You guys. I totally get the coffee craze - delicious coffee is delicious. But holy lord, should a cappuccino really be $4??? It's $4.75 for a mocha, and that's just adding chocolate syrup. Le sigh. I do love Market Hall, and the ambience in Rockridge is really charming, but a) the cost at Highwire is a bit *ahem* high, and b) there's nowhere to sit. There are a few tables outside (3? 4?) but that's for all of Market Hall. The coffee here is better than average, but certainly not the best I've had. Bags of beans from Highwire make a good gift for fancy friends who like fancy coffee. TL/DR: good coffee, a bit too expensive, nowhere to sit and enjoy it. read more

When You need strong coffee, this is the place To go ! Great coffee , young great staff and it's connected to a bakery! Only downfall is parking ! lol overall good place tho . read more

Highwire is a small coffee shop that is part of Market Hall - the top place in Oakland for ultra-gourmet groceries. It is right across the street from Rockridge BART, which makes Highwire THE perfect place to get a cup of excellent coffee to make the BART ride into SF bearable. They don't have WiFi, but some sidewalk tables are the perfect place to enjoy a relaxed cup of coffee while you watch the world go by. Highwire has always had EXCELLENT coffee and pastries, plus friendly and knowledgeable staff. RECENTLY, THEIR COFFEE HAS GOTTEN EVEN BETTER!! The baristas explained that they installed a new brewing system that uses vacuum pumps and computers to precisely brew perfect coffee. Highwire's beans in Ground Control's brewer is the best cup of coffee I have ever had. read more

Highwire Coffee Roasters - The new Ground Control brewer at Highwire Roasters in Market Hall next to Rockridge BART - it made the best tasting cup of coffee of my life - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Exquisite coffee, excellent service and pastries from the big leagues: firebrand AND third culture (best pastries in the bay don't @ me!). This gem is tucked neatly into the grandeur of Market Hall. I happened uponst said gem at 1 pm in the 'noon and there was nary a line. The menu is simple (as it should be) the smell of coffee divine (also) and the employees seem genuinely happy to be working there and pleased to serve up some high quality coffee. I got a latte and a matcha custard cake and for the 5 minutes it took me to inhale both all was ok in this mad world. The espresso was nutty, not at all bitter, full of body (I have no idea what that actually means but I think it means it was good), and the milk frothed to absolute perfection. Third culture came through with the matcha custard cake (pleasure in the palm of ur hand) and I even shared some with my 1 year old (we millennials are known to squander our hard earned cents on matcha cakes instead of saving for college). I will be back and you should treat yourself 2019. At $4 a latte this is definitely a treat, but a worthy one to be sure. read more

Highwire Coffee Roaster has a booth at saturday's farmers market in the rear. lines were short, moved fast. menu: the usual + nitro coffee (4) brew: quick cup coffee (3) -freshly brewed, quickly dispensed. -smooth, bold, -no "warmer" available to insulate cup no biggie, just holding it differently. drips: -quick, friendly service. read more

Their coffee beans here are top notch! They roast their own beans on Mondays o and Thursdays, so you are bound to get very fresh and aromatic coffee beans any day of the week. We usually get the Ethiopian Blue Nile beans. Ethiopian coffee is just the best. I just love the flavor profile--citrusy, syrupy, great depth of flavor. I prefer not to adulterate my coffee (drip or Americano) with any additives like cream, sugar, caramel and etc....I just love that pure taste of coffee in the morning. I really appreciate that they sell a whole pound for around $20. Most of the third wave coffee shops like Blue Bottle and Four Barrel sell only 12 ounce bags. A whole pound lasts longer and you save on packaging! I accidently spilled the coffee I bought this evening, so I stood in line to buy a replacement cup. The cashier was very sympathetic and didn't charge me for my Decaf Americano. That was really nice of her. It was my fault, so I was totally prepared to pay. I really liked the Barista who made my coffee too. I was just standing there waiting patiently and she asked me how my day was while making my coffee. She was really cheerful and nice. It would be nice if this place had more tables and chairs where you can sit, relax and sip your coffee like more traditional coffee shops. This place is inside Rockridge Market Hall so there isn't much space. There a few round tables and bar height tables outside, but this place gets very busy and there are usually not enough tables to go around. In any case grab coffee and/or coffee beans from here and get a pastry or savory breakfast items from Market Hall Bakery next door. That should get you going for the rest of your day! read more

Highwire Coffee Roasters - We love the Ethiopian Blue Nile Coffee. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

High quality coffee served relatively quickly by baristas who know what they are doing. The two lattes my fiancee and I had just recently were perfect: full, round, flavorful espresso, warm whole milk and just the perfect amount of foam... with a nice decoration. It sounds trite, but doing something simple, well, is not easy. They do it, though. read more

I had the pleasure of visiting Highwire's storefront on College Ave. in Rockridge, as well as their roasting facility in Emeryville, for one of Yelp's Field Trip events. I don't get out to Oakland very often, but when I do, it's independent places like Highwire that I like to visit. Before heading to Highwire's Emeryville roasting facility, my friend and I stopped by their storefront on College Ave. The place is darling, and in a fantastic location! There is so much to do in the area -- plan on hitting up Crossroads Trading Co. for some secondhand goodies, and then make sure to peruse Maison d'Etre to find cute gifts for those difficult folks on your list. Once you find your way to Highwire, the baristas will treat you like family and introduce you to Highwire's many delicious roasts and blends. The recipe for Highwire's espresso blend, in particular, has been given a ton of love and attention, and it's absolutely uhhmazing. As you sip on your caffeinated beverage of choice, feel free to mosey around Rockridge Market Hall (it's connected to Highwire) for some delectable, gourmet goodies. See what I mean about fun things to do in the area? Now let's talk about the roasting facility, and about the guys and the gal who make Highwire special. For the Yelp event, I had the opportunity to meet Rich and Eric, two of the main players, as well as Courtney, another invaluable member of the Highwire family. All three are kind, knowledgeable, and most importantly, passionate. It's incredibly rewarding to know that the people who own the business and work with the beans are local folks who simply love what they do. One of the things I appreciated most about Highwire was something that Rich said to our Yelp group: there is an infinite number of ways to roast any one particular coffee, and every palette differs in its preference. One coffee variety could be treated with a lighter roast in order to bring out its acidity and to highlight the coffee's regional attributes and characteristics, or that same coffee bean could be treated with a darker roast to bring out a heavier body and a deeper aroma. Highwire's philosophy is that light roasts, medium roasts, and dark roasts are all delicious in their own right -- and no one at this establishment will judge you for your preference. No snobbery here!! Just a love for coffee (and tea). read more

Highwire Coffee Roasters - Freshly roasted coffee beans - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

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Fantastic coffee! Absolutely love it !! I am specifically referring to their most famous blend and no other. (You can ask them which is the most popular one) Tried many other known names but this coffee is the perfect morning treat for a coffee lover. Great richness and flavour and a great blend perfect for all! I use it for drip coffee and am certainly a regular customer. Highly recommend a visit here to enjoy a cup here and take some home too. read more

***NITRO COLD BREW REVIEW ONLY*** Cold brew + club soda is a weird trend I don't get. In some ways the bubbles make it more refreshing but I find it overall makes the coffee taste diluted. * Liked that the nitro was strong. * Did not like that it tasted diluted. Highwire is a cute, popular neighborhood coffee shop attached to the Marketplace, conveniently located adjacent to a bakery and near Bart. I personally was not a fan of their nitro. read more

Really rich and multi-dimensional basic brewed coffee! And hot! I ordered the small (and then was saddened to find that they didn't have a java jacket small enough to accommodate the size of this small cup! #firstworldproblem) But it forced me to take a seat and enjoy the coffee and eat a butter croissant (alright, twist my arm), which was flaky and light. And also eat a strawberry Kouign Amann (yes, that too. Don't judge.) I discovered that they also carry these beauties from Starter Bakery. I don't know how to even pronounce them (how do I say your name, beautiful, custardy, fruit-filled fantasy, you?!) It was a pretty stellar start to the morning and then I was on my way. read more

This place would be perfect if it had wifi and more seating! Attached to market hall bakery and several more little food and wine shops, Highwire Coffee Roasters is in an amazing locale. Unfortunately free parking is hard to find but if you're willing to walk a few blocks its definitely possible. The tcho mocha is delicious. Made with Tcho chocolate instead of some nasty chocolate syrup, it is the perfect blend of bittersweet chocolate and espresso. Lovely open area seating with plenty of fresh air and sunlight. I would certainly come back while on a stroll with the husband, but not for working purposes. Bummer! The search for my perfect coffee spot, where I can spend a few hours on my laptop working, continues... read more

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Wow. This place does coffee. Wow. I am a fan and the bar is high with coffee for me. Lovely atmosphere. Nice and knowledgeable baristas and good prices. Try the plain ol latte. It's chewy good. read more

I ordered a pound of coffee. They gave me a 12 ounce bag of coffee. $18.50. I guess this is sort of like when you order a pint of beer at a bar but somehow they manage to fit it into a 12 oz. glass. Hmmm... read more

Delicious coffee! The first time I went I got an iced coffee black and it was so great, I went back in for another. The coffee tasted fresh and did not have a bitter aftertaste. The only thing that is stopping me from giving them 5 stars is the staff. I went in with my girlfriend and they gave us the wrong drink. When I let them know about the situation they were a little aggressive and one of the employees snatched the hot drink out of my hand and got coffee on my hand and sleeve. It could have been an honest mistake but considering the way this person was talking to me, I was not sure. read more

Superb coffee *and* tea... these two blissful commodities are often presented together but usually one or the other is an afterthought. Not here: they are pros regardless of which camp you call your own. And, perhaps just as importantly, their barristas manage to deftly avoid the totally unnecessary DB'ery that so many coffee shops are known for. Case in point: my family stopped by for a glorious afternoon espresso and our niece was treated like a boss... she's never enjoyed a hot cocoa so much. The royal treatment and friendly chit chat from behind the counter, even though the place was pretty busy. Class act. read more

Highwire Coffee Roasters - Best cocoa. Ever! ~ Lilly, age 2 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

I love the goods at Market Hall Bakery next door and Highwire just happens to be the most convenient place nearby for coffee. The coffee is just okay to me. It's a little pricey and service is seldom with a smile. Plus, I sense pressure to tip. read more

This place was cool! It's inside a market. There isn't to many places to sit. It's pretty much a grab and go. The coffee was really good and they have coffee art my favorite. They also have a station where you can add sugar and they have different kinds. Overall good coffee I would come back read more

Highwire Coffee Roasters - Coffee,a cookie, & book - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

The absolute best chai I've ever tasted in my life!!! If you want to know why chai is such a big deal this is where u go to find out.

Yuck. Highwire coffee tastes like sour prunes. I've tried it many times, and even bought the beans to give it a real shot. It must be all about the marketing because the coffee is just awful. read more

Amazing coffee!!! The oat milk is perfectly fresh and creamy and the coffee has bomb notes of caramel. Must try!!

Highwire offers some of the best coffee around. Seriously a cup of their drip coffee is inexpensive and delicious. I switch off my purchase of whole beans from here and Timeless to make sure I get variety in my life. Even though this is a mile-plus walk from my house I haven't regretted it once. read more

Condescending staff meets average taste. Rude ladies working in the front with little to no care for customer service, making average to below average coffee. Did not enjoy my experience at Highwire Markethall. Would strongly suggest the coffee spot on College Ave or Solano Way instead. D- read more

**Temescal Farmers Market Location*** Bad experience at Highwire at the farmers market. Barista was cranky and bossing around the other staff. Espresso machine broke down and we had to wait with no apology. Latté tasted like it had no coffee in it. Brought it back and the barista wants to argue with us and begrudgingly offered to make us new ones. For $10 for 2 lattes I would expect them to be perfect. You're not doing us a favor - your making my latte. Wish they would bring back Blue Bottle. Very disappointing and wish I had not given that %15 tip. read more

Highwire Coffee Roasters - Cranky barista shown here. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Super duper strong coffee, which is good but not the best I've ever had. The cashier and baristas were nice and speedy in their service from beginning to end. This place seems to be well organized and they have a good variety of teas and coffees prepackaged to go. My tea Ole' and cup of joe came to $5.50, which is standard. I think is place is in a great location and it's great if your wanting to make a quick stop. Kudos to HCR! read more

The coffee is really great- miles above the typical chains like Starbucks and Peet's. I even buy their bags to brew at home. As much as I love the coffee, the service has just been okay. I came here on a Saturday and it super crowded. When drinks were ready the barista barely mumbled the order name or didn't say anything at all. This was super confusing and people had to keep going up to check if the finished coffee was theirs. The layout of the shop is also not ideal because there's not much room to sit or wait for your drink. This is a good place if you want to grab a cup and go, but it's not ideal for sitting and enjoying your coffee or doing any work. read more

This place is gourmet mom and pop kinda very accommodating and reasonable on price. The bakery connected is pretty great as well. The cappuccino I had was almost perfect and the italian kinda vibe was good as well.Lots of foot traffic to go as the area is metered. I will definitely it this place again on my way through or out of town!. read more

We paid more than $5 each for a chai tea and a matcha latte. The matcha was made with cheap concentrate (they have to add chlorophyl to make it green enough) instead of real matcha powder. The result did not particularly taste like matcha. In both drinks, the milk was foamed to a coarse texture--nothing like the cream-like microfoam I would have expected at that price. I was also hoping for a latte art design like those pictured on the website. Maybe I got the wrong barista. As it was, we can make significantly better lattes at home. read more

I updated my review from 1 to 4 stars because the manager responded by email to my concerns. It was a matter of personal taste -- no cleaner left in machine. ============ Over the last year, I have enjoyed more than dozen coffees and occasional espresso at Highwire Roasters in market hall in Oakland on College. Unfortunately, Sunday 26 May around 1:46pm I bought an espresso for myself and a cappuccino for my girlfriend; both drinks were unpleasantly sour. I had a nearby appointment at 2pm so I only had time to return to the Highwire counter and tell the manager (Mike?) about the unpleasant sour taste, and leave my espresso with him. The manager did offer to replace the drink, but I was in a rush to make my 2pm appointment, so I declined his offer. I finished my appointment and return to Highwire around 3:30pm. The manager was gone, but the security guard Chad near Highwire was very helpful and gave me the manager's email address. I sent the manager an email about the sour espresso, see below for part of the email. "I am curious whether it was just that particular roast or/and that it was my first espresso drink from your location in a while. Was it just a matter of personal taste or was some cleaner left in the machine? My girlfriend said the cappuccino left a bad taste in her mouth for over an hour." I would like to feel comfortable ordering coffee from Highwire again since I have business about once a month nearby. When this issue is resolved I will gladly update my review. read more

Tasty coffee and cute area. Not amazing seating but that shouldn't stop you from stopping by.

Be careful putting sugar in your coffee cause they don't have packets and the sugar in the jar sticks together until it all decides to come out at once. Diabetes in a cup when I just wanted about one teaspoon. read more

It's my favorite coffee place in the Bay Area. If you love iced coffee like I do, add ice to there High Wire Blend and it's delicious. Don't take my word for it, go check them out for yourself! read more

Having come from Seattle, I'm used to being spoiled with espresso options. And on a street with many good coffee shops, Highwire is my favorite. They have a homemade vanilla syrup (real vanilla beans) that makes the best vanilla latte I've ever had. Crowds can be a problem and you might not find a seat on a weekend. Hence the 4 stars. read more

Highwire Coffee Roasters - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

Amazing menu of baked goods: vegan, dairy-free, grain-free, you choose your-free. And so delicious! In the same space as the bakery at Market Hall as well as connected to Market Hall, so food options for any time of the day are plentiful. Modern-classic space with all the regulars for drinks. Great stop in Rockridge. read more

Highwire Coffee Roasters - Great selection of wholesome, clean eating baked goods! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

The employees are always quite joyful. I love the atmosphere. They make the best chai that I have ever had (the masala chai) which is the main reason why I keep coming back. read more

Not my favorite cafe or coffee. I find the coffee to be weak and acidic. The beans do not hold up in espresso drinks- where the coffee gets lost in any amount of milk and tastes watered down. The pastries are $4-5, even though the same bakery's pastries are sold at other cafes for about a dollar less. The staff is awesome and friendly. The location is great. I just am not a fan of what they sell. read more

Dear Highwire, You pull delicious coffee drinks expertly. Please don't get distracted by a conversation while making my espresso, and leave it sitting in the counter, leaving it up to me to ask if that drink was for me, in fact. Boo. Bad service. read more

Stellar almond vanilla latte. Usually they all taste the same to me but this one really stood out. It had that soothing coffee taste with just the right amount of vanilla syrup that added a sweet finish. read more

Highwire Coffee Roasters - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

There are a lot of choices for coffee on College Ave. I mean a LOT. From Broadway down to Alcatraz, I count 9 (used to be 10... RIP Bica). But this place is by far my favorite. Fantastic coffee, great staff, bakery adjacent, what more could you ask for? read more

Extremely good coffee. Just had a Guatemalan pour over that was extremely smooth and full of flavor. I also picked up a peach kouign amann which while not as good as B. Patisserie, was still really good and went well with the coffee. Mmmmm read more