Kilovolt Coffee

I use to come here often when I worked in the neighborhood and it's changed over the year(s) as the pandemic has started to come to and end 🤞🏽. There isn't a ton of space inside but they do have a few seating arrangements outside. However, I do not come here to sit. I come here because they're one of only a few that I've found in Oakland that sell pour over coffee. And I'm all about pour over. They also have a pretty good deli sandwich (the chester). If you're in this part of town or looking for a new place with pour over, you gotta check this place out.

Local coffee haunt in Oakland. The coffee was okay, nothing mind blowing but it will get you your caffeine fix. The big plus here is all the breakfast and lunch options. Good casual spot to meet up with a friend or hunker down and do a lot of well-fueled work

Good coffee. I did not order food, but what I saw from other people’s order seemed nice. The cafe itself has a chill vibe and is good. The place has 4 tables and one couch. I wish it had more spot to sit.

Great neighborhood coffee shop! We ordered two lattes and a chocolate filled croissant for under $15. The croissant was delicious and all of the baked goods are from Starter bakery so you know they are great! Lots of people ordering the sandwiches so will be back for that.

Great little quick stop for coffee, had some before boarding my Flixbus, it was super fast and friendly service. Food was a bit out my taste buds, but it's not bad.

Great delicious coffee! The first time I was there the barista wasn’t as friendly and my pour over was a little cold, but I decided to give it another shot and I’m glad I did. The staff was way friendlier and my coffee amazing! Love finding small coffee shops with great coffee.

My latte was amazing !! Only bummer is they charged me extra for oat milk I didn’t ask for then the person ringing me up gave me silence & just stared at me when I mentioned if I could just have regular milk. The barista was attentive & quick to only add regular milk however. I think they are still training so it was hopefully an accident but I would not have gotten the latte if I knew it was gonna be $8 forced oat milk type situation. Otherwise , I love going here :)!

Wasn't impressed with the coffee the last 2 times I've been, cool staff tho. I like their vibe.

My boyfriend and I were headed to San Francisco and stopped by Kilovolt for the first time. We didn't even look at the standard menu since the seasonal drinks spoke to us. I got the salted caramel latte and my boyfriend got the pumpkin spice latte. We both shared a lox bagel. The drinks were so good! I loved how the flavors didn't overpower the coffee itself. Definitely recommend you to come try. The lox bagel held us until we got to our lunch spot and it actually filled us up a good amount!

Hole in the wall spot are underrated! Sandwich and coffee were delish. Good quality. The baristas were also kind. We'll be coming back!

Great local spot to grab fresh, seasonal beverages and food. I love the orange cream latte. There's always some new art from local artists on the walls. Lots of seating to post up all day and get some work done. The staff are super friendly and down to recommend something.

Good coffee. They make a good breakfast sandwich. Walking distance from Pacific Pipe climbing gym!

Their Honey-Oat Latte is delicious and they have a seasonal Strawberry-Basil Lemonade that should not be missed!

The coffee was fine, but the facilities are a bit run down and the staff somewhat strange. The area is also a bit sketchy, so be careful where and how you park.

Kilovolt has great breakfast and lunch sandwiches with vegan and vegetarian options including impossible sausage patties and vegan pastrami!! It's so good.

While this isn't considered a cozy coffee shop, it definitely has what you need if you want to work from one. Plugs, WiFi, and not too loud music! The chai tea here is also quite good! It's not made in-house but they use a concentrate that is quite tasty. They also offer food (bagels, bfast sandwiches) and some outside seating along the streetwalk.

Easy walking distance to the closest climbing gym so big plus there. Indoor and outdoor seating available but mainly indoor (outdoor has a few small tables and chairs). Nothing notable regarding staff Coffee: very very milky. They added a lot of whole milk to it. Still have some of the coffee flavor but a bit muted. Iced latte only comes in large size so you're aware Lots of people were doing pre-orders seems like that might have been the way to go. Coffee took a bit longer than I expected to come out.

Love this place so much! It's a nice neighborhood coffee shop with great options of drinks and food. Joanne always makes me feel welcome and makes the best drinks (try her cappuccino). 1100/10

Truly a gem of a coffee shop! Their seasonal drinks are creative, tasty, and delicious. The sandwiches are also some of my favorite. If u haven't gone yet, you're missing out. Highly recommended!

Their indoor seating is back open (with good amount of windows on one side) - I was here for a couple hours on Sunday afternoon and it had a constant flow of folks trickling in and out. I have more to say on this - impressed with the traffic monitoring on the part of Kilovolt staff. Ordered the seasonal special Rose Lavender Latte & a coffee cake. Both were absolutely delish and they can make your drinks decaffeinated (+++). So with the continuous stream of clients - the staff did an awesome job letting customers know they acknowledge them and if there was confusion on who arrived first, they made sure to clear any of it fast. Quite impressive when they were already triple multitasking taking orders, concoting the drinks, and handling payment. While this may sound normal, I often see one of the parts falling through so this was pleasant to see. For anyone who's curious: they use Linea Caffe beans!

Orders: "The Chester" Garlic Herb Turkey, Avocado, Clover Sprouts, Swiss Cheese Sandwich | Americano | Rose Lavender Latte Super cool spot in West Oakland with lots of great coffee drinks & bagel/regular sandwiches. It was super busy on the day we went, so waited in line a while, but very worth it. They have a clever system of calling out drinks & food orders outside and passing it through a pickup window to reduce the amount of people standing around inside (not much for seating inside, from what I remember). Great place for picnicking in the grass across the street or for pickup. Really cool rock n roll vibe, fresh ingredients & delicious coffee! I just got an Americano when I went, but next time I'll be trying the floral Rose Lavender Latte w/ Oatmilk :))

The coffee here is pretty good and the food is tasty but make sure to check your drinks and food. There been a couple times now I haven't been given the extra things added to orders which is annoying since it costs extra. And I also notice that they don't fill the drinks up all the way so make sure to check before leaving so you can fix your order

I'm not one to demand fake smiley service but every time I come here I somehow encounter the surliest, moodiest people in the world.

A chai cold brew and a lavender rose latte are my go tos. And when they have them, a nice morning bun that has been warmed to crispy, crunchy, croissanty perfection hitsss. The art in there is really cute too.l Wish they did free oat alternatives! That would make it perfect

KV is my go-to local coffee shop. First of all, the folks who work there are excellent. They're friendly and always down for chitchat or crack some fun jokes. The seasons drinks are amazing (I hope they bring the passionfruit mocha back, but the ube latte is rather excellent right now ;p) and don't skip on the classic lunch sandwiches as well! (and if you're lucky enough to be there in the summer, get the affogato if it's on the menu!!!). The staff is also leans mostly queer presenting (at least when I'm writing this) and it's clear that they try to make a welcoming environment for anyone/everyone coming into the shop. Love this spot!

This place has great coffee but that's about it. Waited about 10 minutes for a bacon egg and cheese on a stale bagel with more people behind the counter then there was in their shop. I love to support local and invest in the community but it just seems like no one is managing the flow of service or is managing correctly. It just seems like everyone is hungover and have no sense of urgency and like no one wants to be there. I gave this place 2 stars because I have been underwhelmed 4 out of 5 times I go.

I love this mom and pop cafe! The ambiance is A1 they make you feel very welcoming. The food is always fresh. The cafe is very clean. I always recommend this spot for lunch meetings.

An amazing coffee shop! Finally tried it out and got the Iced Mocha with Oat Milk + the Lox Salmon Bagel! Both were great and I definitely will come back here again!

Not sure if some of the employees were having a bad day, but the cashier/barista was definitely coming across as microaggressive. What started off as a very monotone cashier seemed to turn into a very negative experience. Here are some things I noticed while visiting: -Drink was very bland/water downed -Not given a lid despite customers before and after me receiving one for their iced beverages. -Sandwich took forever, yet the 5 people who ordered food after me all received their food before me. -Not asked for my name. I only point this out because the same cashier called out drink orders by name and the employee making sandwiches did the same. Finally the sandwich is ready and they keep calling some random persons name. I make eye contact with the the second employee and then the cashier and he blurts out it's mine. Lol like okay wtf did I do. Don't worry mediocre sandwiches and drinks water downed like piss...definitely won't be back.

The coffee was exactly what I needed! I was surprised by the attention to detail when I asked for a simple latte. JoJo and Andreas were especially helpful and gave off a welcoming impression for my first time coming here. The atmosphere is comforting, they play great music and have beautiful art around the shop.

I had the impossible sausage, egg and cheese and it was a lot better than Starbucks, the yolk was even runny! The latte was tasty, too. Staff were nice, but the store was not particularly cozy or well decorated so I did not want to hang out.

I came here because I was in the area and so I grabbed a cup of iced tea and a roasted turkey avocado sandwich for lunch. The prices were on the higher side, as I paid about $15-16 for both of those things. The sandwich had very fresh ingredients but there was a little bit too much mustard on it and I would have asked to decrease the amount had I'd known they'd put that much. The place has 3-4 tables inside with some more tables lining the walls. It's a cute space but the staff didn't say more than a few words just to ask me whether I wanted to add a drink to my order (they didn't greet me or smile or anything like that). Anyways, I would come back to try their toasts and sandwiches but the service could be a bit friendlier. I do like that they are one of the few businesses specially eateries in this part of town....

In a word: mediocre. Haven't tried this place in a few years and it's just as mediocre as I remember. In regard to the coffee and the service. I'm pretty simple and like to order lattes. No frills. The coffee is just okay. Not a very bold or complex flavor. It's not super strong but it is pretty sour/acidic. Other flavors don't really pop out, combining a sour flavor with the high amount of milky-ness definitely makes for a subpar espresso drink. Pastries are alright. The kicker for me tho is the $1 charge for milk alternative. That's too damn much. I accept a 50 cent up charge but a whole dollar takes a high level of audacity. Esp when u consider the fact that hella ppl are lactose intolerant, this is just one big plug for the cow milk industry it feels. I came in and the employee was on their phone and greeted me when they were done looking at their phone, and the barista who helped me out had absolutely no personality. Legit idek why I gave this place another shot. Better coffee, service, and prices are easily found elsewhere.

Hours posted as open until 2pm, but kitchen is closed before 1:30pm. Staff has chairs Up and looks like they are ready to clear out at 2pm sharp. Would be nice if they were open until 2pm and management hired staff to close between 2 and 3pm... alternatively, post close as 1pm. I do appreciate the bagels and decent coffee. Would give it 3.5 stars.

5/5 Coffee (Honey Vanilla Latte) 5/5 Covid guidelines 5/5 Customer service Staff was very friendly and they just reopened inside!

Creative tasty warm drinks, great chai tea, great selection of yummy pastries and delicious breakfast sandwiches. Wonderful neighborhood spot!

Excellent espresso, kind staff, love their bfast sandos, excellent bagels, the art is also something I always look forward to. My friend says their hot chocolate is yum. Love this place.

Nice stop in coffee spot 4/5 clean restroom 4/5 good vanilla latte w/Oat milk 5/5 customer service 5/5 street parking

This wasn't the first time I've gone to Kilovolt, nor will it be the last. I stopped by with a friend to get a coffee and a bite to eat before starting work the other day. While we weren't able to get our breakfast sandwiches on croissants, we were able to substitute everything bagels for the English muffins they normally come on and contentedly consumed them upon getting back to the jobsite. The chai latte wasn't the best I've had (I'm fairly picky with my chai and like it a little spicy), but it was alright and my friend had no complaints about their red eye. I'd definitely recommend stopping by if you're in the area and have an extra 15 minutes.

Met an old friend there for a coffee and a chinwag out front on a sunny Sunday. My partner got an iced tea and I got a brewed coffee. I noticed on the menu that it says "Refills $1.00 within three hours of original purchase!" We stood outside for 45 minutes or so, and before we left I went in, and placed my cup on the counter, and asked for a refill. I handed over a $5 bill and got a $1 in return, and a "look" from the person at the register. Not feeling like getting into it, I took my $4 "refill" and left. But it left a twitch over my right eye, and maybe it's on me for not saying "it's only been 45 minutes, I thought it was $1 refills" or maybe it's just that I got taxed. The coffee was good, FWIW, but there was easily detectable 'tude from the staff, and I see with a quick scroll that I'm not the first to notice it. NOTE: At the time we were there it would have been physically impossible for three hours to have elapsed since my purchase, as they wouldn't have been open.

Found a great place that is super close to my doggy daycare. There is free street parking in front of their business. This place seems to have a good flow of people coming in and out and seems to have a lot of regulars. Pros: -Really friendly workers that greet you when you walk in. -Lots of cute, well behaved dogs that come inside while their humans place their orders. -good savory and sweet options if you dine in (I ordered a lox bagel with cream cheese) -free WiFi and electric outlets -good background music Cons: -n/a Overall, I would recommend this place if you're in the area.

A slightly generic feel as a coffee shop, without any real signature items. But pretty good stuff nonetheless: solid drinks and breakfast sandwiches. I wish it had a little more personality, but it's far from bad.

Super cool hole in the wall coffee place in Oakland. There's a lot of street parking in front of the cafe. Great place to grab coffee and a bite to eat. Seating is pretty limited. There are some tables out front and a few picnic tables to share inside. Took down one star only because of service. There were about 5 customers ahead and it took about 10 minutes before I ordered. It took another 10-15 minutes before I got my order. The barista apologized for the long wait, but I'm not sure if it was worth the wait. I would stop by if I'm in the area.

Good coffee if you happen to be in the area. I enjoyed my cold brew coffee. My husband enjoyed his oat milk latte, but we waited what felt an eternity for these drinks. I believe that we ordered around 10:30am, and we didn't receive our hot beverages until 10:57am. Granted, this was on a Saturday morning....but get going on your drinks!!! Perhaps they need the help. I guess it's fine to be backed up with orders, but I would have appreciated the memo ahead of time, as we were heading to Horn BBQ right after. If I knew the drinks were going to take almost 30 mins to be made, I wouldn't have ordered the hot drink at all.

Kilovolt has good coffee, good-enough pastries, and it's nice to have something in the neighborhood. The staff isn't particularly friendly and they seem to only get food orders right like 70% of the time. Looking forward to better cafes opening up in the future

Google said this place was dog friendly and my go to place was closed. Right when I walked in "are your dogs serviced?" No. "They really can't be in here then" I suggested I just order my coffee and wait outside. Trust me, as a former service worker, I understand there's enough bull to deal with. But just like the person behind the counter, it is too early for this but the attitude wasn't necessary. They brought my coffee outside and the hand off didn't make me feel good. I really just don't feel comfortable showing my face again. Im sorry if they were having a bad day and I'm sorry that I came off rude (which I assume is the reason behind the staff's unfriendly response) but please understand there's no way I'm leaving my two small pups outside. This is west Oakland, dogs are practically children. Unfortunately I probably won't be going to this place again even though the coffee is great. I really don't like when places say they're dog friendly, but then they're not. May I suggest there's a window to pick up orders so everybody can enjoy the tasty coffee while on a walk with their dogs? Otherwise, I'm just going to walk across the street to Nunu's. They're so sweet to my pups and very welcoming.

Fantastic little coffee shop on the way to BART in west Oakland. Came here for a latte but wound up getting a bagel because it looks so good. Super inexpensive, the lox bagel was only 3 1/2 dollars. Great service, friendly staff. Good find.

When I lived in Oakland, I used to walk to this coffee shop at every opportunity I had. The coffee is truly one-of-a-kind. Truthfully, this is the place that changed my relationship with coffee forever. I worked in San Francisco and tried almost every chain and hole-in-the-wall café I could get my hands on. Kilovolt beat them all out of the water. It's my absolute favorite. Devastatingly, I don't live in the area anymore. If you have the opportunity, please check this place out so I can live vicariously through you. It's one of Oakland's hidden gems.

As a lover of all things West Oakland, I appreciate this cafe. It is conveniently located on Mandela Parkway where a morning walk or bike ride down the trail is nice. It is a quiet peaceful space where you can bring your laptop and work on projects while enjoying your coffee.

Coffee shop? More like my favorite bagel spot. I have to tell myself all the time it's a coffeehouse even though I simply go for the bagels. This is my favorite place to go when I'm craving a lox bagel. The line gets long Fast from the morning rush! Similar to an Zombie apocalypse. That's how everyone acts before consuming their caffeine. Just like zombies pushing and groaning still half asleep. That's the only thing I think about when standing in line with them. They serve some pretty heaping portions of smoked salmon to bagel ratios here. I always cut my gums on the everything lox bagel because it's so large. They also have some other options of morning get ups. I'm no huge fan of coffees but they offer some great options for really standard prices. Their quiche is delicious too, it never last long on the countertop. However, my main concern is their delicious bagels. They are always so fresh and piping hot from the toaster, even after the toppings are added. They are never stingy with the toppings. I'm sure all first comers get the prices mixed up from reading the bored. If you look at some previous reviews it says "all bagels are $3.50", but to add lox toppings it's an extra 3.50. I usually add the onions and cucumbers also for a dollar extra. I end up paying around $8.50 total which isn't bad, or out of the normal for the portions received. From some of my fellow yelp reviewers I read the lox bagels were only $3.50. Got my hopes so high. I really wish that was a possibility. However, it's not. I don't mind paying the $8.50 but be aware of how you are reading the menu.

customer service sucked so bad. a few patrons including myself like just stood in line and the cashier couldn't be bothered to call the next person up and no one greeted us (there were 3 behind the counter). and when i got my coffee I said thanks, and no response from the barista. when I got my sandwich I said thanks and preparer said for sure. like say you're welcome. I hate hate hates my experience there. fire everyone.

love the like nonbinary chiller vibe every barista has. like youre relaxed im relaxed...this is chill! anyways, their cold brew perks me up, dirty chai is on the more spiced side but not necessarily bad. lox bagel is great, and prices are good compared to other places. hate the interior, what the fuck are these dark turquoise walls.....all together great stuff!

I just love Kilovolt! I love their espresso drinks and bagel sandwiches, but most of all I love the atmosphere: the diversity of the people who work here (as West Oakland gets more gentrified) and the commitment to showing local artists' work on the walls. I hope this place continues to survive and thrive.

So, my favorite coffee shop closed (Blue Bottle on Webster). So I have been trying different shops. Came in this morning and ordered a pour over coffee. I was told it takes 20 min. Then I was told I cant pour my own Oat Milk. Unfortunately for me, I like my coffee really sweet and there was no way to pour raw sugar into my coffee. I was offered maybe 5 sugar packets. What a waste of paper and my coffee still isnt sweet. I guess this will not be my new go to coffee shop. My search continues I dont like this place !!

Bagel with lox was good, latte was mostly milk and took about 20 mins to come out (not because of any error Or backlog, the server simply said 'your drink is taking a while'). Area lacks options so worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood and in need of a fix- but wouldn't go out of the way for this. I imagine pre-Covid this was a lovely place to hang out and with much greater efficiency.

Best bagels in the bay. Really cool workers. Straight up service. Good drinks. Love the industrial/neighborhood feels. Easy parking.

They used to make good coffee but not anymore. Last time I went there I got a cappuccino and it was more like a cup of steamed milk. Terrible service, terrible! They always have an attitude. That is not right and simply not acceptable.

Hey, so Kilovolt is an awesome shop, I like the owners and until today I enjoyed the employees. My interaction today with "Jeff" was extremely unprofessional and upsetting. I ordered a cypress sandwich and asked to get it on a different bread, the bread change of which I would pay for. He then refused to make it that way and said he would give me the bread separate but refused to make the sandwich on the type of bread i wanted, his reasoning being "he didnt want to" he was super aggressive throughout the entire interaction, both his co worker working the register and his supervisor both interjected and i got my purchase refunded, but just overall a shit interaction with a very unprofessional worker.