality of their latte and cappuccino! The staff is extremely friendly and already knows me by name, which is so nice! Also, the blueberry scone is to die for and the egg sando is incredible! Thank you for everything Ain't Normal! read more

The best specialty coffee, I truly enjoy this place. The owner is incredible and super passionate about coffee, truly grateful

Excellent coffee, and holy moly those house made scones are incredible. Best one I've had on the west coast. So happy to have them in the hood. read more

Aint normal is the best. A true neighborhood coffee shop with the best coffee. The baristas pull creamy shots, don't overheat the milk and they have an amazing selection of beans. If you like to nerd out on third wave coffee, this is your spot. If you don't, you should come here anyway. Not sure how they get those scones to be so dang tasty. I used to come to Bica a lot, like almost everyday so I was sad when it closed. But this is all the good stuff about Bica but better. Great decor, clean bathroom, good music. Need I say more? read more

I worked with the Ain't Normal Cafe team for an event activation during Dreamforce and can't express how great the experience was. We ordered the cold brew for our guests and received numerous compliments about the service and quality of the coffee throughout the event. I also appreciated how flexible and accommodating they were to all of our requests. Looking forward to working with them again in the near future! read more

This new coffee bar is on College Ave right across the street (Miles Ave) from Rockridge BART, so it's a great place to get your morning coffee and grab a bite to eat. I especially love the sweet or savory scones (baked fresh on-site every day) and the egg sandwiches. The owner and staff are very warm and welcoming, and there are a few tables out on the sidewalk if you want to linger for a few minutes. read more

A delicious early morning coffee and breakfast spot! The folks working are very sweet and the egg biscuit is one of the best thing I've eaten all year. The tables outside make it a nice place to sit and read. read more