Cafe 504

Café 504 is now closed. However, it was sold and is now reopened as the Haddon Hill Café! Longer hours, redecorated, and appears to be better managed now. Yay!

So was a bit worried that this place would loose it’s charm with new owners. But I have been in a couple of time and while they painted and have put up new art. They seem very nice and the coffee is very 4 barrel which is always good. So if your around show them some love their just getting started and doing well so far. :)

Have had slow service here before but the last time the guy offered to bring my coffee out before I could pay because he was working on someone’s food order so that was nice. It’s a pretty small space in a hard-​to-​find location so I don’t know how the economics work but the finishes inside are really nice and the espresso was pretty close to perfect. I didn’t find the baked goods too enticing (more savory than sweet) but they seem to care about quality. You can hang out with friends or with your laptop and seems like you would be equally welcomed but I could see how on busy days laptop people would be a drag.
If I were them I’d make sure the service is solid (basically nobody should feel like they’re being ignored) and make it easier to see what non-​coffee options are available. Given the location, I’d also find some kind of product besides coffee (which they already have down) to overcome the location disadvantages.

Café 504 is wonderful. The last latte I had from them was outstandingly prepared — rich, delicious, made with care.
They are a very low key, local, Oakland sort of business. I love going there. They also have free WiFi, useful for getting work done.

A nice little neighborhood café. My latte was well prepared with care and the cherry muffin was a-​ok. Lots of room to hang out and enjoy the free wifi.

Epic coffee, vegan coffee cake made in house, amazingly friendly staff. Sign me up for that combo every day of the week!
This place was right down the hill from my friend’s house where we were staying for the weekend and 504 quickly became the morning routine. The Americano I had was bomb and once I had the coffee cake it was all over. You can tell a good coffee shop when everyone is happy; the staff, the customers, hell even the dogs outside looked chipper.
Good thing I don’t live nearby or I’d probably rock that vegan coffee cake on a daily basis, so damn good. You’d be seeing me head to fat town pretty damn quick.

I have wanted to like this place since the first time I went there 2 – 3 years ago; it still hasn’t happened. Slow but friendly service is trumped every time by the price of an inferior product.
Do yourself a favor by picking up a V-​60 or a bee house dripper, your choice of coffee, and a water kettle with a nice focused spout. Now, used these newly acquired tools to pack in your own tasty beverages whilst doing your laundry next door.

I really want to like this place. It’s a stone’s throw from my house and I love they have quirky art shows. But… they are really slow. And, I’ve been served rotten food — a hard boiled egg and a soy latte where the soy had gone bad. Yes, soy goes bad. And it’s gross when it does.
So please, improve the food and service. I really want to like you.

This is a 3.5 review.
Pro’s: Local to its core. House made goodies. Friendly. Good coffee. Great Vibe
Con’s: Limited hours. Limited menu (no iced drinks in winter). Not always consistent.

Blue Bottle coffee beans is great, but also using Straus Family Creamery milk makes this an exceptional latte.
This is a quaint, unassuming neighborhood coffee spot. The barrista (oh how I wish there was a better word) is like the local mom who calls everyone ‘honey’; it’s charming if not overdone, but the next two patrons received similar greeting so I didn’t feel quite as special.
Cash only? Yea that’s a bummer. Street parking in an apartment-​rich area also makes for no parking. But it’s only a couple blocks from the lake so the knowledgable walkers can start or finish here.
They make a limited selection of baked items daily, such as muffins, scones and quiche. I arrived at 9 am on Saturday and they hadn’t yet finished the first day’s bake, but they did have day-​old items. I tried the lemon, honey whipped cream muffin; it was surprisingly dense, but also moist enough to hardly recognize it wax from yesterday. The use of whipped cream reminded me of yogurt muffins. One patron loved the freshly baked goods do much that he was coming back in an hour for the day’s first batch.
They have a small bench in front, so limited outdoor seating. But if they had a patio, I’d bet they would be packed and it would lose it’s charm (maybe not).

I’ve always loved this café, but today they made a customer for life!
Come by, bring your favorite cup, let them brew you a delicious cup of Bicycle coffee (beans for sale) and try a homemade treat.
This is a neighborhood café at the highest level; friendly service, a gorgeous aesthetic, on a sleepy little street surrounded by a sprinkling of a few other small businesses.
Seriously, give them your money. Cash only :)

I love 504 for several reasons, but what sticks out the most is that it feels more like the living room of your chillest friend’s house than it does a food service establishment. It’s quite hard to leave once you’re there because it feels like home. The espresso drinks and baked goods are amazing: prepared right in front of you with time and care, and served to you with a smile.
There are books to read, art pieces to check out, and the view out the window is welcome relief from the typical coffee shop view: other stores, strip malls, restaurants, and even other coffee shops. At 504 you see only houses out its front windows, and you feel like you’ve found the perfect perch for watching the subtle drama of your neighborhood unfold in the early morning hours. It feels European, and it connects you to the community. It’s a great people-​watching post, and a great place to zone out.
The staff must have photographic memory: they never need to write orders down and I have been there over 20 times now and never once has my order been messed up. The portions are true to the drink personalities – cappuccinos are small and foamy, espresso shots are rich and tangy, and mochas are large and served in a bowl. The chai is fresh and spicy, and is delivered without the so-​sweet-​it-​makes-​you-​cringe quality that dominates corporate chai syrups… woops, I mean beverages.
You never feel rushed, and can pay before or after you eat – this distinguishes it from chain coffee shops, where it’s obvious that the focus is making money and so you must pay before you consume. At 504 you feel like your money is supporting a few people’s lives and you like those people, so it’s cool.
504 is the perfect small business model because it feels small and it has a face. There is not a hint of conformity or of an effort to impress. There is no marketing or hard selling. It’s not trying to be hip, and it’s not trying to be unique. It just is.

I love this place. Quaint, homey and delicious.
Come with time to spare.

I visited Café 504 today for the first time. I recently moved to oakland via Seattle and have been trying to find a good neighborhood coffee shop. Since I’m from Seattle I am VERY picky about the type of coffee I drink.
I ran by Café 504 last week on my way back from Lake Merritt. Today was laundry day for me so I decided to do laundry and have coffee at 504. I was pleasantly surprised at how good my short americano was. I almost didn’t want to add any cream to it because I didn’t want to ruin the amazing flavor. The barista did a really good job pulling my shots. He was also incredibly friendly and welcomed me to the bay area. The coffee shop itself is very pleasant and a nice place to hangout. It doesn’t have a ton of tables but it seems that many people were getting drinks to go. None of the prices for coffee are posted (which I had read about in other reviews). I was a bit surprised that my short americano was $ 3.25. In Seattle I never paid more than $ 2.50 for any size americano.
***A note to the owner: anything over $ 2.50 for an americano is a total rip off! I love your coffee but I will probably only treat myself to a cup every once in awhile because of the cost.
Besides the cost of the americano I love Café 504.

I’ve been here a few times and decided that this local hot spot is worth the investment. The menu is basic: regular coffee drinks and a short list of homemade pastries off to the side. I like that they don’t waste time advertising or explaining too much. It’s simple.
And then you drink the coffee and it’s good, really good. And then you get why the pastries regularly sell out. That’s when you see how this place is truly a diamond in the rough.

Café 504 has become my go-​to place during my temporary stay in the area. I agree with some of the previous reviews that the café isn’t always the most efficient but their drip and goodies more than make up for it. The owner’s also super nice as well! Each cup is individually made using beans from either Blue Bottle or Ritual, and all baked goods are made in-​house. My favorites, thus far, have been the blueberry muffins with a touch of rosemary and the date/​rosemary coffee cake… yum. And for full disclosure, I’m not even a fan of dates!

I’m real conflicted about this review. Like all the 3-​star ratings in 504’s reviews I have to gripe about 1) the soy milk 2) credit card option and 3) it’s more than usual temperamental staff. I used to come here alot since they serve Blue Bottle café and for their home-​baked goods but I now visit once in a blue moon. After awhile I got fed up with being ignored — this particular visit wasn’t busy at all. There were 2 customers ahead of me. So when it was finally my turn the barista completely ignored me for what felt like a really long uncomfortable time. Even though I knew I was in her peripheral vision. When she finally took my order she almost seemed annoyed with having to take my order and when I asked her what the pastries were, she seemed more annoyed as if I was supposed to know.
The soy milk was kind of gritty, did not like it at all. After I received my drink I headed straight to the cash register and waited for awhile, again.
I love supporting local businesses — but I’ll be happy to take my business elsewhere if you continue to treat my like this: (.

How do I love 504, let me count the ways…
1) Super duper friendly service and with a smile. They take your order and are more than happy to bring your drink or food to you while you sit at a table inside or out.
2) You can always count on a friendly conversation with a neighbor.
3) It’s 100% local. From the Blue Bottle and Ritual beans to the flyers in the window.
4) Never had a bad cup here. The baristas care and it shows from the leaf design on your breve to the ceramic mug they pour your black coffee in.
Enjoy Café 504!

Girl baristas = good
Boy baristas= not as good.
I’m just consistently disappointed when I go in there now. One would think the proximity to caffeine would give these dudes some personality, but apparently that isn’t the case.
As much as I love supporting my local (as in within stumbling distance) coffee shop, if I want to be treated like a nothing, I’d just go to Starbucks.

A wonderful neighborhood café, with amazing coffee (my first exposure to Blue Bottle, and I’m sold) and home-​baked organic pastries (I had a great parmesan herb scone). I came on a Saturday afternoon, and was able to score one of their four large tables (aside from that there’s a bar counter and some outdoor seating) to do a little work.
I’d give it 5* if if they had a few more substantial food items and more artificial sweetener options (I don’t like Splenda).