I was at the post office, so I figured--why not stop in and grab a quick snack? This is a very local, very friendly coffee shop offering baked goods and sandwiches. It's the perfect example of what a neighborhood spot should be--warm, welcoming, and feeling like an extension of someone's home. If you're already stopping by the post office, it's an ideal place to hang out for a bit before heading back to work. BB read more

What a cute little cafe! I work nearby and was looking for something light to eat and found this cafe on Yelp! There are a lot of options on their menu to choose from; sandwiches, bagels, smoothies, teas, pastries, lattes, etc. I got the cream cheese bagel which came with arugula, avocado, and strawberries on the side. The menu states it comes with cucumbers, but mine didn't have any. It was only $7 and filled me up right away! I ordered the iced horchata latte; it didn't taste much like horchata, but it was still good! Sweet and cinnamony! I also grabbed some empanadas to take home to heat up myself (they also offered to heat it for me too). I got the jalapeño hatch chicken and the potato curry empanadas. Both were very filling and delicious! My favorite was jalapeño hatch chicken! The outside of the empanada was crispy and had a subtle sweetness to it, while the filling was creamy and cheesy! I will definitely be returning and trying their other items. read more

See all

So how does Yelp decide on their 100 Best lists? Surely they've compiled one for sandwich shops, right? Well, I'd like to submit this compact El Cerrito spot for consideration based on their signature sammie. Nobody told me to come here. It showed up on my Yelp app search page, so hey, their algorithms do work...sometimes. The shop is across the street from the El Cerrito Plaza shopping center, and it's just as close to the BART station. Initially I was a bit confused because the interior was set up like a living room, and there were clothing and gift items for purchase (Photo 3). However, the deli portion came into view with a big display case, and then I noticed their food and beverage menus. Sight unseen, I ordered the $5.50 Iced Ube Latte because ube's my jam. It was quite a deal for the size. Topped with rose petals, it featured the zing of an espresso shot (Photo 9). A truly refreshing libation. They offer a nice variety of lunch items like avocado toast and Thai sticky rice, but I was most interested in the $14 Up Beet Sandwich. I asked because there was no description. It turned out to be a delectable mix of beets, avocado, arugula, honey mustard, and turkey. The sandwich looked appetizing with unexpected elements. Accompanied by plantain chips, the thick turkey slabs came in a toasted onion deli roll from Acme Bakery (Photo 10). Yep, Top 100. FOOD / DRINK - 5 stars...that sandwich was an instant classic, just about perfect...and I love anything ube AMBIANCE - 4 stars...didn't immerse myself in the shop but the outdoor table worked nicely SERVICE - 5 stars...very nice and didn't cut any corners on the quality of the ingredients TOTAL - 5 stars...here's a top drawer sandwich worth a long BART ride RELATED - Exploring El Cerrito? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/AMwy51hUse read more

See all

WOW FACTOR? Yes. Cute place with outside eating on side of building. HAVE AGAIN: Shredded chicken feta empanada, chocolate cheesecake cupcake were both good. Excellent service. NOT HAVE AGAIN: Spinach cream cheese empanada was too cream cheesy. read more

My friends and I went here for the first time. We liked it. Good ambiance and service. We each had an iced drink and something to eat. It occurred to me to take pictures once we had half eaten our food. Parking can be tricky. There's one hour parking directly in front. The other street is a one way street you can't make a left into. read more

See all

Anytime I see a new café in town, I immediately make a beeline. Sweet Potatoe Up Beet did not disappoint one bit! They have a myriad of speciality lattes, nutritious smoothies, baked goods, and organic snacks. The inside of the café is also very cozy; if you want to just watch TV over a cup of coffee, you can comfortably do so. The owners are also very friendly, and make genuine effort to get to know their customers. I have brought my parents here, and told a number of friends about this cafe. Sweet Potatoe's Up Beet will definitely be one of my regular cafés from now on! read more

See all

Super cute and cozy cafe by the El Cerrito Plaza! I've been eyeing this place lately because I regularly go to the nail salon across the street. So after my recent manicure appt, I went to go grab an iced latte because I needed the caffeine badly! Once you go in there's a few armchairs and a couch if you decide to hang inside but there's also some outdoor seating. I tried the iced horchata latte with oat milk which was delicious. Just comes in one size. I'll be back to try something new :) read more

Sweet Potatoe's Up Beet Cafe - Iced Horchata Latte with Oatmilk (sooo good!) - Cafes Near Me - El Cerrito, California

See all

Brief Summary: - Located in the cute building that has a small balcony - Cozy interior with couches to sit down - Doubles has a clothing and item shop - Some of the pastries were gluten free - Coffee is not sour, caramel like notes There is a building in El Cerrito that caught my eye when I walk down Fairmount Ave. It's a small building with an adorable, little balcony on the second floor. For a while this building appeared to be semi-occupied, semi-left alone, but now the first floor is a cafe. This is an exciting new update, since there are less than a handful of coffee shops that are in the plaza. As soon as we saw the coffee logo pop up in a new location, we went here right away to see how it tastes like. Inside it is quaint and decorated in bright colors. In the center of the room there are couches organized in a circle with a table in the center. Half of the room is also merchandise items to sell, such as clothes and earring accessories. The cafe also offers pastries, some of them were gluten-free. Prior to this visit we had eaten a lunch, so our goal for today was to have just a cup of coffee (next time!) We ordered two drinks: a drip and a latte in a small size cup. The coffee notes were clear in their drinks: each sip reminded me of toasty caramel. In a latte, the milk created a feel that is close to caramel; on the other hand, the drip coffee, the relative mentioned that they noticed a slight sourness to the drink but not too overpowering. read more

Sweet Potatoe's Up Beet Cafe - Latte - Cafes Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Neighborhood Gem!!! I highly recommend stopping by this place for your morning, coffee and light meal or quick lunch. The service is amazing and the food is really good. Great neighborhood Café. I recommend the fruit plate with sticky rice. It was so good, light, and refreshing read more

Sweet Potatoe's Up Beet Cafe - Sticky Rice w/ fruit Butter pecan latte - Cafes Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Such a super cute eclectic, locally owned coffee shop mixed with a boutique full of local treasures. Loved the food + drink options and the super chill vibes. We cozied up in the comfy seating area with our drinks before heading to the Bay for a hike, and I couldn't resist browsing the locally made jewelry and clothes. Even played a game and pulled a few tarot cards before heading out. I had the iced Ube Rose Latte (floral with rose petals on top ) while my hubby enjoyed a delicious Coconut Mocha. We also shared a warm, flavorful empanada, so good! Service was friendly, and the little outdoor patio out back is adorable. Love supporting a local mom + pop shop, especially when the owners are there sharing their passion with the community. read more

The cutest new spot in El Cerrito. Located near the El Cerrito post office and across from the El Cerrito Plaza shopping center, you'll find Sweet Potatoes UpBeat Cafe. The owners are the sweetest and it seems like they've already received an enormous level of fist pumps and support from the community already. I haven't tried any food just yet from here, but appreciate the early morning hustle and grind. I ordered a smoothie on my first trip and just a regular coffee with oat milk on my second trip. Third trip I would love to try their avo toast which I've seen get lotsa love on social. There's quite an eclectic menu of drinks and snacks ~ I feel like since they've only been open a few weeks, they're getting into the flow and expanding menu options with also fun specials. The vibes are high and they have a cozy interior set up. Def a spot I can already tell will have regulars. In a spot that needed a new morning cafe, grateful for Sweet Potatoes. Fair pricing, good coffee. Maybe on the next trip I'll grab a photo ~ too fast of consumption the first two trips haha :) read more

We ordered from here today, to get brunch, and I have to say, the food was really, really good. We got two of the bagel sandwiches, one jalapeño cheddar, one everything, with cream cheese, cukes and spinach, and they were great. The bagels were high-quality. We asked for them to be toasted, and they were toasted, not just warmed up. We also got two of the turkey and egg breakfast croissant sandwiches. Yum!!!! Props for this little cafe for using carved turkey! I mean, carved turkey! Everything is very generous. Lots of really nice turkey on the croissants, which was toasted and delicious. Sliced hard-boiled egg. Mayo, spinach. I'm not dinging them any points for a couple of mistakes, because they happen. There was no avocado on the croissant sandwiches, which there should've been. And we ordered the loaded bagel, which was supposed to be the one with tomato, onion, lox, and cream cheese, but they sent us the other bagel sammie on their menu, in error. However, everything was delicious, but in the future, I'm just going to go there and get my food, versus ordering. Great little local place and I highly recommend them. read more

Sweet Potatoe's Up Beet Cafe - Turkey breakfast croissant. - Cafes Near Me - El Cerrito, California

See all

We went to this restaurant for the first time, but unfortunately it was closed even though it says they open at 8:30 AM. Disappointing experience, especially after making the trip there. Hope they update their hours so other customers aren't inconvenienced. read more

Cute new spot with very reasonable prices and friendly people! I got a latte which I enjoyed. read more

See all

I ordered the Honey Jasmine w/ Bee Pollen. It was reasonably priced ($5.50!). The drink itself was good, not very strong with the flavors though. Overall, I will come back if I'm around! This place has a nice and cozy vibe! Reasonably priced good drinks, nice workers, lots of seating (I believe there's a courtyard too), and you can browse to see what else is being sold here! read more

See all

I love this new spot! Sooooo many good food choices, big and small. Got a perfect little asiago bagel here and they put a little fresh salad with blueberries, arugula, cucumber, and tomato on the side for me to add whatever I wanted to the bagel or just eat on the side. I made a critical mistake though of mentioning that I was just stopping by for a snack before pasttime hardware is opening and she gave me a rundown of suggestions that broke my everloving fragile eggshell mind. That's how I landed in the asiago bagel; I couldn't contemplate the jam biscuit in light of the oncoming suggestion of chocolate covered pretzels mixed with ennui of already having forgotten the follow up questions regarding the danish. Then, when she smiles and started the bagel I noticed the hand pies... What's up the hand pies?!? Free wifi, super cute and comfortable ambiance, good parking in a neat little corner in my fave part of El Cerrito, I can't wait to return for my third trip. read more

Sweet Potatoe's Up Beet Cafe - Just the specials for today. Avant garde drinks, anyone? - Cafes Near Me - El Cerrito, California

A new lovely cafe serving great drinks and tasty pastries. Great and friendly service. Cozy and peaceful ambiance indoor and outdoor. read more

Sweet Potatoe's Up Beet Cafe - Cafes Near Me - El Cerrito, California

See all

Loved this place. Was driving in from the tri valley for a memorial and drove past this gem. The name of the shop caught my eye and I had an inkling there was good, wholesome options. Went in and loved their menu options. Ordered the smoothie with Pineapple Chia Avocado Spinach Nut milk Banana Celery, a chicken empanada and an everything bagel. Everything was fresh and so yummy! Wish this shop was closer to me! Thank you for offering such great options. I want to try the smoothie with sea moss next time. The shop itself is super cute. Cute apparel and earrings are offered there. The vibe is also real chill. If I were a local, I'd definitely like to hang out there. read more

So grateful to be sitting on the sunny patio of the recently opened Sweet Potatoes Upbeet cafe. This place brings a sense of community to El Cerrito plaza area and makes me feel lucky and happy to be here. Great coffee drinks, iced tea fusions, fresh squeezed juices, and a variety of foods like empanadas, southern comfort food, sandwiches, with plenty of options for both vegetarians and meat eaters. The owners, Jeanette and Clifford are warm and welcoming. It has a special coffeehouse feel that I have not seen in a long time with games on the tables inside and a gorgeous patio in the courtyard and sidewalk. This place brightened my day. read more

Sweet Potatoe's Up Beet Cafe - Cafes Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Excellent service, the people are very nice and up beat! The only thing that makes this place the best is the even better empanadas. Many different flavors but they are all worth trying. read more

This place is a great gem, and much needed in the area. Whether you're in the area and want coffee before you goto the hardware store,post office,etc, you can pop in and get coffee, pastry, or my new interesting fave their empanadas. The service was nice and pleasant, she, the owner took my order right away and the presentation was very warming and felt very unique compared to other coffee shops. Also, they sell some unique items like earrings which I bought a pair for my partner and also I bought a hat to protect my head from the sunny day. I was able to sit down inside on a couch, and stay and listen to the music and checked on regularly to see if I needed anything & I thought that was a nice touch. Thanks ! read more

Sweet Potatoe's Up Beet Cafe - Bagel and cream cheese. - Cafes Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Very cute place!! Stopped by while getting my violin serviced across the street at Ifshin's, and I don't regret it! Got a solid oatmilk vanilla latte for an extremely fair price. Would come again! read more

See all

Was at post office and wandered into Sweet Potatoes Upbeet Cafe for the first time. Live cellist was playing in serene, tranquil setting. Relaxing couches inside and adorable patio setting in an outdoor courtyard. The usual espresso drinks, and health conscious drinks as well. Tasty sweets and an assortment of yummy looking empanadas. A few non food items as well--very reasonably priced. I will definitely be back for a relaxing lunch or pastry! read more

I highly recommend checking out this new, sweet, locally owned coffee shop, and more! They have a fun selection of pastries, food items, and drinks along with jewelry and clothing. Buy local! read more

I have walked by this place several times on the way to the Bart Station but never made it in. Well..... I did today and I am so happy I did. The food I had was delish. I ordered the spinach empanada. The empanada was flaky and the inside was stuffed with warm cream cheese,spinach and a flavorful dipping sauce. It was served with a side of avocado and fresh spinach. The service was kind and friendly. The price point was just right. The inside of this adorable cafe has comfortable seating, WiFi and an outdoor patio. It would be a great place to work away from home and enjoy a comforting snack. The coffee menu had lots of options. I had the lemonade tea which was very good. Looking forward to my next visit. read more

Nice cafe with beautiful outdoor seating. I was happy they had gluten free bagels too and quite a few food options. Very peaceful spot

I absolutely love this place. So much attention to the details. The presentation of my jasmine latte and empanadas were so fancy and delicious. The latte had the perfect flavor. Not overly sweetened with hints of flavor. My empanadas did not disappoint. I found a new regular breakfast spot on my way into the office. It was a great morning treat. Looking forward to trying out some of the other unique drinks and pastries. read more

Good food, interesting drink options. Nice place to hang out -- better than Starbucks! They do have a lot of things for sale, and it kind of feels like you're sitting in a clothing store. If they remove some of the clothing racks, it will be a nicer place to hang out. They do have a nice ambience, good light, and lots of interesting things on the walls. read more

Understated but fun! Quality good. Hippie vibe (which happens to be my jam). Service pleasant and friendly. I used to live directly upstairs in apartment #1! Back in 1994-1995. read more

I decided it wasn't worth posting a bad review of this restaurant just because it took over 15 minutes to get a sandwich to go. I changed my mind after I brought the sandwich home and tasted it. The turkey in the turkey & beet sandwich had the consistency of mush. Revolting. read more

A welcoming and comfortable cafe - much homier than sitting at Peet's or Starbucks. Owners are friendly and accommodating. Prices reasonable - got an oatmeal latte + yummy blueberry oatmeal puff for $10. It's a small cafe but they have interior / outdoor seating and variety of pastries and food. Will stop by again. Come support this small business! read more

Great vibe and place to chill!!! Tasty Semi-Freddie pastries and expresso!!! Owners are down-to-earth & friendly. Shop local and come in to welcome the new cafe on the block! read more

Sweet Potatoe's Up Beet Cafe - Across the street from Fairmont Post Office in El Cerrito!!! - Cafes Near Me - El Cerrito, California

See all

I just had the salami Up Beet sandwich. I honestly can't remember having a better sandwich any time recently. It's also a great place to just sit on a couch and chill out for a while. read more

Great place to sit relax and have a cup of coffee and Danish. The atmosphere is great, the service is wonderful.

Sweet little place, great assortment of coffee drinks, nice assortment of savory and sweet things to eat. The vegan cinnamon roll was delicious, hope to try an empanada next time-the owner heats them up, and they smell divine. Inside is very cozy, like hanging out in a friend's living room. There are also tables outside in a little alley.MUCH better than an impersonal Starbucks or Peet's. read more

Try this place! Good food, friendly people. Something for everyone including picky vegans like me.

I absolutely love this local spot if you're looking for some great coffee or a wonderful beet smoothie, this is the place to go. They also sell some pretty cool apparel, so if you're in the neighborhood or you just want to try something new definitely give them a try. read more

Service and coffee were great! Nice place in a brilliant location that feels like an escape from the Bay Area. Very cozy feeling. Would recommend to anyone. read more

Charming welcoming space......excellent food....generous portions.....outstanding service.... Especially Jeanette and Clifford. Lovely outside courtyard .......we had the avocado toast and a bagel with a honey latte and a cappuccino.....various freshly baked empanadas, biscuits, cinnamon rolls....coming back to try everything. read more

I really appreciate having this new cafe in my neighborhood (Fairmont Ave above San Pablo Ave). Lovely comfortable ambience, friendly helpful staff, good coffee, and generous tasty elegant sandwiches. Beautiful seating areas inside and outside. read more