Aroma Cafe

Very good sandwich! I had the Tuna and the jalapenos added a nice touch. I want to go back and try something else, I enjoyed it.

I am obsessed with their cookies. These are my favorite cookies of all time. If I’m in the area I will stop by and order them and now I will call sometimes to order in advance to make sure that I get some lol. They do run out Ive had their sandwiches as well. They were good but for the most part because I fast during the day, I stop by to grab cookies for dessert.

Food has been great for the past 27yrs I’ve been coming here. I’ve heard the business has new owners as of a few weeks ago sooooo I’m wondering what the future will be of this place. I’ve noticed it’s new faces at the cash registers which is definitely not normal here. Time will tell

I've been going to Aroma Cafe since when I worked in the area in 2008. It's family owned and run, and they have a deli with a wife range of sandwiches, as well as baked goods. I think their cookies are best value in the city if not the bay area. Cookies are $2 each, less if you get them in bulk. Amongst bakeries, it's hard to find ones at $2 each. There's a variety of different flavors, my favorite are snickerdoodle, chocolate chocolate, white chocolate macademia, etc. Their sandwiches are really good too. They bake some of their own bread, like their rolls, and they toast their sandwiches. I've really enjoyed their pastrami with cheese sandwich, and their #4 Tuna Sandwich. I'm really glad they made it through COVID and are still a great breakfast/lunch spot in Oakland.

Very good. I had the pastrami and melted cheese sandwhich. Both ingredients were together blasted in an oven or broiler before "assembly." Good pastrami, and the pickled jalapeños go very well with the sauce and red onions.

Excellent food it is made fresh in front of you. It is one of the hidden jems of the city.

I love this place. The food is excellent.

Great sandwiches and the folks running the shop are awesome!

Great food great price, great atmosphere. Highly recommended and best cookie in town.

I ordered ahead on the website for a falafel wrap, with spinach wrap (they also have lavash and wheat as options). It was ready when I got there. Initially, I thought it was pretty mild and needed more flavor, except there was a jolt of something spicy here and there. When I ate the leftovers later, however, it was way too spicy to the point of being unpleasant and I was not able to enjoy the falafel properly. I'm not sure what exactly it was they put in it that made it so spicy for me, as this has not commonly been my experience when getting a comparable wrap from other restuarants. So unfortunately I ended up not liking the wrap in the end. However, the size itself was decent for the price and I do appreciate that they offer spinach as a wrap option.

We ordered Aroma Cafe catering for our conference event and they did not disappoint! We had breakfast, boxed lunches, drinks, coffee, kind bars, and chips catered and let me tell you, they go all out! Breakfast day 1: We had an assortment of pastries (muffins, bagels, croissants, scones, turnovers, buns, rolls), fruit salad, and coffee and everything was fresh. The fruit salad had watermelon, cantaloupe, melon, pineapple, strawberries and was probably one of the freshest fruit salads I've ever had. A lot of the guests enjoyed the fruit salad very much. The pastries were also a hit! The scones which came in cinnamon, cranberry, and blueberry were delightful, fluffy, and not dry at all. The pastry assortment came with muffins that were the size of our hands and they were so delicious! But my favorite were the bagels! They weren't stale, fluffy, and the cream cheese that came with it, was the chef's kiss. I sneaked a jalapeno cheddar bagel and omg, it was one of the best bagels ever! I tried the cinnamon roll-ups and they tasted exactly like a cinnamon roll, the chocolate filled croissants were flaky, fresh, and the perfect amount of chocolate filling. No complaints from the guests at all on the assortment of pastries! The coffees and teas were also fresh and refreshed periodically. I appreciate having decaf options and a good selection of teas. Lunch Day 1: We chose to have boxed lunches (an assortment of veggie, ham, and turkey sandwiches with an assortment of green salad, pasta salad, or fruit salad). Also came with a variety of cookies (chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter, white chocolate macadamia nut, chocolate, and snickerdoodle cookies. The boxed lunches were a hit among the guests and we loved the variety of choices! The sandwiches were huge and tasted delicious! The green salad was my favorite as it came with greens, beets, beans, carrots, and delicious dressings (ranch, italian, honey mustard)! My favorite dressing was the honey mustard! They don't do gluten free bread but were generous to provide gluten free options like salads! GET THE COOKIES!! some of the best cookies ever! The cookies were the highlight of lunch! They were all baked to perfection, gooey, and not too sweet. I saw alot of guests grab multiple cookies, even to-go, so that's a very good sign! For the snacks, we got the kind bars (salted caramel and dark chocolate) and chips. The chips were the Kettle brand and came in multiple flavors like jalapeno, bbq, salt and pepper, salt and vinegar, honey dijon (my favorite), pickle, regular. As soon as the chips came, everyone literally ran to them and grabbed multiple bags! I even grabbed some for my flight! There were no complaints! The soda selection were also great! They pretty much had every regular and diet soda available much to our excitement! Breakfast Day 2: We had the pastry assortment again and this time, had even more bagels (yay!) and this time we had chobani fruit yogurts! The yogurts were delicious and everyone enjoyed them. We had fruit salad, orange juice (freshly squeezed and just the right amount of tang), and also tea and coffees. Lunch and Snacks Day 2: We had the boxed lunches again with chips, kind bars, cookies, sodas. Overall, great and friendly service, on time, and high quality food, drinks, and snacks. I don't remember the name of the person who set everything up but he was very pleasant and a joy to work with. He came on time with all the coffee refreshes as well. I got to meet the owner, Emile and he was so kind, pleasant, and made sure everything was good to go. Prices are reasonable and for the amount we paid, we had more than enough food, drinks, coffee, tea, and snacks! Thank you so much Emile and the staff at Aroma Cafe for making our meetings special! 10/10 would recommend them for catering or just a good spot for some good food!

Now that the place was sold, the food is bad and the lady that makes the breakfast is even more rude then ever. Do not go there. I only put 1 star because there is no dislike button.

My order: Turkey, extra mayo, mustard, pickles, lettuce, sprouts all on a fresh baked roll. I love this place! When I go into the office and didn't bring lunch, I come here for a sandwich and some chips. Others also rave about their cookies (I don't have much of a sweet tooth but do enjoy their cookies every once in awhile), and their breakfast sandwiches. Definitely recommend coming here on your lunch and/or to pick up a quick meal for a picnic at the lake.

A friend raved about this place and so happy I tried it, I am usually picky when it comes to my sandwich spots but I'd definitely eat here again. I got the Turkey and Bacon sandwich on sourdough. I ordered online and the order was ready when I picked it up. Good pricing too,

We got the wrap, couple of pastries and soup of the day and the portion was very generous! Everything was delicious and we were stuffed at the end! The staff there are also super friendly :)

Thank you to David & Amil for being so kind and friendly on my first visit here! The customer service is great and the food is even tastier!!! I got a tuna bagel sandwich on poppyseed which was soooo good. The bagel sandwiches are filling and I love how the tuna isn't heavily coated with mayo! You have to make sure you get a cookie too for dessert! They're warm, gooey, and soooo delicious! Definitely coming back to try out their big salads too :-)! Thank you again Aroma Bakery & Cafe! A perfect gem for delicious bagel sandwiches + more!

Ordered a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant, and it was solid. Hit the spot, it was made perfectly. Great customer service, I was greeted as soon as I walked in. Definitely my new breakfast spot.

I ordered their breakfast pastries, which were very good. Muffins and Cones baked fresh

I've been frequenting Aroma for 13 years and they've never let me down. Prices are so reasonable and staff is always so friendly and top notch. I love their drink selection but my favorite will always be drip coffee. A colleague joked that they must put drugs in their sandwiches because they are so addicting, they will keep you coming back for more! You cannot leave without having a freshly baked cookie either!

Chocolate chip pecan, and the peanut butter cookies are amazing hands-down the sandwiches are great also

I ordered a toasted Asiago bagel with light cream cheese and avocado. The server cut the top off a plain bagel and slapped on a slice of American cheese on top, then ran it through the toaster and called it an Asiago bagel. And instead of cream cheese, she used mayo. Yuck! I politely asked for her to change the mayo to cream cheese and she gave me the stink eye. A toasted Asiago bagel with cream cheese and avocado doesn't seem like a difficult order, but it is here. Go down the street to Coco Cafe and you can get the same thing, but cheaper and with friendly service.

Usually love Aroma. It was my go to spot for many year's. Times change. I put in an online order for pickup at 12:15. I gave them a cushion and showed up at 12:20. I watched them serve the people in line to make their orders and serve them before me. This was a pre paid order with a specific pickup time. No delivery service just me ordering. I did not get my order til 12:31. You may think hey it's only 15 minutes late , but I paid and expected a pick-up time because I had the foresight to order in advance. Not sure if I'll ever go back and be warned pickup time is not going to be the time you pick it's on their time.

1st time & I'm in love. Ordered a tuna melt on sourdough...so delicious. Tuna was fresh & flavorful. Customer service was great. Will be going back. Even going at 1pm the ladies were quick with making food. Son bought me a chocolate chip cookie w/nuts it was still warm from the oven

Started working a few blocks from here about 6 months ago and I swear I gained like 7lbs because of this place. Their sandwiches are reasonably priced and very delicious. I usually don't eat a large meal but I can scarf down a whole turkey sandwich on their soft fresh baked roll in 1 seating because I just can't stop eating it (even if I'm full af). Their fresh baked cookies... Omg... drool. Not a sweet eating person but I'll get down and have 3 of their chocolate chips cookie after I ate my big ass sandwich!! Love them!

Buyer Beware: if you order a 'breakfast croissant', the base sandwich for $2.50 is simply a croissant. To turn it into an actual sandwich requires $4 more and the use of a menu that is certain to yield bad results the first time through. Called the owner to inform him, he blew me off. The croissant by itself was actually pretty good, but the thin slices of sandwich bacon was undercooked and unappealing. May try again, but it will be awhile.

Yes yes yes. This place everything down to the customer service perfect. The guys made my coworkers sandwich with lots of toppings and they didn't skimp on anything. Cookies were SO good. Will definitely be back tomorrow to try a sandwich! Both workers were so nice and the whole place was so clean.

This place is great, best breakfast sandwiches, great salads, fresh cookies and just a great overall deli. My favorites: breakfast ham/egg/cheese croissant, toasted bagel with cream cheese/avocado, chocolate chip cookies, hot broiled chicken sandwich on sour roll(rolls are great), smoke turkey on any bread but I like toasted rye and the gyro salad is great!

Used to work near here, always the sando spot for lunch. They're quick, super friendly and the turkey sandwich is one of the best in the bay, no bs Went back recently maybe 10 years later, was not disappointed. This sandwich is so gosh darn good.

I have been ordering sandwiches her and wraps for years. Today I decided to switch it up an order Cream Cheese and Avocado sandwich on Marble Rye. The young lady on the left near the window serviced me she was very pleasant. She handed one slice of bread to the lady on the right near cookie case to put the Cream Cheese and Avocado on that slice. I watched her spread cream cheese with the thickness of a condiment. She then proceeded to put slivers of Avocado to my surprise. The star of this Sandwich is the cream cheese and avocado so the thickness should be like cheese, tuna or meat. I am giving this 1 star the predominate taste is the sprouts. Very Disappointed. I try to avoid my food being prepared by the lady near the counter, I miss the gentlemen.

2.5 really, but it's a pandemic. Tried 3 different baked goods, best thing about all 3 was that they were buttery. "Croissant" - not flaky, hardly any lamination, very dense. It's almost like Pillsbury crescent rolls with butter added but not as airy - more like a home baker who skipped a couple of the layering steps. Better off with Costco croissants. Apple turnover- the dough was flaky & buttery but not completely cooked, definitely not golden brown but pale. Apples were cooked & not overly sweet. Best of the bunch. Cinnamon-raisin roll - used the "croissant" dough but added very dried out & hard raisins, light amount of cinnamon & sugar, again dough was very dense & not layered. Not worth the money or the calories. Better bakeries not too far away, so I'd give this one a pass.

Best roast beef sandwich I've had in a long time. Everything is fresh and made to order exactly as you request it. Super quick and easy. Great lunch spot.

Got a variety of stuff. The muffins were awesome! Super moist inside and lovely crunchy exterior. Didn't even need to toast them again! The turnover was a bit under but the muffins made up for that.

Love the caesar wrap! I got it with the lavish wrap. They put a generous amount of caesar dressing which I liked, the lavish bread was a bit hard to chew but l still really enjoyed this wrap! Would consider trying this next time with the wheat tortilla or spinach tortilla.

Ordered from Aroma for the first time today via Caviar. Ordered a Turkey sandwich which comes with avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese and comes with mayo and honey mustard. Requested no honey mustard since I don't like it and requested to add jalapeños. Received a sandwich with honey mustard and pickles instead of jalapeños. Had to request a refund via Caviar since the sandwich wasn't consumed due to how it was made. Please pay attention to the order notes. People have dietary restrictions and don't like certain things. I will most likely not order from here in the future given the bad first experience. There are many other restaurants that sell deli sandwiches, and are capable of following customer's order instructions!

Great Coffee (lattes for me), warm muffins, wonderful sandwiches and enormous delish salads! What more can you ask for? Oh yeah The greatest people! Everyone so friendly! This is today's chicken Cesar salad under $10.

I come here a few times a week because I LOVE their tuna melts. Everyone is incredibly friendly all the time and the baked goods are also delicious. Highly recommend!

I was only able to try the espresso shots here, since I was working on the go. The espresso shots were really good, didn't feel overly energized; however it was the extra boost I needed. Sometimes espresso can make you feel a bit jittery, so it was good not to feel that way. I noticed they have a sandwich menu, for breakfast and lunch; people seemed to be leaning more to the food , so I would like to try that part of the menu once I have the chance. See you soon!

Bomb sandwich spot and yummy cookies. Stumbled across this place after the warriors parade and it was DELISH! We both ordered the #7 on fresh French rolls. We spilt one and ended taking the other to go Cuz they were so big. It even came with cream cheese ( queue drooling). Also took a oatmeal raisin cookie to go based off the cashiers recommendation and it was baked perfectly! Yummm

I tried this place for a Thursday lunch and it was super delicious! I ordered their Mediterranean plate and the amount of food was amazing for the price. The meat was very flavorful and their sauce went well with the meat and salad. Their cookies are BOMB, any flavor. The only thing I wished I had known was pita bread being separate.

THIS PLACE HAS THE BEST SANDWICHES AND THE BEST PEOPLE BEHIND THE COUNTER! Abe and Emil are awesome and they remember everyone's names! I worked in Oakland for about a year and went into Aroma several times a week. I recently happened to be in the area again and they still remembered me! The sandwiches are affordable, large and made fresh! The bread and cookies are made in house and are delicious!! You can order ahead and get it to go as well. All sandwiches come with a pickle on the side, the $7 veggie comes with avocado! The falafel sandwiches are also delicious. TLDR: eat everything!! It's all delicious, get a cookie, you won't regret it!!

Never let anyone tell you that you can't buy happiness. Here, you can purchase it for $2.75. I've been coming here for years. My mother used to work in the area, and whenever I'd accompany her in the mornings (if I was on school break), this Oakland gem was our breakfast spot. First of all, their croissant-egg sandwich ruined the BK breakfast menu for me as a child. It starts at $2.50 for a one-stuffing. However, but can get all four stuffings (ham, bacon, cheese, chicken sausage) for only $3.25. My go-to sammich is their ham and cheese, the classic combination of delicious ham, gooey cheddar cheese, and egg, placed in a halved buttery croissant. Ohhhhh goodness! It is simple and maybe a bit heavy, but well worth the $2.75. If you feel like just getting pastries, they have a decent selection of wonderful baked goods. I'm definitely a fan of their blueberry scones. The cookies are pretty good as well. I always need to remember to only buy a few snickerdoodles and walk away. Just want a taste and NOT a full-blown addiction! Haha I also love their Chocolate-macadamia nut coffee. I haven't been here in a while and forgot to ask if it was still on the menu when I stopped by last week. Hopefully they still offer it. As I said earlier, this was my breakfast stop. I seldom came here for lunch because the lines were absurdly long, but I enjoyed the few times that I did. Their falafel wrap was pretty good! Killer falafel, fresh veggies, and that tzatziki sauce, in wrap-form? Yes friggin please! Anyway, I do love Aroma quite a bit and recommend you guys check it out too.

Between 12pm and 1pm it can be very busy trying to get a sandwich, even though they have 3 people working on the situations. There are crazy long lines, which is how people used to figure out food was good pre-Yelp. Whether you're planning to get sandwiches or baked goods you can order it online at www.aromacafeonline.com. In the comments section for the sandwiches, make sure you've written out your preferences (i.e. no onions). Both times I've done it they've been responsive in completing their online orders. The online system is for placing an order, not paying, so when you pick up your order you'll need to step up to either of the cash registers to pay for your order.

Having the day off on Monday, May 13, 2013, it gave me the opportunity to stop in at Aroma Bakery to place a huge order for cookies and muffins. Instead of 4 dozen cookies and 3 dozen muffins, I had a list of what I wanted - 5 dozen cookies and 2 dozen muffins for pick up this morning (about 8:15 AM). I had planned this event about 1-1/2 months ago to surprise my co-workers and treat them to an assortment of cookies and muffins in appreciation of their working along with me. After putting the order in, I headed right to the cookie section - yep, I purchased my two favorite cookies again. To Emil Wahbeh and his employees: Thank you for greeting me when I stepped in to your bakery. As I was waiting, I couldn't help but observe one of your employees meticulously preparing a bagel sandwich with all the fixings...oh, it sure looked yummy!!! Also, thank you for helping to load three boxes of baked goods into my huge Bed, Bath & Beyond bag. Whew, that was a heavy load I carried all the way to the 19th Street BART Station on my way to the Civic Center BART Station (SF). The aroma of the cookies and muffins had my stomach telling me, "feed me, Carol, feed me all night long"...LOL. Your cookies were freshly baked and they were still warm when I brought them out of the box. All my co-workers raved about the cookies and asked where did I get them. Well, I told them my story of going to two different places - Aroma Cafe on Larkin Street and Aroma Bakery & Cafe on 19th & Franklin in uptown Oakland - and sampling certain items from both places. Aroma Cafe is convenient and not far my office building, but then I couldn't turn my back on your business that I was familiar with all these many years (23+ years). The cookies went very fast...my co-workers gobbled them up. By the end of the day, there were only 5 cookies and a dozen muffins left. I made sure I had a snickerdoodle cookie and to my surprise several of my co-workers' favorite cookie was the snickerdoodle -wow - I never knew that. The peanut butter chocolate chip cookie was delish...nice peanut butter aroma and flavor, packed with chopped peanuts and chocolate chips. Too bad, I did not get the white chocolate macadamia nut cookie or my other favorite, oatmeal raisin. They disappeared quickly. All I can say is there are a bunch of cookie monsters (Sesame Street) in my office...LOL. Thank you, all, for accommodating me, and for all your kindness. There were plenty of smiles on the faces of my co-workers and myself. I highly recommend the cookies from Aroma Bakery & Cafe...definitely the best. With this pleasant experience, I have now changed my 4 star to a 5 star.

Food and coffee are good. My rating is based on ordering food through Yelp. I've done so on a number of occasions, and every single time the same thing happens. I get to Aroma after receiving a notice that my order is ready. I tell them I am there to pick up the order and I am given a look like I'm crazy. They then go and find the order, come back and ask me what my order was, essentially having to place the order again, in person, defeating the entire purpose of ordering online. And what's worse, today was the second time they got my order wrong despite placing it two different times. I use Yelp to order food a lot when I'm at work because it saves time, but with Aroma, there is no point since they will just tell you the order is ready then make you get in line and place your order all over again. It doesn't save any time nor does it ensure that your order is correct.

This place is AMAZING. The price is definately worth it. The service is fast. I usually order a veggie sandwich ($7), which includes avacadoes with no extra charge. The amount of toppings they put are very generous. It definately fills you up. They have varied of bread and the one I usually get is wheat. They do have other things too; drinks, yogurt, fruits, Bundt cakes, bagels, pastries, coffee, etc. Overall, This place would be worth it more than Subway.

Aroma's cookies and sandwiches are delicious - they are one of our caterers for work and am always happy when a pastrami sandwich or box of cookies get leftover from a meeting and finds its way to my tummy. Owner Emile and family are great to work with!

Such a yummy and well priced Sammich. Today my buddy Toni said Ima bring you a sandwich. What kind do you like? I said send me the menu and let me take a look. As reluctant as he was he sent it in which I choose the chicken bacon avocado sandwich. He brought it to me and told me he got the sour dough roll which is .... The BEESSSSTTT. Upon consuming I was overfilled with joy. Such a reasonably prices yummy af sandwich. Moments later I was filled with the ITIS and took a wonderful nap. Once I woke up I noticed I still had a cookie which ended up being nice soft and chewy just how I like it. Def going to g

One of my favorite places to get breakfast and lunch. Their latte is good (my coworkers also commented that they like their lattes compared to some others), their scones and muffins are delicious, and I like their tuna sandwich with jalapeños. Friendly, hard-working, and quick service.

Freshly baked blueberry cupcake and chocolate chip oatmeal cookie, chocolate was still warm an oozing and it was a delivery.. can't imagine what fresh out of the oven tastes like!

Love their cookies! My usual goto is their peanut butter or white chocolate chip with walnut.

I had a really great spinach turkey wrap on my first visit here. The line was long because they take their time making the sandwich well, which I appreciate. Chips are only a buck a bag.

Ordered an extra hot latte and everything bagel with cream cheese. Pretty fast service for the morning rush and good price. Latte was really good too!

My go to spot for breakfast and lunch. You really cant go wrong here. Order anything you want and the food will always be great. From cookies to croissants to sandwiches they are always nice and friendly

Just got done with my dentist and feeling great! No pain when I simply drink a hot cup of joe or a glass of cold milk. I wanted to do both when I walked out of my dentist. These people are so nice and easy to give you a smile along with whatever you order. The place is clean and they have great window seating to do a little people watching while you sip your coffee if you're into that. I ordered a double espresso and a maple glazed donut with cream in the middle. I know you can't screw up espresso but it was good and enjoyed sipping it without pain while I watched people walking by. The maple donut was a nice surprise. Soft donut and the cream inside was very good and not too over the top "sugary". Which is a turn off for me. I'll be back event time I visit my dentist. It will be my "sticker or toothbrush" prize after I'm done with him my visit.

Order: #6 turkey avocado jack cheese sammie on a fresh baked roll. $8 no tax charged. Came in around 2pm and it was pretty empty here. Bread: made fresh in house. Flavor is a hybrid of a French baguette and sourdough roll. Crunchy edges chewy inside and very thick. It's so thick that it gets pretty hard to make it through a bite. Insides kept sliding out. It was a mess. Fillings: turkey was juicy and flavorful. I knew it wasn't some basic deli cut from the first bite. Avocado was fresh, green and creamy. Cheese was as expected. They also threw in the regular fixing (LTO) and added pepperoncini. Pickle: yum. Overall flavors were above average. Unless you have really sharp teeth, save yourself the trouble and DO NOT order the fresh roll. Imagine the texture of a dinner baguette you would grab from a bakery. Good stuff, wrong context.

Read the reviews and wondered why this place sounded familiar and now I know why. This is the same place my mom would get yummy chocolate chip cookies from and bring them home every week after work. I always wondered where she got these cookies and then... I end up at this place ordering a sandwich and trying a chocolate chip cookie. Full circle, I am now working in downtown Oakland so glad to have found this place... it reminds me of my mom who has passed away. Moving forward... On Tuesday's they serve a black bean Cuban soup and it's amazing.. it's savory, creamy and has bits of smoky sausage. I opted to get a Turkey, Pastrami on dutch crunch with sprouts, avocado and red onions.. Soooooo good, so fresh!! This place will be on the lunch rotation. It is lunch under $10 with a cookie.. a rare find.

Soooo NOT happy with my Bagel with Cream Cheese and Veggies. The alfalfa sprouts were BROWN and wet and smelled bad. Used to always go here. First time here since after the Holidays. Mostly new staff. And this nasty sandwich