Peet's Coffee - Berkeley

Mine and my kids favorite Peet's! There is a wonderful display about the local history of Peet's in the back of the cafè and there are a lot of quaint shops to walk to nearby.

The original Peet?s. Ethical rating: 3.5 Green Stars better than SBUX). Peet?s is now fully open, as far as indoor seating goes. Staff members still wear masks but they are optional for customers. I know that this is the original Peet?s but I?ve only been inside a couple of times, despite having lived in Berkeley for two decades. That may change now ?going forward,? as people say, unintentionally or not, to annoy me) mainly because of the following three things: 1. I found a secret room! Okay, it?s not secret ? in fact anyone who visited the bathroom or has a reasonably high level of curiosity will have found this back room. But I actually didn?t know that it existed until my visit last Sunday! It?s a very peaceful area in contrast to the front, which sounds like a fish market on a Sunday morning) with about five tables and many bookcases filled with precious Peet?s artifacts and photos. Sit and soak in the energy of 1960?s Berkeley and find something to rebel against. 2. Peet?s now sells a vegan sandwich the ?Everything Plant Based Sandwich? ? and it?s pretty good. It?s a sausage patty from Beyond Meat, combined with JUST vegan egg and vegan cheddar, all on a thin everything bagel. 3. We can now use our own mugs again at Peet?s, avoiding coffee cup waste and the 25 cent charge that Berkeley folk now pay for disposable cups. The baristas make darn good drinks ? a simple latte induced a double take or double sip) from my friend. Their Yosemite coffee is good if you don?t mind dark roasts) and sports a Smithsonian ?songbird friendly? certification ? actually one of the best certifications for coffee more on the ethical side below). Overall, it?s a fun and historical) place to sit outside in the sun, or in the surprisingly serene ?secret? back room. I?m also giving the Peet?s 3.5 out of 5 ?Green Stars? for social and environmental impact, based on this: ? Reasonable selection of vegetarian items and now one good vegan sandwich and a vegan brownie. ? Bey

Great people serving good, hot coffee drinks and a nice variety of beans. The little museum by the bathrooms is fun to look at. Sit outside and enjoy people watching while sipping your drink.

Usually this Peet?s has really friendly and competent workers, not this morning. The cashier wouldn?t make eye contact, they messed up my drink (one guy is clearly training, not a big deal) and when I waited for about 15 minutes before someone made eye contact with me, I told them it didn?t taste like it normally does (as a nice way of saying they made it wrong). She offered to remake it and then told the guy training something like ?she didn?t like the way it tasted? in a way that made it seem like I didn?t know what the drink was supposed to taste like and that I was being ridiculous. I?ve had this a million times from Peet?s and I don?t feel like I asked in a rude way. It?s a Saturday morning so it was busy but come on, the least you can do is admit you made the drink wrong and not act like it?s the customer being crazy.

Peets makes great coffee; beans to take home take or having a cuppa made onsight!. Nice building too. Vine St building is home of the first Peets coffee shop.