Uptown Café & Crêpes

Honeydew water was delicious! Place is busy with take outs but looks like food came out promptly. Not much of a wait at 1245p. It’s a bit loud if dining in the café.

This place is great for good dishes without too many ingredients. The food is simple and simply delicious. I had the ham & swiss panini. Quite good but nothing compared to a panini bought from a sidewalk merchant in Paris, France. If they are going to compare themselves this way, they need to step up their game. The carrot juice was very fresh and pure. I would have liked it serve much colder. The honeydew water was quite sweet but still refreshing.
At Lunch it was very crowded and noisy. But by the time our food was being made we got ourselves a table.
This is a good place for a lighter fare for lunch.

I indulged and got both a savory and sweet crêpe; The Piedmont and a Nutella/​banana and both were delicious and came out quick and hot. Service was friendly and at 11am I beat the midday rush. Highly recommend this spot.

This is an independent breakfast and lunch place specializing in crêpe’s and panini sandwiches. Most of the business is the office breakfast and lunch rush from local office buildings.
Parking is on the street only, but there are some surface lots close by, some free some not so much, and of course the kaiser parking garage is only 2 – 3 blocks away. I’d only recommend that if you are planning to spend a half day or more in the area though.
The outside is pretty non descript and if they didn’t put a sandwich board out on the sidewalk, it’d be easy to miss. The inside is mostly clean, with the usual tables and chairs. The walls are painted with a warm soft yellow color, and along with the emphasis on natural lighting it can be quite cheerful.
Strangely in my experience the best items here are neither crepes or the panini. A standard not to terrible egg type breakfast will run about ten dollars –which is pretty much what a panini or crêpe will cost. Crêpe’s are not a difficult dish to make-​like pancakes — and the ones here are pretty much the same as anywhere else. Nothing to write home about. I’ve had some pretty terrible panini’s here-​as in they were served soggy, which defeats the whole purpose of the thing. I can’t really recommend them.
All in all it’s a decent breakfast place, but there are some really really great restaurants close by for both lunch and breakfast, and here the food just doesn’t stand out.

I came in before work looking for a bagel. The counter guy totally ignored me! I was standing their in his view (granted he was making coffee) but he didn’t greet me! I said good morning and he said just a minute. Ok cool I’m not seeing things LOL.
All in all I got the bagel with cream cheese $ 2. Not bad it’s downtown. Only giving four stars because I like the set up and he was alone doing his best.
What can I say I’m having a good Monday
******update review*****
I really like this place. I think the counter guy was having a tough morning my first visit. I have been back two more times and the service was great! Maybe he reads Unilocal lol. Seriously this is a must visit!

Didn’t know how to make a Macciato. What I got instead was a couple shots of espresso topped with what seems to be four inches of foam.
(Biz.for your reference:
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Simple Nuttella & Walnut crêpe… crêpe was rubbery, inedible. Not going back.

I love this place! The potatoes are soooooooo good! I usually get the Temescal crêpe for lunch and recently got the Breakfast crêpe. Every so often when I’m with a friend, we will get a dessert crêpe to share. They are all so good! The size of the crepes can be a portion for two people, especially when you get the potatoes with it, which is a must! They add a lot of avocado, meat, all the delicious goodies inside a crêpe. They do not skimp out. Their customer service is always really nice. Great place to have a meal!

This café has stayed good for several years — it was my favorite when I worked in the area.
The pesto has a nice bite, I like the veggie dishes, especially the eggplant, and the balsamic vinaigrette on the salad. All dishes are totally fresh, made to order in the open kitchen, so it’s not fast food, but worth the wait.
It’s clean and light, nice noise level, mostly just a chatter.

I was in Oakland for a work training so it gave me opportunities to try the food around here, hahaha. That is definitely a Unilocal problem!
I got the tuna melt with potatoes, but the potatoes were not soft or crispy… Just kind of «there». The tuna melt itself was nothing spectacular.
My friend got the crepes and it was huge and she said it was delicious.
If I’m the area I’ll be sure to get the crepes next time

Grabbed a coffee and did some work before a meeting in downtown Oakland. Super nice people and great coffee!

Loved their breakfast, loved their strawberry crepes, i was definitely happy with my order
See y’all soon.

Solid crepes place. 3.5 stars but will round up for how quick the food comes out and and being a healthy alternative in the area.
Ordered the montclair and grand savory crepes. The crepes are light and also comes with a side salad or breakfast potatoes. Had to add a dash of salt, however.
Will have to try to their dessert crepes sometime!

How did I just recently discover uptown?!
The food is really good here! I especially enjoy the Rory Pandory panini and the crab cakes.
I got a nutella and strawberry crêpe which was rather small and not worth it.
For those that work in the area uptown is worth the trek rather than going to the overhyped Specialty’s.

My team comes here on the regular for lunches, at least once a week. We order mostly salads but their crepes and new panini menu never fail to please. Good portion sizes :) even the small salad is plenty of you add chicken or salmon. The large salad could feed you twice or someone who is very hungry — such a fantastic value for great quality, fresh food!
Recommend the spinach salad with salmon :)

Best breakfast I’ve had all year. Finally found someone who can make proper country style breakfast potatoes. Breakfast crêpe was perfect. Definitely coming back and bringing my friends.

This place was nothing really that exciting. The coffee was ok and the breakfast crêpe was a little bland. Its not bad but its not amazing.

For some reason I thought that when I grow up and leave my parents’ nest, I would cook myself a hearty breakfast each morning before I went to work.
Well, it took about 2 days for that initiative to fail and now I find myself frequenting this low key joint on my way to work every morning.
Their omelets are fluffy and stuffed with delicious ingredients and their coffee is decent. I usually go for the lox bagel, which I could actually tell was good quality salmon unlike most other places.
They’re also apparently known for their crepes, which I have yet to sample. All in all, Uptown’s quick and friendly service and hearty food keeps me coming back for more!

My friend and I came here to get crepes for dessert and we got strawberry banana. It looked good and pretty, but the banana was super unripe! Couldn’t even bite into it.
Besides the unripe banana, everything else was good.
Also included self served water.

Got a salad, and added the grilled chicken to it. What grilled chicken? It was just several strips of bland chicken white meat, with no grilled marks… and got charged extra $ 2.50 for it? Won’t go back there again!

Solid work lunch spot; Crepes and Salads are good, and there is a variety. Also, the portions are big and the prices are reasonable for a healthier alternative to their burger/​fries joint next door. Fast service. I like their meatloaf on Tuesdays, but they do run out. Leftovers are enough for dinner, too.

Friendly staff good food at a good price.
Enjoy this place immensely. It is my go to lunch spot.

Asked for no meat in a panini was filled with ham. Complained about re making it. Got my money back and left. Nough said.

Fast, healthy options, consistant good and open for breakfast early enough for me to get to work on time. And don’t forget the carrot juice.

Excellent lunch spot that serves a good variety of delicious and inexpensive panini sandwiches and crepes.
I was in the Uptown neighborhood today to meet a friend for lunch. He suggested Uptown Café & Crepes since he’s a frequent customer there. Honestly, I had no idea they existed until today, and I must have walked by there a hundred times! My friends often teased me about my diminishing observation skills now that I have bars on my uniform collars. Oh well, aging is a scary thing.
We arrived at around noon today and the place was already pretty full with dine-​in customers and people waiting for their takeout orders. The restaurant’s interior was bright and warm and the décor was simple and comfortable. I ordered the Chicken Pesto Panini ($ 9.25 before tax, including your choice of country potatoes or a side salad) while my friend got the Rory Pandory Panini ($ 9.50 before tax, including your choice of country potatoes or a side salad). After paying, we took our order numbers and grabbed a table.
It didn’t take long for the nice server to bring us our food. My friend and I decided to swap half of our sandwiches with each other so that we could try both at the same time. The chicken pesto panini was excellent. The combination of grilled chicken, pesto, sun-​dried tomato, and Provolone cheese worked perfectly together. The grilled chicken was moist and the bread was perfectly grilled on the outside and yet maintained its softness on the inside. Delicious!
The Rory Pandory panini, which was a combination of chicken, bacon, cheddar cheese, avocado, spinach, and apple slices, was great as well. Everything was fresh and I was surprised on how well the apple slices worked together with the other ingredients. I definitely would order that again.
Portions were very generous. My friend and I were thinking about getting a dessert crêpe before the meal but we were stuffed by the time we finished our sandwiches. They have both savory and sweet crepes, as well as a few egg dishes on their menu. They also have daily specials such as crab cake and ahi tuna salad.
I am sold on this place! I will be back…

This is my go-​to breakfast & lunch spot. I work nearby and eat here at least 2x week.
Panini’s are grilled to perfection. I highly recommend the chipotle chicken and Rory Pandory (named after an old Pandora employee).
Crepes are savory or sweet, made to your liking. I’m a sucker for the desert crepes.
Salads are also a big win here. The Chinese chicken is my go to because it’s always fresh and very satisfying.
Last but not least – the staff is world class. Always friendly, engaging and making an effort to provide high quality service.
I love this place and I bet you will too. Cheers!

Friendly service, consistent quality, reasonable prices. That’s what I need in a lunch spot.
Highly recommend the roast chicken (Thursday special), and love that they serve breakfast all day.

What this place lacks in flavor it makes up for in variety. While I enjoy the service here I cannot say the same for my bland lunch both times I’ve been here. The staff is really friendly, but I’ve been let down by the lack of zest in both items I’ve ordered for lunch. The first time I was here I tried the Temescal crêpe (turkey, cheese, and avocado) and the Grand (chicken, cheese, pesto, roasted peppers). I guess my first one lends itself to being bland, but I was expecting more from the pesto sauce. This one was lacking in garlic me thinks and flavor in general. I make a kickass pesto at home so maybe I will bring my own in next time.
I think this place looks like it’d be great for bfast/​brunch, but it isn’t open on weekends. Do people eat out for bfast during the week? Am I missing something? With a place specializing in crepes, I would expect this establishment to stand out — but it doesn’t. The crepes themselves are great but the innards leave me feeling uninspired. The price also creeps up with any little add ons — that 7.00 crêpe quickly becomes a 10.50 lunch with a small side of lettuce and no love on top. This place is obviously popular though — it’s slammed at lunch. No quiet refuge here.

Second only to Paris. Seriously. They were delicious and reasonably priced, and the mellow mostly-​empty café vibe with a big mug of coffee was just about my pace this sleepy morning on my way to another work site.
Enjoyed it and would definitely return.