im never really in this area but if i am and i have time, i stop by Alem's cafe and get some Shihan Phool!! i found this place by accident... kinda... i just wanted some coffee and went inside and started reading the menu and saw an east bay express article on the wall raving about this typical Eritrean dish. and me being the wanna be traveler that i am, since i cant afford to go to Eritrea, might as well try their food and somehow immerse myself in their culture through food.... they serve it in a little bowl with a couple of lemon wedges on the side and some cheese sprinkled on top... and you mix it all up yourself... once its all mixed up, you eat it.. (: nobody taught me how you are supposed to eat it but i do remember an Anthony Bourdain episode he had in Ethiopia.... they sit on the floor as a group and they feed each other... you don't just grab the food and put it in your mouth... NO... they do it for you... and you do it for THEM! lol.. they grab a piece of bread and scoop up some food and just like that, with their bare hand, they put it in your mouth... even if they don't know you. if you are sharing a meal with them. they'll feed you that way... but i was by myself.. and i wasn't sitting on the floor... i was actually at a table... but i did my best to replicate that experience... i grabbed a little chunk of bread and i scooped up some shihan phool and i fed myself like that.... it was awesome.. i have never had so much fun feeding myself pretending i was feeding somebody else and somebody else was feeding me... all by myself.... anyway... hard to describe the flavor... but it was sorta like a tangy, juicy, bean soup... a little tiny bit of kick... just a touch... the lady will ask you if you want it spicy or mild... if its your first time and you are not sure... ask for it mild... africans don't play... i never had their spicy one but i don't doubt it will make you sweat... their coffee is legit too... on the stronger side of taste... im more of a light roast, high caffeine content type guy.. i drink my coffee black, no sugar.. so theirs is a little too much for me.. but i dont mind... i drank it anyway... if you like bold tasting coffee... this place wont disapoint.... read more

Alem's Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

I was literally having the worst day at the DMV and spotted this place across the street; cured my bad day in an instant. The chai latte is one of the best I've had, and the food is incredible! I got the frittata (: very excited to come back and work my way through the menu. This place is a gem!!! read more

Wanted to love this place but as soon as I opened my food (I got the tibsy) there was a long black hair on top. The service was good and the food was good but had to throw half the injera away, where the hair was. I'm really sad and grossed out. read more

Passed by Alem's Cafe on my visit to the DMV and decided to go in after, as I was pleased to see it still open around 3, and was in desperate need of a coffee and potentially some food. Ordered the Shihan Ful and a cappuccino and just WOW. The food has such an amazing flavor and great portions for the price you are getting. I'm not a huge bread eater and even the bread is good. Coffee was great too! This place is a not just a no-nonsense cafe, but one delicious food that's not common around the bay area. 15/10 would come again! :) read more

Friendly service and good coffee, but AVOID IT UNTIL COVID IS OVER. Sidewalks are crowded with groups of talking men who don't seem to care about wearing masks and social distancing (or completely blocking the sidewalks for those who do). read more

Great coffee and amazing fava bean dip (ful). With two big pieces of French bread cannot be beat anywhere. Great for a flavorful vegetarian meal. read more

I stopped by Alem's Coffee for a quick bite around noon on a Monday. The cafe itself is quite small with a few tables inside and a larger shaded outdoor seating area in front. There was a nice warm atmosphere outside, with about half of the tables full of people casually eating and chatting. They seemed at home, like they're regulars that come often for lunch. The servers were really nice and shared their opinions on which dishes we should order, since this was our first time trying Eritrean breakfast food. With their guidance, I decided to order the Shihan Ful and the Kicha Fitfit to share with a friend. Both dishes were so flavorful, moderately spicy, filling, affordably priced and generously portioned! It was quite a carb-heavy, oily breakfast so I won't be eating this too often, but it was certainly delicious. I loved the chewy texture of the Kicha Fitfit (which is shredded up injera sautéed with spices and ghee) and the side of yogurt balanced it out with some creaminess and acidity. The Shihan Ful was great too, and I would get both dishes again. We couldn't finish it all and took the rest to go for lunch the next day. I also got a 12oz latte, which tasted more like steamed milk with just a hint of coffee. I don't think I'll get the coffee here again, but I'll definitely be back for the food! Update: I ate the leftover Shihan Ful and Kicha Fitfit cold and straight out of the fridge as a midnight snack. It was great. 10/10 would do it again lol. read more

This sweet spot has delicious food and such a welcoming family ambiance. Highly recommended!

Yum, Yum, a macchiatto warmed by belly as a checked out the suberb Sunday farmer's market across the street. One thing I love about this cafe is the LACK of laptop users. You can actually sit down at a table and read the paper or book while sipping your coffee. The background chatter in Arabic takes me away to a place I haven't been -- which is enjoyable. The counter people are always friendly, especially if you say hello. A dozen years ago, I lived in this neighborhood and Alem's hasn't changed -- the rest of the neighborhood has -- which I don't really mind... mmmm time for a Bake Sale Betty's scone. Recommendation: go here without a laptop when you have half an hour to kill and soak up the environment. read more

Alem's Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

I went here to eat breakfast a few weeks ago and hit the fava bean stew and it was very good. The lady was also very friendly

The Shihan Ful from here is my favorite breakfast in Oakland. I crave it. It's spicy and so satisfying!

The food here is super delicious and affordable. This was my go to Eritrean food while I lived in oakland. The staff is super nice and make your food as fresh as possible. They also have vegetarian and vegan options. read more

Cutest little Eritrean coffee shop across from the DMV! I had a nearly 6 hour wait at the DMV and came by to pick up some coffee and an egg sandwich - both were delicious. Owner is an absolute sweetheart and there's an outdoor patio as well. read more

Alem's Coffee - The outdoor patio! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

This is an excellent breakfast spot for folks who like savory breakfasts and eating very legit ethnic food. By "legit" I mean "we make this for our own community and not to please the palate and sensibilities of everyone else". I go here around 1-2 times per week. read more

Yummy lunch dishes and coffee drinks, Alem's is worth a stop in! The place is cozy, quaint, and full of character. Come on in, order a tasty bowl and warm bread and a latte or a chai, and have a seat on one of the little tables in the front and the back. Each dish has so much flavor with plenty of food and the savory spices all compliment one another and blend nicely. Love this hole in the wall stop! read more

We stumbled into this place because our battery was dead. I found an absolutely friendly guy that helped us start our car. And then we had our first Eritrean food experience. We had shihan phool, it was exceptionally delicious serve with two small loaves of a french-style bread. The atmosphere in this little restaurant is extremely friendly and actually quite joyful. The owner and the staff treated us like gold. I can highly recommend this place for excellent coffee and a quick lunch or snack. read more

Alem's Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Kind people strong coffee delicious food. A great local business you should be supporting

We drove all the way from SF to get their breakfast items. Agree with all the reviews. Looked like a chill place to eat at and have coffee too, if it weren't for COVID. Food came out fresh and the bread was great. Ordered the shihan ful and the tibsy. YUM. read more

I highly recommend this place - especially if you are waiting at the DMV and you need some good food, it is right across the street. Really amazing food. We love Ethiopian food and get it regularly, this place has very good food, service and location. The service was excellent, when we had to wait a few extra minutes when our to go order was not ready (I did not care) she offered us free drinks. As a white person from Orinda we go to Oakland to get our Ethiopian food, sometimes we do get a strange looks as we go regularly to many different neighborhoods, this place did not look at us weird or give us any attitude, the food is amazing, the service is amazing and it seems very authentic. read more

I've walked by this spot a bunch of times-- finally stopped in, a fantastic umbotito sandwich! What a treat!

It's the best place to have it at the same place the food is amazing Costner service is amazing their personal home seasoning butter (tesmi) is is amazing thanks for having you here in bay area read more

Delicious! I've tried many items on the menu, never been disappointed! There are some vegetarian dishes available. I'm not a vegetarian, however I absolutely love their signature dish "Shihan Ful"! Always friendly and welcoming when I visit! I highly recommend! read more

Sweet amazing people awesome Latte and tuna sandwiches! It's a fushion a little cafe with ethnic options

This place has super customer service. Excellent STONG coffee and very tasty food. Happy to discover this place.

A very homey place with very loads of smiles and awesome food! They have really nice coffee and great Ethiopian breakfast options!

This place lives up to its reviews. I went for the first time while waiting to be called at the DMV. The breakfast is super solid, the kind of food you eat when you're not feeling well that puts you back in the land of the living. Service is so friendly and they gave me free coffee with my food. read more

We go to this on weekends for brunch. One order of the Ful is good enough for two people. Staff is friendly and so are fellow diners. There is seating outside and both staff and diners practice social distancing. Will keep coming back, without a doubt. read more

I got the ever so delicious Tibsy/Tsebhi Sga!! I am new to Ethiopian food and I thoroughly enjoyed the dish as well as the customer service, I will absolutely be back! Thank you!! read more

My first time there. I could live on their Shihan Phool. What a wonderful place to eat and hang out. Going back for sure!

Never-mind that I had the best self dispensed cup of coffee here. It was strong and flavorful, rivaling Cole's a few blocks away. Never-mind that the little umbodito sandwich is simply the simplest but the most delicious little vegan sandwich I've ever had. It was all about the atmosphere for me. Seriously, I spent 30 minutes in this cafe and walked away with an amazing feeling that I had traveled to an exotic place far far away and experienced something totally different yet so achingly familiar to the traveler in me that's been dormant for so long. This tiny cafe is run by an older gentleman who is not gooey sweet by any standards but respectful and kind, and you could tell that he runs the place with much pride. He seems to know everyone that comes in and serves them as he would a friend. The cafe seems to be a regular hang out for a community of retired Eritrean men. They are all dressed neatly in their slacks and sweaters and some with cool old man hats, all just hanging out with each other, watching TV, chatting in their native language, laughing, eating and drinking. When we walked in, the tiny room did not stop and stare at the odd pair of Asian woman with her young son but everyone went about their ways happily, some casually nodding hellos to me and waving sweetly to my son. As we sat and enjoyed our treats, I really felt like we were on a vacation somewhere far. I can't quite put my finger on where exactly but I guess it really doesn't matter. All I know is that I walked away from here with a small spring in my step and knew that I would be back here again soon. read more

If dmv upsets you, come here. period. The friendly smile and authentic food will restore your faith in humanity.

Such an incredible way to start the day! Just visited for the first time, had a coffee and Shihan Phool. Not only were the staff and other patrons absolutely lovely, but the food is delicious. As a vegetarian its always scary to do a double take when the food is so savory and complex that you can't believe it's not meat. The beans themselves are delicious, and then you have a bite of the spices on top and it takes the dish to a whole new level. Such a satisfying breakfast and a lovely little morning in the sunshine by the outdoor patio before starting the day. read more

I stopped by after a visit to the DMV, and I was really disappointed with how different my experience was from that of many other reviewers. It took a few minutes for anyone to notice that I was at the counter, even though the shop was pretty much empty. The coffee I ordered was just okay. The table I sat down at to drink it was dirty, and the TV in the dining room was blasting CNN to the point where it was too loud and distracting to stay for long. Seems like the Shihan Phool dish is popular here but eh...not sure if it's worth giving this place another shot. read more

Terrible the coffee was burnt and stale and went through two bottles of juice till I got one that hadn't gone bad! Sorry to say the smile from the woman did not make up for the total disorganization either. read more

Alem's catered a conference of mine 3 years ago. Despite my friend (who has the mind of a child) ordering a MUFFIN, the food and service was so compelling I literally moved to Oakland from the east coast to be close by. read more

Great Ethiopian breakfast. I'm not qualified to comment on authenticity, but the food is super tasty! I recommend the phool (fava beans mashed with berbere and served with diced veggies and feta and french bread that you scoop it up with) and the kicha fitfit (injera pan-fried in berbere and served with plain yogurt). One of my favorite breakfast spots in the bay. read more

Amazing food at great price. Their coffee is unbelievable​. If you find yourself sitting at the Clairmont DMV stop in and give them a try.

We had the Shihan Ful (vegetarian fava beans stew) and loved it! It's filling and rich in flavor. If you like Chili, give it a try. And it tastes best with lime. The dish comes with two loaves of French bread that goes well with it. The lady who appears to be the owner is friendly. read more

It's veggie Shihan Ful could not be better. What a treat. Two small fresh baked loaves of bread are a perfect match to the moderately spicy, expressly flavorful, beany/cheesy stew. Only ask in the future is to not automatically include the plastic spoon and compostable containers. read more

Alem's Cafe is one of Oakland's icons. Alem and Nigisti, the owners of the cafe, are as generous and wonderful people as you can imagine. They serve a few specialties from Eritrea including the Alem's special which is my son's favorite meal, fava beans, fresh diced tomato, onion and mild jalapeno, olive oil, lemon and spices with two toasted bagguettes. They make several other varieties. My favorite place to go for coffee, an egg sandwich, Alem's special, or a tuna fish sandwich (my daughter claims Nigisti makes the best tuna fish sandwich ever)!! Come by and enjoy the great food and drinks. read more