Shay’s Cafe

Filthy. Dirty high chairs, stench from dirty mop water and table rags… if they bother to wipe the tables. No play area for kids shown in Unilocal photo, lipstick on my glass, dirty bathroom, dirty floor, bad lighting, couldn’t tell a frustrated Customer whether they offered gravy with their catered thanksgiving dinner, portion size, or how many people it could feed. (Ummm Thanksgiving is next week.) He left frustrated, but good for him because the clincher to my never returning… hair stuck to my cheese in my soup.

Shay’s Café not only has healthy food, it tastes great AND the restaurant is kid friendly! I particularly love the pestos (basil, cilantro, and others) because no sandwich can taste bad with that stuff on it! My little guys like to enjoy the books, video games, and other toys provided when they are not chowing down.
A cozy neighborhood breakfast/​lunch/​brunch place.

We were dropping off our daughter at the airport and wanted to see Alameda. We stopped at a little café and found our favorite Alameda spot — Shay’s Café.
Sitting outside — we both had a fabulous meal — presented nicely, promptly and a very good value. We enjoyed our lunch and spent the afternoon with iced tea, fresh salad with a great dressing and the entrée was unbelievable.
We’ll certainly eat at Shay’s anytime we’re in the neighborhood… might even venture out of our way for it!

This is an update on my past review, last weekend i received a e –mail from the owner of Shaiz café, I must admit I was very impressed with it, she was very polite, sincere and apologetic.
Though, I must emphazise, I’ve havent tried the food, I was pleased with the owner responsed concerns and sincerity, explaining her employees behavior, she was gracious to offer a free lunch to try the food (i declined it) but at least she showed, she cares and believes in good costumer service, also she spoke with honestly and heart, which i respect, so because of that i change my rating to 3 stars, i will stop by and tried the food, but havent had the chance yet, will keep you update it.
So today after 14 years of leaving in Alameda decided to stop by the place I always wonder about from my driving around town, I had my 4 year old son with me, so i said hey lets do it, we park went in and with my usual friendly face i said: HI .no answer… there was only one sad costumer, i looked at the young woman and man again in the kitchen and say HI again and they didnt even adknowledge me, so i said Hi again and she walk righ by me and didnt even look at me, even the woman customer sitting getting service look at me in disbelieve, so, I decided that I will walk away and not waste my time and money with a horrible place that has horrible service and people with social problems, havent tried the food at all but if the welcoming service is a sign of things to come I guess its good they treat you so rude so you know what to not expect too much of the food either i supposed.
I defenetly will never go to that place ever!!!
Will bring my dollars were im treated with decency and respect.

Usually Unilocal reviews are right on, but for this place, it was a miss. I tried the Christmas Turkey which had turkey (supposedly fresh-​roasted), cranberry sauce, lettuce, mayo — on white roll. Quite honestly, I almost threw up when it went first went in my mouth. No exaggeration. The bread was so stale that it was shocking that it came from a «sandwich place.» The cranberry sauce was «Ocean-​Spray» brand, purchased from a supermarket — had no texture, except maybe of jelly. But the worst part, by far, was the turkey. It tasted like it had been sitting around for weeks — it was stringy, mushy, and had a vomit inducing musty smell that is difficult to describe.
The most mind boggling aspect of the experience is that less than a mile away, sandwich board has the exact same sandwich (ingredients-​wise) for the exact same price — yet the sandwiches taste COMPLETELY different. There, the turkey is actually fresh roasted and tastes like it, and the cranberry sauce is home made. Oh, and the bread isn’t stale.
I try not to be this harsh but I literally could not take more than 1 bite of the sandwich before having to throw it away. Shay’s may have better sandwiches than the one I tasted, but I have to review based on what I was given.

I’ve just found my new favorite café in Alameda! Shay’s Café is so far from the foodie centric Park St. and Webster Ave. that it’s easy to miss. But this place is good enough for me to visit again and again.
I ordered 2 specials — Shay’s Autumn Wrap with roasted butternut squash and red peppers, sauteed mushrooms, feta, candied pecans, and spinach on a whole wheat wrap for $ 7.50 and spicy coconut chicken soup in a supposedly big cup for $ 4.25. The wrap was a delicious mix of different textures — the slight crunchiness of the spinach and pecans contrasting with the softness of the squash, red peppers and mushrooms; the slight saltiness of the feta cheese contrasting with the slight sweetness of the squash, peppers, and pecans. The spicy coconut chicken had carrots, celery, chicken in a coconut milk broth. They lied when they said it’s spicy. But it could be that my tongue is so far gone from the years of capsaicin abuse that I can’t tell if something is spicy or not. I would call this soup an Americanized version (less tasty IMO) of a Thai Tom Kha Gai. It’s good enough but not as good as an authentic Tom Kha Ghai.
I thought that since I was ordering something vegetarian I could get away with ordering soup and not feel overly stuffed. Boy, was I wrong! I waddled out of the café. If I had to be picky I think the place could use a more powerful vent. I don’t like going into a restaurant and leaving smelling like a mixture of the foods that they currently have cooking. It’s a small price to pay for delicious food though…

Pretty good and my mom loves it and they know what gluten is.

How difficult is it to spin-​dry the lettuce before tossing the salad?
I paid 9 bucks for an otherwise really nice batch of fresh vegetables and grilled salmon. When I opened the container at my office, I saw a shiny wet mess. Alas, I had no spinner myself and the ingredients were already tossed together. Next time I’ll make it at home.
UPDATE: Wendy, the owner, contacted me to apologize and offered a replacement salad. +1 star.

Small sandwich and breakfast spot. Has adequate seating. Good service. Street parking only, but usually not hard to find. Sandwiches are not your usual type — they’re very creative. Elaborate sandwiches with an accompanying price tag.
No credit cards.

I finally stopped in today. It’s a cute place with good space. The woman working the counter was real nice. I got the salmon sandwich and the Red Pepper soup. Really enjoyed both.
I’ll be going back.

The most true, accurate, and gracious thing I can say after trying their lunch out (with hardly anyone present) is: It’s not as bad as one would fear, but not what’s it’s cracked up to be…
The former Muffins Muffins and things space is severely underutilized and its lighting is poor, which does affect customers psychologically (at least moi)…
Food was definitely ok portions, but for the price they’re charging, I was really very much expecting more flavor and wow factor.
Salads were tried (grilled salmon and tri-​tip), as were the soup of butternut squash. Not bad, not great, lest I start beating that dead horse… have always always loved that historic 1 – 2 block strip that is away from popular Park Street, but within walking distance…
After lunch, we took a stroll and checked out the newish library near the art deco movie theatre.

I’ve only been here once and had a tri-​tip salad. They definitely use fresh healthy ingredients. My salad had freshly prepared tri tip on a hefty bed of spinach with walnuts and blue cheese sprinkled on it. The dressing was homemade and pretty delicious, tho I asked for it to be on the side in case it was too overwhelming. I arrived here pretty late in the day so it was quiet but it looks like a great place for breakfast and brunch for families. They have a small kids play area in the corner which is a nice accommodation. The whole place is pretty small though so I imagine that it can get crowded.
However, since I don’t have kids, aside from the food, my favorite part of the place is the self dispensing water. It had cucumber and lemon slices in it– which made it extra refreshing!

The two S’s: Salads and Service. They are both REALLY good at Shay’s.
First of all the salads. I eat salads regularly, and am a huge fan of the build-​your-​own salad concept. Why don’t more places do it? I mean, you have places like Sweet Tomatoes which is essentially a salad buffet, but that’s out in Walnut Creek and we’re in Alameda. Plus, the ingredients are WAY fresher at Shay’s. I don’t know how many dedicated salad eaters are out there, but the East Bay pickings are surprisingly slim, and finding this place was like discovering gold.
Then there’s the service, which is always friendly and efficient. One time I ordered tuna fish on the side, and when I got home I realized it had been forgotten. Oh well, no big deal, that could happen one time to anybody. But the kicker is that the next time I came back and ordered the same thing from a different person, she asked me, «You’re not Matt L are you?» Wow, OK, how did you know that? That’s when she showed me a note on the register from the server who had forgotten my tuna fish, making a note to give me a free one the next time I came in. THAT is how to provide excellent customer service. I had no doubt they would make it up to me, but to do it without me having to say a word … that was impressive.
I have but one complaint, which is that they are not open late enough. Hopefully they will get enough business that they will eventually stay open later than 3:30. So start going there, aiiiight?

The breakdown
Food — 3.5 stars
Location — 3 stars
Service — 4 stars
Restaurant ambiance — 3.5stars
For lunch I had the Tri-​Tip sandwich and salad. The Tri Tip was nicely made with onions and a good amount of sauce. It was delicious. The only thing I didn’t like was the white bread it came in. Wish it was a better quality bread or maybe even brown. The salad was delicious with sweetened pecans, Parmesan, and something else with balsamic vinegar.
The roomy restaurant is very kid friendly, with a small area setup for kids to play.
The server was friendly. I’ll return to try out some other items on the menu.

Things are A-​OK at Shay’s Café!
I was curious to find a place in Alameda that offered sandwiches, salads, wraps, smoothies etc. and after typing in «salad» in Alameda, this is what showed up. They make their food FRESH. So if you order anything with cooked ingredients in it, expect to wait for about 7 – 10 minutes because they don’t just pulled out day old cold chicken from the box. There are plenty of places to sit, an old school arcade machine and even a small play area with toys for kids! Not only does this corner show a lot about the owners but the ladies restroom (can’t speak for the other side) has a changing table and a huge supply of huggies. awesome… even though i don’t have kids. Friendly staff too!
Now.Lunch!
BUILD YOUR OWN SALAD — You don’t actually build it yourself. you pick your toppings and they build it for you :) So I didn’t actually go with this option though it’s what lured me there. Maybe next time!
GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR WRAP — lots of fresh greens, freshly grilled chicken still warm and tender, parm shavings and caesar dressing. There was quite a bit of dressing. Took a bite and it dripped down to my elbow and my chin. Haha… while it wasn’t fun or classy. the wrap tasted GOOD! The dressing tastes homemade… it’s got some tang and the saltiness of the anchovies comes through.
PASTA SALAD — penne, sun-​dried tomatoes, basil and feta. The pasta is cooked al dente. FINALLY. a place that does non-​mushy pasta salad! Not oily or greasy — tasty!
I couldn’t eat everything of course and with a Diet Coke it came out to just under $ 12. So not a bad place at all. Nice people, a place you might see in North Berkeley or like Temescal part of Oakland with a definite laid back feel. I’ll have to come back and try the tri-​tip as so many people are raving about it and some other things as well! *some poor cell photos attached*

Rather than face the horde of Alameda High School kids on Park St, I finally decided to get at Shay’s on this sunny Thursday.
I took time to look at the special’s on the board above the cash register. I had plenty of time to make my decision, and walk over to the single video arcade that is either unplugged or doesn’t work (Business owner, let me know, I’ll drink of couple of your Big Daddy IPA’s while pressing buttons and insertin’ quarterzzz) as the old lady in front of me was paying with all her nickles and dimes. Bless her elderly and cranky heart.
The cashier was upbeat and friendly as I opted for both the Grilled Chicken and Grilled Tri-​Tip sandiwches… as the next 20 minutes passed it was almost noon… surely, this not a place for a quick bite… People strolled in, some old, some mom’s, some babies (real babies, not slang for women, like in «Swingers».)
Both sandwiches arrived in a nifty eco-​friendly bag and I headed back to mi casa to grub with my landlord.
The brie on the chicken sandwich was subtle, not the liberal amount that I was hoping for. Due to this, the Tri-​Trip stole the show. Nuanced with grilled onions and what I believe was a green (but not pesto) spread, it was quite good, but at the same time I was wondering if the foccacia rolls used were a bit too «bready».
If anything, this isn’t a «monster sandwich» place. Each sandwich was around $ 7.50-$ 8.50 range.
So basically:
Grilled Chicken Sandwich: 3 stars
Tri-​Tip Sandwich: 4 stars
Service and Décor: 5 stars.
Try Shay’s and decide for yourself. I thought it was good, better than «A-​Ok»,

I came here for Shay’s first open mic night –
The mic night was awesome, although there was only probably 5 of us that weren’t close friends with the clique. I got a Soy Chai Tea Latte. I didn’t like it, it was all soy and latte but no chai or tea. I drank it anyways. I got smart and ordered a beer for my second drink.
It’s a cute café though, nice use of space, clean, and the service was all friendly.
I’d come back for another open mic, but maybe not for the café itself.

I found this place by reading a review on Unilocal.So, i had to try it. I got a «build your own» salad and it was awesome. It also was so large that it was big enough for two meals! My co-​workers also got «build your own salads» and they loved them as well. One of them even went back the next day!
I would definitely recommend this place in the future and will be returning myself as soon as possible!

Was looking for a place to get some breakfast at 11ish. The price was a little high but the California omelet was really good. The coffee is nothing special and the home fries were mushy and crispy. Ambience was nice and overall friendly service.

I’m going to agree with an earlier review that this place has potential. Friendly owners and staff. A nice relaxed atmosphere. And the build-​your-​own-​salad was conspicuously missing as a part of the Alameda dining experience until Shay’s. The kids play area and throwback arcade machine are big pluses. The salads were great.
There are areas where I consider Shay’s to be a work-​in-​progress and for these they lose a star each:
1) Hours: I don’t believe a family-​oriented restaurant will endure with such limited hours of operation and no dinner at all! (11 — 3:30 Mon — Fri; 9 — 3:30 Sat & Sun)
2) Menu: As others have pointed out, Shay’s lacks fries and chips; and I also have to say that bread served is not on par with what I think they’re trying to be as a fresh and hip eatery.