The Beanery

Went to the Beanery again after about a year of not visiting (due to moving), and the coffee is still as strong and rich as I remember and the sandwiches are still tasty and filling. It was easy to find seating because summer is starting and all of the college kids have left town or went home. Although it’s spacious with a front room, back room, and a back patio, during the semesters it was hard to find seating because of so many people studying and working. On this late afternoon, it was a great spot to chill and talk with an old buddy.
One minor thing I was disappointed at was that the Beanery has less hours now, because it used to be open until 9pm, making it a great spot for evening chats with friends. Now it’s only open til 7pm (and they also close the back area even earlier), so I guess I need to choose another evening spot for meetings and catching up with friends. Shame, as the sun is still usually out much later these days.

Had the best americano here that I’ve had in a long time and that’s coming from a Seattle girl who LOVES her coffee. Came here with my family over the holiday weekend and everyone was happy with what they ordered. I recommend sitting on their back patio as well.

It does the trick. All the drinks taste fine, all the food tastes fine. The prices are fair. It’s a nicely consistent coffee shop. If you’re just looking for a café that will have what you want, this is a good spot. If you’re looking for a café that’s good, that will wow you a bit, no reason to go here.

I have been coming here since middle school and I still come here and I absolutely love it. It is exactly what it states it is. It is a café/​coffee shop. It doesn’t try and be fancy or boast that its something «new and unique» as so many other new food places in the bay area do.
The overall place is very cute. There is seating in the front area, a back area that tends to be more quiet and a patio, which you can access from walking straight back once you enter the shop. It has a lovely ambience good for getting work done or chatting with a friend.
They have a variety of food and drinks ranging from sandwiches, bagels, cookies, ice cream to basic lattes, iced coffee and even a frappé/​frappaccino type drink.
But the best part is the people! The cashiers and people who work here are so welcoming and down to earth. They remember my past previous orders and conversations.
While the food and drinks may be nothing fancy the people are great. I love to support this local business. Not once has the cashier or waiters been rude or stand offish and thats really made an impression.
Whenever I come back for break I have to stop by and get an iced coffee with a veggie bagel. :)

The rating is really more for the actual coffee and pastry that I got rather than the café, which is actually very nice.
I stopped by because of a friend’s recommendation and I had some time to kill so I got my usual drink, an au lait with their dark roast. I also was tempted by the delicious pastries by the cashier and since I generally don’t sweeten my coffee much I got the pecan swirl bun as well. The coffee was… kind of awful really. At least for a café, it tasted like something I picked up at a corner gas station. I love bitter strong coffee, my au lait tasted kind of burnt. I didn’t finish it but I didn’t have the heart to throw it away either. The pecan swirl wasn’t much better, I couldn’t even taste the pecans. So sad.: (
As a location though, it’s really nice! The cashier was nice and the décor inviting. I really liked that it was bigger inside than it looked on the outside. Cute little patio in the back too.
I might come back to try their lunch or something, but I don’t think I’ll return for their coffee. Or second chance who knows.
Also, the women’s bathroom lock didn’t seem very secure. I know I locked it but it unlocked while I was in and uh, how embarrassing yikes.

DON’T GET THE CHAI TEA LATTE.
Nice atmosphere, more wall outlets (under the tables in a power strip) than I’m used to seeing, so that was nice. Nice staff. I agree with someone else about the chai tea latte. It really, really sucks. I poured it out. It tastes sort of like apple cider… sour and fruity. Bizarre.
Bagel was good though and the staff are nice!

This is one of my favorite places to go for a quiet spot and a nice latte. They have lots of syrup flavors for your coffee (almond and amaretto are my favorites).
They’ve got an impressive sweets display, a lot of which are brownies of sorts. My personal favorite is the cherry covered brownie, but a close second is the mocha or maybe the s’mores brownie. There’s bagels and sandwiches available as well, but my sweet tooth always wins, so I can’t comment on their quality.
Great wifi connection, and a good amount of outlets. Can at times be hard to find a table, but mostly on a weekend or before finals. I really like their outdoor area on a warm day, but the indoor areas get lots of natural light and is enjoyable as well. It tends to always be on the quieter side here, so probably a better place to come study/​work on your computer than to visit with friends and catch up.

One of my favorite cafes in Berkeley, and that’s saying a lot. My place of choice for buying beans. Very nice staff, locally owned, great coffee, plenty of seating and don’t forget to check out the back patio on a nice day. Never pretentious or noisy and a great selection of baked goods. I’m generally not a fan, but their Vietnamese ice coffee is the best I’ve had.

the drinks were really good. I studied at this café a lot. the coffee was delicous. I remember ordering a mexican latte or a soy vanilla latte and bother were very good.

The best caramel latte I’ve ever tasted. This is my second day in a row! Not too sweet and definitely not bitter. The chai is really tasty. Price range is great and the atmosphere is super chill. Lucky to be here while Berkeley is a ghost town at the moment because it would definitely be crowded with students. Nonetheless, can’t wait to try more of their drinks.

This is my go-​to spot for good coffee, yummy bagels, and a quiet workspace for writing or studying. As others have said, there are many tables, outlets, and free WiFi. It also has big sandwiches for a decent price ($ 6 – 8), which is not easy to find in the Elmwood area. I would definitely recommend this café to anyone who needs a calm space to think and a delicious cup of coffee.

This is my go-​to spot for studying and writing. It has the perfect noise level where it’s not uncomfortably silent nor obnoxiously noisy (I like a little chatter when I go to a coffee shop).
Above everything else is the fact that there are so many outlets available. Makes it the most practical shop to get work done.
The coffee here is pretty good (the iced coffee is my standard order and I like it well enough) and there’s a great array of pastries and bagels if you’re hungry.
However, I do wish tables and seats were cleaned up a little more frequently – while you bus your own dishes, some patrons ignore the crumbs they’ve left all over the place or ignore their plates completely. This isn’t the staff’s fault, obviously, but is still an issue that I come across frequently here.
But I definitely recommend checking this place out! Really friendly staff and good food and drinks.

Coffee that’s a little more creatively brewed than its competitors in the Berkeley Elmwood district. The hot chocolate is even magnifique, or I should say, something ground good in there. Same goes for doughy pastries that look like they were made in town. But, but… these are tightly packed quarters and a little over-​congested. Good spot for a 15-​minute detour, but you don’t want to hang out as a hangout here. Dilemmas, dilemmas. #fistpumping

The Beanery is a nice place to get some work done. There is seating both indoors and outdoors and finding a seat on a Monday late morning was not a problem. I didn’t notice too many outlets but wi-​fi was free.
I ordered a chai tea latte and was sorely disappointed. It was very diluted and lacked the warm spices of a classic chai tea.
However, the staff was friendly and knew the orders of the regulars. They have bagels, sandwiches, and some pastries so it’s ideal if you plan on eating and working for a few hours.

Awesome raspberry shortbread bar! I’d take a picture of it but it’s gone! Thought I wasn’t going to be able to eat here, but they’ve got a back room & Great outdoor patio w/​umbrellas & trees/​flowers! I’m coming back!

Cons: I give minus 1 star, because there are almost never any seats available at this location. Way too many people abusing their Wi-​Fi. So we almost always have to get our food to go.
(They should really place a time limit for those just sitting there drinking water, it’s bullshit)
Pros: Delicious sandwiches, desserts, and coffee.
The employees are really friendly and helpful.
Their mocha (hot and iced) is one of the best mochas I’ve ever had, super yummy!
The turkey avocado sandwich, with sourdough bread, is amazing!

This café used to be my favorite place to study and grab a cup of coffee!
I recommend coming super early especially on the weekend if you want to grab a table near the outlets!
However, the tables are small and it is always a hassle to spread out all your study materials. Food wise, I recommend their pastries/​desserts rather than food because all they have are mediocre salads and sandwiches which tastes bland and not worth the money. The only negative thing is that the workers are not really nice and always seem very annoyed… So I would only come by if I’m in the area down College Ave.

My favorite study spot in Berkeley! I mean, where else will you find MORE OUTLETS than seats?! (In the first room!) They have an inner room and an outdoor patio so I’ve never had a problem getting a table. Get there by 10 AM and snag one of the bigger tables to the right of the front door.
Their drinks include your typical assortment at Berkeley coffee shops (yummy Viet iced coffee too), along with LOADS of treats, sandwiches, bagels, and ice cream. Though I haven’t tried any of their dessert, they all look amazing I just wish they’d start selling Sacks style salads!

Well, their whip cream isn’t house-​made! (Kudos to Peet’s and Phil’z doesn’t even have whip, but their espresso crema is delish)
But, the atmosphere is cool. They have tables in the front of the café, and additional tables in back. Their tables are uniquely decorated.
Their coffees are good… Not to strong, not too light. Similar but better than Statbucks. I’ve had a white mocha and caramel latte. They weren’t too sweet but satisfied me.
They have tons of Pasteries and dessert items. They have bagels and make sandwiches! (Yay for the veggie bagel!)
You should get a coffee, bagel sandwich, and share a dessert with a friend :)

Great coffee, great bagel sandwiches, great vibes. Look out for their day-​old pastries at a discounted price next to the cash register too!
I’m guilty of being one of those college kids who hogs a table to herself for a good 4 hours at a time. But why not? Like others have said, there’s free Wi-​Fi, and if you get a table in the front room, there are power strips hidden under most seats.
Clean bathrooms also, none of that leaky plumbing smell you find at some other Berkeley cafes. Previous patrons have left random messages on the walls inside for toilet users to ponder.