So people complain about the lack of friendly service here; I don't know what to make of it. The staff won't gab with you like they're your styllist when you're in the chair or your gurlfriends while your shopping, but that doesn't make them surly--at least I don't find them to be that way. I will say the place has great coffee drinks and good treats to eat. Free wifi's great, if you can find a place to sit (and plug in when you need to). My only complaint is the cash-only deal. read more

Great coffee and place to work from if you're tired of working from home! They carry locally owned beans and that's a plus for me

I love Berkeley Espresso! Pros: -Great location and has a beautiful view where you can look up at the hills. -Play relaxing, classical music and it has a very warm friendly environment, nice inside -Friendly staff who work hard and seem passionate about what they're doing -Hours are great. Stays open late which is convenient. -Great idea adding alcoholic beverages to the menu! I am sure that will bring in a lot more people. Cons: -The lemonade really needs to be sweetened, it is way to sour -Some of deserts taste stale, so try to keep it fresh -Take care of the flies in the corner near the bathroom read more

Challege of the morning: yelp about a cafe I'm at while not knowing the name of the cafe. Step 1: connect to wifi Step 2: figure out I'm at Berkeley Espresso based on the 5 bar connection! Step 3: Revel in a hot, espresso-y double latte that cost $2.90, hearkening me back to times when double lattes cost $2__something and NOT because of a recession. You know a cafe delivers when you know what to expect and it's what you want - without knowing the name. As I thought about where I wanted to have my morning coffee and internet fix, I decided I wanted to go off my beaten path. Lots of light, classical music, a nice location, beautifully painted walls. Bingo. And so here I am. And if you're in north Berkeley here too I recommend you be. They even have Semifreddi morning buns. Why only 4 stars? I think my coffee scale needs its own rating system, and it's merely to save that extra stars for my "last coffee on earth" recommendations. read more

The cafe is large and there is decent seating options. Free wifi might be nice but is pretty standard these days. I ordered a cappuccino which was very bitter and a bit burnt. Not a good cup at all. It was almost undrinkable and we were not impressed. I am not sure why those place was packed with all the other great options nearby. read more

I came here on a Sunday night with my mother to pass sometime before our dinner at Chez Panisse. The coffee shop looked like any coffee shop that students might frequent. I came in expecting nothing fancy, just like the coffee shops near the university I attending in San Marcos. But I was let down multiple times. First off the barista seemed upset that we came into his cafe. Not a great way to set the mood off. Especially since we were super easy customers, my mother ordered a coffee and I ordered a tea. While I like Republic of Tea, I have them at home, I wasn't thrilled with the pick your own tea out of the cans on display. A little to casual for my taste. Then things very disgusting when I went to the restroom. It smelled like the UCB football team all came and unloaded a chilli bean buffet crap in the toilet. The restroom was also just in a really dirty state. Toilet paper bits all over the floor. Wet spots all around the toilet. Next time I'm In berkeley, I will be avoiding this place. read more

I keep forgetting why I hate this place, because it's always filled with people on their laptops so I think, hey I could get some work done here. They also serve sandwiches and pastries but with all the great places to eat within walking distance, why bother? (1) Their overpriced drinks suck and the scruffy guy behind the counter hates making it for you. (2) The FLIES. OH GOD THE FLIES. WTF?! Inside and outside. Please make it stop. I do have to give them credit for: - a decent, stable internet connection that doesn't have an annoying sign-in page - a functional bathroom that doesn't require a secret password - a good number of power strips (free-hanging from the ceiling... surely a fire hazard) Overall, though, it's just not worth it. read more

Free wi-fi and tons of outlets make this place awesome for laptop junkies like myself. The coffee and food are OK, but you're really here to get work done. Also, late hours (11pm most nights) are great for working under a deadline. TIP: If you have trouble getting on the network, ask them to reset the router, as it can sometimes go down. read more

Credit card minimum of $5... so I was forced to buy a mediocre brownie with my coffee :c Other than that, good place to get some late night studying done since it's one of the places in that area that stays open a bit later. Also very good service!! One time, I asked for a 16oz and the barista made a 12oz & then charged me for a 12oz before realizing I had ordered a larger size. Realizing the size mix-up, he made me a whole new drink and didn't charge me extra, hehe. read more

Before I actually sat down to write this review, I always thought myself very fond of Berkeley Espresso. I come here on a very regular basis, in fact, I'm on their wi-fi right now. Although thinking about it, I don't really know why. Their coffee is pretty good, but not amazing. Well, at least it is reasonably priced. The food is generic fare, nothing to really even mention. The cash only thing has currently halted my coffee consumption at 3 double espressos, the hoards of people on laptops have forced me outside (no outlets, but it is a nice day). It's a good place for getting your laptop on, but more than that? read more

Good coffee for very good prices (way cheaper and bigger than the usual chain coffees). The cafe is big with huge wall-to-wall windows making it a great place to study or read. Generally draws the older Berkeley crowd and is almost always full. The outdoor seating is nice for warm days. They also have free wireless and it doesn't require pointless logging in or other stunts to start using it. It's pretty fast too. Lots of electric outlets too. It has been my favorite place to study for a couple years but it's just so hard to find tables most of the time! read more

They only get that extra star for the free wifi. drink selection is mediocre to poor. attitude of staff is poor. i concur with those who say the atmosphere is somewhat ... tense... lots of outlets though. and free wifi read more

Drip coffee and espresso are okay, nothing to rave about. Every pastry I've had has been stale and underwhelming. Service is slow and not the most warm and friendly. The good: the wifi is actually reliable and people watching it pretty fun. Don't be shocked if you see people watching porn on their computers, I've seen it a handful of times. Why that is appealing to do in a public area? I'm not sure, but to each their own. read more

It has been my experience that there is usually a turd on the bathroom floor here. They use an accordian style plunger that sucks turds into it and then drops them on the floor when they set the plunger down. I don't mean turd fragments, either. You will not be hard pressed to find a whole entire turd on the floor in the Berkeley Espresso bathroom. Read the 3rd paragraph of Mitch K's 10/18/11 review to get a sense of what that smells like. If that isn't off-putting enough, maybe you will be impressed by the equally pungent "soup nazi" attitude of the day guy, who will undoubtedly give you a good hazing. Less accosting, but also undesirable are the whitish Velveeta singles (which they call swiss cheese) that they put on the sandwiches. 3 stars for the authentic, delicious hot chocolate. 3 stars for the strawberry cheesecake - that was good. 3 stars for the friendly evening guys. The atmosphere is nice, especially if you don't sit too close to the toilet. Nice lighting. Unfortunately, none of this cafe's merits will register in your mind while you are suffering the lasting sensory experience of s#!t lingering in your sinuses after using the Berkeley Espresso bathroom. Any merits are also hard to appreciate while consuming food and drink served up by the "soup nazi" day guy. Minus 5 stars for the reliable appearance and accompanying stench of a TURD on the bathroom floor. Minus 3 stars for the mean day guy. read more

Weak coffee, a very rude wait staff and its usually a sea of laptops. They cornered the market for proximity to the college and dont care about service or the quality of their product. read more

This place is good because 1) it's open til 11 pm, 2) cheap, 3) free wifi and big tables for those who want to sit in a cafe for hours and work and order just one drink. Given all that, the baristas/servers/whatever you want to call them are not that friendly/kind of impersonal. This is ok since they are after all not bothering you as you sit for hours using their wifi and ordering just one drink without leaving any tip. Also, their latte is quite good in the afternoon during the summer. read more

I love this place. Usually drop by on my walk to campus! Friendly staff in the morning and always leave with "bear art" in my drink lol. Yummy pastries too! read more

Berkeley Espresso - Barista never fails. Puts a smile on your face on a Monday morning. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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+Okay coffee. +Super nice baristas. -Sticky tables full of hippies and homelesses. +Everyone is nice though read more

Although this is my first time checking in here, I've been to this cafe a few times. It's a great place to spend a few hours working or studying, hands down. The WiFi is stable, most of the clientele want to be in a peaceful setting, so it's usually pretty mellow. For this, I'd give them four stars. However, the reason why I give them two stars is because the baristas, assumedly the owners, have a tendency to be dishonest. If you don't pay attention to the price of what you ordered, they WILL overcharge you. Just now, we ordered a few items, including a muffin; the price for it was displayed at $2.50. The guy politely charged $3.00. When we corrected him, he became defensive and said that the price was $2.75. (If that truly were the case, why did he STILL ask for 25 cents more?) Instead, we pointed at the sign and told him that it was $2.50. He made a great point of theatrically re-ringing the order; we waited patiently, but we're also rather irritated. The service here certainly leaves something to be desired. read more

I decided to check this place out after 3 days in a row K's on center was not open at 6am as it said on the website. It really wasn't about the incorrect open time being posted but rather the poor attitude by the workers there. At Berkeley Espresso though the staff is very friendly, they are open at 6am and stay open quite late. I enjoy the environment a lot, it's not really a place where you will get distracted, no TVs or groups of people chatting. Mostly people studying or reading a newspaper. Their mocha is really good as well and I am so impressed that I have brought all my business here instead! read more

Berkeley Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Been here several times over the years so I know the Baristas by name. I asked for their best, sexiest latte and they gave a wonderfully drawn piece of coffee art! Berkeley Espresso rules! read more

Berkeley Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

People watching your thing? Some quality souls pass through the doors of Berkeley Espresso. This place can get very, very busy at times. But usually remains relatively quite and can be good spot caffeinated productivity. Speaking of productivity, they provide many power outlets for the laptop inclined. The size of the place and seating arangements may be too intimate for some people. If you need a lot of space to yourself this is not the spot for you, but if serendipitous conversation over coffee or tea sounds interesting to you, then grab your favorite book, be open, smile, and go to Berkeley Espresso. read more

They close at 11, and sadly, that's considered late in Berkeley. What's with cafes around here closing so early? It's still much better than their competitors, some of which close at 7 (!) during the week. Anyways, clean, quiet place to study. They have plenty of outlets and free wifi, and the drinks are cheap and acceptably tasty. read more

I was one of the laptoppers everybody seems to be complaining about, and I'm not sure what the problem is - it's a university town, the cafe is right near campus, and it's a place where people go to study, so yes, people are quiet and they take up tables for a while. That's the kind of shop it is, that's the shop's bread-and-butter patron - if you are looking for a boisterous atmosphere and a seat reserved for you, you will be disappointed. My personal opinion - coffee was decent, so were the pastries. I used to go several times a week to study. Then I got sick of the fact that staff was always surly, never seemed to recognize me or care that I come in all the time. So I switched to Village Grounds, which is much better on all counts. read more

Stopped in for a late Sunday morning breakfast and had an ok experience. Walked up to the counter and was greeted by a very nice barista man. Already a good start! I asked for their darkest roast drip coffee. The nice man opened the jar of dark roast grounds and found that there was only enough for half a cup. Really? A coffee house that runs out of coffee? I was tempted to walk out, but I felt bad. He offered to mix it with the dark roast decaf. As a caffeine-aholic, I was not happy with this option, but what else was there to do? My coffee tasted like boiled water. REALLY not happy. I ended up getting a slice of coffee cake, which was fine. That and the small coffee came out to $4.65. Good deal, but the coffee situation was just really irritating. I turned to sit and low & behold, not a seat to be found. As if an angel had heard me, a man got up to leave and I ran like an Olympic sprinter to grab that seat before someone else. Once I was finally sitting down, all was well. The atmosphere in there is a nice mix of studying UCB kids and the professor-looking type. Good background music. Nice staff. However, the lack of seating and terrible coffee was a no no. I'll probably try someplace else next time. Tip: Unless you're planning on buying over $5 worth, bring cash. read more

Is that what 'one' does? What else does 'one' do? Well, I'm not sure about 'one' but I have to agree with most of her/him/its comments. The place is a little weird. Especially compared to the good cafe just across the street and one block up. Service was not good. I felt like I was interrupting something to ask for a glass of tea. But they did serve it in a pint glass with a sleeve which is what gets them a star. They also have free wifi which gets them another star. They would get a third just for having open tables but then I realized that is only because it isn't very comfortable to sit in here and work. "One" might think one was in SF for all the attitude in this place. read more

Ah, Berkeley Espresso. I thank all of the Dieties for you :-) They don't pimp you out for tips No minimum credit/debit card amounts GREAT HOT CHOCOLATE AWESOME INTERNET Decent coffee Fabulous Hibiscus tea and other teas Decent amount of outlets Sharply quelled amount of quirky homeless residents Clean bathroom, that smells great, thankfully; plus, you have to get the key at the front desk to access which keeps non-customers out, so great! I haven't tried the food...I am so happy with everything else until I don't care how the food is. Amble table space Friendly staff Yay! CON; The ceiling fans create a strobe light experience over your writing/computer scree...but, I don't care ^_^ read more

The first morning we came here, the drinks were great, except for the fact that we ordered 12 ounce drinks and got 16 ounces. When we tried to get them corrected, we were told that 16 ounces was just a little more than 12.... Basically, "Deal with it". Not worth trying to explain to the guy that 33% more soy is significant and by drinking less, we ended up with 25% less espresso. The next day, we tried to clarify that we truly only wanted 12 ounces and was it that they only had 16 ounce ceramic cups? We have learned with coffee shops that the worst thing you can do is question anything because rather than answers, the end result is crappy coffee. read more

Coffee here is great,especially the mocha something. But my things was stolen here. It was my fault to forget my pencil box on the seat. When I went back 20hrs after, I asked the nice clerk if he had seen my pencil box. Thanks to the brilliant clerks, I found my pencil box in the end--with four or five of my pens, one eraser and one special white-out gone. I have no idea why would this kinda things happen. read more

Went there for the first time because I was in the area and just walked by it. Super super friendly staff. As soon as I ordered my cappuccino the guy working there started a conversation and asked me where I was from. When I said Tanzania he made my coffee and wrote Tanzania on it. Absolutely great vibe. Decent number of tables to work out, very much a laptop kinda workspace although didn't see any charging ports. read more

Berkeley Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

There's usually a seat available at this north Berkeley cafe. While their baked items are good, they don't make them there, so that sucks. Otherwise it's a solid place for studying that plays classical music and has a lot of windows to people watch. read more

Better than Starbucks. Better than Coffee Bean. Inferior to Illy Espressamente. Inferior to Revelle.

Cozy place, friendly staff, fast wifi, solidly standard menu with consistently good coffee and simple cafe food. My new morning coffee / reading spot at the heart of Shattuck, between downtown and north Berkeley. A new simple favorite in the hood! read more

With lots of outlets and seats and free wireless, this is laptop heaven. However, the food is mediocre and the espresso is low-quality (the barristas don't tamp the grounds down, and the resulting brew is harsh). Service ranges from so-so to "why are you bothering me" as closing time nears. For better food and drink (and service) try Fertile Grounds a few blocks north on Shattuck. read more

There are coffee shops where you go to hang out, maybe chat with a friend or two, and relax. Then there are coffee shops where you go in and just buy something for the rights to sit at a table and work on stuff alone (homework, writing, reading, etc). This is one of the latter. Not saying one is better than the other, just different - know which one you're looking for before you go in! Oh yeah, their smoothies are just alright - nothing special. read more

Two words: Caramel Freeze! YUMMMMMM P.s. They do take credit cards for orders over $5 read more

I've given up on Berkeley Espresso. I've been a countless number of times and although the coffee and free wireless are not bad, the lack of available seats and tiny selection of treats continues to disappoint me. I think it's probably good for people who get there early to snag a place to root themselves. Otherwise, I'd head to Village Grounds down the street. They offer the same things except they have ..... ample seating!!!! This place is good for its free wireless. read more

Been coming here since a server at Triple Rock suggested going there for dessert.. Lemon Bars, Cheesecake, and other yummy things.. I usually order an iced coffee or latte.. (they're alright! and I don't break my wallet on it.) The GOOD: - drinks are alright - the people are friendly - classical music is good for non-distracting reading, working or quiet conversation - the regulars - the wifi is pretty darn amazing (I've been to some places w/ slow to no connection.) The so-called BAD: - yes they are in no rush, but this ain't Starbucks.. you want fast & rude, there's plenty of places for that.. - yes, the bathroom can be pretty disgusting, but you're not eating in there.. wash your hands & get over it.. or do what everyone else does, (wrap a paper towel around the key handle thing if you don't want to negate the hand washing..) read more

I really love this place for their excellent espresso and great food. They make a great cappuccino, and their paninis are my favorite!

Where else can you buy one caffeinated drink and sit at a table enjoying free wireless for five hours without feeling like a total freeloader? Everybody else is doing it. read more