Bay Area Checker Cab

Best cab ride I have ever had. Toni is personable, drives like a real pro, and has an immaculate, comfortable Lincoln Town Car that moves like a living room on coasters.

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate from a personal standpoint the automobile Bay Area Checker Cab operates with — it’s like I get to go to a car show & actually ride in one of the classics! Original, independent, and a very reliable & long standing service in the area. Can’t go wrong I’d say. — JW

Trekking to Hong Kong with a case of Napa Valley wine for dinner party at Mario Batali’s Carnevino, what was I thinking? My beloved BART was not an option and a cab was $ 150.
The Checker Service in a black town car, picked up the boss in the Berkeley Hills at 9:00, stopped off and got me in the Berkeley flats with the wine and luggage and dropped us off at SFO by 10:00. All for a remarkably reasonable fare and much cheaper than a taxi.

In addition to her charm and reliability, Toni is one of the few taxi service providers that will set up a direct billing account for a small business. Most transportation companies require a minimum usage to set up an account (if they offer that option at all). She makes my job super easy when our company is hosting travelers, and the praise that follows is always plenttiful. This is a prime example of how a business should be run.

Toni is a gift from the gods. She knows every short cut in the Bay Area, she is totally dependable and she is a great talker. (It is best if you are an A’s fan). When she drives her beautifully restored Checker cab you will feel as if you are in a movie. If you want a modern ride, you can get the limo but either way I cannot say enough good things about her.

As a professional event planner, I call Toni whenever I need to arrange a taxi pickup from the East Bay and want reliable, personable service. Even if she can’t personally pick up our guests she coordinates with others to make sure we’re covered.

Toni is magical! Always on time, courteous, friendly, and… she comes with a bonus of funny and entertaining stories. Toni has been my driver for almost 20 years. She’s the very best in the Bay Area!

We have been looking for a reliable airport service for a long time and found Toni’s service on Unilocal.We found every glowing review totally accurate. Highly recommend.

I’ll second all of the positive reviews for Toni here. She’s positively wonderful, a true gem of a character, and make you glad you live in Berkeley/​Oakland.
I originally happened across her Checker Marathon (with jump seats!) maybe around 1995 and, being a car enthusiast, furiously wrote down the phone number as she passed by. Turns out Toni is incredibly reliable, genuinely kind (especially to our kids), and will always have an amazing story or three. It’s like being at a familiar diner or barbershop, ‘cept you get to roll up to SFO/​OAK in grand style when it’s all done.
She also runs a late-​model Cadillac DTS with airbags and rear shoulder belts, so be specific if you have a strong preference.
On a few occasions when she wasn’t able to take the job, her designated substitutes have been equally reliable.
Almost makes me wish I had a more frequent travel schedule. Almost.

I’m a long-​time customer of Toni’s, and saw there weren’t many recent reviews so I thought I’d add one. She’s the best. 100% reliable — really! — - never had a confusion in 10 years. And there’s nothing so great as having a reliable cabby: recently when I was throwing a big party for my Dad in SF she went and got the sheet cake and brought it over. Of course it arrived right on time and was a big hit… Thanks Toni!

My family and I have been using Toni for years and absolutely love her totally cool cab and amazingly attentive service… but most of all we love Toni!
From the moment she appears to pick you up you feel like you’re already on vacation. Climbing into Toni’s beautiful vintage Checker transports you to another more elegant time and place. She makes you feel important and well cared for from the start. Toni is extremely punctual and usually shows up a few minutes early so there’s no need to rush. She knows the status of your flight and the best route to get you to the airport safely and on time.
My eight year old daughter loves riding with Toni, partly because the cab is so unique, but mostly because Toni is so engaging and interested. The ride flies by amid shared stories, laughter, and just about the best time you can imagine having doing something that’s usually as generic and boring as getting to the airport.
One time Toni called the day before our trip to let us know that the Checker was in the shop, but she had secured another vehicle for us. I told my daughter and she was a bit disappointed that we wouldn’t get to ride in the «cool car» — but the next morning Toni shows up in a vintage Cadillac… cushy as they come… we felt like royalty as we smiled all the way to our destination.
If it was possible I would give Toni 6 stars. My only concern with letting all you Unilocalers know how great she is, is that you’ll have her all booked up the next time we need a ride.

While trying to schedule a reservation for a cab to SFO this morning I called Toni based on the reviews here. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to use her services because our party is much larger than she could accommodate, however she was very nice and referred me to another cab company who have vans. She also said that if he couldn’t accommodate me to call her back and she would try to figure out another referral for a large party. She was super nice, honest about her ability to accommodate a large party and helpful in trying to find me an appropriate cab. I will call her again if I don’t need a large car! Thanks Toni.

One woman, one beautifully restored old black and white Checker Cab. This is in some ways a well-​kept secret, as Toni doesn’t advertise, and only serves out of Berkeley (although she will hook you up with someone great if she can’t personally help you out, and occasionally there’s a way to make it work to/​from somewhere else).
She completely embodies the term «work ethic». Toni will not only get you to the airport or other destination in complete style, she will check on your flight, whether outgoing or incoming, and know whether it’s on time or late, so that you can get extra sleep, stop off for a drink, etc. She checks on traffic conditions, and may call you to tell you to get a wiggle on if it looks like you may run late. It goes without saying that she herself will NEVER be late!
Her vintage cab is immaculate and hugely roomy, and despite being more like a limo, she’s actually right in there with cab prices. She will help you with your luggage, talk to your children, chat about current events, and if you’re new to the area, give you great dining and lodging suggestions. She’s the salt of the earth, kind and wisecracking.
Best of all, you will feel totally cool, imagining yourself in mink stole and spectator pumps, or suit and fedora, as you ride along in deco style!

My company has a direct billing agreement with Bay Area Checker which makes them pretty convenient when I don’t plan enough time to take BART to the airport. But I’ll be making more use of this cab company for certain.
Toni showed up in a well maintained classic cab. It was great talking to her on our drive; our conversation ranged from Shakespeare to cooking to government bloat.
It turns out that she is one of the last independent cab companies in Oakland, which is why she can’t pick up at the airport (though she does have a network of independent limo drivers who can).
She was on time, cool, friendly and got me where I needed to go. Her number is in my cell phone for whenever I need a cab in the Bay Area. No more random, not so Friendly cabs for me!