Yali’s Stanley Hall Cafe

The best thing about this Yali’s is its location and convenience. That said it’s inevitably crowded for most of the day and you should expect to wait in line. Though most of their espresso drinks are average, their strawberry banana smoothie is pretty amazing as are their blended drinks. Food can be overpriced for the portion/​quality you receive — it depends on what you get. I think their veggie egg sandwich on baguette is a good deal (under $ 6)

Their coffee is okay. But the chocolate chip cookie was really too sweet. Anyways. Always a great and convenient place to stop for a coffee. Only opens at 8 though. Early birds can go back to their beds. :)

Best coffee on campus! My hipsterness finds its peace there. The cups are biodegradable, the soy milk they use is organic (I wish they would use gmo-​free almond milk as well), and the vanilla syrup is natural and French (Monin). Their apple turnover is decent, but I wish they had more organic and vegan snacks available.

2015 and they don’t know that Visa debit cards can be run as credit cards. Had this problem at the Oxford location until they decided to enter the millennium and get a new service for running cards. The menu at the Stanley Hall location is way better than Oxford’s also, so I wish they’d fix this. Clearly, I didn’t get anything because who has cash anymore –_–

I’ve determined Yali’s is one of those places where you go to learn a lesson about the illusion of self sufficiency.
Some of their items are really over priced and I dislike how they accept credit and cal 1 but not debit. It’s just bizarre to me but that’s besides the point. Workers are polite though so it’s not all terrible.
Honestly the food is all stuff you can make by yourself if you were a little more motivated. Had their Cobb salad and Safeway salads are better… Tried their corn chowder and it was a poorly watered down corn potage soup rather than a hearty chowder. Will go to SF soup for that I guess.
If you’re in a hurry and you want a quick bite to eat then by all means go ahead, I simply think there are better ways to eat.

The food and pricing is great but DOESN’T TAKE DEBIT CARDS?!
I approached the manager about this, I explained how debit cards WITH VISA LOGOS can be used as credit cards (run through the same process) and she told me it was an issue with «the machine getting confused about fees».
I think that’s honestly a lie, I don’t think they know what they are doing but if that really is the case, they need to get those tablets fixed. SERIOUSLY about to complain until I get some answers because it’s really not cool to accept credit but not debit even if they work on the same mechanic.
I think they don’t accept it because of their ignorance about how debit cards with visa logos work, but there’s a chance there machine really is outdated. Again, it’s a tablet so I am not so sure…

You don’t deserve any stars in 2015; if you don’t accept debit cards. This establishment is making a statement against security, convenience, and reason. Ridiculous.

Super friendly staff. Best coffee on campus. I am here way too often.
I can’t speak about the food because I’ve never eaten here. I usually get some espresso drink, which is always made well, tastes great and sized appropriately (none of these massive cappuccinos that are actually lattes).

Goof coffee, nice patio!
Really nice workers, too.

This is my most favorite café in the area, and as I don’t have much favorite of cafes anywhere else, this means this is the best café I have ever seen (sounds too much?). I don’t know how other people have such low ratings here in Unilocal.
Coffee, especially café latte, tastes good (a bit milder side). Strawberry banana smoothie (I prefer it with no whip cream) is great. Other good foods include soup, brownie, croissant, etc.
People working there are pretty nice, they are friendly and polite but not too much. I guess this atmosphere was made probably thanks to the nice manager of this café.
The only downside of this place is that this place is busy almost all the time. There is sometimes a very long queue, especially between noon to 1 pm, but this is the same for all other cafes in the campus.

The best café in UC Berkeley campus. Owner pays close attention to the quality of food, coffee, and ambience. From well washed and fresh ingredients and cute coffee cups (with great coffee inside) to nice wooden tables and an environment that is aesthetically easy on the senses. He is also a great guy to have a conversation that will put you in a better mood. It’s been three semester that I come here and can attest to its high consistency in quality and price. Try their house coffee and home made turkey meatloaf sandwich with chipotle aioli sauce on whole wheat. Staff is also really friendly.

Such great food! For vegetarians I would suggest the tomato mozzarella sandwhich. It’s super well priced for its size and fills you up well. The smoothies are to die for! I like getting all three fruits: pineapple, strawberry & banana.
Definitely love this place! Especially after a boring lecture in Stanley or Evans

I go to Yali’s every day, sometimes twice a day, and I love it. The cappuccinos are always beautifully made and the staff are very friendly.
I do wish this location would start offering oatmeal and the pre-​made salami sandwiches like the Oxford St Yali’s.

Really overpriced and not worth it :(
Yali’s is the one place that I remind myself not to go back to, but then sometimes I’m starving and it’s conveniently located between two classes so I find myself in line. I end up making a purchase and kicking myself over how expensive it is, plus the wait in line.
If you have meal points, walk the extra distance to Qualcomm. If you have a little bit more time, walk to Euclid and check out Brewed Awakening or the food over there.
Special warning: I bought a quiche from here and it was cold, definitely a purchase I regretted. Another time I got an iced white chocolate mocha and it was too iced/​watered down.

When I manage to wake up early enough to warrant a breakfast, Yali’s is my go-​to choice – at least among on-​campus locations. Their roast beef sandwich and breakfast bagels are all pretty good; also, their smoothies are awesome (don’t think twice, just get it).
As other reviewers have noted, it can get pretty busy. But if you live on Southside and walk to class in the northeast sector of campus, and if it’s not lunchtime or right after a massive lecture in Stanley Hall, then Yali’s is very convenient and the staff is generally super friendly.

If you’ve ever walked into Stanley Hall (home of the bioengineers, whoo!) on the hour of 11AM, 12PM, or 1PM, you were probably confronted by this massive wall of people. Not just any people, mind you, but a wall of hungry, antsy, caffeine-​needing lunch-​crowd people.
Needless to say, the crowd doesn’t get any better once you’re inside. The décor in here is actually quite pleasant and unique (they seem to have regular upgrades on the wall art and furniture), but if you actually want a seat to enjoy the hubbub, you’d better get here right in that 8-​minute time window when people are just leaving and just arriving. And if you do find a seat you’ll probably be jostled from all sides as people wait awkwardly for their order to be called or as five people crowd around a table clearly meant for two people to cram homework in.
What’s interesting here though is how friendly the staff are, not only with each other but with the customers. I swear they’re all Energizer bunnies with the amount they have to process every day and somehow they still manage to be the loudest ones in the café when they’re just conversing with each other.
Portions here are never big enough to satisfy me, whether that’s coffee, sandwiches, or pastries. I’d love to be able to eat one of their wholesome parfaits (listed as Yogurt, Fruit, and Granola on the menu) everyday, but at $ 5 each it’s kind of a deal breaker. But I really would eat that granola every day. If you’re willing to shell out the money or you’re just not willing to walk any further, I’d recommend the Milky Way (for the sweet-​toothed coffee drinkers), fruit Smoothies (best paired with some sun and green lawns), Pumpkin Bread (a huge, thick chunk of spiced bread with walnuts and chocolate chips), and the Chicken Salad Sandwich.

Cor! There’s a Yali’s in Stanley Hall! Great as I need a cuppa java for more energy and to stay awake in class across the hall. Quickly! Stat!
I knew of Yali’s from their Oxford Street location. And they are here in Stanley Hall too? Very convenient and very smart to do that for the students.
I got myself a brownie along with a small cup of coffee. The brownie looked really good with a layer of chocolate frosting. Very chewy though some parts were a bit dry. Oh well. (I prefer Caffe Strada’s brownies with ganache and the Faculty Club’s brownies.)
However, I was quite surprised to find out that they do not take debit cards – even if it is a VISA or a MasterCard – no, non, nope. Okay, whip out the VISA credit card. NTS: pay in cash next time if a return visit is warranted. I will commend the staff for their empathy and understanding. Oh well, gotta go to class and must stay awake which is why the cuppa coffee from Yali’s.

Decently quick service, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re in a time crunch. I’ve had to wait four minutes just to get my blueberry muffin heated up. so you can be there for a while if you order actual food.
The chicken salad sandwich on sourdough is sooo delicious and filling.
The blueberry muffin tastes like a donut stuffed with blueberries-​not that I’m complaining.
NO DEBIT. Even if your card works as a credit card, if it says ‘DEBIT’ they won’t accept it. Bring your cal1 debit card, cash, or a credit card.

A good café in Stanley hall that’s a convenient place to grab a cup of coffee or a bite to eat in between classes.
There’s a decent selection of hot and cold beverages along with some smoothies, as well as an assortment of sandwiches and pastries. The sandwiches are all pretty decent and make for a good light lunch.
Lines can be long, especially on the hour when students get out of class, so plan accordingly. However, all the workers are pretty friendly and fast, which is nice.
There’s a decent amount of seating both inside and outside, although it can be hard to find a table to study since it’s often crowded.
I would give this place 3 stars but the recent decision to not accept debit cards, and only Visa/​MC with a minimum spend really makes me unhappy. It shows to me that they care more about saving a bit of money from transaction/​processing fees over giving their customers the flexibility and convenience of using their preferred payment method.

Woot woot. Love Yali’s. Both this one and the one on Oxford Street. You really can’t get better smoothies elsewhere. My go-​to items here when I manage to get on campus early or when I have an hour break in between classes are: smoothies (piña colada or green tea), bagels and cream cheese (mediocre but filling) and crumb cake (salty yet sweet).
Problems with this place?
–Kind of expensive (I always end up paying close to $ 6 for a pastry item and a smoothie)
–Loooonnnnggg line-​ups (especially if you arrive on the hour, when students are getting out of class, or at lunch time)
–Very loud and crowded so not an ideal place for studying
Other than that, this place offers delicious food and you don’t even need to leave campus!