Visited: Saturday, August 15, 2026 -- around 3:30 PM…read more HYPER-HOT COFFEE, FLYING CARPETS & THE DEATH OF DRIVE-THRU MONOTONY Had a late-afternoon coffee craving while wandering Berkeley and landed at Qahwa Time. "Qahwa," appropriately enough, means coffee in Arabic, so nobody here is hiding the ball. First impression: friendly service, casual atmosphere, and just enough energy to make the place feel fun without someone trying to convince me I've joined a movement. I ordered the Modawar, a Yemeni-style coffee with evaporated milk, a touch of sugar and cardamom. And sweet caffeinated Moses -- this coffee arrived HYPER HOT. Not "wait two minutes before sipping" hot. I mean HOT hot. The kind of temperature where weaker men begin blowing frantically across the lid while quietly researching personal-injury attorneys. Perfect. I like my coffee served somewhere between volcanic and OSHA investigation, and this was excellent. Rich, aromatic, lightly sweet, with the cardamom coming through beautifully without kicking down the door and taking the entire beverage hostage. I was also stranded in that bizarre 3:30 PM jurisdiction where lunch has already left town but dinner hasn't been sworn into office, so I ordered a beef fatayar. Now THIS thing was fun. Warm folded pastry stuffed with beef and potatoes, carrying these wonderful curry-flavored undertones. Soft, savory, hearty, slightly doughy -- comfort food with just enough spice and personality to make you sit up and pay attention. About three bites in, I felt like I should have been sitting cross-legged on a carpet, flying directly into a genie lamp at full speed. I realize this may not be the traditional Yemeni dining experience. But it was mine. There was something almost pierogi-ish about the warm potato-and-meat comfort of it, except somebody apparently handed the pierogi a passport, introduced it to cardamom and curry, and told it there was a much larger world outside Cleveland. And speaking of that larger world: I am absolutely stoked that Yemeni coffee houses keep popping up all over the Bay Area. Bring them on. Yemeni coffee. Ethiopian food. Salvadoran pupusas. Korean barbecue. Burmese noodles. Filipino breakfast. Afghan kebabs. Georgian dumplings. Give me cuisines I can't pronounce correctly on the first attempt. Because when it comes to food, the more the merrier. A world where 95% of your culinary decision-making consists of Wendy's, McDonald's or Chick-fil-A isn't technically a human-rights violation, and I doubt The Hague will be opening an investigation anytime soon. But good Lord, what a dull existence. There are only so many times a grown adult can stand beneath fluorescent lights contemplating whether tonight represents a Dave's Double moment or a Spicy Chicken Sandwich moment before the human spirit begins requesting asylum. So yeah. Give me the Yemeni coffee house. Give me the nuclear-temperature Modawar. Give me the beef-and-potato fatayar that launches me across Berkeley on an imaginary flying carpet toward a genie lamp. Qahwa Time made my afternoon substantially less boring. And these days, that's worth celebrating.

Wow. Just wow. Talk about a NICE refresher…read more If you like juice/refreshers and have been looking for a good spot outside of Starbucks, please definitely give this place a try. Their service was very quick and nice. The ambiance was very nice as well, with a lot of nice decor.

Nice cafe in a great location. Friendly staff…read more Many vegan options. Since it borders park, very kid friendly. Parking can be a challenge. Overall, recommend!

This cafe is hidden! Almost turned around because we couldn't find it, but no worry, just keep…read morewalking around the building where the big open field is and you'll see it! Once we found it, we really enjoyed the vibe! It's a cute, cozy little spot with a relaxed atmosphere, and the surrounding open space makes it feel really peaceful. It's definitely a nice place to sit and enjoy your food without feeling rushed. The food was really good and everything tasted fresh. We enjoyed what we ordered and thought it was a great little spot for breakfast/brunch. The staff was also friendly and welcoming, and the service was good. Food: Carrot cake is not too sweet, has seeds & minimal berries. If you're looking for something sweeter, this might not be for you! The mozzarella basil scone was very tasty! More savory & very soft Overall, I'm glad we didn't give up looking for it because it ended up being a really cute hidden gem in Berkeley! Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

Amazing service a nice lady with short hair and blue eyes , recommended me the best things , super…read morepatient with me and kind , I will be calling coming back to this place

Great food , amazing coffee , Great place , great service and great ambiance .. loved this place…read moreand I recommend

We loved this shop! I had the delicious hojicha ice cream, which was perfectly roasted and not too…read moresweet. My girlfriend had the strawberry, and she loved it as well. The service was nice. Spacious and comfortable seating. Highly recommend it!

It's a small and cute little shop. They sell few other items as well besides ice cream. You can…read moreorder from the tablet provided. The person serving us was super sweet. They have baby cup Ice cream, I thought it was a small cup. They need to put a sign up to show sizes with the names. Anyone could be confused. The lady behind the counter ended up helping me. And some of the ice cream on display was not showing up on that tablet. Tablet is not updated. Few indoor seating. Parking - street but paid parking. Good luck finding parking!

Coffee and service and ambiance of sitting outside were all lovely…read more The biscuit sandwich I'm sorry to say was overrated. The biscuits fell apart, and as a sandwich it was a little dry and missing something, maybe a savory jam would've helped? Next time I'll try something sweet instead - the pastries look great.

This is one of my go to coffee spots. Great oatmilk lattes served in a bowl! Definitely get your…read moremoneys worth. I've tried the savory cheddar & scallion scone along with the biscuit and jam. Both items are very flavorful with a soft flaky texture. I love all of the outdoor seating too. The inside seating is usually crowded and the acoustics make it very loud! It tends to be a bit humid inside as well, so outside is always my preference.

Honestly I don't know what the hell I stumbled upon but I had a good time. If you're in the…read moreEmeryville area and got an hour to spare, 10-11am the space is open to the public for coffee education. There's a specific coffee they highlight, talk about what we're drinking, where it comes from, and all that jazz. I was super surprised by the amount of people that were in attendance, family and dog friendly. Khalil was welcoming and took time to explain some coffee basics to me cause...Im new to this whole coffee world. Gave me some recommendations for local cafes to try and coffee influencers to follow as I continue down this rabbit hole. Garrett was super informative and passionate, talking to us about the Field Trip blend we were trying today. After the presentation, folks socialized (cause there's hella regulars and hipsters are just friendly af) and enjoyed the date lattes that were served. Fun. Hope to see y'all again.

Amazing experience. They host free coffee tastings every Friday at 10am (find them on Eventbrite),…read moreso I was fortunate to finally be able to try it yesterday! They are otherwise closed to the public - they use this space to roast their beans. Free street parking is easy and abundant. They were sampling a decaf version of their idido beans when I went. But they knew their audience lol and also brewed the caffeinated version so everyone could get their caf-fix! When we walked in, we were immediately greeted by someone who worked there who gave us the rundown. The coffee was in dispensers and there were mugs all around, so you could get as much as you'd like. We poured ourselves this decaf idido and it was pretty nice! I love coffee but I am not one to distinguish the different tasting notes lol. They also provided an oat milk carton out lol they truly had me covered because I take my coffee with oat milk. Khalil did an amazing job introducing us all to Counter Culture and even explaining the Swiss Water decaffeination process. They talk through the tasting with clear explanations, and I actually learned a lot. They do a great job making the experience approachable and educational, not pretentious, so I really appreciate that. The space has that training-lab vibe, so for 1-hour it feels like we're all little baristas in Coffee 101 lol. Inside is super well-lit, huge windows lol - with all the bright natural light and caffeine, you will wake up in no time! This is also in a cute section of Emeryville. Overall I feel the passion for the craft and it was a good vibe! It was fun to try the caf and decaf versions of the same beans side by side. Highly recommend if you're into coffee or just want a fun, low-key Friday morning activity.

The latte is so good, they are having good customer service. The ambiance is so neutral, and clean…read more I'd recommend this place to everyone.

I came to Black Diamond Cafe around 10 a.m. hoping to enjoy a coffee and get some work done. I've…read morebeen here for about an hour, and unfortunately the experience has been surprisingly frustrating because of something that seems completely avoidable. Every time someone enters **or leaves**, the door chime sounds **twice**. With a constant flow of customers, that means the chime is going off over and over again throughout the entire time you're sitting here. It's loud and extremely distracting if you're trying to work, read, study, or even just enjoy your coffee. I politely asked one of the employees if the chime could be disabled. He explained that they need it so they know when customers enter. I could understand that in a large store where employees might be working out of sight, but this is a relatively small café. There were two employees working up front, with the counter roughly 12 feet from the entrance, and a steady stream of customers coming through. The café itself has a nice atmosphere and could be a great place to sit and work, which is why this is particularly frustrating. A motion indicator, quieter single chime, or some other less intrusive system would accomplish the same purpose without subjecting customers to a double chime every few minutes. It's a small operational issue, but after sitting here for an hour, it has had a disproportionately large effect on the experience. I hope management considers changing it.

Friendly staff and good food. We will return again. We came on a recommendation from a friend and…read moreare glad we did.

Strolling around the perimeter of Aquatic Park can be nice if you don't mind hearing the constant…read moreroar of the freeway traffic on I-80. I wasn't aware that on weekends you can buy a cup of coffee at a semi-hidden window of the main boathouse, the dockside building that's surrounded by the colorful kayaks (photo: http://bit.ly/2ri3Tbs). It's not just any coffee as their beans come from local artisan roaster Artís. Well, la-dee-freakin'-dah. Still an Iced Coffee cost only $3 (photo: http://bit.ly/2PuDZJk), and there were a few randomly placed benches and chairs where you could park yourself for a spell. Remember they're open only from 10 to 6 on Saturdays and Sundays so plan accordingly. COFFEE - 4 stars...it's Artís so there's that AMBIANCE - 3 stars...well, the water is nice if you don't mind the sludge that accumulates (not sure where the water comes and goes) SERVICE - 3.5 stars...everything through the window TOTAL - 4 stars...nice respite if you happen to be there when they're open RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2CbVh8u