Oak Cali Cafe is a block from the area's tennis courts. 2 inside dining rooms & a covered outside patio provides lotsa seating. Modest decor on walls. Offerings: brunch, bagels, sides, sandwiches, pastries, ethiopian food, covfefe. Ordered at counter, paid, food brought to table. Eats: ethiopian breakfast (14.56) -scrambled eggs done perfectly with tomatos, peppers, fir-fir (crushed ingera mixed with spicy sauce) tasty, slightly spicy, kin che (cracked wheat with spicy sauce, Ethiopian clarified butter) -all made to order. Very fulfilling. Dripped covfefe (3.38) -strong, fragrant brew sans creamer, sugar. Smooth, easy sipping. Leftovers: -outer room baked in sun. Too "hot" for my comfort. -berbere chili sauce wasn't evident. Probably only a trace. Can really burn when it's abundant. -quick, courteous service.
Noah S.
we love the Oak Cali Cafe! Definitely my favorite local coffee shop. I like to come here and read my book. My usual order is a latte, which is always very good and hot, and a breakfast sandwich. The breakfast sandwich has buttery cheese eggs with a fresh salad, tomatos and avocado on it, and is delicious. I love that it is run by Enat and her daughter and they are very nice and hospitable. I will keep coming back to this excellent neighborhood cafe.
DrNan C.
I met a few friends there on a Saturday afternoon for great food and service. Not far from the Lake Merrit BART station. I loved their outdoor patio.
Philecia Harris
Pretty good food, I had the Ethiopian food, vegan plate. Cool place, came back for a poetry event that was free and ate
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Michael Khor
Dishes take forever to be served. Be prepared for long wait times.
Service: 1
Dawit Alemayehu
The Ethiopian breakfast, fool and kita firfir are
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Besuye
Delicious Ethiopian breakfast with open air alfresco dining. Very close to lake Merritt. Highly recommend it. Try the Ethiopian breakfast while you're here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yamiletzy G.
Great menu selection. Mobile order is available makes it easy to pickup on your way to bart. Their smoothies are always so fresh and delicious
Vivian Võ
I really hate to leave negative reviews for locally owned places but yesterday, both dishes we ordered were drenched in oil.My threshold for oiliness is usually pretty high when I eat out but I was so grossed out I couldn’t finish my food. I also had a terrible stomach ache this morning, likely from my meal here.I thought maybe it was just a bad day for them but reading a few reviews, it seems like this is becoming a pattern.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 3
Cat Lorentzen
The food is great and I really like the outdoor seating area. Awesome little neighborhood spot!
I'll give this place a 4/5 stars. We were actually on our way to another restaurant when we saw this place and wanted to try as we love new restaurants that smell good when you walk by. Oak Cali is a nice small coffee shop/ restaurant that gives you amazing food. We ordered the Ethiopian Breakfast and were blown away by the flavor. They were out of beef sausage as we would have liked to have the extra protein but not a deal breaker. The service was nice as we did have several people check on us as we dined. The carafe non bottomless mimosa is not worth the $35 when you can get bottomless mimosas for $20 at other restaurants so don't waste your time and money on that. We will be back to try other dishes!although it is quite expensive. It rather expensive and not worth the $60 spent for one dish and the carafe mimosa but I would comeback and try other dishes as the food was well seasoned.
Jay D
Wheelchair accessibility: No stairs but bathroom is minuscule
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Toast with Side of Fruit, Ethiopian Breakfast
Jonathan Rice
I came here from brunch and was very pleased. The staff was super nice and the food was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christina L.
Came here on a whim! It was just one woman working (I think the owner?) so the food did take a little longer but saw her whisking the pancake batter and cutting fruit from scratch! The portions were a lot bigger than expected and tasted great! Loved how the avocado toast came with at least 2 slices VS the typical restaurants that overcharge on small toasts. Has a little lemon kick to it, which I love. The pancakes and waffles were fluffy and delicious!
Jimmy H.
This has to be the worst cafe/food place I've ever been to. I came in the restaurant with a big smile on my face to be friendly, but the male staff gave me a stare. He had his earbuds on the whole time to talk with other people while taking my order. I ordered an American breakfast and French Toast and he did not ask me how I want my egg cooked and do I want bacon or sausage. After I paid, he just walked away and gave the order to the cook. She kept asking him multiple times, "Is it for here or togo?" When he took my order, he didn't bother to ask me if I want it here or togo. He made the decision if I eat here or take out on his own. I let it go and I wait for the food with my family outside. It took more than 20 minutes for the food to come out. Everything is self-served. The food was good but the service is terrible! -Sigh- This would be my first and last time to come here. I don't support business that don't care about their customers and lack of honesty. I was overcharged for unnecessary and unknown things on the receipt I attached. My family and I left the cafe unsatisfied and disappointed.
Oak Cali Cafe is a block from the area's tennis courts. 2 inside dining rooms & a covered outside patio provides lotsa seating. Modest decor on walls. Offerings: brunch, bagels, sides, sandwiches, pastries, ethiopian food, covfefe. Ordered at counter, paid, food brought to table. Eats: ethiopian breakfast (14.56) -scrambled eggs done perfectly with tomatos, peppers, fir-fir (crushed ingera mixed with spicy sauce) tasty, slightly spicy, kin che (cracked wheat with spicy sauce, Ethiopian clarified butter) -all made to order. Very fulfilling. Dripped covfefe (3.38) -strong, fragrant brew sans creamer, sugar. Smooth, easy sipping. Leftovers: -outer room baked in sun. Too "hot" for my comfort. -berbere chili sauce wasn't evident. Probably only a trace. Can really burn when it's abundant. -quick, courteous service.
we love the Oak Cali Cafe! Definitely my favorite local coffee shop. I like to come here and read my book. My usual order is a latte, which is always very good and hot, and a breakfast sandwich. The breakfast sandwich has buttery cheese eggs with a fresh salad, tomatos and avocado on it, and is delicious. I love that it is run by Enat and her daughter and they are very nice and hospitable. I will keep coming back to this excellent neighborhood cafe.
I met a few friends there on a Saturday afternoon for great food and service. Not far from the Lake Merrit BART station. I loved their outdoor patio.
Pretty good food, I had the Ethiopian food, vegan plate. Cool place, came back for a poetry event that was free and ate
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Dishes take forever to be served. Be prepared for long wait times.
Service: 1
The Ethiopian breakfast, fool and kita firfir are
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious Ethiopian breakfast with open air alfresco dining. Very close to lake Merritt. Highly recommend it. Try the Ethiopian breakfast while you're here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great menu selection. Mobile order is available makes it easy to pickup on your way to bart. Their smoothies are always so fresh and delicious
I really hate to leave negative reviews for locally owned places but yesterday, both dishes we ordered were drenched in oil.My threshold for oiliness is usually pretty high when I eat out but I was so grossed out I couldn’t finish my food. I also had a terrible stomach ache this morning, likely from my meal here.I thought maybe it was just a bad day for them but reading a few reviews, it seems like this is becoming a pattern.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 3
The food is great and I really like the outdoor seating area. Awesome little neighborhood spot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ethiopian Breakfast
Restaurantji Recommends
I'll give this place a 4/5 stars. We were actually on our way to another restaurant when we saw this place and wanted to try as we love new restaurants that smell good when you walk by. Oak Cali is a nice small coffee shop/ restaurant that gives you amazing food. We ordered the Ethiopian Breakfast and were blown away by the flavor. They were out of beef sausage as we would have liked to have the extra protein but not a deal breaker. The service was nice as we did have several people check on us as we dined. The carafe non bottomless mimosa is not worth the $35 when you can get bottomless mimosas for $20 at other restaurants so don't waste your time and money on that. We will be back to try other dishes!although it is quite expensive. It rather expensive and not worth the $60 spent for one dish and the carafe mimosa but I would comeback and try other dishes as the food was well seasoned.
Wheelchair accessibility: No stairs but bathroom is minuscule
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Toast with Side of Fruit, Ethiopian Breakfast
I came here from brunch and was very pleased. The staff was super nice and the food was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came here on a whim! It was just one woman working (I think the owner?) so the food did take a little longer but saw her whisking the pancake batter and cutting fruit from scratch! The portions were a lot bigger than expected and tasted great! Loved how the avocado toast came with at least 2 slices VS the typical restaurants that overcharge on small toasts. Has a little lemon kick to it, which I love. The pancakes and waffles were fluffy and delicious!
This has to be the worst cafe/food place I've ever been to. I came in the restaurant with a big smile on my face to be friendly, but the male staff gave me a stare. He had his earbuds on the whole time to talk with other people while taking my order. I ordered an American breakfast and French Toast and he did not ask me how I want my egg cooked and do I want bacon or sausage. After I paid, he just walked away and gave the order to the cook. She kept asking him multiple times, "Is it for here or togo?" When he took my order, he didn't bother to ask me if I want it here or togo. He made the decision if I eat here or take out on his own. I let it go and I wait for the food with my family outside. It took more than 20 minutes for the food to come out. Everything is self-served. The food was good but the service is terrible! -Sigh- This would be my first and last time to come here. I don't support business that don't care about their customers and lack of honesty. I was overcharged for unnecessary and unknown things on the receipt I attached. My family and I left the cafe unsatisfied and disappointed.