Polaris Cafe — Restaurant in Emeryville

Polaris is situated in the foyer of the red-bricked building opposite the Emeryville Amtrak station, where Cabucci’s used to be. You can sit in the café itself (they have nicely painted tables) or amongst the beautiful plants in the conservatory part of the building. I’ve been there twice and have come to the conclusion that these folk really know how to cook! Especially scones! On my first visit I had their Gouda mushroom scone and a cold brew coffee. They gave me a sample of their homemade hazelnut milk (sweetened with dates) to add to the coffee, which was actually really good. The scone was pretty much perfect. The second time I tried a cappuccino, grilled cheese and a blueberry lemon scone – this all came to just slightly over $10 including tax, which is a great deal, especially considering the quality. The grilled cheese was made with a flavorful mix of cheese and was grilled to crispy perfection! I think the put some white pepper into the scone which added an interesting spiciness. The staff are really friendly and helpful and I think the café is well worth a visit for their food in particular.

I’m also giving them 4/5 “green” stars for social and environmental impact. I like that they make their own nut milk and I’m grateful that they introduced me to Hazelnut milk. Besides being tastier than commercial almond milk (and also very nutritious) it’s actually one of the most eco-friendly tree nuts, requiring less water than almonds, low agricultural inputs, and also sequestering a lot of carbon and protecting against soil erosion thanks to their extensive root systems. They are also wind-pollinated so they don’t put stresses on the bees as some of the big almond producers do. So, thanks Polaris for sharing your hazelnut milk! Their coffee is organic. Their milk is from Crytal - not up to the standard of Strauss organic etc., but not bad. The cold brew cups are plastic, so bring your own mug, but they are #1 plastic, so it’s actually readily recyclable. Food to go is served in recycled paper bags or recycled cardboard boxes. I don’t know much about their food sourcing, but I’ll find out more if I can and hopefully they’ll post some info on...

Curb your attitude

This place was close enough to the Amtrak station that I could run in and grab food before going back to board… I had a bit of time but I also had bags i needed to put down. When I realized the door was open about 7 minutes into opening I walked in and pit my bags on the bench on the lefthand side and was immediately asked by the woman with the glasses “we’re not open yet. You can wait with your bags in the lobby.” I didn’t see why that was an issue, but complied anyway.

When I made my order, it was fairly fast and painless, but then, upon picking up and coming back to the station, I actually sat down while waiting for my delayed train and started eating this mess. I ordered the Sunrise, with the plain bagel scooped out and here are the major issues that I found with my order: Bagel wasn’t toasted—nor was I asked if I wanted it toasted, which resulted in a soggy bagel The mess of the avocado shmear was limey, which made me question if there’s a difference between avocado shmear and avo-lime on the menu the egg was over-easy (runny) and not fried like the menu suggested there was zero spinach in my bagel there was no napkins included with my order, but I’m guessing it was on the side somewhere, just wasn’t communicated to me—that’s considering this was a much messier bagel to eat than I originally expected.

Overall, it tasted great! However the attitude and the miscommunication and getting my order wrong didn’t seem worth the $16.58 I paid for my breakfast. My advice? Be sure to have questions and get answers before you order here if you’re not in a rush to hop...

I've been coming here for multiple times a week for years now. This is my favorite place in town. All the staff are super friendly and accommodating. The owner obviously loves what she does and just wants to share it with everyone who walks through the door. Every food and drink item I've had have been spectacular, and I've had almost every drink off the menu. My personal favorites are the green thai tea (so unique!) and the earl rose tea. Best boba and breakfast burrito I've ever had and I've had a lot. Green goddess dressing to die for. Daily specials that'll keep you coming back for each new surprise. And to top it all of they have a gorgeous atrium sitting area filled with tropical plants and stone tables. My only complaint is that they aren't open on weekends because I want to...