Even for Richmond, this cafe has an oddly out-of-the way location in a business park where you drive through a narrow parking lot. Finding it wasn't intuitive to me, but I assume the locals in the Marina area are familiar with the navigational challenges. I was planning to take a late afternoon walk around Marina Bay, so I decided to give this place a try for lunch since their menu was right up my alley. It consisted mostly of salads and sandwiches. They described themselves as 'artisan' because they use locally sourced ingredients to make some enticing creations like the fried buttermilk chicken sandwich and the artisan chopped salad. I went for the basic $15.25 BLAT (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato & Avocado) Sandwich served on toasted brioche bread slathered in chipotle mayo (Photo 7). It worked for me as I sat in their large dining area. I'd likely return now that I know how to get here. FOOD - 4 stars...solid sammie with fresh ingredients though the brioche was a bit overtoasted AMBIANCE - 4 stars...spacious when I was here SERVICE - 3.5 stars...cordial TOTAL - 4 stars...plenty of salads and sammies to try for lunch...worth noting they're open for dinner on Fridays RELATED - Exploring Richmond? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/j4BMCukN_- read more

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Cute artisan cafe located in the industrial area in Richmond. Now open for breakfast and lunch, there is something for everyone on the menu. The breakfast panini is one of my favorites, but the fish taco salad was really good, as well and the fish and chips special. Everything is fresh and flavorful and the staff is friendly and helpful. read more

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Quality cafe around the corner from a taproom. They have good breakfast and lunch selection. Indoor and outdoor seating. Food was really good and brought to our table after ordering at the counter. Indoor seating was good but there was a large group seated and it looked like a good work lunch space. read more

The Artisan Cafe - Salmond taco salad and breakfast panini - Cafes Near Me - Richmond, California

Came for Friday night dinner to try out. Good food, ordered the salmon and mango. Other person had babyback ribs.

I'll check out this cafe again off the strength of the pastries and clean atmosphere.

Came in today for my first sit down meal here. It was an hour before closing and it was just me! Indoor & outdoor seating for dining. Ordered a crab sandwich; it came with a side salad. While I've loved things I've gotten here before (to go) this wasn't even close to wowing me. There was nothing special. It wasn't bad or anything but wasn't anything I'd come back for. read more

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Was in the area and looking for something for lunch. Lots of seating available and dog friendly since they have an outdoor patio (with heat lamps). Food Ordered: Tri tip sandwich (3/10): honestly lackluster and had too much mayo. Meat was dry yet too chewy and was a bland. Meat also wasn't well sliced so it randomly had both large and small chunks. Only redeeming feature was the bread was decent. Barely had any capers. Turkey Sandwich (4/10): once again too much mayo and bland. Smaller than I expected. Sweet Potato fries (4/10): honestly tasted like it was refrigerated then reheated but it was decent. The person who took our order was very helpful and nice but food wise, I was definitely disappointed. read more

A hidden gem. I had lunch with a friend and we wanted a place we could talk and hear each other. And so we were branching away from our familiar luncheon places where the background music takes over. Artisan Cafe was comfortable, the background music was background, and the food was great. Thai salad with tofu was delicious. The Southwestern salad my friend had was great. Folks behind the order counter were welcoming and helpful. Yes, it is hard to find but worth finding. read more

This chicken Philly sandwich remains awesome. The peppers are a bit spicy, it has to be said, but if you don't mind that, it's really great. Sometimes you take your lunch for granted, but I always end up stopping for a moment to savor read more

Great place! You have to try it. Great food , wonderful people. Sonoma Chicken Salad is delicious read more

Ambiance was empty and quiet. Only got a salad. On a Monday noon time. Salad was not worth $16. It was greens and seeds with pre fried tofu... i understand things are really just expensive now but that salad should be elevated or the price lowered. Their regulars seem to like them. read more

My breakfast burrito had two ingredients, egg and meat. What is artisanal about that? That's like how college students make a breakfast burrito. Also the coffee is terrible. I don't get this place. read more

I stopped by last week for a quick lunch. I like that the menu has a wide selection and also like the display of food items. I ordered the chicken Philly sandwich and a blondie dessert bar... both the sandwich and the blondie were very good. Service was good. The lady taking the order was very nice and helpful. She was so welcoming as soon as I came in and had a good sense of humor. Ambiance of the place is good. It is located in a quiet area in Richmond. I would definitely stop by again if I am in the area and want a quick and fresh lunch. read more

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I moved away from Marina Bay a few months ago, but while I was there, Artisan Cafe was one of my go-to lunch places. Great food and generous portions. Try it!! read more

Okay so for some things this place is okay but each time I've tried this place for any of the meat dishes, the meat has seemed unfresh, like they're definitely cooking the meat days before, and then just storing and reheating it. read more

What a gem in an unexpected spot! We just had Friday dinner at Artisan Cafe, which is currently the only evening with dinner service. The food was excellent and quite sophisticated, on par with any talked-about restaurant in San Francisco, Oakland, or Berkeley. The service is friendly and professional, and the dining room atmosphere is low-key and attractive. Check it out! read more

Went to the artisan cafe for lunch on a rainy day. The restruant was clean and there is a comfortable dining area. There are space heaters which help fight the cold. There appear to be only two people working, the cashier and prep cook. They seemed efficient. Between the 3 of us we had a Thai salad, turkey tortilla soup and a sandwich with chips. The salad was a large bowl of mixed greens and shredded purple cabbage. There was a small handful of sunflower seeds and 8 pieces of tofu. The tofu was breaded but it didn't taste like much. It was also tough. I choose the soy sesame dressing which made the salad. The sandwich had lots of meat. It had fresh lettuce and was good. We have had other sandwiches from there and they have always been good. The soup was filling. No photos this time. read more

Hidden Gem. I have driven by this place many times and finally decided to stop in for lunch on a Friday. Cute decor and there is inside and outside seating. Got there a little after 12 pm and it seemed pretty slow. There was one table finishing eating outside and one table occupied inside. There were a few people in line and I noticed there were a few pending orders. The staff was friendly. I ordered the crab sandwich and it comes with a side salad. The brioche bun was toasted which is a nice touch. The crab is mixed in a homemade aioli which was good. It was a little spicy which I liked. The vinaigrette for the salad was good as well. Overall, I really enjoyed my lunch and the atmosphere and plan to go back. Just surprised there weren't more people there. read more

The Artisan Cafe - Fresh Crab Sandwich Lunch - Cafes Near Me - Richmond, California

Just had Friday night dinner with my gang of friends. I usually get the salmon (which I love), but tonight I had pork chops which were perfect, served with mash potatoes and red cabbage. Another friend had the short ribs with fries, while another had BBQ Ribs. A 4th friend went for the pork chop, too. We had scrumptious multi-berry pie for dessert, while one of us had red velvet cake. We all loved our meals and are grateful to have this cafe in our neighborhood. Open for breakfast now at 8:30am, so this is where I get my eggs and potatoes to start my day. The prices are as fair as anywhere, and we leave happy. The service is good and we are treated like family. The ambience is especially good for groups inside, and the patio is sweet when the weather is nice. The do have outdoor heaters. read more

Had time to waste so came into this joint and the food was pretty damn good. I will recommend if in the area. read more

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I love it when my workplace caters this place. Cookies and chips and cheesecake are always a nice assortment given and all taste great. But the sandwiches... the sandwiches are so dang good. Tri-tip one is my favorite with the sauce and pickles and meat and bread being perfect!....but man does it really need some greens or herbs to make it less heavy/fatty. I've had a few other sandwiches and they were fine, but the tri-tip is def most memorable but just so near perfect that it hurts. The pickles would be typically 'acidic' enough but it's just zingy and doesn't level out the flavor to be balanced... as it still feels too heavy fatty. 8/10, hoping this keeps getting catered because it's my favorite around the area so far. read more

My friend and I came here for our first visit (two days ago around 2pm) and we loved it! The service, the coffee, the vibe, the landscaping, the nice touch of fresh cut flowers on each table. Thank you so much! Please open earlier if you can so we don't have to go to St*rbucks across the street. read more

Good food an outstanding outdoor seating and indoor seating, delicious cake goods, fast quick service

Service food and ambiance is 100% the people are friendly and the food is prepared fresh. I had a tuna Sandwich it was good. Kind of wish the bread was bit harder so that it could hold the tuna salad. But still I would recommend. read more

Great reasonably priced food and awesome service. The philly chicken cheese steak is delicious and the salads are also a must try.

Well hot damn! As marina bay gets more artsy urban and hip, the pressure increases in venues to keep up with the artisan beer, wine, coffee places starting to crop up all over marina bay and Point Richmond. I've been here before for a quick lunch. The set up is a bit awkward as they mostly provide catering. However, if you can get by the long lines, the complicated hand written menu, the quasi self serve approach, and the lunch room style seating long communal benches, you will be in for a treat. The food is well crafted with thoughtful combinations of typical and atypical ingredients used in tasty ways to create a satisfying meal. Various baked goods if all you want is a Peet's and a nosh. Oh yeah... considering four bucks is across the street, Peet's is a great alternative... It's rather nice to be able to walk to this place on a Sunday for brunch. The food was plentiful, tasty and the atmosphere quite pleasant. As it turned out there was such a variety I had a difficult time deciding. Hopefully the Sunday brunch experiment sticks and we have a very solid alternative that's walkable vs having to hop in the whip to go to the point or 4th st Berkeley. read more

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This place caught my eye as I drove to make a delivery in Marina Bay. The Artisan Cafe serves high quality food at a reasonable price for the quality. I spent 18 on a crab sandwich and Vickie's chips and it was worth every single penny. It's right off of 580 at Marina Bay Parkway on the Bat side of the freeway. I checked out the menu and it looked pretty good. I noticed that other Yelpers liked the crab sandwich so I ordered it. Boy, was I right to try it. A very nice portion of crab salad with fresh (very fresh) lettuce, pickled onions, red onion and sliced tomato on Semifreddi bread. There is nothing better - that's my favorite bread - eggy, firm but tender and not spongy accompanied by a lovely green salad with a tasty vinaigrette. The only thing that would have made it beyond perfect would have been to spread the crab evenly across the sandwich. No points deducted because I took my fork and smoothed it myself. And oh my goodness, it tasted really really good. Not too much mayonnaise!! Just right. They have all kinds of sandwiches and salads and pastries of equally high quality. It's a step up from your average business park cafe. We are talking about a place that could easily charge 5-7 dollars more in SF and get away with it. It's only open until 2PM but guess what, good news! They have gotten their liquor license for beer and wine and will be extending their hours until 4 PM starting in August. Imagine a nice glass of Chardonnay with that crab sandwich! Yum! It's a darn shame that they aren't open on weekends and poor me, I will be working in Newark so it will be a place that I go to when I am off of work during the week. I asked the owner Dione why she isn't open on weekends and it's because she is having trouble finding good help. I hope that lets up soon. This place started out 15 years ago as a commercial kitchen cooperative and has the most incredible commercial kitchen in the back. That alone makes me want to get her to give cooking classes. The place is spotlessly clean, and tastefully decorated. The colors she chose caught my eye as I went by on Marina Parkway. That glimpse alone got me to come back and check it out. I am so glad I did. This is a total healthy gourmet food desert and needed a place like this for us foodies. Easy parking! I am coming back for sure. And bringing friends. I can't wait until it is open on weekends. Some day, I hope!! read more

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Visiting the Columbia Employee Store nearby. Searched for restaurants and came up with the nice spot close by. Three of us enjoyed some great sandwiches. The staff was very friendly and attentive. We'll try it again, maybe for dinner. read more

Espresso is the worst. Food is ok. Parking is good. Clean bathroom. Good service. I'm just so disappointed with their espresso.

Loved everything! We had the pesto pasta with chicken and the chopped salad. Finished it off with a chocolate eclair and coffee. My stomach is very happy. read more

The Artisan Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Richmond, California

The food is consistently good but the cleanliness of the space is not good. The restroom is dirty; the floor should be mopped, the toilet seat was disgusting and the sink was dirty. The table/ counter at the windows doesent appear cleaned and there are dead insects on the window sill. read more

The Artisan Cafe - Dirty table - Cafes Near Me - Richmond, California

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This place is really hit or miss. When it's good, it's delicious. The inconsistency of running out of basic sandwich ingredients or types of fries prevents me from being a regular. read more

Crab sandwich is Great addition to the Marina Bays restaurant selection. More of a lunch spot for sure. Great outdoor seating. Pet friendly also. read more

I have had this place bookmarked forever, and finally made it in! I had the grilled portobello sandwich and spouse had fried chicken sandwich. Both sandwiches were good but a little dry. Sweet potato fries were perfect. Small indoor seating area and outdoor shaded patio (bring a jacket if it's cold). read more

This is one of my favorite go to place for grabbing a quick bite. The staff is polite and helpful. I had meat in one of my order accidentally, the staff was great and helpful. They immediately took the order back and offered me a refund. I also love all their quiche. When I can, I definitely grab a slice of quiche to go with lime cilantro dressing. Even thinking of it makes my mouth water. On a stressful day at work, I needed some cheering up, so I decided to treat myself with their Tiramisu Cake. It was absolutely delicious! Here is the picture of my tiramisu cake! read more

The Artisan Cafe - Tiramisu cake - Cafes Near Me - Richmond, California

I had the portobello sandwich and it was so delicious I had to review. I also had a pineapple ginger pressed juice 10/10.

I work close by this place and the have the best panini ever, fresh vegetables best combination of food. My favorite place always ! read more

The food is amazing and creative. I wish they were closer to El Cerrito......I'd be there every other day

Hidden small spot, serves peets coffee and many variety of sandwiches, cold or hot. Breakfast has been taken out but many other lunch options are available. Super super clean and neat! Great to relax and work.. small meetings! Beautiful outside patio! read more

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I wanted to love this little place not too far from my house, but at the end of the experience I wish we'd gone to the Quiznos across the street instead. We went in on the early side for dinner. We got a soup of the day, burrata salad, cut of the day, and chicken and waffles. I don't know why this place offers butternut squash soup in practically summer, but they did. Tastes fine. The burrata was not as creamy as I would like, but that's just a matter of personal taste. The entrées were the real standouts for all the wrong reasons. The steak--don't remember the cut that day--was tough! It was cooked fine, but it wasn't pleasant to eat. The vegetables that came with it were boring. The chicken and waffles were a disappointment on all counts. The taste was just meh, the butter was cold with jalapeños that weren't properly incorporated, the waffle was spongy and odd rather than crispy, and the chicken wasn't crispy either! There was a gummy under layer, and it seemed more like a tempura batter as opposed to the way one would normally fry chicken. I was so disappointed that I made my own chicken and waffles later on. It's my understanding that they've only relatively recently started serving dinner. Maybe their lunches is where it's at and/or they're still working these particular dishes out, but neither of us were happy with our dishes. We might give them another chance next time we're in the area, but I'd rather be stoked that everything was delicious and be glad to go again. read more