The recently remodeled Cole Coffee is definitely a site for sore (and under-caffeinated) eyes. Sleek tables and a clean wall design makes this place an appealing place to sit and work/read for a while. There's also more space than the original shop, which I remember as being charming but cramped. During my recent visits, I decided to get reacquainted with their coffee after a long absence. I tried an iced Americano first, and my frequent to make it with a small amount of water led to some staff kerfuffle. One employee hurriedly tried to get a small cup (the one used for the water container) as I tried to explain to the person making my order that the usual iced coffee plastic cup would be fine. The employee taking my order seemed to misunderstand my initial request and then proceeded to explain what an Americano was, which was unnecessary. When I finally got my drink, it was made to my specification but tasted bitter. Giving my ordering experience and the taste of my drink, I'm not sure I will be getting an espresso-based drink there in the future. However, the decaf coffee I had today was smooth, and maybe I would just get coffee there on my future visits. My experience with their employees has been mixed, but I'd be willing to check it out again. read more

After seeing this place listed in one of the top 10 coffee shops in Berkeley, I decided I had to try it out considering I saw it all the time on the drive down College Ave. This place is usually packed in the morning, so I decided to come in the afternoon. I made the right decision as the place was pretty empty on a Friday afternoon. The venue inside is pretty small with only 3 tables but there is a variety of seating outside and around the corner. I ordered a mocha with whip cream and it I actually really enjoyed it. It reminded me more of a hot chocolate because it was my first time getting whip cream with my coffee. My friend got some drip coffee and he really enjoyed it, saying it had a really unique taste. I'm glad I finally got to check out this place but I would recommend people just grab and go if they want coffee here in the morning. read more

Cole Coffee - Mocha with whip cream - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Best coffee in the East Bay, I kid you not. Seated clientele's average age seems about 70, all old men, so I felt right at home. I have now renamed it the "Alte Kake Kafe" :)) read more

Great coffee...and I mean soul-comforting dark deliciousness. Cole Coffee's MAX'S blend is my favorite brew anywhere around, including everything I've tried at Philz, Four Barrel, Blue Bottle and other coffee shops around the Bay Area. The staff is always friendly in a super low-key way, and wow are they efficient about getting your perfect pour-over in your cup and into your hands. Cozy couches and a couple tables inside, and the Cole Coffee coup-de-grâce is the collection of bistro tables, benches and chairs in the shade, under the glass awning alongside the store just off College Ave. read more

I ordered a Latte and the coffee was way too hot and not too bitter. The staff were very friendly. One thing worth mentioning is, for people who wait in front of the Boichik Bagels for takeaways, they can come here for the same bagel and can even eat in the shop. It is weekend only though. read more

See all

Total gem! The red sea and other ethiopian pour overs - take time, but well worth the wait. The poached eggs and toast are classic, and love the people's donuts in the case. My favorite cup of strong coffee in the Bay - ice coffee is also strong. read more

The coffee is strong, just what I needed to start my day. Ambiance is great, with good people watching. Service is fast too.

Best coffee in Oakland. Best coffee staff in Oakland. Great local business that I've supported for almost 20 years!

Nice outside seating clam music small and inviting and the coffee and food is good the inside is clean and upkept

Really bad coffee tastes like burnt diner coffee. Wanna support but it's just so gross.

Grabbed a coffee here recently while picking up lunch up the street. I grabbed a cappuccino and my fiance grabbed a latte. It's a small window shop, where you order at the front and it seemed like they had some small tables to sit at right outside. The drinks took a little bit, which was fair as there was only one person working there. Thought the coffee was strong and a nice afternoon kick! Nice shop to stop by when you're on the go! read more

spotted this spot after getting bagels! immediately knew we wanted to stop by & grab a couple coffees. i got a medium hot hazelnut latte which was amazing :) the employees were sweet & they also sell shirts + adorable knitted coffee sleeves!! read more

See all

BEWARE OF LAPTOP THEFT and violence. I'm a big Cole Coffee fan and live just around the corner. I was there today working outside at 1pm on a Monday, enjoying a nice day. I was sitting at the middle table on 63rd st with lots of people around me. Back toward the wall, facing the street. I had all my things close to me when these two criminals came running from College Ave in hoodies and lunged to steal my laptop, right out of my hands. I held on with a firm grip, the man next to me started yelling and they booked it down 63rd st. They knocked hot coffee all over me and people around me. Thank god I still have my work laptop. I was scared to walk home. Advice to management: You said this is a reoccurring issue. If that's the case, please get some security cameras and warn people who are outside. I love Cole Coffee and all of the employees - but they didn't even offer or suggest to put in a police report. I obviously did afterward, because I'm committed to seeing Rockridge be safe. I know we can't control people, but I'd suggest amping up your security measures and getting the police involved. read more

Pour-over coffee was pretty good. Not as strong as before. But that's okay. It used to be dark dark. So you use apple pay which can be nice and quick, but not when you get that irritating thing where you have to navigate through a screen with a tip option or no tip selection. And of course the recommendations are for 20%, etc. So the guy at Cole's is controlling the device and asks what I want him to put as tip and I say nothing. He does not hear or pretends not to hear and suggests a tip level. I say nothing and still he does not hear. When I inform him I have a dollar for the tip jar he does put down nothing. If the intent is to increase tips received, I wish they would just add a gratuity to the bill like they do in Europe and collect tips that way rather than screw around with relatively small tips from each customer. If not that they should make it easy for a customer to make a choice quickly and privately. Either that or just leave it to the old tip cup like before. read more

Good strong coffee. I got a red eye. Plenty of dairy substitutions. Somewhat slow service bit friendly. Sucks that they are only open on weekends. read more

I went here to recently to grab a quick Coffee and pastry. The gentleman at counter was friendly and helpful. There was another gal there who wasn't so friendly. I asked for some water cups for the water cooler and she wasn't too happy to get the cups. The coffee was good and the coconut donuts were great, but the gal lack of friendliness was unexpected. There are a lot of coffee shops I can frequent than this location. I'm guessing she was having a bad day. read more

Love this spot! My fiancé and I have been enjoying walking here in the morning and getting oatmilk lattes. The latte is delicious! The people working there have always been super sweet too. read more

I'm a big fan of Cole Coffee! Great food and drink options at great prices. Amazing location on the beautiful College Avenue. Only wish the space was bigger. I've had everything from bagels to parfaits, ice coffee to lattes. Love this place! Also, the service is decent. I can tell the counter servers work very hard, and sometimes it can be overwhelming serving so many customers in a small space. The servers are nice to me every time I visit. read more

Honestly, Cole is great with their coffee. My boyfriend's parents love the place when they visit the Bay and I hadn't tried it up until their suggestion. I've never been disappointed with their coffee drinks, and I've tried their lattes with almond milk (really good), and regular drip coffee. I'm knocking off a star because their food pricing is just so off. I got the avocado toast (over $6) and the size of the toast is the smallest thing--just a little bit bigger than a deck of cards. I was so disappointed with this--there wasn't even enough red pepper or any other seasoning with the pepper on the avocado. The toast was also a bit hard to bit into...another disappointment. I tried their basil, mozarella, tomato sandwich as well and it was also on the smaller side...I've learned my lesson. I'll only be ordering coffee here, no more tries no the food. read more

Cole Coffee - New remodel - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Mediocre coffee, which I would give 4 stars for. However, the service is really what strayed me to never want to come back. Very rude, cold, and just unpleasant. read more

I absolute love Cole Coffee. Coffee is my biggest addiction and they serve a mean latte here. I wish I came more often when I was in college, because now I'm just a bit too far away to try and come every day. However, I am definitely willing to make the drive whenever the craving calls! read more

Charming Cole Coffee Your organic beans welcome me Guatemala Timor Peru Columbia and Kenya too I order and your song begins Drip drip drip Kind people, gentle humor Drip drip drip A few seats inside, a few seats outside Drip drip drip Anticipation grows, as the pace it slows Drip drip drip Coffee's ready! Gulp gulp gulp read more

I usually go the Cole Coffee corner location for the drip to order coffees with coffee roasts consisting of 24 different varieties. But next door on 63rd St., is their store that sells coffee beans, coffee pots, cones, presses, grinders and filters. The store also sells two dripped coffees, a regular blend and a decaf and you can also get lattes, mochas, espressos, macchiatos, and cappuccinos as well. Since I was in a hurry, I was able to quickly a cup of coffee here. So if you're in a rush and need a cup of coffee, the 63rd store fits the bill. read more

Let's face it - not everyone goes to Cole Coffee for the coffee. They go for the "scene" - it's all about going to see the "regulars" and to be seen. To have idle chit chat, hopefully pleasant, with people who organize their day around their visit to Cole Coffee. The coffee is pretty good - but they do have some shortcomings - they charge a lot for Pepple's Donuts ($2 each!) and a cup of drip coffee is $1.40 (no refills). I am allergic to dairy & soy - and though other cafes will take my single serve size of almond milk to make me a latte, Cole won't even take the sealed container because of "health concerns" or somesuch (and Starbucks will). So... I'll just take my decaf beans home and leave the social scene for the cool kids. read more

My review is based off one experience and one drink, but I don't plan on coming back. The good: - cute ambiance - located in a nice neighborhood The bad: - barista was not friendly and kept pressuring me to decide on a drink to order even when there was absolutely no line - competitive seating with people swooping in on the limited number of outdoor seats even on a Thursday afternoon - located right next to noisy curbside traffic and construction across the street - all drinks served in white paper cups without lids - the Mexican hot chocolate was really, really... not good. Carelessly made so that there was no flavor until the very end, when whatever chalky mix they had used to make this thing had congealed to the bottom of the cup. Gross. read more

Cole Coffee - 12oz small Mexican hot chocolate with almond milk, $2.75 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

I am writing this review while sitting at Cole's and using Philz Coffee wifi. I was told by the barista at Cole's (after paying for my order) that they didn't have wifi and that I should use Philz wifi across the street....? Prices are on par with Philz, I'm using Philz wifi.......why not just go to Philz? Food and drinks here are mediocre and service is awful. I love supporting local establishments and do it every chance I get but I refuse to give my money to this establishment when I can walk across the street, get great coffee, great service....oh and WIFI. read more

Cole's is cool in the fact that it's a local, non-chainy coffee shop that is located in the trendy Rockridge area. They serve drip coffee made as you wait and have an assortment of pastries and breakfast dishes available as well. Typically is quite bustling inside and out, with limited seating. Their coffee is good and the place has a hip ambiance with an eclectic blend of customers. However, I'm NOT a fan of barristas who don't crack a smile at any point during your interaction. Kinda sets off my morning in a bad way. I'll take Peet's, and even Starbucks, for the bright smiles and happy vibes I get at those establishments. I guess I like feeling appreciated and welcomed at a place I patronize. read more

My iced mocha was absolutely awful. Not sweet, watery, bland, bleh. The whip cream was store-bought and gross. The service was mediocre. They don't offer a white mocha which is standard at other coffee shops. I'm not sure why it's busy here.... But I guess I'll eventually try it again. read more

Cole Coffee - $4.25 iced mocha. Meh. Let's see how strong the espresso is... - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Pretty decent coffee! Came here with a couple of friends for something hot to drink. The weather went from super warm to freakkishly cold within an hour, and we needed to warm up. I got a double latte, which was pretty decent. Friend got a mocha when he asked for something on the sweeter side...and that mocha is not sweet. Don't think starbucks mocha, but like a coffee with bittersweet chocolate in it. The tea my other friend ordered was really scalding hot...and came last so that friend had to wait a long while before she could drink it. Maybe if the tea was made first to give it time to seep and brew while he made the coffee...that might have evened it out a bit. The server was nice, and admittedly on the higher scale of attractiveness. Which, is probably why I saw a couple of girls "working" on stuff while looking up at him a bit too often. Oh, unrequited love. It amuses me. Since I'm pretty much a coffee addict, I can't give this place more than 3 stars...because it really isn't something I'd seek if I were in the neighborhood. Yet, IF you're in the neighborhood, I'd go here over Peets. Or the starbucks that will inevitably be put into the Safeway they're building across the street. read more

The espresso is good and the foam was perfect. Comfortable seating outside right outside and great for people watching. The only problem is that the place gets REALLY crowded mid day. I tried to go for coffee at noon on Sunday and their was a line out the door. Came back a few hours later and there wasn't a wait at all. read more

Cole Coffee - Cappuccino - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Small and cozy indoor seating. Coffee is good. Staff was friendly. Parking is challenging but otherwise i highly recommend.

It's Berkeley. Do you think the coffee will be bad? Great pour-over coffee. Lots of roasts to choose from. Is it as good as Philz? No way. But it's still really high quality coffee. read more

Pretty rude owner, the staff were kind but the owner was quick to try to kick me out, when i had sat down with my laptop, and hadn't ordered as soon as i walked in. I don't usually like to order right away before I've even settled in but the owner claimed it was getting busy and tried to get me to leave or to buy something. As she was scolding me she multi tasked by trying to take away another customers plate, while that customer protested saying that she wasn't finished. All in all, poor service. Seemed like she just wanted people in and out. What's the point of a remodel if customers are frowned upon for wanting to sit for a while. Now i just feel uncomfortable sitting here. read more

Cole Coffee has amazing coffee! This is my go to place for my coffee. Service is amazing staff is friendly and welcoming.

Best regular cup of coffee in the bay area. Go to the side entrance (they have two locations next door to each other) and just get a cup of coffee. Don't be fooled by Philz across the street. Cole is the way to go. read more

The new(ish) Cole Coffee has good food and excellent coffee and other drinks. Really nice ambiance too! It's a great spot for breakfast and casual meetings. read more

The best neighborhood coffee shop around! They sell a wide range of excellent coffee's from around the world, including many certified organic varieties. read more

Really excellent! I love their Red Sea Blend and the Ethiopian Harrar. I like deep espresso drinks that feature rich robust tastes. Often Starbucks has a burnt kind of taste that hides the essence of the brew. So I've been migrating away and trying to find a local establishment with a fresher, sweeter, and hearty brew. I buy at their store in the back and usually grind (or have them grind for me) and make mine at home... Hearty, strong and roasted to the roast I like. When I do get my shots there, I'm always tasting the incredible flavors and no after taste or bitterness. All I can say is try it.....Just incredible!! read more

Made-to-order drip is a plus, but they seem to have a preference for darker roasts at this place. I chose one of two medium roast beans (Kenya AA) on their menu. The espresso, on the other hand, was bitter and tasted like a mouthful of char. I am sad to say that I haven't had an espresso this badly burnt since I was forced to order a macchiato from a Starbux at LAX airport one weary early morning. There was also little to no crema on the espresso. Another down-side is that they pull the shot into a paper cup by default. read more

Arrogance at its best--down to the bums begging for change outside. The baristas are arrogant about the coffee they serve (I get a subtle, "Sorry, but if it takes you more than 30 seconds to order, you must not know anything about coffee" nose turn every time I go); the customers are arrogant about their dreadlocks, eyebrow rings, dansko clogs, and fairly-traded organic cotton sweaters; the bikers (uh, that is, "cyclists") hanging around outside the front door are arrogant about their $7,000+ carbon fiber racing bikes and tighty bike shorts with "Whole Athlete" emblazoned across the ass; and the panhandler on the sidewalk outside doesn't take pennies, nickels or dimes--only denominations of $1 or more accepted. It's an honest-to-god parade of entitled, East Bay loonies! The useful part: The coffee shop and Cafe are separate--you buy whole and ground beans in one shop and sip coffee at a table in the other shop. If you buy a pound of beans, you get a free cup. The coffee is strong and tasty, there's a selection of shade-grown and fair trade varieties, and if you can find your way into one of the few (and coveted) over-stuffed chairs, you can get lost for hours in a good book. read more