Where To Get the Best Pour-Over in Oakland

Tired of Philz? Try these Oaktown spots.

Photo: Emma Smith via Unsplash

For better or worse, big tech has taken over the Bay Area. Sure, that means we get drones, bro, but don’t you miss the good old tech-free days when we weren’t being tracked by a million apps? It’s not a coincidence that while tech has permeated nearly every aspect of our lives, we have simultaneously gravitated toward simpler (ahem, less techy) times.

Enter pour-over coffee, also known as hand-drip coffee. Pour-over is the antidote to the Keurig. The technique—pouring hot water over grounded beans in a pour-over cone—had become a lost coffee tradition until recently. There’s no reason why people would suffer through making a pour-over coffee, since it takes five to 10 minutes to make, except for the fact that it’s hip and tastes really good. If you’re on the hunt for the perfect pour-over in Oakland (that isn’t Philz), we suggest checking out these spots.

1. Red Bay Coffee

If sipping on pour-over coffee while you can actually smell the coffee beans being roasted right next to you sounds like a dream (and if you’re a coffee snob, how could it not?), Red Bay Coffee will soon become your second home. Located in a warehouse within walking distance of the Fruitvale BART station, Red Bay Coffee positions itself at the forefront of the fourth wave of coffee—meaning that it’s not only sustainable but also a vehicle for community diversity and inclusion. Red Bay Coffee was founded in 2014 by Keba Konte with a mission to be of service to the community by hiring people from diverse backgrounds, such as people of color who were incarcerated. It’s known for its mission and for being a staple in the Fruitvale community, but it’s also known for its impeccable pour-over coffee.

3098 E 10th Street (Fruitvale) | redbaycoffee.com

Photo: Tiffany H. via Yelp

2. Highwire Coffee Roasters

Highwire Coffee Roasters is the epitome of the drool emoji, especially when we’re talking about its pour-over. The company was founded in 2011 by three coffee connoisseurs, Rich Avella, Eric Hashimoto, and Robert Myers, with the idea that a coffee company can be a force for good. (Notice a trend here? It’s good that pour-over comes from good companies.) Today the coffee joint has locations in Berkeley and Albany, as well as at the San Francisco Ferry Building Farmers’ Market, but its Rockridge spot is a great place at which to sip on delicious pour-over, especially the Alemu Bukato from Ethiopia. This particular blend is known for its tangy citrus and sweetness.

5655 College Avenue (Rockridge) | highwirecoffee.com

3. Snow White Coffee

If the seven dwarfs were to hang out at Snow White Coffee in Piedmont, they would all be named Happy, because how could anyone be anything but happy while drinking Snow White coffee? The coffee bar has been around since 2016 and is a beloved local spot, especially for those who work at Kaiser. On Yelp, coffee enthusiasts rave about the pour-over coffee, with some saying that it’s the best they’ve ever had. Snow White Coffee’s minimalist aesthetic is popular with customers too.

3824 Piedmont Avenue (Piedmont) | snowwhitecoffee.com

Photo: Andrew C. via Yelp

4. Merritt Station Cafe

Merritt Station Cafe has an old-school New York City diner vibe. Pour-over might not be the first cup of joe to come to mind, but it’s what keeps customers coming back. What makes pour-over unique here is that for each drink, they measure the beans on a scale to make sure each cup is consistently good. Now you might think that that means an even longer wait time, but Merritt Station Cafe has got you covered—you can order insta-pour to-go coffee if you’re in a rush.

614 Grand Avenue (Grand Lake) | facebook.com/merrittstationcafe

5. Equator Coffee

Equator got its start in 1995 when two women, Brooke McDonnell and Helen Russell, started roasting coffee beans in a Marin County garage. In other words, these women have been doing this for a while, and they know how to make good coffee. Their coffees change each month at the Lake Merritt outpost, meaning you’ll never get bored by having the same kind of pour-over if you’re a regular. While there are various Equator cafes across the Bay Area today, this one is inside a recycled shipping container and has a picturesque outdoor deck. It’s a peaceful place at which to get hyped up on coffee on a Saturday morning. 😜

175 Bay Place (Lake Merritt) | equatorcoffees.com