L'acajou Bakery and Cafe

Like many other reviews, they lost my order. Called ahead for a biscuit sandwich, a nice sounding lady or girl repeated the order back to me and took my name. I show up at the exact time they gave me and the guy at the counter had no record of my order. He went all throughout the kitchen asking every employee about it, no one had a clue. They had to make it from scratch as if I ordered at the counter. Based on other reviews, this happens constantly. Aside from that food was great, just took about 10 extra minutes out of my day. Don't order ahead, it won't be there.

This place is SO delicious and Elisha is the best! So friendly and welcoming. I just discovered this gem and I live super close. Cozy, family feel in a cute little neighborhood near Montclair. ❤️

This might not be a fair review because I came 30 minutes before closing time at 3:30pm on a hot Saturday. After all, who wants to find a coffee shop and a pastry when it’s 90° outside in Oakland? At the same time, I was hoping for a sense of ease while they’re cleaning up, for instance, “it’s OK we’ll be here for a bit anyhow so you can relax.“ Instead I got, “we’re going to be closing in five minutes,” five minutes after I sat down with my large decaf latte and a raspberry pistachio pastry (by the way, both of those were great). It was only 3:40pm. So, I should know better and immediately go to Philz or Pete’s or Blue Bottle and get to hang out until 6:30pm. But I wanted to check out what was more local to me, and now I know. Come here when you have time before closing, get a pastry and coffee, and relax in the curious French ambience

Have always had a great experience and good quality food over the years. There's a nice outdoor seating area with a handful of tables. Highly recommend.

Meh. The tables inside were dirty and hadn't been wiped down. No, no one was sitting at them. The girl at the front said hi so that was chill. An elderly lady had asked a worker to come check out flooring was coming up (I watched her trip over it) and the girl was kind of short about it without acknowledging her. She said, "the floor? Yeah, I know. The owner knows." As she walked away. It was just rude. Like if the owner knows...fix it. Close that part off so someone doesn't fall and get hurt and you don't get sued for it? Come on. I just came first a bagel but didn't see any on the menu so I grabbed a BLT sandwich. $13 + 20% tip on a take out...and there were only 3 slices of bacon on the sandwich. Kind of whack. I think its a spot you come to if you grew up around this block or if you're needing convenience, but I wouldn't recommend it and I wouldn't stop there again.

Grateful to have this in my community. The raspberry pistachio croissant, kale vegan salad and Elvis are the best post-hikes treats in Oakland. The service is brusque and harried. I figure that’s part of the French style. I like having a patio to meet friends under the umbrellas

L’acajou is one of my favorite go-to cafes! I going hiking in the Oakland hills often and this is the perfect post-hike morning treat. I don’t understand any of the negative reviews listed here… one of the aspects I love about it is the lack of “chic / modern” vibe that you see in many of the new cafes around Oakland. This place is no frills… until you bite into one of their delicious pastries, sip their dirty chai, or have one of their grab n go sandwiches. They even have a delicious gluten free scone! Loyal customer here :)

Best First Time Experience Ever! They have vegan option and they are delicious! 10 out 10 do recommend!

Solid place. I don't think I felt like it stood out to be a 5, but it's a place I would return to. The patio outside was nice, easy to get to. There was a bit of line, but it went quickly. The cashier maybe seemed a little overwhelmed, and she overcharged me for a tart that I didn't end up getting/ordering. I mentioned it to her, and she was very nice about removing it. The sweet pastries were good, can't complain. We got the almond croissant. The savory tarts looked good but didn't quite hit the spot, maybe if I had it fresh and hot it would be more enjoyable. I think it just needed more salt. However, I think it's a cute place and solid choice

I think the best thing about this bakery and café was the staff was extremely friendly and kind. The actual inside is nice too with an open friendly vibe of lots of sunlight able to come in and seem like a great place for locals and people to sit and talk. I was a little disappointed in the food and drinks. I did not get a pastry however I got a dirty chai and I didn't particularly care for the taste, but the staff was really nice and she remade it for me just as a regular iced coffee because I figure you can't go wrong with that. I also got a salad that was pretty tasty. Honestly, though the staff and the environment made it nice, but I wouldn't say they had the best drinks or food. Maybe I will try a pastry if I ever go again.

Food is great. Super nice staff. Nice and clean.. Patrons are great also.caters to what you order. Good communication skills You'll love the people who go there.

I like the small local vibe of this place. It's a bit pricey for such a casual atmosphere, but maybe that's the going price in SF. (We were visiting) Service was slow, but all the people were very nice. I like that they have a variety of creamers - like oat milk - on the counter, and liquid sweeteners too(like honey). A lot of the baked goods were delicious! Everyone loved the almond croissant! It's unfortunate that the breakfast danishes didn't live up to expectations- they looked so good, but the eggs were hard and rubbery, as was the bready parts. We tried 3 different ones on two different days. Everything else we tried was good. Since it's on the hill, it's convenient, so I'm sure I'll be visiting here again the next time I am in town!

Been coming here since the early days of the pandemic. Good coffee, pastries, service & ambience! Nice outdoor seating with big umbrellas & cactus garden! Had scones this morning ... and cappuccino ...in a ceramic cup (ask for one if you are dining in!) - always a pleasure!

Odd little spot, I imagine it's a real neighborhood place with its regulars but I was just stopping in after a hike for a some lunch and ordered through the kiosk. After about 10 minutes one of the workers came by and said they didn't have buns ready if I was open to other bread, so I went with the baguette. It was brought out another 5 or so minutes later but didn't have the spinach I paid extra for. (It also came with lettuce and other toppings that weren't in the description) They got busier as I had been waiting and the staff was struggling to keep up with the other questions of orders that came out not quite right, so I decided to just roll with it. Meal was fine but probably won't be back

Purchased 11 pastries to share with friends for brunch. Every single pastry was undercooked. We normally love their pastries. This was disappointing.

I ordered crossants and breakfast sandwiches for my husband's birthday and all the food was top notch! They say that you can tell a quality croissant when it is still good even eaten at room temp, and they were. The chocoloate croissant was unique with the additional citrus flavor, still buttery and flaky and comforting :)

After a thoughtful friend sent us pastries from this bakery I was pleasantly surprised. So I decided to go out of my way to visit the store. Pastries were still good, but I will not come back because the service was not great.

Easy parking in front. Nice, hard working people. Excellent baked goods. Quiet seating area indoors and outdoors. Nice place to meetup for coffee, tea, and a light meal with a friend.

This little local cafe was quaint and enjoyable. The service was great, very friendly staff. Our food came out quickly and so did our drinks. We enjoyed their mushroom and spinach omelette, while the omelette was pretty standard the potatoes were slightly lacking flavor. Overall I would recommend this cafe for a quick bit or coffee.

Blink and you'll miss it location but man and I happy that I didn't miss this lovely place. Came after a hike nearby and it was a welcome place to fill up. Small and quaint with an outdoor seating area (it also had some water bowls for dogs if you would like to bring your furry friends). I got a cold brew and the parisian sandwich. My compatriots got the chorizo scramble and the other the spinach omelette. -The sandwich is incredible. Perfect balance of acid and savory. I will say a little small for the cost but as a one off, it was worth it. -Got a few bites of the chorizo scramble and it was delicious. I would honestly go with the scramble over the parisian given the amount of food and also the taste. The cabbage slaw is a light side dish and the potatoes were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. -One of the best cold brews that I have had in a while. Overall, highly recommend coming here and getting a coffee and something with egg!

While the menu is delicious. Awesome food. There is a wait after paying for your order. About 25 minutes. This has happened to me on 3 separate occasions. I only ordered one breakfast sandwich. Almost half an hour later. Nothing. So I inquired as to what is taking so long. I was told that there was a backlog, but it was almost done. I'm late for an appointment as a result of this. I was the one of 2 customers in the place. Just a suggestion. Get an additional cook for preparing walk in orders

3/4/2023 - Pit stop before beginning our date day. Quaint little cafe hidden in the Woodminster shopping area. Whether it's for brunch, a place to catch up with friends or just to have a little snack, L'acajou Bakery will satisfy it all. Many selections from sandwiches, soups, salads, savory and sweet pastries, there will be something good for everyone. Fudge brownie was one of the best we've ever had! Perfect amount of sweetness with the ooey gooey fudge and crunchy edges - we just couldn't stop. Definitely a must-get item. Initially ordered the potato leek soup but they sold out. So I ended up trying the clam chowder. Fresh ingredients that was so creamy and hearty. Just what I needed to warm up my soul. The open face savory tart one had mushrooms, potatoes, spinach and sunny side up eggs. This is disappointing because it was very dry and almost stale. I wasn't sure if it was left overs from the other day, but it definitely tasted. The egg was pretty rubbery. Would return to try some other things on the menu.

Oh my gosh this place is a gym! I was just looking for a cup of coffee before I went up to the chabot space and science theater and I saw this place down one of the side streets. I am thanking the good Lord in heaven that I found this place! From the second you walk in you are going to see the charm of this family ran bakery! I was just expecting to get a little cup of coffee and be gone but I was totally taken in by all the different pastries that they have. I mean for real these things are way fancy and sit in the palm of your hand. Then I saw they have fresh squeeze orange juice in the back. And there's a dude completely pumping out espressos on the machine. They've got sandwiches that they'll make to order as well. You are going to absolutely love this place! You owe it to yourself to come in and try this place out. Just check out the pictures they speak for themselves.

When something is as delicious as what comes out of this place, you should always plan on a wait. True, they may be under staffed which does cause overwhelm for the folks who are actually doing the work. I feel this place is certainly worth waiting for. I'm not a member of the "Rush, Rush, Rush", world nor do I care to be!!! I always know that when I want something this good, it will be worth waiting for. I love everything I get from here. Thanks to my partner for finding such a gem. Thank you for your wonderful food and service!!!!

Note to self: don't order the veggie sando anymore. The last one was soaked through with grease so I could only eat the filling after a while and it was way skimpier than before. It used to feel generous and overflowing but this last one was a thin sando and made me sad. Also all the oil made my stomach upset for a few days.

This place seems great! Always a long line, and baked look great. But I've never had them. People waiting in line often are impatient and leave, and I have done it 3 times. Too bad they can figure out how to accommodate their demand.

Everything I've had was very good - coffee and pastry but now I mostly order the tri-tip sandwich (split with whoever I'm with)

Stood at the counter waiting for service for almost 10 minutes. Mediocre pastries and even worse customer service. Overpriced mid food. Don't waste your time this place sucks

Curated menu Nice, healthy but tasty options Smoothies, coffee beverages, pastries... Sheer deliciousness. Can't go wrong really in whatever you choose.

Pro-tip: label your pastries so your cashier doesn't have to answer the same questions over and over again. It's be great to know what I want to order before I get to the front of the line.

I visited twice today to try and get a buttermilk biscuit sandwich but no luck. The biscuits are only available on random days, not weekly, so I try to come when they're announced but both visits they were either baking or were all sold out. Sad face. I love all the pastries at this local coffee shop but please make the buttermilk biscuits on a regular weekly basis!!

The freshly made pastries are what keeps me coming back here--specifically the raspberry pistachio croissant! This is the tastiest treat especially if warm. I really recommend asking them to warm it up for you! I also like the cheddar chipotle biscuit and the muffaletta sandwich. The espresso they use it smooth and tasty. Sometimes not hot enough for me. I'd say the two downsides are 1) sometimes the employees (not all of them) are not the friendliest and 2) they used to have compostable lids for their coffee which was awesome. Now they are back to plastic. :( All in all this a nice little neighborhood bakery spot to visit. Much better to pump your cash into a local spot than a big chain

I love a good healthy meal. The juice was A1. 3 picks of what ingredients you want in your juice. I chose orange, ginger, and carrot. The chicken bowl was 4/5. Chicken was seasoned to perfection and the grilled veggies were tasty. I love that they incorporated my black beans in with the quinoa, but there was way too much quinoa/black beans compared to the chicken and broccoli. There house made vinaigrette was super flavorful. I'll be back since it's close to my job and because they have healthy options!

Every single time I think I'm JUST coming here to satisfy a craving for a croissant, I fail. The display cases of edible art pieces just memorize your eyes every time without fail. Their doughnuts had the perfect glaze and how could I say no? Well, I didn't and I brought home treats for my nieces. I've been to places where their prices do not match the quality you'd expect. However, expect fresh buttery goodness here and plan to at least snag two croissants if you're the type to wish you just had one more bite after the last bite. Everyone I've ever encountered here has never disappointed or come short of warm and welcoming. Except for one time they had a huge catering event and I came later in the day and the croissants were sold out.

The combo sandwich I had i brought with me to take on my flight back to SATX and definitely hit the spot. Bread was perfect and enjoyed the flavor of the entire sandwich. Had another item to eat earlier which was I believe a croissant like bread with egg and sausage... umm so good. Service : fast and efficient Highly recommend

I had the Arnold palmer and it was exactly what I expected a regular Arnold palmer. The atmosphere is so homey and peaceful it's a beautiful hillside bakery. Right after this me and my girlfriend are going to go to the Mormon temple to look at the extravagant view. The service is really well done. And the food looks really appetizing.

This was my first time at L'acaju Bakery & Cafe. This place is small. It has a few tables inside (about 5 or 6 tables, from what I remember). There is a little space outdoors with 2 or 3 tables. There was a decent variety of food options on the menu. My husband and I bought the bowl with quinoa, beans, two eggs, pickled cabbage, and a few other items. It came out fast and the food was delivered to our table. Flavorwise, it was decent. It was priced on the higher end. My friend bought a tart that had an egg and cheese on it. It looked good and she said it tasted fine. I would go back for the chocolate croissant. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I didn't order my food at the front so I didn't get to check out the kitchen area, but I heard that they make their pastries there. I can tell. I wish I lived closer so I could buy one every day! Parking is not plentiful. There is a parking lot close by, but I saw only two parking spots assigned for this shop and then the rest of the spots were assigned to other shops. I have no idea if we could get in trouble if we park in those other spots. Either way, there is street parking available. The staff was nice and attentive. Initially, they forgot to give us our chocolate croissants but one of the workers eventually stopped by to bring them to us.

I'd be happy if this little local spot just has decent food, but it's amazing. All the pastries are top notch, the smoothies are good, as are the sandwiches and brunch items. A really extensive menu. And their bread is amazing - we buy it every week. Plus, the patio is nice and rarely crowded.

Food is good. I live in the neighborhood so it's a convenient stop for me. Staff is consistently unfriendly unfortunately. Also rap isn't really the vibe I'm going for in a coffee shop, but if it's you jam-awesome.

Easy to order via a phone call for take-out and pick up within 20 minutes when I visit relatives who live within 15 minutes of this cafe. In October, I ordered a salad, sandwiches (Mediterranean and turkey) and pot pies. All sandwiches and pot pies were freshly made. This cafe's food has delicious flavors. The mini cupcakes are a dessert treat.

Off Day or Just Off? I do not like to provide negative reviews for restaurants, as I know this is the hardest business to run, so I hope the owners/workers at this cafe will take this as constructive and make changes so that I can do a follow-up more positive review. What works? Great menu, great location - lots of variety (vegan, gluten free, salads, burger, sandwiches, bowls, smoothies, etc.) and a healthy alternative to the burger and pizza and bar a walk away. what could be better? We ordered the chicken sandwich and the beyond burger. The Chicken was not tasty and the oil from the chicken made the bread soggy. The beyond burger was missing everything that was supposed to be included. No tomato or onion. I paid extra for sauteed mushrooms -none of those either. On a good note - the broccoli chili side dish was delicious!

Great food, friendly service, and lots of vegetarian options. We stopped here for lunch after a bike ride in Joaquin Miller Park, and it was perfect. The Beyond Burger was just what my kids wanted, and I loved the Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich. Ask them to go easy on the cabbage slaw if you don't like that pickled cabbage flavor, but I thought it was tasty. The breakfast options looked good too, especially since they have vegan sausage options that you can add to anything. The lemon bars and chocolate cupcakes were great for dessert. The bars are huge. We also tried the dark chocolate peanut butter bar, which was not as sweet as the lemon bar, but tasty if you like rich, not as sweet, desserts. We will definitely be back.

First time here.. dud a very long hike and needed food and coffee asap.. so I stopped in. Being gluten free, I ordered the quinoa bowl. They said I'd get a bowl of quinoa and could add a protein and two other toppings for $15. I chose chicken, spinach and beans. What I got was a bowl full to the top with dry, unseasoned quinoa, a couple tablespoons of cubed chicken, literally a few shreds of sautéed spinach and maybe a tablespoon or two of black beans. There was a small dressing on the side to give the bowl some flavor. The eating experience was mouthful after mouthful of plain quinoa.. with some chicken in between. The staff was super friendly, so I ahate to give a negative review.. but if you're going to charge $15 for a bowl.. don't overfill it with the cheap carbs and barely put anything else on it. This is not appetizing nor nutritionally balanced.

Ordered on Doordash. This review is solely based on the food. The classic breakfast sandwich - the perfect morning sandwich! It almost tasted like a burger. I added spinach, sausage, bacon and avocado to mine. The Parisian Breakfast Sandwich - delicious sandwich. Loved the whole mustard in it! Cinnamon Roll - gooey pastry tastiness Almond Croissant - one of the best ever. Flaky, buttery and soft

My son and I were looking for somewhere to eat lunch after I picked him up from school. I have been curious to stop by this place before since it is down the hill from Joaquin Miller Park. We came during a time that was not too busy, but there were still options to pick from various baked goods and order from the kitchen. My salad was a good standard Cobb minus the bleu cheese but I suspect the salad dressing may have been laced with it. The children's burger was a good size but the sourdough was not child friendly. It was very toasted and hard to bite through for my wiggly-toothed kiddo. He was disappointed there was no fry option but cheered him up by giving him my clam chowder.

The smashed potatoes were excellent and the potato leek vegan soup rocked. Service was fast. My order was incorrect and all of side portions shockingly small, for example, $4 for three bites of coleslaw (pictured).

Never disappointed with any of the tasty choices at L'acajou. Pastry, coffee and eat out in the patio in the sun- Perfect post ride snack-

Avocado toast fantastic. Their bread is perfection. It's my favourite local go to. Nothing fancy about the indoor space. Outdoor great in a nice day. Good food and nice people.

I usually never write reviews but I got a 12 oz matcha latte with whole milk and it tasted like water with the smallest hint of matcha. It was like when you drink flavored sparkling water like la croix and it smells good but when you drink it, it's like you're drinking water with the ghost of the essence of the flavor it's supposed to be. I thought that maybe the matcha just settled at the bottom so i mixed it with a spoon and the powder was indeed at the bottom but it still tasted like water. I have seriously never gotten a matcha latte that was this disappointing before

The CUTEST bakery!! The croissants were being hand made in the back and everything was made in store. I had the Turkey club and the sandwich was so tasty and full of flavor! I ordered it on the baguette which was delicious. The service was friendly and quick, with cute small town vibes of a friendly cafe. Indoor and outdoor seating.

I received a nice $5 birthday offer & decided to utilize it with a dirty chai & almond croissant. The Dirty Chai had a fresh ginger taste, which can seem a little strong (a spicy burn), but for those who are lactose intolerant, ginger helps with lactose issues. I haven't had a Dirty Chai that had such a nice ginger component & I have to say I like their unique approach to this drink. By popular recommendation, I decided to order the Almond Croissant. It was flaky & had the perfect amount of lightness to it. The almond flavor definitely made it's presence, I can see why so many others have recommended this pastry.

Their croissants are better than the ones I have had in France. Wow. The only bad thing is that a few times I've made it there after 9am and there aren't any left! Poor me.

I ordered a bratwurst and it arrived cold. It was not freshly cooked. At all. I asked for a Cobb salad instead and it never arrived. I asked for a refund which I received. The worker did give me a free pastry. My son's grilled cheese sandwich had cheese that was not melted. My friend ordered food to go and a whole sandwich was missing. I am sorry I suggested this place to my friends. Our Saturday brunch was awful.

Came here on a whim and was very satisfied with their tri-tip sandwich: kale matched well with the tender beef, and the dijon and mayo made for a very succulent sandwich. They ran out of the usual baguette but their toasted, chewy wheat bread was arguably better. We'll be back to try more from their menu! The little outside patio with picnic benches also was a pleasant place to enjoy our lunch. It's great to have this little neighborhood cafe.

I highly recommend ordering ahead online, if you hit them up during a lunch rush it can be quite busy and slow. We ordered online but were hoping to be able to eat outside on the side patio. Unfortunately they only have 3 tables, which were all taken (even though one group was done eating and just talking) and we weren't able to eat there even though we were charged an additional fee (15%) to eat outside. I agree with other reviews that the staff isn't very warm or welcoming. I also watched them take out the trash then immediately return to work (not washing their hands). Seriously?! We ended up eating in our car since there was no other option. The highlight was the food. I had the Tri Tip sandwich. The Tri Tip was juicy and tender. The sautéed kale had a nice crunch to it. And there was a nice salt level to the dish. The sandwich was a decent size as well with nice bread. They are lucky their food is good.

Mixed reviews. Baked goods 5 stars - we had some delicious chocolate chip cookies. Breakfast bowl with quinoa, black beans, kale, mush rooms, spicy cabbage and poached eggs - pretty good - too many grains in terms of ratio to greens. Added bacon and avocado - forgot the avocado and bacon was undercooked so sent back. They did fix it. Hubs had the Cheesy grits with chorizo and poached eggs. Looks delish, grits were a little lumpy but over all pretty good dish. It's counter service and they have a few tables outside. All the workers were pretty young and seemed rushed. Recommend that they have a sign up list for the few tables. We arrived and someone was checking out, heard her say we'll take it to go because it looks like the tables are full. I asked if there was a sign up list - "no" Well we will wait for the next table , anyone ahead? "No" As soon as someone got up, person who asked for to go jumped ahead of me and grabbed the seat. Shouldn't make it uncomfortable for guests fighting each other. Sign up sheet would be efficient and make things easy. Hoping the business sees this. Also young people should make eye contact with guests, say "hello be right with you". Instead they go about their business until the guests asks for assistance. A little more customer service would go a long way. Something I'm noticing as covid restrictions lapse, everyone is prioritizing take out, when a guest is standing there, they should take precedence. Years of experience in hospitality taught me that.

The food here is pretty great! There is a lot of thought that goes into the preparation and combinations of food here. Great bread, soups, sandwiches and they have specials daily as well. The service can be pretty slow and they may forget your order at times when it's busy. The coffee drinks are really unremarkable though and I suggest getting an alternative beverage. I recommend the Mediterranean sandwich - it's soooooo good and the bread is very special!