I have been walking past the Coffee With a Beat coffee house for several years but never had an occasion to stop in. When my folks, Kathleen and Dave, moved back to Oakland several years ago and we started visiting this new neighborhood more frequently we’d walk by and say that we needed to stop in and check the beat. This morning I decided I’d rather grab a cappucino than brew a whole pot of coffee at home.
The coffee is not-great-but-drinkable, my bagel was over toasted, the place is a bit noisy, the CD player was skipping and no one seemed to notice. I love it. The woman behind the counter was cheerful. The place has about 10 people sitting at tables inside and a few sitting outside (so they can smoke). There’s a lack of pretense that is refreshing. I couldn’t work here for hours at a stretch (too noisy) or drink the coffee every day, but I heartily recommend this place. It’s half a block from our apartment, so the convenience factor is a plus.
