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Ain't Normal Cafe
Ain't Normal Cafe: Bold beans, bold wines at Oakland's corner.
4.4
Cafe
$$$
Ain't Normal Cafe: Bold beans, bold wines at Oakland's corner.
Ain't Normal Cafe at 5701 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618 blends specialty coffee with a wine bar and grab-and-go options. Customers praise high-quality beans and espresso, curated drinks, and bites like babaganoush toast and scones. It offers limited indoor seating with wifi and a restroom, plus outdoor seating. Reviews note premium pricing and occasional hospitality differences.
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High-quality espresso drinks, mochas, and curated beverages using premium beans for discerning coffee lovers.
Freshly made sandwiches, babaganoush toast, scones, and breakfast items like egg and biscuit, available until 11 AM.
Extensive selection of wines and champagnes sold to-go, perfect for pairing with meals or as gifts.
Custom catering for events, offering our premium coffee, food, and wine selections to elevate any occasion.
Convenient delivery of our artisanal sandwiches and drinks, ideal for quick meals at home or work.
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Overall rating
ACACIA SHYR
Delicious babaganoush toast! Also maybe the best scone I've ever had. Great place to study or work if you have a full charge. No outlet and music is a bit loud, but there's free wifi and bathroom. Minimal indoor seating. It's a bit expensive but worth it.
Vineet Sinha
Very limited sitting inside, but lots of outside seating on the corner of Miles and College Ave. For highly discerning mocha connoisseurs, the mocha here will rank about a 4/5. For the rest of humanity, this is a 4.7/5 mocha. You’ll be satisfied either way. Going to try their egg and biscuit next, which is only really available before 11 AM
Matt
Potentially the best coffee shop in the entire Bay area. They're serving some of the highest quality beans you can find. If you are into specialty coffee there is simply not a better place to go. The pricees can be high but they match the high quality and are completely valid. It's amazing to see people complain about an extra dollar for oat milk, etc. I imagine these same people have no issue dropping 18 bucks on a glass from a $13 a bottle of grocery store wine at dinner. This place is a gem.
Alison Middleton
It was advertised as a Turmeric Latte. Didn't have it. Instead, I was served with attitude, with no room to heat up a frittata, and all the workers seemed upset to have customers, despite a line out the door. You could feel the opposite of hospitality. Maybe Ain't Normal must mean... no normal interactions, bad attitudes, and cold frittatas. Grits are good. Hence the 2
Barry Hashimoto
Strong espresso, nice curated drinks, and an extensive selection of wine and champagne sold to-go. Sandwiches appear to be thoughtfully crafted, and are a cinch to grab to go. Perfect as you’re near the train. Pricing is premium, par for the course at this big corner. Music is solid, staff are cued in to their work and having fun.
