Cafe Lakeview

Stopped by here a few times for coffee. They are friendly, reasonably priced, and the coffee tastes like coffee! I have ordered their Ethiopian breakfast burrito twice. The first time it was to-​go, and I attempted to eat it as my in car meal while traveling from Oakland to Portland. The second time I ate it at the café. It is messy, but it is delicious! Order it. Accept you will make a mess. Thank the lovely folks that are feeding you. Yummy

#12
Café Lakeview gets 5 stars from this Unilocaler!
I was meeting my friend this morning to do several rounds on the stairs at the Cleveland Cascade and he interested me in a strong coffee treat close by after we finished killing ourselves on the stairs.
We walked over just barely one block to the Café Lakeview. We were greeted in a warm and friendly manner by the service girl and offered beverages. My companion asked about the «strong coffee» he was telling me about and she assured us it was definitely enough for two. Thank G-​d we trusted her because I was super wired for hours off the tiny cup of coffee I drank at the Lakeview.
We also ordered baklava to accompany our coffee drink. My companion said it was off the charts and was quite happy that I was not wanting to indulge in the baklava treat. However, I did want to partake in the coffee.
The coffee was served in this neat little pot, with a wooden lid. It was quite beautiful. They offer two tiny little espresso type cups alongside of the pot for your coffee enjoyment. There is also a tray replete with thick sugars and heavy cream to accompany the strong coffee.
I told my friend that it reminded me of Turkish coffee one might receive in the Muslim quarter in Jerusalem. Outside of there, I have never had such strong and delicious coffee.
We sat in the open space, big windows, free wifi, comfy chairs and tables. The service is top tier and the quality is epic. I cannot believe it took me this long to visit, as this location is so close to my home and so close to the stairs I visit on a dally basis.
I will be a frequent guest here and bring my friends to introduce them to this little gem tucked away by Lake Merritt.
Stephani Smiles for Café Lakeview ;)
#stillwiredfromthatcoffee

Great view, lots of seating, the prices are terrific, wifi free and good, coffee is decent but can be spotty when there’s a rush. There’s usually no line. Don’t miss the food, really good deals on egg dishes and Ethiopian items, and the smoothies are healthy and filling. Some of the pastries are homemade, very rare for a small coffee shop.
There are a couple rough edges now and then but they are very nice people trying to run the place, usually the owner Sara and one or two workers. It’s the neighborhoods only local café for a few blocks, I’m rooting for them!
PS some of the other comments are right about smaller issues, the bathroom is locked accidentally sometimes, I’m sure they are reading Unilocal and are trying to improve

Another café near my casa. I decided to check it out on an early evening Sunday to do some work. There seems to be a decent amount of space, not too loud, and a solid location at the lake.
There were two ladies working and I really just wanted a nice tea and a pastry. I went with a chai spice tea and poppy seed muffin. It was a huge muffin which I’m cool with and a bag of tea. Nothing too fancy. The muffin was decent; not extra moist and not super dry.
It looks as though they specialize in Ethiopian foods which is cool for those of you whom are adventurous eaters. The place is super clean and all round, not shabby.
Decent spot. Just don’t expect a lot of pastry option later in the day.

My experience here was really bad. This happened a year ago but I just didn’t find the time to write this review. My husband and I went to do some work and we ordered 2 lattes and sandwiches. As we were waiting for the order, I went use the restroom which was locked. I approached one of the staff members in order to have it opened and was told to wait since there’s probably someone inside. I kid you not, I waited for about 10 minutes and there was nobody come out and no response when I knocked the door several times. I went back and told them it was empty and they said the manager had the key. Since I needed to pee, I asked her if she could open it quickly. She had the guts to say that SHE WAS BUSY so I needed to wait !!! HELLO !!! I am a paying customer and this is part of her job!!! she really needs to be taught manners and the importance of customer service. Needless to say, I will never set foot in that place. I think the location is excellent but very poor customer service.

Delicious scrambled eggs with tomatoes, bell peppers, cheese and semsame bagel with cream cheese all for $ 5.45!
I also really enjoy their simple «house milkshake» with flaxseed, banana and soy milk. I recommend ordering it with an extra banana for denser, creamier texture. Simple. mildly yummy and good.
My boyfriend also likes their sandwiches and the free wifi :)
beautiful view right on the lake, outdoor seating etc

Ethiopian veggie combo «buffet» is delicious, and it’s less than 8 bucks. I also had a great smoothie here. My boyfriend ordered a roast beef sandwich and loved it. Also under 8 bucks, looked enormous, and came with a super-​fresh salad.
A little lacking in décor, but hey, that’s what the lake is for…

Some of the worst coffee I’ve ever had, service is slow and very unprofessional. Don’t waste your time or money here.

It’s probably not fair to start a review before even having a first sip of coffee, but in this case, I just can’t help myself. Here’s my interaction on walking in:
Me: «Hi, I’ll have a 12 ounce latte.»
Barista: «Iced latte?»
Me: «Hot is fine. Thanks.»
Barista: «16 ounces?»
Me: «12 ounces is still good.»
**Another barista hops in he conversation.**
Barista 2: «For here or to go?»
Me: «For here»
Barista 2: «We close in 30 minutes, so we are only serving ‘to-​go.’»
Me: «Okay…I guess I’ll have it to go?»
Coffee is okay. There are better places around (that actually want your business). Too bad, it’s a great spot on the lake and has plenty of potential.
Also, where was the last coffee shop you went to that was playing rap music? Just a side note, I would never mark down for something like that.

Hit-​or-​miss coffee, but the place is spacious and fairly comfortable (if nondescript), parking nearby is usually fairly easy, and the view of the lake is a nice distraction from studying.

First — they did not honor their Groupon, the manager flat out rejected the deal. No worries, I wanted to try their food anyways. FYI — my rating is not based because of this…
Got the Ethiopian veggie combo, the injera bread was legit, but the 3 veggie toppings were average… something about the flavor was lacking. Also tried the deviled eggs, nothing spectacular.
Inside atmosphere is kind of sterile, the food & drink display cases were half empty and employees were pretty nonchalant. When I have a craving for Ethiopian again, I’ll go to Ensarro which is walking distance from this place & never disappoints!

This place is awesome. There’s a great view of the pergola on the lake. The coffee and food is good and I believe they have just expanded the menu.
The staff are all nice and the owner Sera is a sweetheart. One time she noticed I was doing a lot of coughing from a cold and made me some ginger tea on the house. She’s done many other nice things too. And if you’re lucky Abinet will be working, she’s also a sweetheart and nice to chat with.

spotted diners in Café’s Lakeview., parking space in front. quickly looked thru rear view mirror to see if traffic was clear. yep. backed up into green parking zone.
brew (L. 1.75 +.15 tax = 1.90)
–didn’t see notice of brand serveed, didn’t ask
–tasted harsh, either it’s old or it’s farmers/​superior brand coffee
2.5 stars
drips:
–service was ok
–notice pastries, not much else, didn’t really look.

Bought a Groupon for «$ 22 worth of café cuisine, Ethiopian food, and drinks for a party of two.» They refused to accept my groupon and told me they would be ready to accept it in a month — after the groupon was expired.
Actually, this was fine with me, because they’d portrayed themselves on groupon as though you can order a full Ethiopian lunch here. In reality they have exactly one Ethiopian dish.
We walked out and had a lovely lunch at Grand Lake Kitchen across the way.

These gals in this great spaces café really do a Wounderful job, so nice to me every time i see them. ive gone in a number of times always so good. It was packed but they still were on it!

Made a quick pit-​stop here on a Sunday around Lake Merritt. Ordered a Chai Tea Latte and Soy Latte for myself and brother. We both didn’t think the drinks tasted typical but I really liked the Chai Latte. It had a slight caramel taste and was sweeter than the usual Chai Lattes I get, but still good. Service was a bit slow. Around $ 3.25 for a 12 ounce latte there. It seemed like a good place to get work done with its view of the lake and spacious seating area.

Great view of the lake, as the name promises.
Coffee, is, eh, meh, kinda ok. The tiramisu was nice. Eh, this place I’m glad it’s there but… it really just lacks what I need for a 5-​star review. I think they need a new espresso machine, or they need to clean theirs or something. Yeah. Clean the espresso machine and I may give 5 stars. And their drip just tasted a bit stale, is all I’m saying. No offense, lovely spot.

Nice to have a standard coffee and sandwich shop on that side of the lake. WiFi, view, coffee.
But damn, I didn’t expect an «Ethiopian vegetarian combo.» Really, kik alicha and messer wot with a tomato and pepper salad and some nice tart injera. Perfect size for a lunch or snack, only $ 7, and as fresh and healthy as any I’ve had in our little zone of great Ethiopian restaurants. Perfect as a take-​out for a picnic by the lake.

Totally A-​OK! Decent coffee, free wifi, basic sweet & savory eats, and plenty of tables for the laptop loafer. I was happy to see the «double deviled» eggs, a tasty dose of protein and nice change of pace from the typical coffeeshop carbs. The big windows and distant views of Lake Merritt are a nice touch, too.
Many of the tables and chairs are wobbly, which can be maddening if you want to spend more than a few minutes here. But if you get lucky with a solid one, this place can be pleasant & productive.

I go here every now and then to be productive. It’s not a fancy nor trendy spot; its quite a simple place conveniently located across from the lake with some parking in front and several a couple of blocks down by the lake.
PROS:
— Free Wi-​Fi
— Sells both savory and sweet foods
— Sells coffee and tea
— Decent amount of tables and chairs
— A couple of outdoor seating
— Free Parking (street)
CONS:
— Some tables are wobbly, but can be fixed with paper towels!
Here are some things I“ve ordered while here:
TEA
Cup — $ 2.50
Teapot — $ 3.75
I suppose its better to get the teapot, even though its tiny, but you get refiills on the hot water. They seem to have a decent selection of teas.
TIRAMISU — $ 3.25
Although they didn’t make it themselves, this tiramisu was quite good. It’s not too sweet, and I love how moist it is! Yum!
This place is my go-​to place if I need to go be productive outside of my home. It’s conveniently close to home and has all the necessities for me. Café Lakeview is quite new and I hope they do well and will stick around for long :)