Hudson Bay Cafe — Restaurant in Oakland

My favorite East Bay cafes for working during lockdown - #1, Hudson Bay

One of the things I miss the most during lockdown is having a place to get coffee and work for a while – yes, I know I’m not alone there ;) So I’m going to share my very favorite places to work during lockdown – i.e., cafes that have a fair amount of outdoor seating (and preferably decent Wi-Fi coverage too). The Hudson Bay café was a fairly regular haunt for me during normal times, and during lockdown it’s running pretty well with lots of safety precautions: Perspex screens, sanitizer, and a window counter if you don’t want to walk inside. Staff members were super-friendly as usual and there’s always good music playing (it’s faint outside, so I could just barely hear The Smiths and The Weeknd drifting out through the side door).

One thing to note is that the prices are very reasonable – my veggie burrito cost an amazing $7 (or maybe $7.50) – and it had guac in there too! And it was big! I also had an oat milk latte and a slice of pound cake and the whole tab was around $14. For comparison, I paid the same amount at another place this week for a coffee, cookie and plain croissant.

Lockdown Stats: • Seating: There are about 6 tables outside and chances are reasonable that you’ll get a spot. If you’re stuck without a seat you can hang out on a bench outside the library across the street. • Bathroom: Another good thing about going to Hudson Bay to drink a lot of coffee – the bathroom is open! It’s surprising how many cafés have no bathroom availability after selling you a big old cup of diuretic! • Hours: Note that they close at 5 pm at the moment, not 6, but they’ll let you linger till maybe 5:30. • Weather: Hudson St. faces southwest, so it’s often pretty warm, even around closing time! • Budget: As mentioned above, Hudson Bay is one of the cheapest places around (esp. on College Ave.) to get lunch.

I’m also giving the Hudson Bay Café 4/5 “green stars” for social and environmental impact, based on this: • Very longstanding independent café and community gathering spot. • Coffee beans come from McLaughlin roasters in Emeryville - another East Bay staple. • Some of McLaughlin’s coffee varieties are organic and most are bought directly from cooperatives or family farms that support communities. • It kind of goes without saying that plant-based milks are available – and raw turbinado sugar too. • The menu is a bit more traditional but there are a few veggie and vegan options. I think they’ll also make veggie/vegan mods to a menu item, if you ask, since everything is cooked to order. • There’s not a lot of info available about Hudson Bay’s sourcing of ingredients – my feeling is that the owners want to keep things as unpretentious as possible. Since it’s lockdown I’m not going to bust their balls over it :D • Waste is minimized pretty well, even during lockdown when most places are loading on the plastic.

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Walking in, you are greeted with a uniquely-shaped, open space that is at the same time comfortable and classy. I made my way to this cafe from an hour away, wanting to stop by a craft store nearby after having lunch. Not used to the cool air on my Floridian nose, I could not help but sniffle embarrassingly. Despite my incessant sniffling, the barista was unbothered and even offered me a tissue after my apologies. I decided to write this review before even receiving my food. This is because, upon sipping the iced almond milk latte I ordered, I stopped mid-walk to my seat to relish the flavor... Of the espresso rising to the top. This caramel colored rocket-fuel truly deserved a moment of appreciation. Check my reviews: never have I left a review of this caliber before. That's for a reason. This is probably the greatest espresso I have ever tried. I don't even need to dilute the flavor or power through an unpleasant bitterness. Every aspect of the flavor profile is perfectly balanced. I would order straight espresso here to sip carefully. That's how wonderful this is. The person who made this deserves a golden award for their skill. I could not recommend this cafe enough. Beautiful, spacious area with plenty of seating Wonderfully satisfying and delicious options even for the vegan, gluten free The greatest ESPRESSO I have ever had (and that's certainly saying something) Perfect music for working, chatting, reading, relaxing, whatever you need Pleasant and kind workers and much more that I'm sure I'm missing.

Tl;dr: 10/10 would recommend. Best espresso ever. Vegan gluten free menu of deliciousness. Great atmosphere and kind workers!

Edit: Review follow-up. Oh, my. The vegan, gluten free egg and cheese bagel is absolutely perfect. I added their vegan cream cheese. Just do yourself a favor...

I recently moved in down the street from this place and wanted to give them a try. Great reviews, convenient location, that's a winning combination. I ordered two mochas and walked them back to my girlfriend back home. We tried them together and it was immediately apparent that the espresso had been seriously over-extracted. The drink was extremely bitter, and the chocolate was far too sweet. Oh well, I'll try them again tomorrow. Maybe the barista was new, or he was just having an off day.

I came again this morning to try their chai. Once again, I walked back home before trying it. My mistake. It tasted like watery soymilk with black pepper lightly sprinkled in. I wasn't expecting a traditional chai, but this second drink was completely undrinkable. If all of their drinks are this bad, I honestly don't know how they stay in business. Needless to say, I definitely won't be visiting again.

The one upside is that their service is very good. I was served quickly both times, and the staff is...