Sana'a Cafe — Restaurant in Oakland

Net costs: Large Adeni Chai: $5:49 Honeycomb: $5.50 Croissant: $5.79 Tax:$1.70 Total before tip:$$18.48

After recently stumbling into this place without time or ability to stay & enjoy it, & a FAR too early & stressful a.m. today resulting in arriving to downtown Oakland 2+ hours earlier than needed, I sought comfort in the delectable and delicious delights of this locally owned yet little known gem of a cafe, located in the former exact location of far more known coffee chain. I decided that if I was going to drop ~$20 on BREAKFAST, I was getting EXACTLY what I wanted from EXACTLY WHERE I wanted to go‼ So off to Sana'a I drove‼

For breakfast, I indulged in the Adeni Chai & "honeycomb" bread - cream cheese stuffed and served warm with local honey - & saved the pistachio raspberry croissant is for later, lol (So the taste review for THAT will have to wait‼)

UPDATE: The Croissant was EVERYTHING one expects and MORE❣❣ Flakey, buttery, sizable‼️It was ALSO filled with the perfect balanced ratio of a pistachio-rasberry spread that tasted divine and was enough for every bite‼️ A unique twist on a classic item, don't snooze on this item if available AND you like those flavor combinations ‼️‼️😍😍😍

The honeycomb bread was perfect, with cream cheese in EVERY fold. It paired perfectly with the local honey & large Chai, a drink that is WELL worth the ~$6, which I'll RARELY pay for in a drink. But this was a TRUE splurge if ever there were one

The pastries were tenderly home/hand made, with the perfect texture you'd expect from these type of items. And their "pro tip" on the chai: "light" sweetness is 2 spoons of sugar‼ Agreed‼ If you have a huge sweet tooth and or like very sweet drinks, "normal", go for the usual 3. Being usually sugar & carb free myself, I found the light sweetness to be "just right". OBVIOUSLY, I was neither sugar nor carb free today‼

The staff were kind, informative, & professional. It FELT to me like my order was handled by the proprietor, both people tended to my order quickly & with care, even bringing my "to go" item to my seat. Maybe it's because it was early in the day with just a few customers, but I found NONE of the staff problems I've seen in other reviews. It was obvious that the 2 staff people were engaging in a "labor of love". I HIGHLY recommend this spot when seeking out a cafe, and BONUS: they're open EARLY (6:00 A.M.) & close LATE (10:00 P.M.)‼‼THAT'S RARE in Oakland these days...ANYWHERE in Oakland ‼‍‼‍

So do yourself a favor the next time you're in the area with some time to spare and stop in here. You'll be glad you...

It's finally review time!

Sana'a Cafe (a newer Yemeni Coffee Chain taking California by storm) took the place where a former Starbucks Coffee Chain used to reside. It has been opened for a bit over a year, but I discovered it after a contractor offered me two pastries that he purchased from Sana'a Cafe during lunch and he realized that he couldn't finish them all. He informed me that it was a Yemeni Coffee shop off Broadway around 8th Street and that I needed to check it out.

Well, since then, I have visited it 3-4 times within a span of 6 months. During that time, I think I have finally found my espresso drink - the Iced Spanish Latte. Unfortunately, over the span of those 6 times, the drink has been inconsistent with the flavor, milk, and intensity of the drink varying significantly depending on who makes the drink.

My most recent visit - 8/11, I noticed that after tax, I paid $7.38; which meant that it was another $1 more expensive than the last time I visited. Not only that, but the drink also lacked the espresso I was expecting (photo included that showed the color being a light beige). Pretty much, it meant that this latte wasn't prepared correctly, as if you googled a latte, it would be a beautiful caramel color (with that leaf foam).

My friend also purchased their milk cakes. Unfortunately, and this may just be a cultural/palette thing, but he didn't enjoy the texture of the cake and found the taste to be a bit underwhelming. Their cakes, depending on what you get, vary from $8-$14, which is quite expensive for a slice.

In terms of service, it's always been hit or miss. They have never been outwardly warm and friendly, but they do serve you when you are in line. The lady (who I have not seen in a while) used to be very helpful in offering suggestions when customers were trying to decide what to get. Unfortunately, I have not had that experience with any of the male staff. They have been distant and seemed to feel bothered.

With so much inconsistency with their drinks, mediocrity and lack of value with their food items, and not much hospitality, I would not recommend Sana'a Cafe. There are countless other coffee shops within a 3 block radius of this location. Blue Bottle (which actually originated in Oakland) and Bicycle Coffee (which also originated in Oakland) would be my top...

I had a long day working at an offsite location, and as I got into my car to head home, I realized that I did not have any coffee today. So, I searched around! And I refuse to go to the chain places especially the one everyone goes to. Sana’s Café came up and I heard some good things about it. I stopped by there and was pleasantly surprised! It was a little after 3:00 PM and the place was full. I walked right up to the counter and the choices were amazing. I ordered a Turkish Coffee for there and a large Sana’a Coffee (the one with cardamom) to go. I also order the cheese pie and the cheese and zaatar pie, I also ordered the pistachio baclava (to go). Staff was wonderful and very polite and professional. I got the Turkish coffee on a little tray with the Turkish coffee pot and a ornate looking Turkish coffee cup. That pot had three servings in it. The cheese pies were amazing and taste like original local Middle Eastern cheese, they were so good I ordered two more to go. The coffee was light and full bodied. I enjoyed it immensely. I got back to finish my 2-hour ride with the Sana’a coffee. What impressed me is the quality of the cup. I did not have to fiddle with it to open it, it easily opened and closed. The cardamom was strong enough to smell, but it did not overpower the taste. I enjoyed that coffee on my ride, and it stayed hot for a long time. Definitely a place to...