Photo courtesy of 1951 Coffee Company.

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We've recently entered the fourth wave of coffee culture meaning there's been a shift in how we consume, produce and source our beans. While the second and third waves were ruled by Starbucks and specialty drinks, this new wave values science, sustainability and small farmers. This provides even more options for the coffee fan. Check out some of the Bay Area’s most innovative and BARTable coffee shops below.

San Francisco

Grab coffee drinks that use Ethiopian beans at SOMA's Sextant Coffee. Photo courtesy of Community Living.

Sextant Coffee | Civic Center/UN Plaza

Sextant's primary source of beans is the owner’s homeland, Ethiopia. For almost 10 years, Kinani Ahmed has been sourcing beans from farmers that he knows personally. The cafe is spacious and a great place to do some work. Beans are roasted on-site. Enjoy an espresso made with Sextant’s Yergacheffe heirloom beans and pick up a bottle of their house-made cold brew concentrate for later. Open daily from 7:30am-4pm. Travel 0.5 miles from Civic Center/UN Plaza to 1415 Folsom St.

Explore a Yemeni latte and other coffee and tea drinks at San Francisco's Delah Coffee. Photo courtesy of Delah Coffee.

Delah Coffee House | Powell St

North African coffee culture is becoming better known in the Bay Area, thanks to the family behind Delah Coffee. A latte flavored with cardamom and cinnamon is the brand’s signature drink, but there’s so much more to explore on the menu. In just a few years, this Yemeni coffee brand has grown to three Bay Area locations. Besides this original San Francisco location, the other two (Oakland and a soon-to-open Berkeley) cafes are also BARTable. Open daily from 7am-10pm. From Powell St, travel 0.5 miles to 370 4th St.

East Bay

Murals fill the walls at 1951 Coffee Company's Channing Way location. Photo courtesy of Berkeleyside.

1951 Coffee Company | Downtown Berkeley

Part cafe, part coffee bean importer and part refugee barista training center, 1951 serves the coffee community with a steady flow of trained barista workers eager to join the country’s economy. The non-profit coffee company maintains relationships with coffee farmers, mainly in Latin America. In-house roasting is accomplished with Berkeley-based Bellwether Coffee, a zero-emission electric coffee roaster. Recent grads opened Imran & Ali’s Coffee Hut, located on the BART Plaza at Downtown Berkeley. Hours at 1951 are Monday through Friday from 7am-5pm; Saturday and Sunday from 8am-3pm. Travel 0.7 miles from Downtown Berkeley to 2410 Channing Way.

Snuggle with an adoptable cat while you sip on some caffeine at Oakland's Rawr. Photo courtesy of Cat Town.

RAWR Coffee Bar at Cat Town | 19th St Oakland

The cat cafe trend might have slowed a bit, but if you are in Oakland and looking for a cup of joe to go with your need for cat-bonding, head over to Cat Town where you can still visit the felines up for adoption while enjoying a beverage at the RAWR Coffee Bar. Besides vegan sweets, the cafe makes coffee drinks with beans from local Oakland favorite, Highwire Coffee. Visits are $12 and money collected help to support Cat Town. Make a reservation here. The cafe is open Friday through Saturday from 10am-5pm and Sunday from 10am-4pm. Travel 0.7 miles from 19th St Oakland to 2869 Broadway.

Roses and a pastel palette enhance the dining space at Damask Rose. Photo courtesy of Berkeleyside.

Damask Rose Coffee | Ashby

Batool Rawoas, a first-generation Syrian, opened Damask Rose in 2022 after barista training at Berkeley’s 1951 refugee training program. Rawoas and her family aren’t new to the East Bay food scene, having run the catering company Old Damascus Fare for several years. Look for the cafe’s signature drink, the Rose Latte. The cafe also offers a plethora of Syrian dishes and sweets. Open daily from 11am-6pm. From Ashby, travel 0.4 miles to 6606 Shattuck Ave.

A rendering of the newly opened Mind Coffee in North Berkeley. Photo courtesy of Mind Coffee.

Mind Coffee | Downtown Berkeley

Now, more than ever, mental health is at the top of most people’s minds, which is why Viviana Wang set out to open Mind Coffee in North Berkeley. The space is specifically designed as a respite for students and the like and is sectioned off for clarity, focus and socialization. The ceiling’s wave-like design is meant to replicate a person’s thoughts. Besides traditional coffee drinks and a whole section dedicated to decadent Viennese coffee, there’s also a nice selection of herbal teas. Visit Monday through Friday from 8am-7pm; Saturday and Sunday from 10am-5pm. Travel 0.7 miles from Downtown Berkeley to 1816 Euclid Ave.

What innovative coffee shops have you discovered?

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