Jason F.
Yelp
The island city of Alameda, California is filled with an abundance of coffee shops that serve a wide variety of pleasing coffee drinks, for Wescafe it's all about a coffee shop meets marketplace meets cafe/ greasy spoon vibe. Located on the city's westside on the bustling Webster Street, Wescafe has been located at this location between Haight and Santa Clara Avenues for a decade now, ever since they moved from their smaller location a block north, which has since been occupied by Signal Coffee Roasters. In my quest to visit every purveyor of coffee beans in the island city, I suggested to a friend that we head here for a brief stop after a lunch that we also enjoyed at a nearby restaurant on Webster Street. Parking around Wescafe can be a challenge especially along Webster Street as all of the parking meters do not park here/ tow away. We decided that since it technically was a holiday, and we were going to stay for a short while, while we sipped our coffee, we should take a chance and park across the street. Upon entry to this newer and updated location of Wescafe, one will instantly be surprised how large the interior is, with multiple glass cases of fresh pies, both sweet and savory, breakfast and lunch dishes, as well as giant cookies galore.
It's strictly fast casual here at Wescafe where you order at the counter and they either give you a number for their staff to deliver your food to your table, or they simply call out your drink order when it is ready, which was our situation. I have to admit, I was not expecting the wide array of menu items that Wescafe serves up on a daily basis, as they sandwiches sold at an average price of $9.50, breakfast entrées all sold for 10 dollars or less, various large salads, and a Bar menu featuring traditional items such as bar bites and hamburgers. But since we already ate, we were steadfast in our decision to order coffees to enjoy in their cafe and there were an impressive 12 options of hot coffee drinks to choose from with three size options. My friend ordered a medium Cafe Latter and I opted for a medium Mexican Mocha, with our total bill being a bit under 8 dollars before tip, which was rather reasonable. As we waited for our drinks to be prepared we managed to find a table for two that was available, but we did have to bus and clean it ourselves as there were still previous cups from a former diner on it. Once our drinks were called out by their baristas one by one, my friend's latte had a delightful bear face impression made out in its top foam, and I received an extra dollop of whipped cream on the top of my Mexican Mocha. With subtle hints of cinnamon, I downed every sip of my coffee down to the last drop.
We took in the atmosphere of Wescafe, as it was part sports bar with sports playing on one television behind the bar, bar cafe with people being served their lunch items by their hardworking staff. It was actually fun to take in the people watching as tables enjoyed brunch entrées, burgers, and sandwiches. And boy did they look good as they all seemed handcrafted and hearty and well with the 10 dollar price tag. I am so happy that Wescafe expanded their operations along Webster Street and is now even thriving in their expanded home. Where else can you get handcrafted smoothies and milkshakes along with a pint of beer and glass of wine? I can't wait to order all three the next time I visit. Not many in my estimation, and Wescafe is keeping it local and affordable despite all of the challenges thrown their way in this day and age. Wescafe should not only be patronized by locals and out-of-towners alike, but celebrated for thriving as long as they have!