"Oakland kindergarten teacher Nancy Steimle says she first heard about Thornhill Coffee House from colleagues five years ago. Now, she’s hooked on the shop’s tuna sandwich, made with lettuce, tomato, and avocado, which she usually orders alongside an iced chai. Thornhill Coffee House isn’t likely to earn a spot in the Michelin Guide, but the neighborhood favorite is noteworthy for something else: how integral it’s become to its Oakland Hills community. Lunchbox-style sandwiches, breakfast bagels, and the standard coffeehouse drinks are workhorses of the menu. But it’s the care taken with each item — whether it be the thick cucumber slices nestled into the tuna sandwich, the frozen coffee cubes that give the iced coffee a bonus buzz, or a fiery-fresh green papaya salad that’s always made to order — that have created a loyal clientele." - Laura Smith Borrman
