The food is so good their breakfast sandwich is bomb!! And their roasted red potatoes are delicious! Highly recommend. I usually order for pick up bc there's lots of ppl waiting in line for brunch. But highly recommend this place everything is fresh and I think hand baked as well bc all of their pastries look like they were made in-house. read more

The food is really good. It's just the customer service that I received wasn't great at all. I approached the counter to provide the name from my pick up order but before I was even even able to give the name, the lady told me it's going to be another five minutes. I noticed there was two Doher. They are picking up orders also so I don't understand how she knew that my order was five minutes. Wait without even checking.. I waited 10 minutes which I timed I say no to go bags ready. I approach the counter again in this time gave her the name she told me it's going to be another 10 to 15 minutes. I asked her can she go check the ticket and see because she just calling out to everybody without actually looking, she got an attitude with me but went to go check and came back and said it's gonna be another 20 minutes which now makes the pick up order 40 minutes late which I understand places get busy but the reality is they lost the ticket and when it was found they put it to the back of every walk-in customers order read more

I walked into this place feeling a little paranoid about its history, but I went in with an open mind. I'll start with the food: It was excellent! I had a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit with a lemon balm spritzer and a double shot on the side. The biscuit was delicious! Quite possibly the best I've had in the Bay Area. The bacon, egg, and cheese were all quality ingredients. The espresso was smooth and masterfully pulled. But if the food was so good, why the two stars? It all started at the counter. There was one person behind the register, one person behind the espresso machine, and one person preparing meals. I don't know if rude is the right word to use here, but maybe condescending fits better? Or, I don't know, what's a word that means "It's like they're deliberately treating you poorly so that you don't come back." The person behind the counter repeated my order back to me as though I didn't speak English. When my drink was ready, the girl behind the espresso machine called the names of everyone before me but then just placed my on the counter without saying anything. When my food was delivered, it was served with an obviously dirty napkin, smashed avocado specifically--there wasn't avocado in my order. The person serving the meal saw that it was dirty but walked away without saying anything. read more

Such a sweet little breakfast today at Baker & Commons. Their pastry display was hard to resist and I ended up splurging on a salted chocolate chip cookie - perfect balance of salt and sweet. We sat inside but thief outdoor area is so charming and lovely for a sunny day. This whole space just had a wonderful, warm atmosphere and was filled with families, students, and good conversations between people starting up their day with good food. Their granola is nice but a bit heavy on the dried fruit. The fresh fruit pairing was delicious though, and not your typical 'cantaloupe and grape' and instead included seasonal stone fruits and figs - delish! read more

Baker & Commons - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Baker & Commons is a regular stop of ours in the Elmwood area. Very friendly, neighborhood place, with excellent food and drinks and pastries - a cut above the average cafe, certainly around here. Marble-topped tables and great light. Wine and beer, too! read more

They are a great neighborhood spot. I love their biscuit breakfast sandwich and all their baked goods are divine! We walk from our house in the weekend and they always provide lovely service. The staff is great. The only thing I would say is they are a bit pricey! read more

Isn't she beautiful?? Not only was the presentation of the toast phenomenal, but the seasoning was ON POINT. There was a perfect amount oil drizzle and the tomatoes were ripe and sweet..... I'm going to dream about this toast. The coffee was just average. read more

Baker & Commons - Avocado Toast with a poached egg and a Vanilla Cold Brew with almond milk ($16.11 in total) - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Not impressed. A single egg on a biscuit (with no other ingredients) + a plain waffle with exactly 2 strawberries = $20. The waffle was tasty, but that unfortunately didn't make up for much. Service is unhelpful and very slow, dishes barely meet the minimum description, and it's extraordinarily overpriced for what you receive. Wanted to support this place but I don't think I'll be returning. read more

Baker & Commons - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Baker & Commons takes over the Elmwood Cafe with co-owners Eric Wright & Kara Hammond at the helm. Wright has years of experience in bay area eateries (Bar Cesar). Hammond as been manager of Elmwood Cafe since 2010. Pastry chef Dale McCoy continues making house made bakes. offerings: breakfast, sandwiches, expressos, pastries, soups, salads , eats: breakfast sandwich, mushroom with organic egg, guyere cheese(9.5) -tasty, fulfilling, regular sandwich, not a biscuit -pricier fare as expected as this is Elmwood... 4.5 stars crumbs: -associates had smiles all around, haven't seen this before at Elmwood. -feels like dining in a community though insides look the same. -same pay at counter, get a "name tag" holder. -changes will be made to menu latter after an evaluation period... read more

3.5 Cute place, but flies everywhere. I tried the poached egg sandwich and the mushroom gruyere breakfast sandwich ($9.5 each). Definitely not worth it. Just very standard flavors. The mushroom one looked really sad, like a grilled cheese with some mushroom and boiled egg. The poached egg sandwich just looked kind of sad. But tasted fine. Kind of a waste of money. Get better quality stuff elsewhere. Maybe come here for the cinnamon currant toast. read more

Baker & Commons - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Cute place. It tends to be pretty packed around lunch, so I would plan accordingly. We got our food pretty quickly after ordering. I got the tomato soup (soup of the day) with grilled cheese which was nice and homey. There was basil in the soup which was a nice touch. The food tastes reasonably fresh. I've heard good things about the scones so I'll drop by to try them eventually read more

I was in town to visit my alma mater and decided to hit up the College Avenue area with all the shops. I use to venture around here when I was in school and wanted to see if it had changed. I arrived in the area on a Tuesday morning and decided to cruise around. It was around 11am and I was pretty hungry. I saw that Baker & Commons was new to the area and decided to try it out. Upon entering, I saw that there was plenty of seating, both around and at the bar. The wait to order was short and I was in front of the line in no time. I decided to order the breakfast sandwich with a poached egg and an orange Italian soda with milk. I had to wait a few minutes to find a seat and my food/drink came in a matter of minutes. The Italian soda was delicious. Just the right amount of sweetness and decent carbonation. The sandwich itself was pretty darn delicious. The bacon was delicately crispy and the bread was so soft. The poached egg oozed as I bit into it and was the perfect topper for this sandwich. There are so many great cafes in Berkeley. I think what sets Baker & Commons aside is the food. Most places only have pastries. If the poached egg breakfast sandwich was an indicator, the rest of the menu will be outstanding. read more

Amazing baked goods but watery espresso drinks, slow service, order mixups, and it took more than 30 minutes to get a to-go breakfast sandwich. read more

Nice food and coffee, locally owned, woman-run, compostable to-go containers. Love all that! However, their pick-up situation isn't running very smoothly. Doesn't seem to matter when you place a pick-up order or when it's supposed to be ready; you'll wait 15 mins in the pick-up line outside even when it's not busy. It's too bad - it's really nice to have a no-contact system for safety, but things have got to actually be ready at a predictable time! read more

So to start, we were recommended this small and quaint place for a good start to the morning. So we decided to try this place out. Quick thoughts: tasty food, a little more than I'd want to pay, and fresh. The employees were kind and considerate. The food was light. Be mindful that there may be a couple flies flying about, so protect your food haha Here are the details: Venue: Very quaint and cute. Great place fore a date, catch up, or hanging out. There is quite a few options of seating, but if it gets busy, the seats can disappear quickly. Food: Delicious and light. I had the poached egg sandwich and it was savory and perfect. The egg bursted all over the yummy goodness. Absolutely delicious. I had their fresh squeezed orange juice and it was quite refreshing. It was not chilled, so you'd have to ask for ice. My friend enjoyed their items: avocado toast and a poached egg and toast. Service: The employees were kind. When I ordered orange juice at a large size and did not have enough for the large and barely enough for the small, they just comped me orange juice. They are quite busy, so you can see that they are a hustling and bustling type of crew. Finally, I will share that I would come back to this place. The food is lightly pricey. I'd also recommend that venue find a way to fight off the flies. read more

Baker & Commons - Avocado Toast - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Got the tiramisu but it was unfortunately pretty bitter. Wouldn't go back for the tiramisu but some of their other stuff looked good

This place is just like Elmwood Cafe! It's one of those movie coffee shops where you can spend hours reading and people-watching. My favorite thing is to come here in the morning with a book. If you come early (before peak brunch time), you can get a nice sunny table (the ones directly by the window tend to be too hot in the morning, pick one by the wall). I wish their tables were a bit bigger and there was more space - it's overall pretty cramped. The food here is pretty good, as well. I usually get a latte (served in a huuuuuuuuuge mug) and a toast (the cinnamon one is yum!). read more

Being here on a Monday morning, we were able to grab a seat at one of their outdoor tables. We ordered 2 Eggs and Sausage, Avocado Toasts, and Lattes with oat milk. Their homemade sausages were decent, but the avocado toast did not have any flavor. I would not mind returning to try other items though, since I like the area. Prices for their drinks are reasonable, but not for breakfast items. Service was a mixture of full and self: We paid at the counter, they brought us our order, and we cleaned up our table at the end. read more

Baker & Commons - 2 eggs and sausage, avocado toasts, lattes with oat milk - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Cute vibe. Great latte. Pastries looked so good! Fun to see the baker making fresh baked goods.

The squash quiche is a must get, it just melts in your mouth . All there pastries and drinks are solid, perfect for the fall :)

Such great food at a mainstay in the Elmwood. Must go! And, definitely try the biscuits, scones, pie and delicious sandos.

Very cute cafe, really kind staff. I had the avocado toast, a latte, and a brownie; all were amazing! The avocado and tomatoes were fresh, and together it made a light but scrumptious meal; nearly got a second The latte was well made; good espresso, not too bitter, and well steamed milk at the perfect temperature. Brownie was incredibly chocolate-y, maybe a little too much, but that's down to personal taste and I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I adore the vibes of the cafe; a wonderful place to hangout or just read in peace, which is what I did. I know they have soft serve too, and I'll maybe check that out next time I'm here. read more

Baker & Commons - Avocado Toast - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The vibe of Baker & commons is honestly what drew me back here. The food is alright - the waffles are a nice choice! The citrus polenta cake was a tad dry though. But overall service is friendly and the cafe is a great place to relax and do some work or chat read more

Baker & Commons - Chocolate waffle and citrus polenta cake - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Usually come here for the Currant Toast which is tastes like a cinnamon raisin bread. It's served warm and smeared with cream cheese with jam on the side... so delicious! Occasionally I'll come here for breakfast and their options seem pretty healthy. Last time I had gone, I tried the breakfast sandwich with sausage which was very hearty. read more

Baker & Commons - Breakfast sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

We arrived on a Saturday at 8:30am and waited for around 20 minutes to order and then another 10-15 minutes to get our food. I ordered a latte which came in a huge bowl mug and the berry galette but ended up jealous of my husband who ordered the buttermilk biscuit w/housemade jam and butter. The galette was delicious but the biscuit, jam, and butter were all to die for. It was easy to find an outdoor table (the inside tables were already full). I would definitely recommend, if you're not in a hurry and don't mind the wait. Parking was fairly easy that early in the morning but could get more difficult to find later in the day. read more

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I am sitting in Baker & Commons as I write this review - it is simply too pressing to leave for later, and I feel that I am compelled to speak. I arrive at 8 am, excited for some delicious breakfast. First, I am astounded by the attitude of the cashier - it seems as though I have ruined her day merely by walking into this establishment. I order a salmon breakfast and a coffee. The total comes to slightly over $20. I think to myself - okay, nice breakfast in Berkeley, that usually makes sense. I then receive my food and I am baffled. The "salmon breakfast," which promises a beautiful fresh poached egg atop a delicious toasted slice of bread with lox of the highest caliber, is instead a tiny 4 inch piece toast that is cold, rock-hard, and dry. There is a a single slice of lox on top and a poached egg with the yolk as solid and cooked as a lizard that wandered for days looking to find water in Sahara desert and instead died in the hot sun. Oh also - I forgot to mention that the entire thing had been doused in a weird cold Hollandaise-like sauce that resembled a strange foreign milky substance that I felt uninclined to put in my body. I think to myself, this is not worth $20. But I am pretty hungry so I eat. The flavor isn't terrible - that is where the two stars come from (as well as a small side of fruit, which actually included some nice blueberries), instead of one star. But it certainly isn't great either, and my heart breaks. It reminds me of my first love in 8th grade, who promised so much and yet serves as a reminder of a broken heart and promise that will be left unfulfilled for all time to come. It is devastating. read more

Wonderful service and delicious food. I had the Chicken Curry Sandwich which was perfect. Our soup came and was cold but the waitress speedily replaced it with one that was piping hot. read more

I have gone here for lunch in the past when I work in the neighborhood - about once a month. This time I ordered the same dish as always - poached eggs on toast with a side of bacon. I waited 30 minutes and went back in to ask about my order and they hadn't started making it. I had seen food come out to folks who had been behind me in line. Several servers were standing around in the kitchen talking. They finally served me but no bacon. They brought me potatoes, which I had not ordered. Then I see I was overcharged and had to go back in for a refund. Will not go there again on a lunch break. read more

I was recently there to pick up some food ordered online there's two different lines that are right next to each other but it seems that they have more focus on those who are there to order than those who have already paid as I waited in line for sometime the lady pay no mind to me or anybody else on our side of the line the last time I'm going there for sure!! It would be nice if they start giving better attention to those who are waiting for their orders that they placed online to pick up jess essay due for those who are there to order in person read more

I wanted to keep giving them a five star review. However after this last interaction I had with them, their stars go down. At work I have an hour lunch and I usually walk to College ave to get lunch from a restaurant. Bakers and commons about a 12 minute walk from my job. Today Friday, March 11th at 12 noon, I used their app for the first time and placed a to go order online. I ordered a chicken sandwich and a coffee. Upon arrival at the café I received a text message that my order was ready and packed and to go up to the front counter to ask for it. I asked the woman for my food and she said they didn't have it upfront. She asked the other lady in the back and she said she was working on it. I waited 40 minutes just to be told "oh no! your food was hiding behind another order this whole time". The woman at the register apologized and the lady in the back offered to remake my order. I told the lady no, because I have to go back to work. I had an hour lunch & I got here at 12:15 my food was supposed to be ready. I have to walk back to work in 20 minutes to clock in. The staff was apologetic. I felt like they never checked up on me & never tried to look again see me stay there for 40 minutes not really asking anything about my order. I understand that it was very busy as this was lunch hour for everybody else but I stood there and the staff made eye contact with me over and over again and nothing was done. I'm a very patient person and I don't like to complain. I'm honestly very sad that I had this experience here because I do like it. I'm hoping this was a fluke on their part. I'm willing to try it again & hopefully they can prove me wrong. I'm glad that I'm working alone today so I have a chance to eat while working. This usually isn't the case and I would've been more angry if I couldn't eat my lunch today. Coffee was still hot. I haven't tried my food yet. Assuming it may be cold. read more

I want to preface this review by saying I have been going to Baker & Commons almost every day for the two years I have lived in Berkeley. The employees are some of the loveliest people I have ever met and their food is pretty damn amazing. HOWEVER, yesterday I witnessed a really disturbing situation unfold at Baker & Commons where the owner called the police on a non-violent Black man. On May 11 2021 I came to Baker & Commons and saw around 4-5 police officers surrounding one Black man. The man appeared non-violent and it was fairly clear that he was dealing with a mental health crisis. When I got in line to order my food, the man was talking to the officers calmly and they were offering him food. When I was ordering my food, the man was trying to exit the premise and ended up being followed by the policemen. I can't say 100% what happened, since I was inside Baker & Commons ordering, but by the time I exited the restaurant the man was face-down on the pavement surrounded by numerous police and bystanders. What really convinced me to leave this review was the conversation I overheard between the owner of Baker & Commons and one of the responding police officers. The white owner and another white male employee were talking to the police, essentially BEGGING him to arrest the non-violent, clearly mentally ill, Black man. I clearly remember one of them saying to the officer "What about our rights?" in response to the officer informing them that the Black man had rights. The owner was nearly in tears and continued to try and convince the cop to do something, even though no crime had been committed. I sat down to eat the rest of my meal and then saw two Cal athletes (one of whom has already posted a review here on yelp regarding the situation) talking to the owner. I didn't hear the conversation, but the owner ended up removing the Black Lives Matter sign from the store window after being asked by the athletes. In my opinion, a business can't tote BLM but also call the cops on non-violent Black men. It is actually not the first time this has happened, here is a link to an article about a previous situation that led to Baker & Commons changing their name in order to save face back in 2015 (at the time Baker & Commons was called Elmwood Cafe). https://www.dailycal.org/2018/05/20/baker-commons-opens-replacing-elmwood-cafe/ After the situation had calmed down I actually talked to the owner to make sure I wasn't misinterpreting the situation (to be honest I was hoping that she had some explanation that would tell me my favorite restaurant wasn't racist). Unfortunately, she told me that she tried to call the city for help but the only "help" available on a Tuesday was a police response. This was frustrating to hear since I know there are many other organizations that are alternatives to calling the police like Amber House or Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Center. The owner, a white woman, clearly had no intentions of changing her mind about the situation and deflected blame multiple times, repeating to me that all she did was call for "help". This situation combined with their poor treatment of POC customers makes me realize I probably need to find a new favorite cafe. If you're looking for nearby non-racist cafes to support, I recommend trying the pastries from Nabolom or coffee from Timeless, both of which are in the same vicinity Baker & Commons. read more

The food is good. Not great, good. The biscuits and gravy were decent. (The Mr. can make it a lot better).The bacon and homemade sausage were good. I guess my biggest issue with my experience here was that it was very pricey for what we had. Almost 30 dollars for one biscuit with gravy, 3 pieces of bacon, 2 sausage patties, some fruit and a house coffee. Not worth it to me when you add on that I had to bus our table afterwards. Their pastries and avocado toast looked good so I may be willing to give it another try if ever in the area. read more

Baker & Commons - House coffee - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This place. The food is supreme. The staff today? Not at all. Ordered a sandwich directly on their website, paid for it and they were closing at the pick up time I was messaged back. Young woman was incredibly rude. The young man explained they had a crazy day and what was happening for them. He was helpful and friendly. She was talking over him, yelling in my ear and told me to leave. Over $18 and I wanted my money back. She told me I should use door dash when I suggested they update their website to not take orders when they are closed. Now I don't want to ever go there again. I will miss their good food and the previously good service. read more

This place is always Day 1 breakfast when visiting our son at Cal. Biscuits, jam, tea. Heaven.

I love this place that replaced the famous old Ozzie's pharmacy and soda fountain. Great bakery items and coffee and a nice selection of meals as well. A neighborhood gem! read more

If you enjoy paying $10 for the smallest biscuit with microwaved egg product and limp bacon and $4.50 for a 5 oz cold brew coffee, then this is the place for you! read more

$15 for a cold biscuit sandwich (including microwaved "poached" egg, I mean, you have a microwave, why not microwave the biscuit for a few before putting it in the panini press) and just ok coffee. Very underwhelmed but I guess prices reflect the demographics of the neighborhood. Too many great cafes in oakland to return here read more

I will never return. The food is starch, pastries, and potatoes. Starch is, as we all know, on the cheaper end of the food scale. Very little protein is served at this restaurant. I asked for two eggs, over easy, and bacon, a la carte. I maintain a keto diet. I received my meal (and the full invoice for) cubed potatoes/hash browns on the side, and the two eggs served over toast. I returned the entire plate to the grill staff directly, asking them to remove all starch. They were fantastic - substituted more bacon, added a salad and removed all starch. From the cashier's perspective, it seems this establishment specializes in serving cheap carbs and starch, and *by golly* (substitute your own phrase here...) this is what we do, this is what we do well, and we will not be derailed from our starch and carb mission. It gets worse: My friend paid cash - a few $5 bills, some $1's, and coins. The cashier took her money, and then immediately began taking food off the grill as it was set aside, to arrange it on some unsuspecting customer's plate. The cashier began working in the kitchen, directly with food, from the grill - after handling the money. NOT OK. Sanitary Issue. Warning, Warning. NOT OK. read more

The food is good if not a little bit pricey. The service is some of the slowest I've ever seen. Not to be mean but I think some of the employees might be high and they all seem really confused and mess up names. They only allow one or two people inside at the same time and you can't hear them say your name when you're outside so you have to keep coming in to check on your stuff or wait till some guy brings it out when it's cold and says the wrong name and takes it back inside. you guys really need to get a better system figured out, potentially a speaker outside so that people can actually hear when their orders are up instead of just letting them sit on the counter forever. 30 min wait for a coffee and sandwich to go....a little crazy read more

LOVE. The service is okay. Nothing spectacular, but I waltzed in because I got to work early and had enough time for breakfast. So, when you walk in, it's set up just like a coffee shop. You line up and order at the cash register. They call you name when your drink(s) are ready and they bring your food to you. They also have the napkins, silverware, sugar, creamer and other things you need all in a self-service area. I ordered the buttermilk biscuit breakfast sandwich with sausage, a poached egg, tomatoes, and sauce. It was SOOOOOO good. The sausage tasted homemade and the biscuits were amazing! I washed it all down with a vanilla bean cold brew mixed with half & half. Loved it ALL. I must go back and try more! read more