Uncommon Cafe

A good place for a cup of coffee and have some work done

This is as good as it gets. A non corporate business with a cool funky feel, in the corner of an older warehouse building where they also run their commercial roasting business…
Great coffee, a great ambiance, parking lot, free wifi, power outlets, friendly and helpful staff.
I can’t say enough good things about this place.

I come here with my co-​worker at least 2 – 3 times a week and sometimes twice in one day, depending who I am hanging with. The Baristas are always nice and down to earth. The coffee is better then any other coffee chain and the prices are reasonable. They have food too. I’ve only had the salads can’t commit on the sandwiches or breakfast burritos.

This is one of my favorite coffee shops to work at in the Bay Area. There is always plenty of seating (maybe it is still a hidden gem?), tons of outlets, and the wifi is dependable. It’s a roastery, so often there is quite a bit of white noise from the machines being run, which I personally love. (It does make it not so great for important business meetings, as I discovered that one time…)
They also carry the best bagels I have had on the West Coast — which is saying a lot! I’m always tempted to get more than one when I come here.
I just wish they were open for more hours during the day!

Maybe three times a year I drive from Sacramento for work in the neighborhood. To avoid traffic I come early, before my office opens. I visit Uncommon for breakfast at 7 am when it opens. Wish there was another option. The Slavic lady is surly, unfriendly; eggs are always overlooked (no over easy here), and this time the bathroom was out of order. Not a pretty picture!

I love this café! Their coffee and food is unmatched. But TWICE I’ve tried to go and experience coffee and sandwich bliss — and found it closed. I can forgive them for not being open on weekends, but this is a little ridiculous. There’s basically no way for me to know at this point if they’re closed or open except by going all the way out there and crossing my fingers. It’s a shame because it’s otherwise one of my favorite coffeeshops in town.

In terms of the food/​drink — the iced coffee I ordered was very bitter so I didn’t drink much of it and they didn’t have many pastry options available. However, this is a nice comfortable place to study during the day. They have free wifi and there are lots of outlets available. They also have a little patio area outside where I study when I want to bring my dog to keep me company. The location is in the back of some random parking lot. But that means there’s parking available so that’s a plus. FYI — the café closes early so this is definitely not a late night hang out/​study kind of place.

Uncommon, random, but quaint Café! I stumbled upon this place after eating lunch in the area and I needed a place to get work done. This place definitely has its perks. Free in lot parking, free coffee with purchase and Unilocal check-​in, friendly baristas, not crowded, and great music!
The location is odd and is unlike any other café I’ve been too but it was a good place to get some work done. There isn’t any amazing drink offers here; just the usuals but they deliver your drink orders to your table so thats nice. They close early relatively early (4PM) but still, I’d return if I was in the area.

place is in the back empty most of the time, been here a couple of times. people were eating not sure if good or bad :) its good for a date cause its never too many people around to listen to your awkward conversation … i think they close early but not sure :)
I overheard the «barista» saying that some dude was «BAND» as BOBO from howard stern show would say for masturbating in the bathroom with the door unlocked. i think that dude was unstable tho :)) hahahaha however a little creepy

Really enjoyed stopping by this place today. It was my first time in the area and I needed a place where I could work for a bit. I found the staff smiling and pleasing, the food I ordered was great and I was very happy that they had their own parking area. Everything was clean and the place is cozy. I do recommend it for people that want a place to work and have good food.

Uncommon café, in an uncommon place…
I was in dire need of coffee one morning before heading into work close by, when I just happened to randomly come upon this place.
I was a little hesitant to enter into the café, for it doesn’t necessarily exude your standard coffee shop– however, I was quite pleasantly surprised upon entering into the more industrial, warehouse, artsy like atmosphere.
Service from the barista working, was warm and friendly. They seemed to have a nice variety of specialty organic pastries and regular treats to choose from; as well as a decent selection of café beverages. I ended up ordering some scrambled eggs to go (needed my protein) as well as a small cup of coffee and one of their raw organic brownies. Price for everything was reasonable.
Coffee was certainly decent — nothing spectacular, but decent. Eggs were cooked fairly well as well. The brownie I thought was just so-​so, maybe just a tad too on the healthy side tasting (which I usually prefer) but was in the mood for something just a pinch for sinful.
Overall, I can’t say I would make it a point to come back, but I would not turn down a chance to come back if close by.

Nothing wrong with the café, per se… But it’s just really low-​budget and uninspiring. The orange walls look like they were painted by a child, and the seats are upholstered with plaid green and red fabric that was likely free. There’s no music playing, so there’s no rhythm to be had, if you’d like to stay awhile and get your work done. Just really ‘meh,’ which is a waste of space in a town full of innovative and inspiring places.
The coffee is tasty and the employees are nice. So there’s that. And if you arrive at a time when a parking spot is available, there is some free parking, and available wifi.

If you’re hungry and/​or have anything to do for the rest of the day, do not come to this place.
Have you ever been to the revolution café in west oakland? I never thought I would call a place worse than the rev, but since there are zero interesting characters to stare at here, this place is.
There are 2 idiots behind the counter doing what one idiot could do just as bad, and take just as long doing it. My friends ordered complex items like the breakfast burrito, which I knew would be a mistake. I’ve been listening to tweedle dum ask tweedle dee «what was the order again?» At least 10 times over the last 30min as I’ve been waiting for the food to come out.
My order was simple, toasted bagel, cream cheese, bacon. Easy, right? Wrong. I was getting the last bagel in the shop, and tweedle dee burned it to oblivion, and there’s no second chance.
Came here because 900 Grayson had too long of a line. Should’ve stayed there.

I’ll say it now — this place isn’t for everyone. The heart of Berkeley’s industrial neighborhood seems like an… uncommon choice to put a café. But navigating through the concrete and steel jungle to find Uncommon Café adds to its bohemian clandestine flair.
One of the perks of this location is that it has a parking lot! A small one, shared with a window and patio supply store, but nonetheless free, untimed parking. There’s a few signs that kind of lead the way to Uncommon, but the actual entrance is located through the parking lot and patio. Another perk is that there’s always empty tables! Maybe not right next to the dirty outlet strip, but the patio is charming, the Wi-​fi is fast and it’s easy for me to lose track of time here.
Check in for a free small coffee. The coffee is delicious and rich; I knew I was coming back for more. The small size latte was smaller than I expected and came in basically a teacup…
Okay, what do I mean by «bohemian clandestine»?
1) The books. Worn and weathered books rest on bookshelves around the café. A comfy reading space beckons to anyone who wants to browse titles ranging from art to psychology.
2) The décor. The furniture is also weathered and won’t win any cleanliness awards, but if the cushioned seat fits… But it’s also about the little things like the light streaming through the high slanted ceiling and the Chinese calendar on the bulletin board.
3) The «Employees Only» sign on the door leading the way to the coffee roastery. Employees — and the privileged connoisseurs who are picking up their fresh roasts. It’s like a secret club in plain sight due to the giant window into the room where you can see them conducting their business, which is actually in fact, roasting coffee.
4) Boho-​licious muffin flavors like Lavender Seed and Cherry Chocolate Chia.
5) The elevated bathroom and crazy mural on its walls: part fable, part social commentary, and 100% cartoon. Look in the mirror and you’ll see what appears to be the North Pole.
The roastery part may make or break your experience at Uncommon. For one, it’s really loud. Loud enough that it makes conversation even one table away indistinguishable unless you’re trying to eavesdrop. For me, this was a boon since I could focus on my own space (introvert, could you tell?). And also, it makes the whole café smell constantly like burnt coffee. It saturates your clothes and people will instantly think you’re a coffee addict.

I work for a university and my department loves ordering our coffee from Uncommon Café! We work with Valerie, who is incredibly friendly, attentive and professional. Whenever we need a new coffee order, I just send an e-​mail and they deliver it!
And we love that their coffee is organic, fair trade. Peruvian blend is our favorite, super delicious!

Top notch mocha with nice outdoor seating. Great for a mid-​morning re-​awakening. Service is very good; indoor seating conducive to getting some work done. Will be back.

I really enjoyed my afternoon at this café. I accidentally stayed a half an hour past their closing time (too engrossed in my work/​unaware of the closing time) and they were way too polite to tell me!
Plus a beautiful building, parking, wifi, comfy seats, very friendly baristas and a view of their machinery behind glass. And personally, I really liked the white noise from the machines — might be a deal breaker if you’re not interested in that feature.
Really lovely. Can’t wait to come back.

A quiet little spot with a comfortable vibe, great coffee, baked goods, and sandwiches. Free wifi and of course you can buy beans as well. They must pay the rent with their wholesale roast bean business, as they don’t get a lot of walkin traffic due to being tucked in back of the window/​door business on seventh. Nonetheless they are worth seeking out for a nice respite.

I ordered the iced decaf coffee. They brewed me a cup and then put it over ice. The flavor of the coffee was very bold. It may have been too bold for my taste as it was decaf, it still gave me a caffeine buzz. Odd. But I enjoyed my iced coffee as I chilled and used the free wifi.
For my next visit, I will try the regular coffee and see if it taste the same. Good to know of a local Berkeley roasting company among the many coffee spots in the area.

Food /​Coffee: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Come here for: a nice place to sit, chat, read, maybe start a conversation with a stranger.
The coffee here is aromatic but the espresso drink is a bit mediocre. I have a Nespresso frother at home and can make about the same drink, that’s what I mean. So I got a single cappuccino ($ 2.8) that was notably hot, which I like. I also ordered an egg-​in-​the-​hole ($ 2.65) which I thought sounded interesting. But it tasted OK, too buttery and heavy for me. And also you can totally make it at home. (I’d much prefer the local poach from Local 123, sorry Uncommon Café).
All in all– I love to explore Berkeley and this is definitely a hole in the wall that you should stop by sometimes. And they sell shirts that say Life is Too Short to Drink Shitty Coffee. I agree!