Bereka Coffee

Great coffee and terrific friendly staff. Excellent choice to grab a cup of authentic Ethiopian coffee.

They individually drip each coffee. It is the best coffee I have ever had in the US. each cup created with care. ps I drink a lot of coffee…

Bereka is awesome — an oasis of legitimate, non-​pretentious, delicious coffee in the middle of the Marina that provides a great alternative to the Starbucks and Peets’ of the world. The staff are always super nice and friendly, and they take the time to brew your coffee «one cup at a time» on the spot so it’s always fresh.
It’s a great spot whether you just want to post up somewhere and do some work/​reading (it’s small, but there are a few counter seats) or grab and go on your way to work or some weekend adventure.
They always ask me to taste the coffee before I walk out the door to make sure it tastes good — I’ve now resorted to saying «no worries, it’s always great!»
Coffee: ⁵⁄₅
Value: ⁴⁄₅
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Atmosphere: ⁴⁄₅

Bereka Coffee is a modest coffeshop that does not look like much. It’s a tiny place with a few chairs, a restroom, and tunes from an old radio playing in the background.
I accepted the challenge of validating a five star Unilocal-​rated coffeeshop, and this place exceeded all my expectations. There are several types of coffee to choose from, ranging from light to dark. My boyfriend and I ordered two types of medium-​dark coffee, Sheba’s Crown and Anbessa’s Roar. There were slight differences between them but both were so flavorful. I wish I got to try them black, since they were a little too sweet with sugar and milk. Nevertheless, this was a heavenly caffeine experience.
We stuck around for about 10 minutes to drink our coffee. The woman running Bereka made sure we liked the coffee and chatted with us about the place. If you have a few minutes to spare, definitely strike up a conversation and hear her story! This is definitely somewhere I’d come back again for some unique coffee.

I live 7 blocks away from here and it become my favorite place for a quick breakfast. I always go with coffee number 3 or 5. Their coffee taste really good, I barely go to «chain» coffee shop since I know Bereka. The owner is a really nice lady, she always make sure that my coffee taste right with good amount cream and sugar before I leave. I also like their Sambussa, potato sambussa taste a little bit spicy but you can try the lentil one that less spicy.

As many of the other reviewers, I am also a big fan of Bereka’s coffee. This place is small and hidden but in reality it’s a hidden gem. They make exceptional coffee by using one cup at a time, single brewing system. They have limited selection of coffee but the the few Flavors that they offer are so rich and full of flavor and aroma. What makes makes this place even more special is the service, think it’s a small family owned business & the ladies who own/​work there are so generous, humble and kind hearted. You get same exceptional service in every visit.

I wanted to love this place — the concept of a woman and her niece opening up and running their own authentic Ethiopian coffee shop is so awesome! They were so sweet and helpful when we visited, and I could tell they really cared about making a great cup of coffee for each customer.
They have about seven different types of coffee, and depending on the specific blend they’ll recommend it black or with sugar/​cream. You can always adjust for your preferences though! I’m not sure which blend they use to make iced coffee, since that was pre-​brewed and chilling in the fridge. I added medium cream and light sugar to my iced coffee.
Great at first, but all the ice melted really quickly, diluting the drink into watered down cream :(. I still like Philz more, but I want to come back and try the brewed to order coffee!

The coffee is great — have had all 6 cups. I tend to stick to the light roast with no cream or sugar but do have to say all 6 are fantastic. I would recommend a little bit of cream or sugar with the darker roasts.
I would much rather go here than Philz or other marina pour over Wrecking Ball. The prices are great, the coffee is great and the owner, her daughter and aunt are wonderful.
I’m hoping this place stays a secret for a little while longer or we’ll see lines out the door.

Awesome coffee! Omg the best this place was right next to our hotel. The service is top notch. I would choose this coffee over starbucks anyday!

You have got to love a good pour over brew and Bereka coffee does it right! These ladies know exactly what they are doing and what to ensure you have a brilliant coffee experience. They will tailor any drink precisely to your needs and ensure it is spot on every time. Since it is pour over only you will not find typical coffee concoctions here but very flavorful and robust brews with fresh crème and sugar if you desire !
This is a coffee snobs paradise and must stop in SF if you appreciate a fine cup of coffee. Thanks Bereka!

Awesome! The ladies behind the counter were very nice, very helpful to us «tourists»!
The coffee is delicious! Highly recommend!!!

It’s hard to approach the quality of coffee that Philz provides (so if you are not a fan of Philz Coffee, you can move on). Bereka manages to do so, enough that I’ve incorporated it into my commute as one of my coffee stops. The place is run by two women who are both bright and nice to interact with — perfect for an early morning perk up. They have about 6 – 8 different choices for coffee, and I’ve had 2 of the dark roasts and a medium roast. They do individual pourovers (as does Philz) so it’s no surprise the quality is almost the same. What you end up with is an incredibly smooth and rich taste without the bitterness.
To top it off, homemade banana walnut bread (for $ 1? can you find anything cheaper in the Marina, let alone SF?) and Ethiopian pastries — sambussas — with lentil or potato filling. Croissants too. I definitely recommend coming in here for a cup on the way to the Presidio or wherever. Not much room inside to sit, but stop off here and continue on your journey with a great cup of coffee.

The coffee here is amazing. They have so many types and it was really good when it came out.
Since it was breakfast, I grabbed a croissant with ham, egg, and cheese, which was pretty good. It came out piping hot.
The staff was super friendly for sure.
Only gripe is the place doesn’t have a lot of seating, just a small bar. And I felt bad because we took it up completely and other patrons had to sit outside or on stools.

For coffee and homemade walnut bread this is a 6 out of 5.
No espresso however they can make your coffee very strong if you ask. They have a number of different coffees to choose from.
Best coffee I’ve had in a long time. $ 3. for 12 ounce and $ 3.50 for 16 ounce coffee. All coffee is individually ground fresh, hand dripped and then hand aired.
Only 4 seats inside & 2 seats outside so mostly to go and not a sit down type of place.
We’ll be back.

This is just for the croissant breakfast sandwich, since I’m not a coffee drinker. But this sandwich alone is worth 5 stars. The real question is: why am I not eating alllllll breakfasts on these buttery, flakey croissants?
Perfectly fluffy egg, crisp bacon… Flawless. Bonus: totally affordable.

This is not only an overdue review, its more than warranted.
I have been to Bereka twice… both after long nights of debauchery where I ended up on a friends couch the next morning in the marina with a pounding headache. Yes, one of those.
Both times, Bereka was a godsend.
From the outside, its unassuming. Its quaint. It’s simple. When you walk in, it’s your standard long coffee counter with some snacks, breakfast items and a range of coffee options. Instead of assuming you know what you want (or their coffee in this case), they ask you what you like and make you a cup to fit that palate. I had a medium roast, black, dripped and a breakfast sandwich… And waited while I chatted with the crew.
I learned a few things from Bereka:
1) There are different kinds of Ethiopian coffees with different flavors, aromas and intensity.
2. Bereka, by definition, is the beneficent force from God that flows through the physical and spiritual spheres (in this case, coffee form)
3) You can brew a damn good dripped coffee without a fedora, attitude and ironic mustache. Go figure.
The coffee… my god, the coffee. Philz, I’ve known you since you were a baby but Bereka is the new cool kid in school with the cooler shoes… you kind of have stiff competition. The coffee was strong, bold and was like dropping Adderall in my veins (don’t judge). No cream nor sugar was needed… It was literally the perfect cup of joe without the sass. Also, the sandwich was freshly made, filled with egg and sausage and is plenty to share.
This is a family run joint who values your business and feedback. They ask how you want your coffee and drip accordingly. They ask you how it is. They want to be interactive on social media (I was asked to tag them on IG, and they like my pictures often!). all in all, a SOLID compliment to the neighborhood. I am sold.
The only downside (since I must) is its location; I’m not in the marina often (if ever) so it’s kind of a trek for coffee… But id argue that its worth it. If you’re in the hood, on a tour or just strolling around in yoga pants, look no further.

Some of the best coffee I’ve ever had. Tasty and gets the job done!
They serve Ethiopian coffee. They grind the beans per order and make the cup as you wait. I had the Anabassa Roar with a tiny bit of sugar and milk — so good! And you’re able to drink it right away — hot, but not scorching hot like some other places. Best coffee hands down.
This is not a place to set up camp and hangout on your laptop. Get your coffee, maybe a sambusa (which are delicious) and go.

Just, wow.
My husband likes trying different coffees, but I am a pretty simple (vanilla latte) kind of coffee person, and don’t really care for tasting the natural flavors of different types of beans. Our hotel was just a block down from Bereka, so based on the reviews, my husband went our first morning here and brought one back for himself. After I tried it, I was very jealous I didn’t have one of my own. I haven’t made that mistake the rest of our time in SF, and as I write this review, I’m holding my second cup of Ambessa’s Roar.
Yesterday, I also tried Sheba’s Crown, which – I felt – had a little less flavor than Ambessa but was still awesome. I am quite sure the coffees the owners recommend you drink without milk or sugar are fantastic, too.
We also tried the lentil sambussa yesterday, and it was so savory I couldn’t wait to try another lentil, as well as the potato, this morning. Both delivered on taste and texture. Again, wow.
What a great place – very friendly and helpful if you have any questions or need help deciding. Very inexpensive for the quality, too. I would have no problem paying more for any of the items we ordered, but it is nice that the low prices probably help those on a tighter budget still enjoy an amazingly crafted cup of coffee.
A few seats available at the window bar.
We will both be missing Bereka coffee when we leave SF. Have one for us – you won’t regret it!

Needed an early morning coffee and I thought the marina only had Starbucks and Peets — good thing I checked Unilocal!
Like previous reviews have said, this is a no frills, great cup of coffee. The fact that I can get a cup of amazing drip coffee for $ 3 in the city restores my faith in humanity! Love the variety and descriptions of different roasts.

not a whole lot to this place. Pour over cups of coffee for about 3 bucks each. There’s no lattes or other espresso drinks only sugar and some milk or cream to go in the coffee. They have some pretty basic breakfast sandwiches. They aren’t great but they aren’t bad either, just simple. I think simple is what Bereka is going for. They did have an ethiopian pastry, called sambossa, similar to a somosa, but they were sold out so we couldn’t try it. Sold out at 10:30am they must be good if they went fast… well then again they do open super early. Maybe next time.
Not a bad place if i’m in the area and just need a simple cup of coffee. They were super nice as well and giving away free cookies that morning. We were even able to bring out dog in as we tried to figure out what we wanted to order… the only caveat was that our dog needed to be well behaved (which he is).
Great service and economical, that’s great in my book.