Donovan H.
Yelp
For those of you social media fanatics, get your smartphone cameras going and be sure to take as many pictures of "Damask Rose Coffee" as possible. Because from a photographers' perspective, this place will have you covered from the ceiling to the floor. Located directly on Shattuck Ave in the North Oakland area, this place has been serving delicious coffee, smoothies, baked goods, and Açaí bowls dating back to the spring of 2022.
I had the opportunity to check this place out as I was on my way to go window shopping in Berkeley and actually stumbled upon it unexpectedly. This place is tiny with limited seating but don't let that deter you from visiting. I arrived here during the afternoon of Saturday 5/13/2023 at around 3:00pm. Since this part of Oakland doesn't have a whole ton of neighboring businesses, parking wasn't much of an issue. However, the inside was rather crowded with a ton of people enjoying the day sitting at the tables as well as ordering food/drinks.
Since I needed a little pick-me-up to get me through the later afternoon and evening hours, I went with one of their iced vanilla latte drinks. Service was quick, attentive, and the overall experience was above average. This is a family owned and operated business where the employees go the extra mile to assure a memorable experience. As far as the iced latte, it was on point; not too much on the bitter side and not too sweet as well.
In addition to their coffee and tea drinks, this is a Middle Eastern bakery (as the founders of this place are of Syrian descent). This brings a ton of unique, ethnic baked goods including Baklava, Mana'eesh (a form of European) Flatbread, Bird Nest, and Warbat. You will also find more traditional baked goods including cookies and muffins as well as slices of pies and cakes. It truly is a colorful arrangement of foods that I had not ever seen before coming here.
But let's go back to the interior of this place. This place is decked out in pink walls while a flowing amount of floral displays is graced from the ceilings and beyond. The amount of color that is presented really makes you feel as if you're in a magical garden oasis in a fantasy land. You really got to see it to get the full experience since the photos don't do any justice. With that said and done, I am giving "Damask Rose Coffee" a perfect five stars. Great ambiance, excellent coffee, and stellar customer service.