Coffee is great and so is the customer service but do come early to find seating and parking; otherwise expect to park a few blocks away and walk in. The inside is kept too cold for my blood so I usually sit outside on the benches they have facing noisy San Pablo Avenue. Outdoor seating is right next to the bus stop so it kinda looks and feels like you're waiting to board an AC transit bus. It would be nice if they had umbrellas over tables for outdoor seating like the Pinole location has but on days when I just want a bit of sun I'll go sit there. read more

Have 12 years of Barista, I would definitely come visiting here again! They make the best cappuccinos and have good amount of different pastries! read more

My local Peet's, so I can't quit them, but often the service is a bit rattled - they seem to always be frantically calling over someone from the register to make drinks. One or two of the clerks are super-friendly, which is nice. But as others have commented, the indoor seating is very limited and the outside seating faces ambiance-free San Pablo Ave. The wifi there has not worked for me in the past. read more

Hire more staff! Ordered online and the wait is beyond what the app says. It's a problem in this location only. It's unreasonable.

Great service and good kind of coffee. Great staff. Hard to find parking but that's okay. It's worth it. Love it and the people here

Went back in today. It wasn't too crowded; even the parking lot wasn't crazy parking Hell (not that I had even attempted it - I parked down the block). I asked for my usual, "May I please have a pot of Yunnan Fancy?" The woman at the register makes me a pot of, not Yunnan Fancy, but Yin Hao Jasmine. Sigh.... The Shift Lead was really great, though. I wished the Managers at this Peets gave him better staff to work with. read more

I only hope that Starbucks threat to buy Peets comes to a quick end. The coffee.. I had to go.. and it was mixed with a bit of honey and 1/2 and 1/2. So good.. so strong.. so very strong. I think I am going to get another cu......... read more

Peet's Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - El Cerrito, California

This place is great! Their food is good and the coffee is on spot. Friendly folks and they offer different types of sitting areas so you can work or just enjoy your coffee. Super close to FedEx so if you need to ship something, it's literally there! read more

parking is tight but the drinks are great, I usually come early in the morning and their customer service is always great. it's peets, you can't go wrong! read more

So, I love PEETS. I get a coffee drink every morning in San Francisco at the Embarcadero BART and it is always fantastic. The crew there, Berelle, Pip and all, are awesome. Sadly, when I drove across town to the Peets in El Cerrito to get a Mayan mocha for my mom to sample it proved sadly deficient. Not the luxurious and exotic taste sensation I'm used to in SF. In fact, one couldn't distinguish it from a regular mocha plus a slightly burnt coffee taste. blech. So how does this Peets still get four stars? Well, I called to complain . . I know its taking it a bit far but I'm serious about my Mayan mochas. I could not have asked for a better customer service response. Kimberly, the assistant manager, answered within two rings, thanked me for the feedback, offered me two more drinks whenever I should stop back in and seemed truly appreciative of my comments that they should review their recipes. I'll chalk today's nasty mochas up to a frantic morning for somebody and give them another try. Great customer service is the hallmark of a stellar spot - even if something does go wrong, you can rest assured that they will fix it kindly if you let them know. Great job, Kimberly! read more

Update: came one last time to see if they could make up. Took ten minutes and they made the wrong drink. Lmao bye

Most of the staff at this location is notably helpful and friendly. Crystal happily volunteered to brew a fresh supply of their decaf for me because she wasn't sure how long it had been since the previous pot had been brewed. I really appreciated her being proactive on that, as not every person at Peet's has been that attentive. It makes me feel good about coming to this location since the employees want you to have a good product experience. read more

It's finals time around the UC and the coffee shops are filling up with table-camping grad students again. (That I am also a table camping grad student is beside the point.) Even the godawful Peets on Telegraph (yes, that Peets, the one the homeless people use as a bathroom) is chock full. Well, there is that one spot next to the twitchy guy who yells at people, but that location's not good for studying. I love this Peets because it's just far enough from campus that the table-camping hordes haven't yet found it. Or at least they weren't there this weekend. What? You want to know something besides the availability of table space? Well, the coffee was good, cheap, and reliable. The music, which is actually classical music, rather than Muzak, was a nice change from Starbucks' jazz. The staff were proficient and friendly. And -- best part -- the bathroom was clean, with just a little bit of graffiti. All in all, I'd recommend it. read more

Sometimes I wonder why we review McDonalds, Peets or other chains, and yet I keep doing it... oh well. There's tons of coffee that's better, but the question is do you want to go for a drive to Cataholoua or Blue Bottle or another smaller place? Usually the answer is no and since Starbucks tastes like ass, Peet's is the winner of my business... read more

I really love this particular location of Peet's coffee. Like all Peets, the coffee is consistently excellent and well made. The only reason I bother to write this review is that the staff at the El Cerrito Peets is special. Efficient, friendly, focussed on the business at hand, and they appear to LIKE each other. Which seems to translate into a group of people who like other people. Which translates into good, authentic, genuine, customer service. LOVE the vibes, LOVE the coffee, HATE the parking lot. Nothing to be done about that, I usually park on the street, but there are times I don't go because I can't face the parking lot. read more

It's hard to rate a Peet's location that discriminates. This morning I'm all fired up and ready to start my December with a nice pound of beans from Peet's. This didn't happen because the customer behind me in the line became so impatient with the customer being waited on that she went in front of us both when a new barista approached the empty cash register. I politely informed her that I was next in line to which she ignored me. Persistent, I determined to ask her a question : Did you not see me? Her reply, "no." I immediately left the store looking for a Starbucks or some other suitable alternative not selling overt discrimination with their coffee. read more

I was so impressed with the staff this morning. They were very, very busy - yet very kind, professional and polite to each and every customer. Thank you for making my morning cappuccino such a pleasant experience. read more

This is one of the newest locations in the Peet's empire. It opened about a year ago (Sept. '05 or so) and has been doing great business since. It's a bit more spacious than many Peet's outlets, but still somewhat lacking in really comfortable in-store seating. In this location, like the Shattuck store, they finally figured out how to manage customer traffic. The major drawback to this location is that you're most likely to approach it from across the street at El Cerrito Plaza. For those on foot, this means making the mad dash across San Pablo. Sure, there's a crosswalk and a signal, but it doesn't say 'walk' for long, and cars come from all directions, especially those zipping up Carlson and making a right-on-red onto San Pablo...watch out! There's also no bench or other outdoor seating at this location. The coffee? Strong as always! read more

This is where I stop to get my coffee in the morning before my long nursing shift. Thank you Peets... read more

Even though lately I've been laying off the espresso to try to feel more clear and healthy, it's great that they have such a wide variety of teas to fall back on. I would have hated to stop coming here since I have so much fun with the staff to get my social muscles stretched out every morning. Most of all, I enjoy Mayra's Golden Tail. I love its impact along with its soothing aftertones. I highly recommend checking it out! ;D read more

This place is poorly arranged and poor customer service. Not friendly, no one tells u where to stand in line nor say hello, may I help you... only came here due to taking my aunt out. Not worth coming back. read more

Peet's coffee is terrific. The employees at the Pinole location are very good. The problem is that Peet's (now owned by a foreign corporation) does not pay a decent wage, leaving the employees to essentially beg for donations from customers - a shocking situation. I usually suggest that the best tip I could give is that they form or join a Union. read more

Enjoying my favorite iced white chocolate mocha at this moment. The woman who made it today, made it to perfection!! Just the right amount of sweet, but still strong and creamy. It's a big deal because the one by my house always makes it too sweet, like if I'm at Starbucks. It makes me upset every time. That's why I drive all the way to El Cerrito for it. Thank you! read more

I've been to this location quite a few times and usually it's been okay with no problems. However, my recent experience has left me wondering about the lack of customer service this place has. I ordered the Matcha Green Tea Freddo, and the first girl has to yell to the other saying, "You make it. I don't know how." Then later as I was sitting down after receiving my drink, hearing the cashier and other staff saying, "Honestly, I would never order the green tea." "Yeah me neither." "It has a strange after taste." Nice selling there guys! Especially saying it in earshot of your customer! And you may not like it, but as a non-coffee alternative I like it! Come on guys in any other establishment saying all of that is a HUGE no-no. You want people to come back and continue ordering things off the menu, even if you don't like it voice it somewhere else. read more

This has been my neighborhood Peet's for years, and I always looked forward to the friendly, familiar faces. They know my drink, and they make it well. I just moved and now I'm stopping at other Peet's locations, which are okay, but have really made me realize how special this store is. The staff is always good natured and engaging, even when they're crazy busy. Top notch. read more

Sadly.... I received the wrong drink yesterday, however when I called in this morning to report the problem, I was able to speak with the manager, Dametrius who gave OUTSTANDING and OVER THE TOP customer service.... He was extremely apologetic for the mistake and offered to have me come back anytime for coffee on the house and another drink recovery coupon for my next visit. I was highly impressed with his professional behavior and would highly recommend this Peets location. read more

I work at a hospital in Berkeley, and wanted to give a huge shout out to the El Cerrito Peet's! They have been making coffee donations to our facility weekly, and our staff is really grateful! Thanks so much for supporting the local healthcare workers! read more

Nice please to have. Coffee in the morning. One of my favorite spots in El Cerritos. They have very good coffee and the service is excellent. Always recommend the place. read more

Peet's Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Edit-3/29/08-Channel 4 KRON reports this morning: El Cerrito Peet's is now serving the most expensive cup of coffee @ around $170.00 due to the parking lot situation and the illegal turns people are making to get into the lot. Careful folks-not even the best crack is worth this headache!! _____________________________________________________ When Peet's was going to open in El Cerrito, I did a little happy dance as I had to get my out of house local fix at Fat Apple's. I was also a little gleeful due to the fact that there are 3, yes 3 Starfuck's in the El Cerrito Plaza alone. To my disappointment, this Peet's is tiny with very little seating inside. It is often crowded and due to the miniscule space they have for the store, when you are standing in line, your butt or side is right up against anyone sitting at one of the few tables. They did some re-arranging of their milk/sweetener bar after a few months of their opening. The baristas are hit or miss, and the main reason this location ends up getting a 2 not a 3 star is for the parking lot. It's ass. Especially in the morning when on the way to work. Coming in from San Pablo is a joke and if you don't come round the right part of Carlson, beware.... read more

Ninety-nine percent of the time I order either coffee or plain espresso, so I cannot attest to the particular mocha-making abilities of this particular Peet's. What I order is simple: coffee poured in a cup (hard for a barista to screw that up unless the brewing was poorly executed) or espresso over ice. Simple, right? Au contraire, mon frere (ou ma soeur), because I've found a good deal of irregularity in the quantity of espresso in say, an order of two or three (sometimes four) shots of espresso. I've heard of long shots and short shots, and when I ask baristas about this they look at me like I have shit smeared on my face. But the fact remains that on any given day, three shots of espresso in a medium cup with roughly the same amount of ice results in varying quantities of espresso. A couple of times I've ordered two of the same drink (three shots of espresso over ice in a medium cup) and noticed that one of the drinks had about fifty percent more espresso in it. When I asked if both drinks had the same amount of espresso, again, that same look. Once when I asked if my iced espresso was truly three shots, the honest barista admitted to a mistake and conceded that he forgot to add the third shot. So what's the point of this little yelp? If you're ordering something similar, pay attention, or you may be short-changed on your allotted espresso requirement, and that's serious business. I don't hang out here. I wouldn't. It's too loud and crawling with people like myself who stop in to hit and quit it. I see people studying there. Those people must be Zen masters of concentration. Or deaf. Either way, it's not a place to come and relax, nor would I expect it to be. I'm not doling out four stars for the above mentioned inconsistencies . . . however, the coffee is good here (and being such a Peet's addict I notice differences among different locations). read more

Peets has a great selection of coffee, tea, and chocolate specialties. This particular shop by the plaza was unusually busy this afternoon but the service was friendly. I enjoyed a nice lemon rose herbal tea from here even if the afternoon turned out to be not so pleasant. read more

From the oldest to the newest, or at least in my sphere, within the space of a couple of days. This morning we met our friend Nancy for tea and coffee at this Peet's. There are a few tables inside and we got one of them. There were many people in line, all the tables were filled. We had our drinks in nice, white ceramic cups. Mine was huge and I was happy. read more

This Peets is down the street from my job and some times I come to get my boss some coffee. I love when Darius helps me he is so nice , polite and enthusiastic. He makes the experience at Peets such a delight. He always has a smile in his face and looks happy to be at work. read more

That was easily the rudest customer service Peets I have been to. How hard is it to say hello first, or smile or ask me if they can help me. Gross bathroom and very questionable clientele too. read more

I have been a daily customer of this Peet's for about 2 years until just recently. They have completely changed the staff and management here and it really shows. The employees never smile, some have bad attitudes, the manger is never present and when he is he is just standing around with a blank face. He never smiles or greet customers in a welcoming way and every interaction that I have had with him he is very rude and has a bad attitude. Absolutely no customer service skills. This place use to be so welcoming and the staff so friendly but now the lines are long, the service is so slow and the attitudes and personalities of the people working here are just horrible. I am done with this Peet's location. read more

Bad service cashier was more interested on her tips then customer service also if you Graph money you need to wash your hands before making drinks the health department need to put this place on track read more

Just want to share my love for this place since it's been a while. Awesome staff and the drinks are on point!

Very Courteous staff...they provide best coffee ...much better than overrated starbucks. The coffee is always optimum hot...The location is very clean and seats are very comfortable ( for me it is very important to enjoy my coffee in a comfortable seating). Only downside is that the place can be busy at times, but they are busy because they are good. :-) read more

One of the best in town. Shout-out to Darius and his excellent customer service! Thank you again! I asked about the new drink the white mocha macadamia javiva which he recommended and whoooo let me tell you lol i usually don't like there iced drinks because they're usually to strong but this one right here was great! Thank you again to you and the other guy that helped. read more

my car was broken into today... I will not be back to this Peets, if any. Reason, they have know for some time there is a problem with break ins and yet they still DO NOT have any security. I was told by many customers that came by during my police report that they have seen many broken windows. So i searched for police reports and there they are! Reported but Peets still is not helping us by protecting our car and belongings. This ruined my day, my car and my personal feeling on supporting a business like this. Sorry, but I will not be back... Signed, a long time customer... IRene read more