Baker & Commons is a classic Berkeley cafe. It has the small town ambience of Elmwood and feels like the perfect local spot for brunch, meeting up with friends, studying, or a nice date. The cafe has seating inside and outside, and there can sometimes be a line out the door that goes by very quickly. They have a great variety of desserts and bites to pair with any drink. I am a big fan of Baker and Commons now as it's one of my favorite study spots (though they have limited outlets by the window and no free wifi), but I only have one main note which is don't order a matcha (tastes a bit like cereal milk). read more

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A huge line outside got my attention, so we came by the next day. Food was just OK.. I ordered shakshuka and my husband a sandwich. Scones were fine, not amazing as advertised. Inside the restaurant is super crowded and uncomfortable. Will not go back. read more

Worst breakfast place I have ever been outrageous price, long line, non friendly staff, bugs all over no place to sit. We ordered shashutka which was bowl full of "one dollar" canned dice tomatoes and barely visible egg, two small pieces of bread tax included $20, worst choice . After few bite I got nauseous and the whole day I had bloating stomach with upper abdominal pain, coffee was cold and old. When I took coffee to cashier to let her know is cold and old , she gave me a nasty look. Don't even wast your time and money. Everything was bad. Only nice thing is location . I wish I could give no star or minus star. Very poor management. I am 100% sure that all good reviews here are fake from family and friends with fake accounts. read more

The seasonal salads and sandwiches are delicious. My favorite is the hummus sandwich, creamy hummus with lots of veggies on yummy bread. And the baked goods are dangerously scrumptious. Some of my favorites are the oat jam crumbles (gf), almond coconut cake (gf), apple pie, zucchini date bread. The yogurt granola fruit parfait is tasty. The service is pleasant, and if you can score a seat outside in the sunshine, the people watching on College and Russell is top notch. So glad I can walk to this cafe for a work break, to meet friends, lunch, or an early dinner. Highly recommended! read more

Good bakery goods, efficient service but don't expect much hands on help - not bad just is. Very good breakfast for a college town restaurant. The restaurant has that college town feel of we're deeper than fast food, but not everybody invoked is making a career of found service - relaxed vibe. read more

One of the best cafes in Berkeley for either just hanging or for getting work done - which is saying something given you have to use a phone hotspot if you want WiFi. Tons of great places to sit inside and outside. Solid coffee, amazing pastries (salted chocolate chip especially), and excellent breakfast options (biscuit sandwich is sizable + cheap; anything with their biscuits is great). Also right in the middle of a super nice (and imo the best) neighborhood in Berkeley, elmwood read more

The place looks very nice but everytime I've been there it's really underwhelming. The food is really simple but almost always disappointing. The coffee is not good. The only thing that it's ok are the pastries. The service is terrible, which makes sense because there is always a big line. read more

Love this place - kind staff, tasty food, and cozy vibe. Can be hard to get a table at peak times. Desserts are particularly good.

I was pretty excited to finally try Baker & Commons, but it was rather underwhelming. I came for brunch with a group of friends and ordered a roasted chicken sandwich. While the sandwich itself was good, with soft bread and juicy chicken, the portion was tiny for a $15 sandwich. There was also a long line when we came on a Sunday morning, so be prepared to wait! read more

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the tiramisu was DELICIOUS im still dreaming about it now.. this is my first time trying one so maybe im not the best person to ask considering i have nothing to compare it to but i swear it was good and i would go back just for it. the strawberry matcha i had alongside it was good... not the best i've had but certainly not the worst (coming from someone who orders a strawberry matcha wherever it's available hehe). i don't think it was bad but also not worth the 6-7(?) dollars i paid for it. anyways the tiramisu is what stole my heart and i WILL be going back again for it very soon. read more

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i always see a long line for this place, so i finally came for brunch. it's pretty cramped inside, but we were able to find a table. tiramisu- the coffee flavor is super strong, and they got the perfect texture! roasted chicken breast sandwich- this was so good! the bread is warm and toasted, but not too hard, and the flavors of the mushroom and chicken are so good. breakfast sandwich- the biscuits are super thick and flaky, and the eggs are well cooked. the sausage also tastes homemade overall, i would come back for the vibes and to try more of the menu!! read more

Baker & Commons - Tiramisu, Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich, Roasted Chicken Breast Sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is such a cute brunch spot in Berkeley! Seating was a little cramped but the place was kept pretty clean. I ordered the smoked salmon sandwich/toast and the salmon was so fresh, matching perfectly with the toasted bread. I'm not sure what dressing was provided, but it tasted so good with the salad. read more

Baker & Commons - Poached Egg Sandwich, Smoked Salmon Sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Food was delicious! Service was confusing. It wasn't clear what things would be delivered to outside seating. Seating outside on the sidewalk was okay for a coffee is okay, but a little rough for a meal. read more

I love this little cafe for its cappuccino in-a-bowl moment and the warmed up biscuits. The only downside is that spacing a is a bit cramped, and the food isn't all amazing. They also don't offer free WiFi, or else it would be a nice place to study. read more

Baker & Commons - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Literally the best biscuits in the bay. Just be sure you get it warmed up with butter and jam on the side. The line is always out the door because they have a sweat or savory treat for literally everyone. If you're in a rush order online otherwise be prepared to wait to order of for a seat or table. Trust me it's worth the wait. Bring your book or people watch. The choice is yours. read more

Ordering is easy and quick, found a table inside relatively easily early Saturday morning. Not too noisy but plenty of room inside and feels cozy. Coffee is tasty, got the vanilla cold brew and an oat milk latte. Poached egg sandwich and biscuit sandwich with avocado both came with juicy red tomatoes and fresh ingredients. So glad we popped in, and will definitely be back! Oh and the cinnamon roll slaps read more

Baker & Commons - Poached Egg Sandwich; Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich; cinnamon roll - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Super cute brunch/coffee place with an amazing location at the front of Elmwood. They have ample indoor and outdoor seating, but no wifi or outlets, which unfortunately make it a rather inconvenient study spot. Everything they serve is also relatively overpriced, in my opinion, so these two factors combined bump the place down a star for me. My go-to here is the heated-up biscuit with butter and their jam of the day (I had raspberry this time), along with a lavender latte, which comes to a total of around $10. The biscuit is always flakey and buttery, and tastes delicious with the combination of the condiments. I also love coming here for the lavender latte -- sometimes just for that -- and the quality is consistently high. The staff are very kind and accommodating and are very eager to provide suggestions and adjust your order to your liking. read more

Baker & Commons - biscuit with butter and jam, lavender latte - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food is always delicious but unfortunately when I've ordered take out they almost always forget something. Three stars because I was promised a refund when they forgot half my order. It saddens me because the food is very good. read more

Maybe my favorite cafe in Berkeley! Stopped in for the first time on a Saturday morning. There was a line out the door, but it moved quickly and gave us time to check out the pastry case. There was a good amount of indoor seating, and limited outdoor seating. There's also a bathroom which is always a plus. We ordered cappuccinos and a couple scones. It took around 10 minutes to receive our food, but it was busy so understandable! Cappuccinos were super strong, which I was happy about. The cinnamon chocolate scone was fresh out the oven... superb, especially when dipped in the coffee. The cranberry scone was my favorite though, so rich and flakey and perfectly rich, all infused with wonderful flavor. Can't wait to visit again. read more

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Being a college student, I find myself coming to this place often. Tasty food, kind staff, and such a cute place to sit back and get some work done. The last time I came here, my friend and I were studying. I ordered the hummus sandwich with a side of bacon, and she got the shakshouka. The sandwich was awesome, super fresh and full of vegetables. They also gave me so so much bacon, and even added a bunch inside of the sandwich. Super tasty. My friend said her shakshouka was really tasty, tomatoey and garlicky just how she enjoys it. I'm rating this place a 4 rather than a 5 because some drinks could be worked on. The matcha latte had an odd flavor to it, and some soda syrups like grapefruit and lemon didn't have the kick I was looking for. If you're looking for a lowkey place to hang out with friends, study, or just enjoy a good meal, definitely give this place a shot! read more

Baker & Commons - Hummus Sandwich with a side of bacon, shakshouka seen in the background - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Best iced vanilla latte I've had in a long time. You can see the actual vanilla bean that they use and it's not overly sweet. Perfect balance I get mine with lite ice. Also the outdoor seating is wonderful :) read more

Baker & Commons - Iced vanilla Latte - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great brunch place on College Ave. only a 12 minute walk from Unit 2 dorms. Very pricey. 5-10 min wait for food. Freshly juiced OJ is refreshing. read more

Baker & Commons - Eggs on biscuit with salmon - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Love this place! Such an idyllic location and great lattes. I do think they could fix their process for getting orders out to customers because sometimes it's hectic but other than that so good! read more

I had been looking for a good Dessert place and had seen this on a Yelp foodie Insta page. I was doing a Berkeley Rest week tour and wanted a dessert like Pecan pie or a Carrot cake. I found this on the Ashby College side of Berkeley and it was busy. I went right after Lunch rush but grabbed a few slices of Apple Crumble and a couple slices of Carrot cake with pecans. Lady/ counter person was friendly and helpful. If I had not already had eaten lunch, their lunch choices looked amazing. There was plenty of seating and a few patio tables to enjoy your Lunch or coffee beverages. I will go back for either lunch or coffee next time I'm in the area. Pies and Carrot cakes were absolutely phenomenal!! read more

Baker & Commons - Display case of desserts. I bought a slice of Carrot Cake with Pecans, and Apple Crumb cake - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This is our spot!!! We've been coming here for years. I don't know why it took me so long to write a review. The staff is always super quick which is great because there's always a line. Don't let that deter you from trying this place!! The food is ALWAYS delicious. The pastry fridge is always stocked with the most delicious deserts. Coconut cream pie, Carrot Cake, Tiramisu, Strawberry Panna Cotta, Olive Oil Cake, Tarts, Scones... the list goes on. The Chai Latte, and Matcha Latte with oat milk are my favorite drinks to order. I wish I had pictures to take. Maybe today when I go back for a second time ;) I'll take some. read more

Last time I went and got the sausage breakfast sandwich and it was horrible handmade sausage so I never went back but recently I wanted to try this other sandwich that looked good which was the smoked salmon sandwich. It was very good and not fishy. I definitely will be getting this regularly when I get the chance. read more

Baker & Commons - Smoked Salmon Sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is cute and the chai latte is very good. The ambiance is so nice and the seating outside is what i like a lot. The BLT is my favorite and i like the biscuit sandwich too (a little heavy), just not the best food out there. But very cute for a nice morni read more

Excellent breakfast items. The line can get quite long in the morning. There are seatings indoor and outdoor. My favorite items include the biscuit. They appear to be made in house and it's super delicious. The house made pork sausage is also a must! They also have a variety of other breakfast sandwiches. The service is good. Parking is limited but not terrible. Must try! read more

Two visits in one day. Quality generally good but a few things mean the value is lacking. Poached eggs were nicely cooked but came on cold hard toast - so hard a knife couldn't cut it. At lunch the chicken salad sandwich had lots of greens but very little chicken salad - like less than 1/3 of a cup. Hardly qualified as a snack, and definitely wasn't a meal. For $17 that's more than just disappointing. Drinks were very good (though also modest size for the price). Cookie was excellent - stick to those! read more

NOT RECOMMEND FOR VEGANS. I think the one food option is a small fruit bowl. Alternative milk is .75 cents disappointing. No vegan pastries and no WiFi!?!? read more

Best tiramisu I've ever had was from here. The balance between the mascarpone, thin layers of soaked lady fingers and generous chocolate powder dusting made this delectable. read more

Baker and Common's is good. It's just not great like the Elmwood Café was. I almost gave it three stars but readjusted when I thought about my impression of the new place. Same atmosphere and charm including a nice outdoor seating area. Still great lattes, maybe even better now. It's just that the food isn't at the same level. I loved Elmwood's brunch menu. The breakfast sandwich was less than amazing at Baker and Common's while every brunch item I had previously at Elmwood had been. Although I can say that B&C's avocado toast looks wonderful and the cherry tomatoes and sage are nice touches. Because I liked everything except for my sandwich, I could go either way and give this place three stars or four stars. For the moment, after one visit, I gave it four stars. In part because the fresh squeezed orange juice was so great. Second visit. I liked the cinnamon waffle with huckleberry whip cream. The house-made sausage was delicious. Super-friendly staff. Four stars earned. read more

Food: very good, and really wonderful baked goods. Service: stand in line to order/pay at the counter; food then delivered to your table (if you can get one). Counter staff was terse but efficient. Cons: the prices are outrageous. A simple biscuit with a scrambled egg was nearly $11. My friend had a small, simple salad that was $16. Ridiculous prices. read more

Waited 30 minutes for smoked salmon toast... (nothing was hot or cooked in this order) I usually like this place to have a coffee and read but after 20 minutes I asked to just box the toast- it was clear that they forgot even when I checked a couple times on the order. Don't recommend- very disappointed. read more

Finally, after more than a year of being a hermit crab (looking at you, covid!), I had the pleasure of eating out --- well, we still can't eat in so you either had to eat outside, or get take-out. Failed attempt at humour aside, the breakfast sandwich was seriously delicious. I requested the poached egg sandwich -- the namesake poached egg sitting atop a pile of crispy bacon, slices of fresh tomato, and a heap of peppery arugula, all tidily coddled between a fresh crusty bun sliced mid section. I couldn't tell you what type of bread it was even if I tried, but nonetheless it reminded me of a ciabatta. After sinking my teeth into it, all I can say to your favourite BLT is "BE(gg)A(rugula)T IT!" It's not a competition. Not even close! The BLT completely fails to match up in the face of this breakfast sandwich, almost as badly as my four attempts at humour (if you count this one too). Lest I forget, I did also get the breakfast biscuit sandwich (bacon-egg-cheese), a frittata (they seem to rotate between varying flavours), as well as a few scones --- the "cream" and the "buttermilk". I am told the breakfast sandwich was good. The frittata was loaded with bacon, potatoes, and a leafy green (I am guessing arugula due to it's pepperiness). I liked it but it's not something I would get for a picky kid --- it's definitely "adult" (whatever that means) in the flavour profile. Lastly, the scones were really good and I would definitely recommend them. Yes, Both. I couldn't choose one over the other so I would just take both if I passed by again. There you go. Go for the scones. Leave with the poached egg "BEAT" sandwich. read more

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I decided to finally try this place because they were participating in Dining for Life fundraiser event last fall. I ordered a coffee cake and a financier chocolate. It's easy to order ahead via their website and I was notified my order was ready ahead of the projected time. The coffee cake was pretty good, it has powdered sugar and actually also has chocolate in it, which was a nice surprise. As for the financier, it seems they actually gave me almond ones instead, which were still decent but I don't know if they ran out of chocolate since it was the end of the day or if they made a mistake, as I only confirmed it was almond when I bit into it. read more

Baker & Commons - Coffee cake and almond financier - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Everything went well. My go to place for my group dessert orders. Sooo many favorites. This beauty must be posted. See attached photo of the Citrus Cake. As good as it looks. Kudos Baker and Commons staff and Pastry Chef read more

Baker & Commons - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Cute little café but it does get pretty busy with a line often times. Their food is good buts it's a little overpriced for me, which is why I'm eating it a 4. I got their avocado toast and they put some certain garlic spread on it which makes it super delicious! Their pastries and desert selection looks pretty solid so I can't wait to try those next time read more

Baker and commons is a very cute neighborhood spot with delicious food and drinks. There are heartier options like breakfast sandwiches but also many pastries to choose from. Staff have always been polite and the service is quick even with its usual weekend line. read more

I visited on a rainy day and initially the line was out the door and the dining room was full. I decided to wait it out and take a quick shop at Mrs. Dalloway's books next door. By the time I picked out a book the line was cleared and a table was available. I ordered an egg biscuit with bacon and avocado and a caramel latte with almond milk. The latte was served in a preciously huge mug and tasted like a warm hug! Absolutely divine. The biscuit sandwich was a mess to eat and I ended up making it more of a "scramble" and ate it with a fork. Nonetheless, it was delicious and I'd absolutely order it again. They had plenty of other sweet treats and pastries available that I didn't try this time bust definitely plan to on the next trip! Overall the vibe is super cozy tucked between the bookstore. Great place to study or read or just socialize with friends! read more

Baker & Commons - Breakfast biscuit sandwich and caramel latte - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California