Highwire Coffee Roasters

Ordered a latte. Surly service, tepid drink, tasted like soap. Soapy aftertaste lingers long after I chucked the whole thing in the trash.

One of my FAVORITE coffee spots in the Bay Area, hands down. They’ve got some of the best coffee and it is CONSISTENTLY good; which is incredibly hard to find. This location is small but surrounded by loveliness. Definitely a must-​try. They are sooooooooooooo goood.

I really like their homemade chai. I order mine with almond milk and it’s such a treat. The flavors are delicious and sometimes I get a vegan muffin to go with it which is also pretty yummy.

Amazing menu of baked goods: vegan, dairy-​free, grain-​free, you choose your-​free. And so delicious!
In the same space as the bakery at Market Hall as well as connected to Market Hall, so food options for any time of the day are plentiful.
Modern-​classic space with all the regulars for drinks. Great stop in Rockridge.

Ordered a flat white. They prepared a cappuccino and called out «Cappuccino». These high end specialty shops should know the difference, or at least clarify with the customer if they are in doubt. Google it if you do not know or are in doubt.
When we said we wanted a flat white (not a cappuccino), they asked «Do you want it hot?» Uhhhh? YES! Who trains these people?

Best soy chai ever I drive here even when I’m off from work. I have a hair salon near by and I recommend this place to all my clients. The Baristas are very friendly and professional.

Some of the best crafted coffee in Oakland-​Berkeley. The service is sooo good there you will get spoiled soon, and they are so fast. These people hussle with a smile on the face and a kind word for everyone.
Seating is hit and miss, another table on the street would help. Seating at the bars, 6 stools, is for a quickie only, and that is the model here-​grab a nice coffee and go.
Can get busy in the morning as commuters make up 90% of the customers at that time.
Afternoons are less busy and being able to sit down w/​friends over that superb cup of coffee is easier to get accomplished, although weekends are still busy.
And you can get some killer teas here, either to take home or drink. I only wish Cole Coffee up the street would send their staff for Coffee making 101 here now and then ;)

In Rockridge’s pasta shop and are local roasters this is a sreat option for coffee in the area and they use califia almond milk their almond based drinks, which usually turns our for a better beverage. I find their espresso has a toasty flavor to it, but that may be because I usually order it as a almond cappuccino. Some of the baristas are a lil’ feisty, which I’ don’t mind, but most times I get good service. There’s an adjacent bakery for baked goods and they offer some too. They also offer their nitro cold brewed coffee, which looks all pretty when it is poured, but I still prefer their espresso. Seating area is small. There’s a few counter top spaces and a few outdoor chairs.

I am so spoiled living around the corner from here. Having drank a lot of coffee in my time, I kinda feel that Highwire has the best there is. Their roast doesn’t leave the coffee tasting bitter, which I find at a lot of gourmet coffee shops, and served with organic whole milk (you have to ask for it), their coffees are a dream. And the baristas, are both creative and expressive with their style and super friendly. Go!

Trekking out to Rockridge at 7:30am on a Wednesday from the city for a cup of coffee takes commitment, but hey, I’m a committed kind of girl. In going with my fellow coffee snob out to Highwire, we both were ready for a solid cup of coffee after enduring BART. One of the coolest things about coming to Highwire is that there is a constant wave of people who are passing through or staying around to enjoy their morning bevvies. The neighborhood feel is real here, and it’s enjoyable and not pretentious. Both of us went with their Guatemalan pourover option. In getting that, we also got a quick lesson on a new way to make coffee via the Bonavita immersion dripper. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you find out that there are still ways to make a simple cup of coffee look like a grand science project that would win you a prize at school. The barista who talked to us about the process was welcoming, and surprisingly extremely friendly for two people who were just passing through and hanging out. While I can’t say that I’m too keen on their nitro cold brew that has been brought to the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings (a little too much fizz, methinks), their pourover today was delicious and something I’d venture back to if I was in the area.

I love the location and the espresso is so good. Probably up there with some of my favorite and I’ve tried a lot of places. I love sitting outside drinking my latte and enjoying the scenery. After, I like to check out the marker or walk around College Ave. The barista’s are very friendly too. I will definitely be back! As a side note, they do double pour espresso shots, but unlike some places they are willing to split it up when I ask for 3 shots. I like that;. Great place!

Having come from Seattle, I’m used to being spoiled with espresso options. And on a street with many good coffee shops, Highwire is my favorite.
They have a homemade vanilla syrup (real vanilla beans) that makes the best vanilla latte I’ve ever had.
Crowds can be a problem and you might not find a seat on a weekend. Hence the 4 stars.

When you see customers before you having their cappuccino presented well, I mean with latte art, you get excited on yours. When I finally got my soy cappuccino the barista just poured the frothed soy with no care as in NO LATTE ART and I thought maybe soy milk is really hard to froth when I ask «is it hard to properly froth soy milk?» it seems he got offended and said «NO, I’M JUST BUSY» then turned his back. WOW! what a ay to treat your customer. VERY easy VERY VERY DISAPPOINTING. I will never go back to this place.
Furthermore, this is my second stop here in Oakland in search for a good Soy Cappuccino. My first stop was Blue Bottle, and so far they are in the TOP of my list. Besides great coffee, great customer service.
I’m giving just 1 star just for the person who took my order with a smile and asking how my day went so far.

Location is great — perfect for Rockridge commuters looking for a quick pick me up before their Bart ride. Service is usually great — BUT, there are a few grumpelstilskins on the other side of the counter. Coffee is tasty — a little overly roasted but it does the trick.
Tip: they pull doubles for everything, so if you get a large latte, know the only thing you’re getting for that extra $ 1.50 is more milk.

Excellent coffee, knowledgable baristas and next to a good bakery… What more do you need? Always seems to be a queue which is an indication of the quality on offer here… I always go for the Americano, and mmmm mmmm… I buy the beans and brew at home as well… You will not be disappointed

Here is my attempt at a «normal» introduction:
Good people, great coffee, and an awesome atmosphere. Come to Highwire Coffee Roasters if you want espresso beverages done right!
Who am I fooling… that’s not me…
So here is the real stuff! I like coffee. I like coffee before I sleep. I like coffee when I’m petting my dog. I like coffee on National Tea Day. And I love coffee especially when I’m having one from and at Highwire.
To some this place is a bit too noisy and busy. Well I’m used to that and if anything, miss the vibe. Here in the states, the benchmark of any great coffee shops includes (my opinion):
1. Clean space and cool décor
2. Serves good coffee.
3. Free WiFi
4. Serves good pastries and light snacks, but never a full on restaurant.
5. Hoobastank playing in the background. No? Just me?
6. Quiet
7. Plenty of tables, chairs, and electrical plugs.
While all of this is fine and dandy. I miss the busy and lively coffee scene in Europe, Asia, and a lot of the world. The loud steamer hissing noise to the sound of cashier counting coins to people sipping their coffee to grocery shopping happening next door. And Highwire delivers that memory for me time and time again. In an area of the world saturated with «coffee» shops, it’s nice to have place like Highwire where I can really get a sense of the neighborhood.
Not going to go in-​depth about the coffee because there is no need. High quality beans roasted and cared for by knowledgeable baristas. So sip on your drink of choice and soak in the buzzing atmosphere!

The baristas here know their stuff about coffee and tea. OH man. This Seattleite coffee snob was IMPRESSED!
First of all, they’re local roasters and clearly pay attention to hiring people who not only care about coffee, but are passionate about sharing that with others! I had some good chats with several people here, and they were all warm and excited about what they did. I love it.
Secondly, the cofffffeeeeeeee. I could drink this lovely nectar all day long. It’s rich and creamy and isn’t acrid at all. I don’t actually know how they make it so smooth!
Last but not least– it’s located in Market hall adjacent to a bakery! Don’t mind if I do!
Amazing soy latte, check. Delicious cheesey bun from the bakery, check. Is there a purer form of happiness? I think not.

Friendly friendly give YA hug niceness. I was visiting from out of town and needed to purchase a specific item for a friend for Christmas. The guy behind the counter was super nice and answered all my questions and gave me a sample too. I will definitely go back when I am in that area and will probably go all the way back to Oakland just to visit and pick up another bag or two of espresso even though I now know that I can buy it online.
Last thing buy the caramels. You must buy the dark ones the lighter colored ones are good too but please try the darker ones. I wish I bought more. Next time

Their Howling Woof coffee is seriously as SMOOTH as coffee gets. Howling Woof is their cold-​brew coffee that they push through some fancy nitrogen process, giving the coffee a very smooth and rich taste. I took it black and it was perfect.
Highly recommend for any coffee enthusiast and anyone needing a SERIOUS caffeine boost.

Their coffee beans here are top notch! They roast their own beans on Mondays o and Thursdays, so you are bound to get very fresh and aromatic coffee beans any day of the week. We usually get the Ethiopian Blue Nile beans. Ethiopian coffee is just the best. I just love the flavor profile – citrusy, syrupy, great depth of flavor. I prefer not to adulterate my coffee (drip or Americano) with any additives like cream, sugar, caramel and etc… I just love that pure taste of coffee in the morning. I really appreciate that they sell a whole pound for around $ 20. Most of the third wave coffee shops like Blue Bottle and Four Barrel sell only 12 ounce bags. A whole pound lasts longer and you save on packaging!
I accidently spilled the coffee I bought this evening, so I stood in line to buy a replacement cup. The cashier was very sympathetic and didn’t charge me for my Decaf Americano. That was really nice of her. It was my fault, so I was totally prepared to pay. I really liked the Barista who made my coffee too. I was just standing there waiting patiently and she asked me how my day was while making my coffee. She was really cheerful and nice.
It would be nice if this place had more tables and chairs where you can sit, relax and sip your coffee like more traditional coffee shops. This place is inside Rockridge Market Hall so there isn’t much space. There a few round tables and bar height tables outside, but this place gets very busy and there are usually not enough tables to go around. In any case grab coffee and/​or coffee beans from here and get a pastry or savory breakfast items from Market Hall Bakery next door. That should get you going for the rest of your day!