"Good news, everyone!" said in Dr. Farnsworth's raspy voice! This hole-in-the-wall place really delivers. If you're craving a bagel sandwich without all the unnecessary glamour that Bay Area establishments tend to add to all their culinary creations, this is the place. They're kind, efficient & make superb sandwiches. Since we're at year 2 of the pandemic, there's no seating indoors, but don't think that was really the strong suit & appeal of this place. Notable mention: The Italian sandwich. A perfect marriage of meats & provolone cheese, that you will find yourself cheating with once in a while. read more

Good News Cafe - a chair and a plant - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

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2.5 stars if i could coffee is bad. like burnt. i've had a latte, a chai latte, and a cappuccino from this place, always burnt & somehow also overly milky. also once got a very stale croissant. the hot link sandwich is pretty good! read more

I came here to grab some quick breakfast. I ordered a breakfast sandwich and added avocado. Also got the berry parfait and a bagel. I didn't look at the food until I got home, which was my mistake because I'm usually really good with checking. When I opened my sandwich there was no avocado. I paid $1 extra for avocado and I remembered her repeating my order back to me so I know they just forgot it. Which is understandable but I wasn't happy. The sandwich itself was extremely dry and tasteless. No flavor or butter, just very plain. The parfait on the other hand was quite good. Tasted very fresh and nutritious. I would order that again. But I don't recommend the breakfast sandwiches. Prices were reasonable. Location was nice. Very disappointed I thought I found a new spot close to my house read more

Good News Cafe - Egg cheese and bacon sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Quick little breakfast John good prices quick service decent flavor. Great for a quick spot. Parking wasn't terrible on a Sunday afternoon.

Definitely love this hole in the wall!!! It's so hard to get a good hot link sandwich on the West Coast. This place has great sandwiches, strong Vietnamese coffee & they use DUKES mayonnaise (the best mayo ever)! The only thing I hate is that they close early. read more

Nice simple sandwich place with tasty food and great smoothies. Peanut butter chocolate banana smoothie is the bomb.

I ordered a croissant breakfast sandwich twice, and each time they were the wrong order. I also ordered a Coke one day, and the woman gave a Coke Zero. I then asked for the regular Coke and she gave that to me. I wouldn't recommend going here unless you have a lot of patience and are willing to put up with repeating your order multiple times to get it right. This place has amazing potential but the service isn't great. Skip this place tbh. read more

Hot link sandwiches!!!!! That's all I must say. Bomb hot link sandwiches! Made to order, made fast. Simple yet so good! Huge portion. The type of bun they put it on is really big. They have a lot of other food options but the only 2 I've tried so far is the hot link sandwich & the plain bagel with cream cheese. I wasn't very fond of the bagel as it was an egg bagel and I'm not a fan. I definitely recommend this place if you're in the area and looking for a quick bite! read more

Good News Cafe - Cream Cheese Bagel - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

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Friendly service. Interesting menu qith a focus on healthy choices. A great addition to the neighborhood.

Amazing food, great coffee, and fast service. Wonderful small spot by the lake that's perfect for a weekend treat!

I really love this café. It's simple, but very good. Some of my favorites are the lox bagel, the Italian melt, and the turkey sandwich. You can't beat the prices, and the service is quick and efficient. They also have solid coffees, especially the Vietnamese iced coffee. There's no indoor seating, but it's a very convenient to grab something to-go if you are heading to Lake Merritt. read more

Tiny little store front with no inside, but the hard working ladies in there pump out some great sandwiches and coffee. Fast, accurate, and to the point. read more

Such a yummy salami sandwich!!! Good size coffees as well, And great prices too! Thank you :)

Cute little window-shop. You walk up and order and there's a small sitting area in the front. Wonderful service, with a nice (owner?). I'm never disappointed by the food or coffee. read more

The food is really good! You go up to the window and order what you want. There's two small tables outside where you could sit but maybe just make your trek a block down to lake Merritt and eat it there. read more

I ordered the turkey bacon club, and it was delicious. The only thing missing was my pickle. The pleasant demeanor of the staff, along with his bright smile, made the food taste even better. I'm new to the area and will make this place apart of my breakfast/ lunch rotation. read more

I love this place and so glad that they are in the neighborhood. Their breakfast bagel sandwich is sooo good (bacon bits are perfectly crispy, cheese is perfectly melted, egg is fluffy, and the bagel is chewy). Going back right now for that! Their black coffee is also tasty and strong. read more

Dirty chai iced is soooo good! Perfect amount of ice & sweetness. They give you a medium cup too- a good size if you ask me! Not one of those janky cheap small ones. So, quality is awesome. We got a ham, cheese, egg croissant too which was hella good- not stale bread, good amount of ingredients, warmed perfectly! The bagel we got was OK - not enough cream cheese at all. This is where they could improve. But overall, they were super welcoming and fast with my order! Love to support this small business. They're doing amazing! :) read more

Good News Cafe - Everything bagel with cream cheese. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

I love to support local coffee shops than chain shops as a coffee lover. I'm not lying this is a cute cozy coffee place around beautiful lake Merrit. However, the service is horrible. The men who took my order has no respect to me at all and he smirked at me and also did not say 'Thank you'. Then the lady who made my sandwich when she hand it out, she did not even say 'Thank you' as well. I do not recommend this place, and I'm not going back here no more! read more

I love this little hole in the wall cafe! It's just around the block from my apartment and I find myself coming here all the time! They're great for a quick coffee or tea, my bf and I especially like their Thai Ice Tea or Vietnamese Ice Coffee. They also have basic sandwiches and bagel sandwiches which are great to pick up for a quick and reasonably priced breakfast. They're just a few blocks from the lake so I find myself grabbing a quick bagel and beverage for a little picnic or just a beverage to sip on while I walk around the lake. Now with COVID they have a counter set up by the door for check out and two small tables out front, so it's definitely more of a grab and go situation but the staff are usually friendly and efficient. Just a great little neighborhood spot. read more

perfect place to stop for lunch if you're walking the lake. it is very conveniently located and offer a variety of barebones sandwiches that are both light and hard to argue with. i regularly order the turkey bacon club and think it always hits the spot. very quick, even if there is a line. read more

Extremely friendly people and the coffees and breakfast are fantastic. Chai Latte with Oat milk is really recommended!!

It is absolutely upsetting that I found out about this little spot right before moving away from Oakland. The Vietnamese Iced Coffee was the right amount of sweet and you could still taste the coffee. It is such a small spot that you can smell the coffee that has been brewed from right outside which is absolutely wonderful. I have eaten the italian sandwich as well as breakfast one from this spot and both were everything I always wanted in a little coffee shop. The Italian sandwich reminded me of a NJ deli with it's taste and it may have looked smallish but I assure you that bad boy definitely fills you up. I made sure to visit once a week before moving because I wanted to leave Oakland with the memory of this Iced Coffee on my tongue and I wanted to support this business as must as possible before moving. I know that I will 100% stop by here once I go back to visit. read more

Good News Cafe - Italian Sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

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good food, quick service, and they were able to accommodate our group of 5 on their outdoor patio :) thank you! read more

Good News Cafe - egg and cheese bagel sandwich! tasty even though i asked for it on an everything bagel - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Can't miss at the Good News Cafe! Everything I've ordered at the cafe has been delicious! I love their lox bagels, ham cheese and egg croissants, tuna melts, chai tea etc. (you get the picture). The service is fast and their prices are good. Highly recommended! read more

little coffee store front in oakland, right by lake merrit. if you are in need of good quality coffee/lattes, this is the place to go. service is friendly and fast. prices are reasonable. lattes are perfect! read more

I don't know why Yelp is reporting that this place is closed--I live in the neighborhood and there are a bunch of people standing outside the cafe right now waiting for their food and drinks! It's not closed!! read more

I live in the neighborhood and go here most mornings. Super solid, very consistent, and really nice people.. Amercano and BLT on sourdough! Nom nom delicious and hot every time! Great resource for non-bitchass f-bois, have real expectations and it will be awesome! read more

I love this place! The people who work at own the place are kind, courteous and funny. The food and coffee is great.

Came to an event near this spot and someone recommended this cafe. So I came eager to get a nice iced drink. There was a line; which it's okay, what is NOT okay is for someone to cut the line and the person at the register not even caring. There were 6 of us in the sun, sweating with our masks on waiting our turn. Disappointed in the service. read more

I've been coming here for a couple weeks now and the customer service is always friendly and welcoming! There's hardly ever a line and they are super quick with making food or drinks. The food is always fresh and perfect portioning for a quick grab and go breakfast. Quick walk to the lake and theres always parking. Loveee this place read more

Nice spot. Nice folks. Good coffee and hot chocolate. Hit it a few times a week while walking our dog. Perfect if you're hanging around Lake Merritt. Awesome COVID set up. Everyone just orders at the front window. read more

After a late night first thing on my mind Coffee. My best friend grabs her morning joe here and recommended it on our way out. The place itself is tiny maybe 2-3 people can actually sit in and drink your morning wake me up. However they do have two outdoor tables to sit and enjoy people watching. All I had was coffee and I would say it did the trick the flavor was good not harsh but a little on the strong side nonetheless it was good. Note: they also serve breakfast food, smoothies and other small bites. Diez 24 catorce read more

This cafe is so tiny and so cute! The service is good, food and coffee are also great. It's a very small cafe but it is so charming and you can tell they support their local community. It was very nice being able to grab a quick bite and then sit by Lake Merritt. read more

Quality over Quantity = Win Good News is small, but they know how to go big (do it perfectly). This is by far the best coffee/sandwich/bagel shop in the 5-6 block radius it's centered in, known as the Gold Coast neighborhood (between Lake Merritt and Broadway)- hands down. For their size, they have a delicious selection for sandwiches, bagels, coffees, and organic teas. Background music is never dull. Their staff is very friendly and expedient. And they have an extensive collection of current magazines to peruse if you have that extra time to kick back and update your knowledge. Or you can take your well crafted meal and/or beverage down one block and enjoy the scenery at Lake Merritt. Without Good News Cafe, this neighborhood wouldn't be the same. Thank you for your delicious food and continued faith in our neighborhood. Best of luck and hope you're here to stick out for the long haul. read more

Not a lot of food options in walking distance in this area so it's nice to find a tiny little cafe here. I ordered a small Americano, about $1.80 or something. I think it's fair trade and maybe organic. Came out quickly, good temperature. I like honey in my coffee and they had it, so I was happy. Americano tasted fantastic. Bf ordered a chocolate croissant for me. It was good but likely a wholesale restaurant item because it was a bit dry. Their menu looked extensive for breakfast options. I saw they make their chai tea drink ($3.20 or so, good price) with real chai leaves, honey, and milk. It's hard to find places that do that instead of using those syrups. If I came back, would love to try that chai. read more

Me and my partner stopped by here before work to grab a breakfast sandwich and bagel. My bagel with hummus and veggies was so good! The coffee was strong as well. This will definitely become our go to cafe in the area! read more

I really liked this place and went there everyday. I know how to speak a little Khmer and heard them talking major crap about me one day. People aren't that dumb. Show respect to your customers. Just because you speak another language doesn't mean nobody understands. read more

Update: I tried again this morning. It's cool because they let me bring my dog in. There was no line and I got my coffee (americano) in about 2 min. No smile, or any sort of friendliness that would make me want to come back. Espresso in the Americano was nasty. Made pact to self NEVER to get any sort of espresso drink there again. Regular coffee only. Maybe hot chocolate. Original Review: I'm torn. I have a love hate relationship with this place. I love that it's there. It's comforting knowing that I can walk over and get a coffee most anytime. The problem is that I have high standards for coffee, having worked in the industry for many years. It doesn't seem to me that this lovely coffee shop shares my high standards for coffee, nor for service. Service is slow and not especially friendly, except for maybe one or two of the baristas. Some baristas seem very very untrained, new, and uncertain about what they are doing - I want to run when I get one of these people, but I don't becuase I already ordered my coffee and then I'd feel bad. Most of the time when I'm in there, people are ordering sandwiches... maybe that's what they are best at, but I don't go to the coffee shop for food - just coffee. I want to like it. I do! I'll keep trying once a week or so at different times and days... maybe one day they'll give me a decent americano with a smile. My personal check list for coffee shops: 1) Excellent Espresso 2) Fast Service 3) Friendly People Good News Cafe rating: 1) Nope 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes Just give me one of these things and I'm hooked! read more

I tried the turkey club sandwich (~$6) on sourdough and a homemade lemonade ($1.95) - both were excellent! I really like how they toast the bread too. This is my new favorite neighborhood cafe. It's the perfect stop on the way to the lake read more

Good News Cafe - The other half of my turkey club sandwich and homemade lemonade - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California