REVIEW: Red Bay Coffee
FINAL SCORE: 87.5%
This is Miles:
He has problems.
I mean, so do I. But let’s keep the conversation topic on him. Miles is a manual (yes, I drive stick shift, a fact that I recently discovered makes men foam at the mouth. Thanks, men!) Miles has three disabilities, none of which are covered by the ADA (call your Congressman!!) yet they do impede his quality of life. Here’s the overview:
In the dead of night on a cold winter’s eve, while the residents of my quaint Monterey residence were tucked safely in a slumber, Miles mysteriously lost a front headlight. The culprit has never been found. Detectives have ruled out the possibility that I parked Miles on a hill and forgot to put him in gear so he rolled, kissing the back of my parents Ford Bronco and discharging a headlight. No, the Detectives ruled that theory out.
Miles has a crack in his windshield — a long straight line beginning at the passengers and running parallel to the windshield wipers, encroaching upon the drivers side. This growing line was the result of a meteorite-esque rock launching at Miles during a night drive. He must have pissed off the pebble community and this was his comeuppance.
Lastly, an untraceable leak somewhere in Miles results in catastrophic trunk floods whenever it rains. It’s either that or Miles has gained the ability to piss himself and does so out of fear every time he hears thunder. I’m open to any and all theories on this matter.
These flaws, I believe, makes Miles all the more loveable. His quirks have never held him back from making the most arduous of journeys. In fact, every Tuesday this summer, he has made the trip from Davis to Oakland. What began as a treacherous journey is now a walk in the park (6 lane highway positioned snugly next to an on-fire dumpster). It is because of him and his bravery I have made it safe to my internship every week, and I have enjoyed the wonderful experience of a new coffeeshop. EVERYONE SAY THANKS MILES!!!
Oh right, coffee:
1. Location: 4/5
Coffeeshop on a corner? SIGN ME UP!
Red Bay Coffee (tagline: “beautiful coffee to the people”) is a big, gorgeous, somewhat-imposing building monopolizing the corner of International Boulevard and Fruitvale Ave in Oakland. It’s just the shortest of jaunts from my internship, so it’s been easy for me to slip out for a few minutes to get my fix. Oakland is a big, chaotic city where businesses are spread out rather arbitrarily; there’s no “central hub” or gathering place I’ve been able to discern, meaning that it’s hard for a coffeeshop to find a perfect location in proximity to everything else. So let’s put this at a solid 9 for now.
2. Aesthetic/vibe: 8/10
Red Bay is a black-owned business providing specialty coffee to the Bay Area. This location in Oakland actually serves as its headquarters, and it is rightfully majestic. Upon entering, you’ll be inundated by an abundance of natural sunlight as it shines through the tall windows and bounces off sleek white walls.
This space is two stories, the second is a delegated co-working space that I admittedly never went to. I lived in the first story, which was dominated by the bar area. The tall walls and spanning windows made the space seem much bigger than it was, and it consequently felt very welcoming, Decor was minimal, so it lacked some personality, but the shop adhered to a certain color scheme which mitigated that issue. As a rule, I never love the minimalistic, sleek, “modern” coffeeshop aesthetics, but I do appreciate what Red Bay is going for, and it works!
3. Coffee options: 9.5/10
There are two different types of caffeine dealers: first, you have those shops that offer flavors you have heard of and are very familiar with. Vanilla? Caramel? Cinnamon? Yes please! Then there are those who give you a… Saigon latte? A… canela latte? A… spritzer?
Some shops like to have a few tricks up their sleeve, and I’m always first in line for these shenanigans. Red Bay sported those three very unique options, in addition to a charcoal latte and their drink of the month, a Strawberry Matcha Spritzer. This sort of creativity is so so fun and really elevates the whole experience.
4. Actual coffee: 18/20
Over the course of my 13 visits, I’ve alternated between four drinks: drip coffee, cold brew, vanilla latte, and caramel latte. Maybe in another life I was more adventurous, but in this life I love to find a small and safe rotation of drinks to alternate between in a predictable manner.
Each of these drinks were really good! Their cold brew is excellent, and became my favorite. However, I quickly became obsessed with their vanilla syrup. I wasn’t quite able to see what syrup brand they use, but it couldn’t have been Torani or Monin (the two most common brands for cafes). The taste was much richer — not the artificially sweet vanilla, but more woody. I would often add it to my cold brew, and it elevated every drink. Their espresso was also very solid, so Red Bay Coffee has a great grasp on all the components of a good drink. Yay!
5. Prices: 7/10
A flavored latte will run you about $6.50; a cold brew $4.75; and espresso is $2.85. Not the worst prices I’ve ever seen, and honestly lower than I was expecting for such an upscale-looking Oakland caffeine dealer, but let’s not pretend like coffee is not ridiculously expensive nowadays. 7.
6. Cups: 6/5
Yes you read that right. I only give coffeeshops a 6/5 in this category if they print their logo/designs on both the hot AND iced cup. Also no, I don’t accept constructive criticism on my scoring rubric. Thanks!
FINAL SCORE: 52.5/60 = 87.5%
I can't wait to drink some coffee here. Yum yum yum. Ah. Yum yum yum. Thanks Cass!