Cafe 15

I love this place. Great food. Fresh and tasty. Best Brussels sprouts ever and what they do with chicken is amazy pants. French fry lovers beware. You will be spoiled for all others.

tl;DR: Fried chicken sandwich is much better than Bakesale Betty.
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The fried chicken sandwich here garners a lot of well deserved attention.
It comes with lemon aioli and a side of slaw and though it typically comes on a torpedo roll, in this pic I took it was on a regular bun (
). Not sure if it’s inflation or rents, but a couple years ago this was $ 8 – 9, but now it’s $ 13 making it less of an «everyday lunch» kind of thing.
That said, they do it right with a nicely fried and juicy piece of chicken (despite being white meat
). The chicken /​breading is well seasoned and the lemon aioli adds a subtle acidity
I like that the Slaw is non-​mayo based and has a nice citrusy tang. Grab a fork because it comes on the side, which I like because it puts the eater in control of how much or little they want in the sandwich.
Different flavored water available every day to quench your thirst (
)

This place is very over-​priced. Came here with my daughter and she ordered the fish sandwich and I ordered a salad. Our total was almost $ 30. Her fish sandwich came with coleslaw, which she didn’t want and the cashier didn’t even offer a replacement. So I paid $ 15 for a fish sandwich only. The fish sandwich was really good, but should have came with a side. My salad was good, but I was a little bothered that the chicken was on the bottom buried by the lettuce. The salad came with a slice of French bread that was charred on a grill, which gave off a burn aftertaste.

It was my first time here today. I came with a friend for brunch and I have not been here before. The inside of the café was very nice and clean I loved the tables because there was seating both indoor and outdoor. It was extremely humid and hot outside but the café is located directly next to a very tall building that provided shade so we could have a comfortable brunch. I have to admit the menu had a lot of great sounding brunch favorites but I chose to get the café 15 salad and I also put in additional grilled chicken breast on the salad, mind do you it was very expensive for a salad. The salad i ordered cost nearly $ 20! But none the less I was very happy with the salad and the portion size because it was definitely filling. I also noticed how cute the set up of the interior was and they have this fruit infused water that was freaking amazing and super refreshing in the hot weather. To say the least, I thought it was a great brunch meal, a bit on the expensive side but the quality is awesome. Not to mention they have a kitchen where you can see them prepare the fresh dishes. Obviously going here again and was not disappointed with my first visit :)

Heavenly breve mocha – barista clues in to the artisan of her craft – «Do you want it mildly chocolatey, medium or full syrupy sweet?» I love woman who cares about the details. And the mochas was perfectly crafted and fit for my picky yet delectable palate!

Quality Ingredients what more can you ask for, well that and awesome dishes. The Café 15 burger is a must, but honestly I haven’t had a bad meal ever from them.

Amazing food, friendly service and the fries are crazy good! I had the burger and expected ordinary out of the bag, dropped in the dryer French fries which is nothing what I got. They were fresh cut and topped with rosemary, cooked perfectly and tasted amazing! My new favorite spot near work!

I’m torn with leaving 2 stars, I really am. However, after spending over $ 15 for 10 brussels sprouts and a small piece of chicken for which I had to wait 25 minutes, I’ll still sleep tonight with my 2 star rating.
New owner-​it changed hands. That’s not necessarily a problem, but they really need to get the entire house (front and back) in order. The wait time is horrendous for take out, and this is true even pre-​ownership change. After seeing salad after salad after salad flying out the kitchen-​mind you those orders came well after placing my sprouts and chicken– I could no longer contain my exasperation and let out a sigh as I waited near the only place you can stand for take out– next to the garbage and dirty dish drop off. The woman waiting next to me said the same thing, ironically had ordered the same lunch. The new owner introduced herself and I received the same excuse I always would hear about the back log– «short 2 people» «kitchen staff alone today»… Granted, she was gracious, but a new system is in dire need at café 15. That poor girl manning the cash register had to ring up customers, take phone orders, deliver food to tables, bag and hand out to go orders. She totally needs a raise! The back log in the kitchen was due to only ‘one POS’ system, but if that’s true, why were orders prepared and delivered before ours– was it because ours were hot items and those who came after us had ordered cold green salads? That shouldn’t be the case with «only one point of sale system for the kitchen.»
Unless you arrive at 11:30, plan at least 45 – 60 minutes for lunch at café 15 and be prepared to shaft your employer even more time as you eat your food. Perhaps Café 15 has had its 15 minutes of fame and it’s time I finally learned my lesson?
Café Rio has just as fresh food, and faster service.
So sad. So very sad to see such good food get pulled down by such poor service.

I’ve had the chicken sandwich twice before I decided to write a review. Is it the best chicken sandwich I’ve ever had? No, but it IS good. Is it heavily seasoned? No, but bland, it is not. There’s some really prissy people on here complaining and if that’s the case, simply, don’t get it. I liken it to a light, fresh sandwich. I never feel full or bloated, yet completely satisfied. The sandwich comes together w lemon aioli and a small amount of lettuce w their ‘slaw on the side. To brighten up the sandwich I actually pile high the ‘slaw on top of my sandwich. NOW you’ve got an explosive amount of flavors in your mouth. Indeed. I’m a fan. p. s. my only qualm, at $ 14 including tax for JUST a sandwich, a bit much. It should include their fancy fries at that price.

Small and clean and friendly. Every time I have come in here here the same people work w friendly faces and cordial demeanor. The food is clean and fresh. Although I’ve only come for breakfast I’m confident lunch is just as good… look forward to when that happens.

I really don’t see what all the fuss is about. We had the Café 15 burger which comes with cheddar and supposed to caramelized onions but were actually raw onions. blagh.
The fried chicken sandwich was good, but not great. at the price tag of $ 12.95, I’m expecting gold flakes or it being fed to me.

Good, fresh food. The salads are quite large and tasty. The soups are also good– rustic and homemade.

I ordered the old fashion potato hash. It had potatoes, fennel pork sausage and 2 eggs. I had my eggs scrambled. I also ordered a side of hot chocolate. Which was turrible (worst than terrible). But that potato hash!!! Remarkable. That sausage was sooo tasty. I would definitely go again and skip out on the hot chocolate but I would definitely try more on there food menu. The place is very small. It wasn’t crowded. A lot of to go orders. Very nice and personable waitstaff and chef. I’m not holding the hot chocolate against them because the food was remarkable. Lol.

My co-​workers seem to like it here, so I gave it a try.
I saw fish n chips on the menu and have to give it a go.
Price-​wise, Café 15 can be a little high, but for fish n chips, I’d say its about what you’d expect. The food however was dense, greasy, and left my mouth horribly dried out for the rest of the day.
Sure, I may be a bit peevish when it comes to fish n chips as it is a personal favorite, but lunch should never effect dinner in such a way that it did.
I will be back, trying something else. Hoping for 4 – 5 next time!

One of the best places to get healthy and real food from a real chef that really cares for real people.
The owners of this little joint are real down to earth.
They try to be environmental conscious, but also deal with running a business. So although they may not advertise they organic some of their items are organic and locally sourced.
If you go here you must get the fried chicken.

One of those new «hip» joints in downtown Oakland. It really wasn’t as amazing as I hoped it would be. And for $ 12 I was hoping to at least get a handful of fries with my burger, but I guess its that new-​age thing where the pricier the food the better tasting its supposed to be :/

Yet another organic and sustainable café with high end prices. I saw a few items like the salads were labeled organic but not all of the menu so not sure if everything is organic but with the prices so high you would think everything was organic. They scream sustainability though down to the plastic bag, utensils, to go containers which is a great thing to see!
I got the fried chicken salad with cole slaw for $ 12.95 and it was just ok. The chicken was a nice portion but it was lacking in seasoning and flavor. It tasted like a regular chicken sandwhich that you can get at any restaurant. Maybe I had too high of expectations and was hoping for a chicken sandwhich on par with Rhea’s in the city or Addendum in Yountville. The slaw was too sour and tart to even finish it let alone eat more then a few bites. The potatoe wedges were good with a nice crunch and cooked nicely.
I’m not sure if I’d come back between the long line, price and taste.

I have no idea why or how Café 15 has such high reviews — I’ve been there multiple times because all my friends seem to love it, but I don’t know, I’ve generally been left underwhelmed.
The service is really slow, especially if you walk in instead of calling in your order. Expect to wait in line for a bit, and then continue to wait for your food to be served. Not a good place if you’re hungry.
The food also has been really lackluster for me
1. Spicy pulled pork sandwich
Disgusting! The meat is marinated in a really weird sauce that has way too much vinegar. I would definitely not recommend this. It’s just plain gross. Also the last time I ordered it I got sick, so I can’t vouch for the methods they use to prepare this.
2. Fried chicken sandiwch
Meh. I feel like you get way better chicken at a chain like Popeye’s or KFC. The chicken was overcooked and tough and the bread was soggy and mushy when I ate it. The coleslaw that came with the food though was yummy.
3. Old fashioned potato hash
Super greasy and oily, although the portions are generous.
all in all, aside from the overpriced fruit cups here, this place has really sub par food. don’t come here if you have other options

I was looking for brunch in the Oakland area after hiking in Muir Woods. The other places I had been Unilocal stalking are closed on Mondays… #rude.
I came across this place which is literally right off the freeway. Parking is a little sketchy (I’m from Honolulu).
The menu looked amazing! And as I said I’m visiting from HNL so the prices are super reasonable compared to what I’m used to paying for local, organic, sustainable.
We settled on the fried chicken sandwich (we had to know if it was truly better than Bakesale Betty). And the Café 15 Salad with a large order of handcut fries. And to drink? Roasted Stonefruit Lemonade. (OMG, Yumm!)
Everything was amazing! And yes, the sandwich was as good as Bakesale. (I’m thinking they should try to do something to set it more apart, since the coleslaw was almost a copycat).
Would LOVE to go there again, but they’re closed on weekends.

A couple of us decided to try out Café 15 for lunch today. It’s located at the corner of 15^th and Jefferson at the backside of the State building. The restaurant has about five table inside and tables outside for about 20 people. Beating the lunch crowd, we checked out the menu consisting of soups/​salads, sandwiches and some entrees, placed our orders and were able to score an outside table on this beautiful warm day.
Shortly afterwards, a server brought us our napkins and utensils and then our orders came.
I ordered the Fried Chicken Sandwich (
). The sandwich consisted of a chicken breast meat with a lemon mayo in a torpedo roll. The chicken had a nice crisp in the outside and it was moist in the inside. It was not oily, but felt the chicken could have used some more seasoning. The sandwich also came with a side of cabbage slaw. If you like you slaw to be on the vinegary side, then this slaw is for you.
I’m glad I finally was able to give Café 15 a try. Will be back to check out their other menu offerings. Oh, they also provide free infused water to quench your thirst with your meal.

I finally tried their breakfast sandwich. This review is solely based on the breakfast sandwich I had. The eggs are scrambled with gruyère cheese and for more $, I went for the meat selection: chose fennel sausage. It was huge portion. It looked like a big burger.
It’s a sausage patty. Not links. Looks like home-​made ground sausage with fennel seeds shaped into a large thick patty. I almost thought they had my order wrong because it look so much like ground beef burger with scrambled eggs lol. I felt like taking a nap after eating the breakfast sandwich lol. Meh. I didn’t really like it. Taste bland. Maybe if I chose chicken apple sausage or bacon, it will add more flavor to the sandwich.
There was one complaint… the eggs were pipin’ HOT in temperature. It burnt my inside upper gums and can feel it peeling when I came back to work =(Hate it when that happens. Now, I don’t have the appetite to eat lunch and very uncomfortable with my mouth like this. I should’ve packed it to go and waited until it cooled down. Won’t be getting the breakfast sandwich anymore. I love their lunch items and will stick to those only.