Ain't Normal Cafe

We tried several delicious pastries, including savory tomato with pesto, chives with cheddar scones, and the breakfast egg biscuit. My favorite is the grits with chorizo! The place is busy around 8:30 AM, with locals getting their coffee, but the service is fast. I'm returning for more grits ! Forgot to take photos of the other pastries and grits.

i've been here at least a dozen times, each time thinking, "maybe they'll have their act together." the coffee is good, they are creative with the menu items and there's nice outdoor seating. these things do not overcome the brusque attitude and apathy of the people working here. i'm not giving up my money to be disrespected. If you're wondering where this attitude rolls down, the owner's profile caption on ig: if you're a hating little bitch gtf off my nuts

The coffee was great! I ordered a cappuccino and was impressed by the strength and smoothness of the coffee. I also enjoyed the fact that this establishment has a wide variety of coffee beans, teas, coffeemakers, and cafè-themed attire to choose from; all from local vendors. The service was not great. The barista/cashier who assisted me was quite abrupt. However, we all have bad days. I would still return!

Great place. Nice outdoor seating area. Some indoor seating but limited. Service was great and my espresso was perfect. The sign on the door said they served sandwiches starting at 8 am but I was there at 8:30 and they said they hadn't sliced the meat yet so couldn't sell me one. So, minus one star for not having the product but star added back because they slice their own meat. I'll be back.

Wanted to give this place a try because had heard good things about it from friends. There was a line out the door which is usually a sign of a good spot. However, we were really off put by the unfriendly vibe of the person working the register. Pretty unwelcoming and seemed annoyed with us taking time to decide. The drink menu was pretty limited with no specialty drinks, so I went for a regular iced latte. I expected it to be good due to the limited menu but it was just ok. Nothing to write home about. The real star of the show here is the food. I ordered the ricotta toast with seasonal fruit and oh my goshhhh it was delicious!!! The bread was thick, but not too dense and perfectly fluffy. The candied nuts on top gave a really nice crunch and the fruit had a tartness that balanced out the sweetness of the ricotta. They also have a really great ham puff pastry that is also delicious. My boyfriend had the cheesy grits that were actually insane. overall the coffee is just average, would hate to judge a place based off of one unfriendly employee but what can i say... first impressions matter!!! the food is really something special and would warrant this place a 5 star review if it weren't for the coffee and service lacking. even for berkeley, the prices are pretty high which is unfortunate because i'd definitely be coming back more if it was less pricy.

So many options. Best scone I've had in a year? Tons of variety on the coffee and food front. Come here for retail coffee to find rare and unique sources and roasts. Just enough space to enjoy a quick bite.Not a place to do any focus work or work. Loud. Social. Small. No dedicated parking. Has restroom.

When in Oakland, this is the place to go for coffee if you're looking for a great variety of roasters to buy! We had an espresso that was absolutely delicious and perfectly dialed in. We also ordered a cold brew, which I also found very satisfying to the palate! While I only took a brief look around, I am pretty sure they also sold some tea stuff and other items as well. They have some seats inside but can get filled quickly. Service was also great! Would love to come back here next time I'm in Oakland!

The have the best lattes and the absolute BEST smoked trout toast I've ever experienced. My daughter and I absolutely love this place. Service is fast and friendly, location always clean inside and out. There is usually a small line, but that only speaks to the quality this small coffee shop pushes out. Truly a gem.

I usually give places a couple chances before writing a one star review, unfortunately this place disappointed enough to go ahead and write one after just a single visit. The employee working the front wasn't in a great mood and wasn't doing a great job of making people feel welcome. No biggie everyone has an off day but for the sake of this experience I'm including everything. Ordered a decaf vanilla latte with regular milk and it came out to $8. Listen I understand, I live in the Bay Area and I love it but this is a bit too much for the quality and size. To top it off it barely tasted of vanilla so I asked the barista for some more vanilla syrup and they gave me a literal 3 drops of what was left in their already empty bottle. Left me thinking "really?" Awful awful awful. I'm sure other people love it here and maybe I had a one off experience but it's enough to not come back.

Great coffee and a typically cute little shop in Rockridge. Parking is usually easy on the side street. I tried the heirloom tomato toast on my last trip and it was very good.Cashier was a friendly lady this time. Last time I got a bit of a judgy vibe from the guy who took my latte order.The food and coffee is great here. Definitely on the more expensive side so it's not going to be an every morning type of trip. However, you will at least enjoy what you pay for.