SIGNAL Coffee Roasters

Signal is a local coffee chain & roaster featuring mainly medium to dark roast beans. Overall solid coffee but on the pricier side compared to many local coffee chains in the Bay. The ube latte was good but the flavor of ube itself does not shine through as I would’ve liked. I’ve been to Signal coffee a few times at the SF Ferry Plaza Famers market so it’s good to visit the shop. This particular location is a bit small and although I see students studying here from campus, it’s not the most spacious for extended stay. Will try the pastries next time!

I stopped in here around 4 pm before going to the Study Hall rooftop across the street since I had 30 min to spare. There were some people sitting/ eating for coffee but no line to order. No one really greeted us when we walked in and took a few min for them to say they would be with us which is fine as it was only two of them making food items & coffee. It wasn't the fastest service, but they were friendly and answered by questions. There is a nice variety of pastries to choose from. I got a chocolate chip cookie, and it was standard, good. I got the GPL, Great Pumpkin Latte which is the seasonal drink. It was made pretty quickly & looked delish. Tasted so creamy with a hint of pumpkin. Wasn't too pumpkiny, but was a solid latte. My friend got the espresso tonic, which I think is an acquired taste. There is some seating at the wall and a little couch nook to sit at to enjoy your drinks. Also some outside seating. I am never in Berkeley, but I would come back when I'm in town. I could see drinks/ food taking a while if it is busy, so l may avoid it at prime time.

always excellent oat milk cappuccinos, love their food offerings as well. delicious mochi pastries and egg bites for wheat/gluten-free. but also great bagels, morning pastries, and those wonderful el porteño empanadas. cool music posters and decor.

Delicious coffee and unique pastries. We got a toasted coconut latte (toasted coconut was a seasonal syrup and it was really good, not overly sweet in the drink which I like), an espresso tonic, and a matcha strawberry mochi pastry. Would highly recommend this place for a quiet cafe vibe and delectable coffee and baked goods. They have a food menu too, but we didn't try it. The matcha strawberry mochi pastry was really good, not too sweet and the flavors mixed very well.

I usually review places that are either amazing or terrible - this place is neither. I wanted to love it because it’s near campus and they have bagels. Most times I’ve had a bagel here it’s been great! But the last time I went the bagel was weirdly HARD. I asked the barista and he said it might be stale and he made me a new one. Which was also so stale it could barely bite into it - yuck. Not sure why they’re serving that: The coffee is okay. The staff are lovely!

Delicious coffee that I have had now 4 mornings in a row while visiting. This is my second day having the ricotta toast - sensational. And I’m taking the last of their passion fruit scones to go. The chard and Gruyère empanada was a delicious quick lunch yesterday and I’m eyeing the mushroom one for lunch today. The location is so convenient and the staff friendly. Love this place.

Decent coffee at higher-end coffee prices. Decent interior, although I don’t know if I could work here for hours like I can at other coffee shops in Berkeley. They also have boychik bagels!

LOVE this place!! I’ve been wanting to go to the Signal coffee roasters in north Berkeley but it’s out of the way for me so I was so excited to see they opened a location right next to campus. There is a dire need of cafes in Downtown Berkeley especially good ones and this one did not disappoint. I was so excited to try their Ube Latte and was overjoyed to see the really great selection of pastries and food, it went beyond just the standard selection to have really unique donuts, cookies, and savory foods. I got the passion fruit cream donut and it was one of the best donuts I’ve ever had in my life. The ambience was great, and the service was amazing. The guy who helped me was so kind, we had a fun little conversation and I can’t wait to come back—we joked that this cafe opened just for me, and honestly it felt like it! They also had a nice selection of canned drinks including canned coffee.

This is a local chain with ethically-sourced, single-origin coffee and tasty baked options like a sharing-sized chewy ginger cookie. My cappuccino was ready quickly, and I like that they have ceramic ware for drinking in. If your goal is good tasting coffee, this is a good spot downtown. What knocks it down a notch is hard for them to control. The store is formerly the Ben and Jerry's spot, and the floor plan does not offer a lot of space for seating. One person holed up with a laptop, books, and backpack could take half the space unless you want to sit in the aisle that is also the space for waiting in line and navigating to the bussing bin. It feels temporary, not warm and cozy.

I got an espresso. It was a darker roast with good layers andsmooth texture a creamy texture. It wast bitter or burnt. I tasted milk chocolate notes. 5/5

I stopped in here around 4 pm before going to the Study Hall rooftop across the street since I had 30 min to spare. There were some people sitting/ eating for coffee but no line to order. No one really greeted us when we walked in and took a few min for them to say they would be with us which is fine as it was only two of them making food items & coffee. It wasn't the fastest service, but they were friendly and answered by questions. There is a nice variety of pastries to choose from. I got a chocolate chip cookie, and it was standard, good. I got the GPL, Great Pumpkin Latte which is the seasonal drink. It was made pretty quickly & looked delish. Tasted so creamy with a hint of pumpkin. Wasn't too pumpkiny, but was a solid latte. My friend got the espresso tonic, which I think is an acquired taste. There is some seating at the wall and a little couch nook to sit at to enjoy your drinks. Also some outside seating. I am never in Berkeley, but I would come back when I'm in town. I could see drinks/ food taking a while if it is busy, so I may avoid it at prime time.

3.5 stars. Dropped by on a Friday evening around 4:45. No line, just people working quietly inside while enjoying drinks and food. Cashier was nice and he got our drinks done almost instantly. My husband got the Americano and I got the iced black sesame latte. I was slightly disappointed with my drink. I was expecting a light black-gray latte with a strong, distinct sesame flavor. Instead, I got a good regular latte with little to no sesame flavor -- it was barely discernible. I finished my drink in about two minutes. Sadly, I wouldn't get it again simply because it barely qualified as a black sesame latte. However, I'd give this place another go to try some of the other drinks (the hojicha latte and Mexican mocha caught my eye) and food. It's a nice space, very modern, bright, and well designed inside and the kind of coffee shop you'd want to spend some time in getting some work done. But this wasn't the strongest first impression.

I came here around noon to grab a coffee and study for an upcoming exam. I ordered an iced Ube Coffee to get me through to the evening. I'm a big fan of ube drinks, although I will say that this drink had a much stronger coffee flavor that overpowered the ube. I know that I'm drinking coffee, but in terms of personal preference, I'd like the ube to have a stronger flavor. It's a small space, but there are still a few tables and chairs around to do work at. There were outlets there, at least by the table I was sitting at, which I appreciated. You can ask the staff working there for the wifi. There was a big key hanging by the bathroom that you could use to get in, but for some reason it kept falling when people were going in and out of the bathroom. This place is located in Downtown Berkeley, so there's not too much space to park except outside on the street. However, there's no guarantee you'll get anything right outside with how busy it usually is throughout the day.

I stumbled upon this coffee shop and decided to try the Ube Latte. It took awhile to get my drink when others received their drinks already. I decided to get the hot ube latte and it turned out to be quite delicious! Next time, I am going to try the iced version of this.

Nice café near the Cal Berkeley campus main entrance, a few steps away from the BART. I stopped by for a croissant and matcha latte on my way to an event at the Haas Business School earlier this month. Bill was about $13 before tip. Service was friendly and the croissant was fresh. The matcha latte was good too. Bathrooms were clean and seating was comfortable. Happy to return.

The staff are really nice! I love that alternative milk is no extra charge! The iced matcha with almond milk is super yum!

Signal coffee has been a letdown for me. The staff are mildly friendly at best and look unhappy to be there. I've been twice - both times I got a hot latte with whole milk. The first time, the drink was solid; the second time, it wasn't. The milk was barely hot and the espresso was burnt. There is a serious quality coffee shortage in Downtown Berkeley, so I'll have to settle for this place for a while, it seems, but I'm not impressed.

I ordered a macchiato "for here" (in porcelain) and a classic butter croissant. While the croissant was A-OK, my espresso drink was bitter and far from attractive. I can't say that I took one sip of it and smiled from ear to ear. This new SIGNAL seems to be perennially busy. I passed by a few times before with the intention of getting an espresso but had to postpone my visit several times because of the significant line to order whenever I looked in. Coming ultra early one day, I was able to order without a wait. I intend to return at least once to see if my inaugural experience was just a bout of bad luck. I very much hope that that's the case.

Got to meet the proprietor-- very friendly (5 stars for service). I love that this location opened up a short distance from my apartment. It's a much needed addition especially with the loss of all the businesses in the building next door. Berkeley is knocking down the building on Center closest to the University to build residential space which is good. I think more housing is important but most of the people who live around here are students (if they can afford it). The owner also mentioned the hotel across the street helps bring foot traffic into his coffee shop. Maybe that'll help keep shops downtown. After living here for a decade, I think downtown Berkeley is just a revolving door of trendy restaurants and coffee shops. But ofc there are a few staples like Jupiter + Sliver. The first ever Top Dog (20+y.o!!) closed down to make way for the new residential building. I am getting used to the landscape changes but there are definitely businesses I would like to see be here for awhile. And this is one of them. It took a little bit (5-10min) to get my oat milk latte + egg/cheese Boichik bagel but I didn't mind bc I was just hanging out in their spacious seating area. This was the former Ben + Jerry's so it was sad to see it go but this is a worthy replacement. Coffee prices anywhere in this area are astronomical so I don't even comment on the prices anymore. Just gotta make more money to fund my expensive lattes. I'll also be splitting my time between here and Asha :)

I would return to this place 1 million times over. Unfortunately, we were only in town for a few days and had other places to be. Our one and only visit was outstanding. We opted for two iced vanilla coffees. I looked at the pastry case which was phenomenal. I wish I would've tried one of their focaccia breads. Service was outstanding very cool. Comfortable vibes inside. This is directly across from the residence Inn hotel in Berkeley. There is a street parking. We really enjoyed our coffees. I wish they opened a little bit earlier than they did, but it was fine.

Went here before the Berkeley Half Marathon to grab an espresso and avocado toast before my race. It was a busy day but the staff moved as swiftly as they could and my order was taken in good time and ready also in a good time. Lots of energy in the space that morning but a good amount of seats were still available. The pastries they had looked so good, I will come back to try!

Rude cashier (tall white guy with brown hair) was really disrespectful to my boyfriend. My boyfriend politely asked if it was possible to change the order since they got it wrong on the receipt but they tried to gaslight him and treated him very rudely for no reason. Bf is also a regular here. Come here (to that cashier) if you like being gaslit and being treated terribly ig :D

I'm from Los Angeles here visiting Berkeley and I have been to this coffee shop many times since I've been here, I have to say, it's really good and the staff is so nice! Chill spot and nice place just to hang out under the trees. I recommend this place to anyone visiting Berkeley, the pastries are delicious too

This is a very racist establishment i was greeted with dirty looks and attitude when politely calling the manager stating my experience and i had a 15 minute conversation with the manager/owner he was very rude verbally aggressive and passive denied refund because he said it wasn't his job to manage his employees atti instead of fixing the issue he baited me into a 15 minute argument nobody should have to go through this please go elsewhere somewhere where you are appreciated if your anything but yt you won't be welcomed

05/25/2026 We loved the convenience of having this coffee shop across from the hotel we were staying at. Hubby walked across the street to grab us coffee to have with our breakfast. The place was small and cozy and already busy at that time of the morning. But hubby came back in a few minutes with our order. Sadly, my mocha was lukewarm and tasted like a warm milk with a faint chocolate taste. The chocolate looked grainy and was clumped up at the bottom of my drink. I added regular hotel coffee to it to warm it back up to hot again. Would we come back and try it again? Maybe...

Stay away from these menu items! I ordered the ube latte and avocado toast... The Ube Latte was not good... I love Ube and Ube lattes! The coffee taste was so bitter and burnt. I also ordered the avocado toast and immediately regretted it when I saw it. Its on a small piece of sliced bread, the avocado was not fresh, and the pickled onions with the balsamic vinegar were too contrasting and overpowering flavors. So disappointed that I spent $18 on these two menu items.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this little coffee shop in downtown Berkeley. I stumbled upon this cafe as I was heading to campus and craving a caffeine fix. I got stationed at one of their tables and ordered a vanilla latte and two of their pesto and tomato egg bites. The coffee was delicious and the vanilla flavoring wasn't overpowering and I loved seeing them making the coffee in the back. The egg bites (and other menu items) are made fresh and were so delicious. They came straight out of the oven and the pesto flavors came through very well. The staff was also very friendly and I loved the small talk. Can't recommend this place enough!

One of my favorite coffee places in the bay. They make great black coffee, lattees, and cappuccino, always consistently a great cup of java

The staff are so nice and patient when I asked questions about the menu but the prices are too high for what they're offering. My black sesame latte just tasted like a regular latte and I know it's not the only place that does this but I just don't think 12 oz of coffee should ever be $7. Also The areas to sit are SO narrow, and the open counters/tables for seating weren't clean.

Bad unfriendly service and very slow. staff they couldn't be bothered $11 for a piece of mediocre avocado toast.

Chill study spot with wifi and very kind baristas. I do have to say the drinks are kinda inconsistent, ube latte is amazing and definitely worth a try! but id say you can skip on the iced matcha latte. The iced matcha latte was honestly kinda grainy/chalky seems kinda low quality or maybe the process of making it wasnt thorough.

Why would any quality coffee place serve a espresso intended to consume on premises in a paper cup? This is a $4 espresso and it was served in the paper cup you see pictured here. The flavor of the coffee was good, but the temperature plummeted from the first sip. Never again. Not going back.

WOW I'm so glad this place opened up! They have so many interesting specialty drinks. Tried the Burnt Honey Latte and it was amazing -- definitely want to try others on their menu! The English Muffin with Miso Egg Salad was the best sandwich I've had in a WHILE. The workers are all so sweet as well and you can definitely tell that they care about the customers a lot. Love love love!

Decent coffee, but if you must support Signal, take a pass on ordering food. If you decide to skip this advice, and order a bagel with cream-cheese, you can expect a grotesquely heavy pile of cream cheese that spills everywhere, rendering eating the bagel nearly impossible. If you take this monstrosity to the counter (as globs of cream cheese hit the floor), expect the barista to first glare at you, and then scramble to give you a hard time about re-doing the bagel (while attempting to charge you again). THEN: she'll give you grief about refunding, for the bagel... If you are not this woman's complexion, you should also expect a deluge of micro-aggressions, to where you will be literally reduced to baffled laughter. For far better coffee, and - as important - professional service: walk one block, to Blue Bottle, or Elaichi Co. Signal isn't at all worth the headache.

Delicious coffee with plenty of outdoor and indoor seating! They just opened, the customer service is stellar and they bring out the drinks pretty fast. Also free wifi! Great spot in DT Berkeley, perfect for students to study at, or people to stop by before they head into work. Ordered an iced Dulce de Latte coffee and iced Mocha. Would definitely order the dulce de latte again, the espresso was smooth and you can taste the coffee while the milk was very creamy. The mocha was not that great, I would recommend to stick to their specialty lattes. SIGNAL also offers Boichik bagels among various baked goods. The croissants were HUGE! We ordered a ham and cheese croissant, it was alright. Wish it was warmed up :')

I don't see myself coming back anytime soon. I ordered an iced dulce de leche latte, but I found the espresso to be very bitter, even with whole milk and presumably syrup added in. The latte didn't have any sort of caramel taste, so that was also really disappointing. The baristas were friendly, so that was a plus. The pastries looked delicious, but sort of lost appeal because there was a fly buzzing around them.

So glad they are now open! Their iced ube latte was fantastic. Can't wait to go back for more!

Buckle up for snark central. One of the what looked like managers here, was full of eye rolls, shouting and unbridled hostility. So many better spots. My matcha was also the worst I've ever had.

Love this spot! It recently opened and the lattes here quickly became my favorite. The location is great since it's right next to BART and the northbound bus lanes--super helpful for catching a connection. It's a huge plus that they also have Boichik bagels. The staff here is great, super friendly and good at what they do! Seems like they have a good manager leading this location.

So glad i came across this gem directly across from my hotel in Berkeley. I flew in and needed a caffeine fix. A colleague of mine who was a local suggested Signal. I'm Filipino so I was immediately drawn to the ube latte. Normally other coffee places pre-mix the ube with the milk, but that didn't seem to be the case here. It was a legit ube latte with oat, just as I requested. I had it iced the first time and then the next morning had it warm. The 3rd morning I went back to iced. It was fantastic either way. Their bagels were great too. And the service each time was top notch. I wish I lived closer to Signal because I'd definitely frequent it.

Always a pleasure seeing Kate, she's been my favorite around for a while. She knows what she's doing with drinks. I have gotten a few drinks not made from her and it always taste different and weird. Staff is okay, some snappy attitude s here and there. Parking is $4 an hour about so hopefully management helps them pay that.

Nice location to get excellent coffee and fresh bakery bites. Wifi was strong too. The staff and owner were amazingly friendly! Nab a seat if you can

I love this coffee shop. They have a nice selection of pastries and breakfast sandwiches. Friendly staff.

Coffee and pastry were pretty good, bright lighting good WiFi, and large tables for working!