Caffe 817

I love this place, and this review is long overdue. Caffe 817 is the perfect place to grab a meal or coffee without the crazy waits, lines, and prices that have become all too common in Old Oakland. I come here almost every Saturday. Their food is always simple and light, but sooo flavorful and high quality. My favorite is the granola, fruit and yogurt plate. Their coffee is delicious, and everyone who works there is very friendly and helpful. Basically, it’s the best.

hands down best breakfast I’ve ever had in Oakland. I was anxious to try this place on my visit to the bay. had it bookmarked for some time and it did not disappoint. the service was friendly and quick. i got the prosciutto egg toast and it was divine. my friend and I shared the polenta with maple syrup and that was a great call! it was warm and complimented our dishes. I will return to this spot every time I visit!

Terrible owner and unprofessional staff.
Got overcharged for a takeout item. Called and said that I would be returning to get a refund or credit toward a meal and whoever I talked to said that it was ok.
Showed up and got yelled at by the barista that I was lying — she was basically trying to cover her mistake because she was the one who screwed up the order. After a few minutes of trying to explain and just getting yelled at, I ask to speak to the owner. Turns out, he was standing 5 feet away behind the counter the whole time!
He finally intervened in a totally patronizing way, and his solution was that he would give me a higher priced sandwich for a lower price. Not stoked on this because the food is not very good, but accepted because it seemed this was the only way I was going to get my money back.
He and the barista were smirking this whole time — I got the feeling that they were married to or dating each other and that’s why he allowed this behavior from her toward customers. Then they started whispering to one another and giggling right in front of me. Yeah, these were full-​grown adults acting this way.
From some of the other reviews, it seems that customers are still being treated this way by the baristas there.
The whole experience was completely unbelievable.
Overpriced. Bad service. Bad owner. Avoid.

I ordered the butternut squash frittata, which I did not see on the menu, but was on display. It was really good! Their cappuccino was also really good. The service was pretty quick considering how busy they were. I would definitely eat here again if I was in the area.

It’s a tight but cozy space. The eggs Benedict was yummy and really enjoyed the lemon in he sauce and tasted fresh. I’m not too into fruit as the side as it’s not really good food combining.

I enjoy café 817 my almond milk mocha are always a tasty. The food is always fresh and if your in a hurry call ahead and order for pick up. Staff is always accommodating.

We were looking for something different and found it.
Nothing to write home or to Unilocal about but a nice solid experience.
bb

European atmosphere, perfectly prepared and well seasoned breakfast food served piping hot, and giant bowls of coffee and hot tea. The tables and chairs are vintage in style and the art displayed on the walls tasteful and elegant. On a Friday morning there were plenty of tables available and although the menu selection isn’t extensive everything we had was delicious — the corned beef hash was the perfect portion size and served with rye toast and poached eggs. The chorizo polenta had a smoky taste that was delicious. Highly recommend!

This is a small cozy setting with outside seating. I was walking past and the art work caught my eye. I did not eat in that day, but went back because I was interested in trying out the menu. I returned a few days later and was happy to be offered breakfast go, as I was in a bit of a hurry. I recommend this place.

No. Just no. I didn’t want to come here but my friend insisted because she was really hungry and so we settled on this café, which has a good amount of outdoor seating and honestly, thats the major plus. The downside is the lack of vegetarian options (a salad and a sandwich with a roasted salad in it) and the quality of the food. My friend said her sandwich and coffee where eh, which is not good enough in my opinion when you spend $ 15 for the two. I just got a eggplant sandwich and let’s just say the best part about the sandwich was the side salad. I distinctly remember sitting and feeling the cold air hit my back as I decided that not only was I not going to finish the 2^nd half of this horrid sandwich, but that I was never coming back.

My sisters and I came here for coffee and my sister was asking about the macchiato and the different flavors. The girl taking care of us was getting really annoyed and said they make it as espresso but with foam which we understood. Then my sister asked for a small but then the lady repeated and said in a rude tone «this isn’t Starbucks». Instead of kindly educating a customer about the unique coffee they offered she in a way insulted my sister. It seems like a very nice place with good food and good coffee and I wouldn’t stop Anyone from going there but rude employees will destroy a business and scare away customers.

Needed a quick caffeine break while staying at the nearby Marriott and decided to try this place which is only 1 block away!
I was excited to see that they have my «go-​to» drink, iced chai tea latte with soy milk. This place offers this drink, so I was down to try it! I liked that they brew their own chai tea in house. This chair tea latte is ok… not the best and not the worst. I would have liked more spice and kick to it!
Service was great and we got our drinks and we were in and out in 10 minutes or less.
The vibe in the place was great with the art and the décor being very hipster cute! I could see myself having a meal there or chilling in the coffeeshop to do some work. I’m going to have to come back just to try the food… and hopefully I can write an updated review!

Way too expensive for the experience. The food; it’s like going over to your best friends place when they learned how to make that one fancy thing they looked up in Julia Child. The ingredients are high quality, but because your friend is inexperienced in putting it all together it all comes out tasting about the same— which is to say too sweet, salty, and a full flavor profile.
Don’t get me wrong. I love my cheap and greasy diner food, but this café is one of many trying to make it in the hipster cluster f*** of fancy-​but-​not eateries in the Oaklamd area. It is also one of the more expensive.
Save your money.

Strong coffee and tasty breakfasts (sliced chorizo, poached eggs, excellent levain) served in a cheerful setting, marred only by unfortunate lassitude. It took quite a while for our food to come out, making our breakfast stop just a little too stressful as we fretted about whether we’d end up late for the day’s hike. I know that’s a petty complaint, but 1, as I’ve written before breakfast is the most fragile meal of the day, and 2, when you order food at the counter of a small coffee shop, the normal expectation is that it’s a relatively quick operation.
And of course, since this is Oakland, they make their own (tasty, slightly Cholula-​esque) hot sauce.

This is a fantastic place in the heart of Old Oakland to grab breakfast and not get boring food. I work a couple of blocks away and dream of one dish constantly — their polenta with poached egg and blue cheese. To make sure It wasn’t just me, I brought a colleague to taste it. She was skeptical but as soon as she tasted it, the dish elicited a genuine «OMG».
The folks here are chill and the atmosphere is very calm and relaxed. I am always looking for excuses to come here. I brought my teenager during Kraken Con and she loved the place because Caitlin Glass (a famous animé voiceover artist was there) and she kindly agreed to take a photo with her. It’s a good place if you are attending a convention or don’t want to be overcharged up at Jack London for breakfast and good coffee.

Sweet blend of Urban American and European aesthetic. Hip and sophisticated without being pretentious. It will satisfy your coffee cravings and the breakfast and lunch menu will please your palate without leaving you stuffed and uncomfortable. I had a breve latte and poached eggs on toast with prosciutto. Toast was a little heavy on the garlic, but because the toast was perfectly buttered and toasted, it was forgivable. I enjoyed watching the staff interact with their patrons both new and the regulars. Loved it and think you will too.

This is a good spot for breakfast, coffee and tea. They have a good flow of people; sharing stories, phone talking, and just talking.
This may be a place for me to come back relax have some coffee and a panini. This restaurant is located in old Oakland down the street from the police department. This seems popular amongst the local business customers and some local customer. I may have found my place.

Very friendly staff.
I ordered the lunch special on recommendation: Risotto and an IPA from a local brewery.
The risotto was fantastic. My first time having it, but I can’t imagine it tasting better.
Love that they support OBC (Oakland brewing company).
I’ll be back.

Meh. The sandwiches here are around $ 8, but they’re really small. You can get better sandwiches next door that are twice as big, at least a dollar cheaper, have more ingredients, and much tastier. I did think the roast beef (the meat itself) here is really good but I’m just not impressed with their sandwiches. I guess maybe the higher cost is to account for the salad they give you in your order, which I think are pretty average also. They could provide a bit more dressing though. A coworker found a pretty large bug in her salad recently too…
Coffee here is pretty good, but also small for how much it costs. Their iced coffee is also almost twice as much as a hot coffee, so I’d just stick to hot coffee here and get your iced coffee elsewhere.

I was drawn in by the Pastrami «Reuben» on the sidewalk sign. They have Reuben in quotes because there’s coleslaw instead of sauerkraut and no Russian dressing.
Trying to be a little healthier, I got a green side salad instead of the menu listed potato salad ($ 11.50
).
Good amount of pastrami between the very lightly grilled /​toasted bread (
). In addition to the coleslaw there’s some type of pepper relish (
)
O-​M-​G, this was an excellent sandwich! Fantastic, smokey, moist pastrami, just enough cheese, and the slaw added a nice crunch and was not a mayo-​y mess. I would have liked the sandwich more grilled and thicker cuts of the meat, but I’m picking nits. The basic salad was nicely dressed with vinaigrette.
I found out later from the owner (?) that the pastrami is made and smoked completely in house. This was the best pastrami I’ve had in recent memory.
Tuesday is pastrami day. Be there or be square.
«Reuben» — 4.5 stars and rounding up today :)