Alem's Coffee — Restaurant in Oakland

Best breakfast place I've been to in the Bay Area. The shihan ful (like a fava bean stew with savory veggies, spices and olive oil and served with bread) is – not exaggerating – one of the best things I've ever eaten. It's so so good. The fata (bread chunks cooked in a garlic/tomatoe/spice sauce and served with yogurt) is also amazing as well. The drip coffee is on point – strong and flavorful (I only needed a small size to feel effectively caffeinated). Since I live in SF I ate myself past full during my visit here just to take advantage of this absolutely incredible spot. The vibe is super welcoming and the prices are incredibly reasonable. The owner was even around and said hello and asked me how everything was! I'd give this place 6 stars if I could, can't...

This place is way more than just coffee! They have delicious food. I highly recommend you try the frittata and ask them to put in berbere spice. So savory and delicious! I also liked the shihan ful (though not as much), which was spicer.

The kicha fit-fit is pretty unique. It's not sour like most injera, and instead is a fairly mild but chewy--almost rubbery--conduit for the spices which were surprisingly mild. At first I thought it was okay, but it grew on me.

The ambiance is very casual with a lot of older Etruria guys sitting around and chatting. Feels like a nice...

They saw me coming: I ordered 2 vegan dishes and said “not spicy”. The bill came to $30 with tip. I shouldn’t have paid ahead of eating. One of the dishes was served with jalapeños. I reminded the waitress that I told her “not spicy”. She tried to argue with me. I told her I expected a refund. She talked me in to keeping the stew. When I finished and stood @ the cash register the woman there acted like she did not know what happened. She refunded me $13 for a $30 Meal which included a tip. I felt lucky to get any refund but I wish I could have had a refund for the tip....