It's A Grind Coffee House — Restaurant in San Leandro

It is a pleasure to both review and rate this new establishment. I waited for it to open for some time, but it finally has and I went there this morning for the first time.

Let me first mention that I am a ridiculous coffee geek. I won't bore you with my knowledge, but it is extreme. In fact, knowing how good a coffee can be by way of how it is made has led me to making some less and glorious reviews of other coffee houses, such as the Starbucks in South Shore Center (they're really never going to have it together) and others whom I got a one hit wonder out of because I was able to rapport and walk through a barista on how to make a proper pourover. But then the barista leaves and it is lost upon other staff how to excel, so I had to downgrade badly brewed coffee subsequently.

However, I am thrilled to announce that San Leandro's It's A Grind, run by Hersh Walia, is going to beat both our local Starbucks and Peet's because they understand the science behind brewing great coffee, whereas Starbucks does but cannot make it work on the individual barista level.

That's bad for what makes it into your cup.

Now if you have had a Starbucks clover machine coffee and really like it compared to drip Starbucks, you are going to love the Curtis pourover machine at It's A Grind San Leandro and happily divorce the Starbucks Clover brewing method, as well as their sloppy, variegated pourover process as well for science noncompliance.

I won't bore you with why, but I will give you a hint in one word. Science. Its A Grind respects and utilized brewing science, whereas Starbucks and Peet's (Owned by Starbucks for some years now, if you didn't know - that's right, your Lone Comic Local Guide does the homework and downfield research for you so you can trust and rely on my reviews) probably respect the science but don't use the theory accurately and it is entirely evident in the finished product cup in terms of flavor disappointment.

But that is all part of the decades old 'cream and sugar, syrup and flavoring' scandal the industry has perpetrated upon the public for a long time at great cost to you and great profit to them.

The mantra of Specialty Coffee is "It's what comes out in the cup that counts." In case you don't know it, coffee farmers have a saying, "I spend nine months giving my love, sweat, soul and heart to coffee growing just to see a barista ruin my life's work in five minutes."

I have seen this time and time and time again at dozens of Starbucks bay wide. Only three times have I had an experience worth rating highly, and two of them were one hit wonders I later had to downgrade.

That won't happen at Its A Grind San Leandro. They respect the science because they are intelligent enough to know what it does for flavor, and hence flavor, so goes your coffee experience.

In case you don't know, proper coffee science in specialty coffee has gone from five percent of the market to 40% in six years. Globally. Starbucks has closed 1500 stores in Europe and closed that continents headquarters. We are witnessing a brand in decline and I am over the moon about that because they were so overrated it made me sick.

Go to Its A Grind Sand Leandro. Get a pourover. Be patient. Good coffee takes time, but great coffee takes a little longer. And when you get it, just add milk. Why? Because big coffee doesn't want you to know a little secret. When coffee is brewed with science at the heart of the process, it has creamy and sweet characteristics built into the flavor profile.

And if you really want to science out with me, and I know you do -- use whole milk, not half and half, so that the "protein bridge" is joined.

What does that mean? The protein in coffee and the protein in whole milk (not half and half or non fat or two percent, mind you) are identical.

UPDATE:

This place has really gone marginal since it opened. The pourover machine is constantly broken, breaking the consumer law of consistency, and the offerings made instead of this are marginally prepared and served. Welcome to...

STAY AWAY!!! I recently had a truly unpleasant experience at this restaurant both personal and from insiders... From the moment I stepped inside, the place was a mess. The floors were sticky, and the tables hadn't been wiped down properly. Not to mention, you are greeted with flies. But the real horror came when the food arrived and the way it was prepared. From flies, to moldy food... a true disgust. They make employees pre heat the food and freeze it for the next day and the lady who runs the places reuses the receipt papers to wrap and label the burritos. The milk was once brought home from her house and was expired and made the employees reuse it. The food that was moldy was cut off and sold like that! Anything that was expired was used to make orders...

The dish I ordered had a strange, off-putting smell, and upon closer inspection, I noticed mold growing on parts of the food. It looked like it hadn't been stored properly or had been sitting out for far too long. The texture was slimy, and the taste was even worse--like a mix of sour decay and old, rotting ingredients. The chorizo and bacon bits are frozen and microwaved along with eggs in a contaminated cutting and preparing the food area with flies always dancing around. Not to mention, the egg was sitting out for a couple of hours.

When I tried to bring it to the staff's attention, I was met with indifference. To top it off, the general cleanliness of the restaurant was appalling. The bathroom was a disaster, and there were food stains and poop on the walls. With my careful observations I saw the main lady going in and not washing her hands. It's clear that cleanliness and food safety are not priorities here.

Needless to say, I won't be returning, and I strongly advise anyone to stay far away from this place. It's a severe health hazard and a disgusting dining experience. This place needs to be shut down immediately due to the...

Avoid this place. Read the other negative reviews. They love to overcharge people and then clarify in the reviews instead of putting a complete menu in the store. My mother and I had a strange experience. Poor customer service, items not listed on the menu, being overcharged. THE "gentleman" she referred to wasn't working but reading. And then decided to offer his seat to a guest that turned up after us. I have my reasons for that but don't need to mention. Maybe he has selective dementia. He only sees some people as ladies and others as not. Wonder why. When she mentioned it in her review she was given many justifications and lies. They even used the disability of their staff as an excuse. We were served by one person who may have had a disability but he was friendly and professional. The other two were lazy and rude. I doubt any physical or mental handicap was associated. We were charged for something not on the menu which isn't cool. And correcting your customers by telling them to read the menu is not acceptable. Nobody wants to go anywhere where they have to negotiate prices on a menu. We don't barter here in Oakland. What's listed is the price. Basic drinks basic food basic service. If you go here make...