Mama Buzz Café

My all time favorite place! So sorry it’s gone.
I thought the food was fantastic and miss my vegan sandwich with teriyaki tofu. I wish I could go to mama buzz and get one right now!

Let’s break it down:
The food is wonderful. My favorite kind of options – down to earth American/​Diner cuisine, but done with quality ingredients and given creative twists. Great vegan/​veggie options, and the coffee has been delicious every time.
The atmosphere is sort of hippy/​hipster (too cool to clean) which works fine for me, but might not for everyone.
The service is generally very good, but consistently slow. Had to wait more than 45 minutes once, and it was not that crowded at the time (it was almost empty). This is the main reason I’m only giving them 3 stars. They regularly have only one person to take orders and cook, which is ridiculous for a place this popular.
SIDEBAR: Some of the people that go here are the worst kind of self-​absorbed prick hipsters (i call them pricksters). It’s fun if you like eavesdropping on douche-​bags, not fun if you’re just getting lunch and trying to read the paper.

the buzz about Mama Buzz Café is gone. been here a few times. drank the coffee. found it ok. never thought about returning. nothing drew me about mama buzz.
thought about the draught beer and sammies but passed on it.
there’s cool art on the walls, tables/​stations for wi-​fi. something never clicked for me here. maybe that’s why i never reviewed it. just a post mortem.

Look, if you don’t get the Pig bagel thing, you’re making a mistake. Don’t be an idiot. Have Alex make it for you with some eggs and queso (that means cheese). That shit is chronic.
P. S. Lee says the Bomb bagel is an absolute joy.

Came here on a crowded Art Gallery filled Friday. Came in to meet a few friends. Pretty danky place which honestly I like the environment here. I like hole in the walls, but the food and service places them on the amateurs list.
Food:
I think this is a Vegan restaurant. The grilled cheese sandwhich I had was not the worst I’ve had but it’s pretty close to there. It was overly salty and the bread was of poor quality. The lady collected money from my friend for her sandwhich and went directly to making her sandwhich… How’s the sandwhich? Let’s just say it was a poorly made home-​made sandwhich. The cashiew soup I had was not warm or cold… I’m going to assume they intended to serve me room temp soup. It had a pretty funky taste to it after I had half the bowl I just had to stop.
Service:
Lady gave us an attitude the entire time. The guy was friendlier but short changed me $ 10. Lacking communication between the two. She told me to pay in front. I paid in front and he came with a sandwhich and soup again… Seems like this is more of a hangout than a business for them.
Environment:
Feels like the 70s in here. Pretty darm ghetto environment. I love it but the crappy food and crappy service doesn’t make it appealling anymore.
Price:
Not expensive… but hey…$ 6 for crappy food a 8 year old can make.
Food: 1
Service: 1
Environment: 4
Price: 2

I got a good coffee there on a slow day.

This is a grungy, no-​frills coffee shop that has some loose-​leaf tea as well as a good variety of vegan baked goods from the two major vegan bakers in the area: Fat Bottom and Pepples. They get cookies and cupcakes from Fat Bottom and donuts from Pepples. If you’re looking to sample a variety of the East Bay’s best vegan baked goods, Mama Buzz is your one-​stop shop.
I had a cup of tea, a red velvet cupcake and a chocolate chip cookie. The cupcake in particular was great and the cookie was solid as well.
Mama Buzz is cramped up front but there’s a covered, enclosed patio in the back and a room to the side with lots more space. It’s a good venue to hang out and read or do computer stuff.

What a great place. 4.5 stars. I went in expecting a tiny hole in the wall. Not even close. Nor was it merely a café serving up awesome coffee. They have a great menu and apparently serve beer and wine too. Like I said, what a great place. Plus, there was a total hottie behind the counter who gave me dog treats.
Only bummer. Facing, but no Bacon. :-(

the last couple times i went to mama buzz it was great. i sat at the counter and ordered a veggie blt and some coffee. everything was delicious and everyone was nice.
just a couple days ago i went & sat at the counter. there was a lady washing dishes and a few other people were sitting there quietly eating. the lady never turned around to acknowledge me so i just sat there. then some other lady walked past her and mumbled something under her breath. i figured i’d go sit at the patio and work on some stuff and order eventually. i left after not too long. when i did the lady washing the dishes waits till i get to the door and calls out really loud «good-​bye, have a nice day!»
i have no idea what that was all about. it was kind of sad though. it made me feel like they don’t serve my kind at mama buzz. though i love the food and the patio and the atmosphere, i’ll never go back b/​c i don’t give my money to people who are rude to me.
i really did like that place too. what a shame.

Really delicious food, plenty of vegan options. Too bad the dude at the register had a bad attitude, or else I’d give this place 5 stars.
The food is worth the «I’m better than you» vibe going on. Don’t let bad vibes get your appetite down :)

The first time I went into Mama Buzz I was with someone that was a total ass and my experience wasn’t the best. I had a bad taste in my mouth after that (not because of the food). A few years later I went back and got to know some of the people there and I think they’re all wonderful!
If you’re looking for someone to kiss your ass, go to Chez Panisse. If you’re looking for a culturally diverse group of friendly, open minded and artistic people, stick with the Buzz. The experiences I’ve had post asshole friend have all been fantastic! I get greeted with warm smiles and always feel comfortable in their space.
Go in there with a smile on your face instead of the assumption that you’re going to be treated badly. It kept me away from here for a long time and once I manned up and stopped being a sissy about it, I found a nice place to chill and chit chat with some of the greatest people I’ve encountered in my 10 years in the East Bay.
Treat the staff nice, don’t be a retard when you’re ordering something and I bet you’ll see a total difference in attitude. I’m just sayin…

In a place like Oakland, Mama Buzz has got a few unique things going for it that other places don’t. For example, the all ages music venue bit is pretty fantastic. Also, the menu is extensive, with tons of vegetarian and vegan options, which not many cafes can always lay claim to.
But more than anything, it’s just a good place to hang out. The people who work there are rad (mad props to my new homie Zach, although I’m pretty certain he may still have the pen I loaned him), there are multiple options for hangouts (the café part, the counter, or even outside), the feel is scuzzy but quaint, and if you’re lucky enough, you might even discover new music you like (although admittedly, the artists that play there are hit and miss).
It’s definitely one of my go-​to places as far as East Bay cafes are concerned. I mean, Lagunitas on tap AND coffee?! That’s my ideal.

I 100% agree with Sydney H from 8÷19÷10. Just look up her review.
My experience with the service was completely fine — actually it was friendly — but all I asked for was a cappuccino so maybe simplicity is best.
WiFi speed: Non-​existent. Couldn’t even load the upload page for youtube… or several other sites for that matter. I was on the back patio, so perhaps that is a factor.

This place must have good vibes — because it’s been the start of many a beautiful day and night for me.
Last night I stopped in — before heading to the Fox — and while the kitchen was closed — I was still able to soak up the mellow energy, and listen to some soft live music — before heading out into the cold — Bay area — winter laced night.
Trust.

Every time I ever go here is is to watch one of my friends perform. Her band plays like once a year. Little did I know this is a vegetarian café. So cool. I have not had their food so I can’t talk about that.
The crowd that comes here are hipsters that want to chow down. Pretty cool.

There’s a cool little place called Mama Buzz
and if you come on in, don’t make a fuss.
Just stick to your coffee, get a bite to eat,
don’t mind the microwave it’s a means to heat.
Eggs, alfalafa sprouts, local beer,
grab a Pepple’s donut and you’re in the clear.
A funky hair do will get in for sure,
but a nice attitude’ll do a lot more.
If you don’t look so cool, that’s okay too,
just sit in the patio with a brew and Camus.
A funky spot with the funky folk–
For Uptown arty, it’s a downtown party.

Mama Buzz greatly resembles the current state of my apartment. It’s a cluttered, a little dirty, with cool wall decorations and mismatched furniture, a funky smell, and some dishes in the sink, and usually not prepared to serve guests anything fancy – tea in a bag, beer in a can. Do I invite people over to chill here? Of course. Would I charge them for the experience? Uh, no. Also, I have comfy couches at my apartment, and thus trump Mama Buzz in terms of hospitality, since they rely on a random assortment of very hard chairs.
When I go to a café, I expect the mate to be better than the stuff I buy in a bag at Trader Joe’s. I think the floors should be swept, and the tables should be clean, and the ashtrays (yes, Mama Buzz allows smoking… of all sorts) should have been emptied in the last five days, and for the employees to be attentive enough to notice when someone has puked in the toilet, and then apologize promptly if a customer noticed before they did. I’m all for a community vibe and coffee shops that treat their customers like friends. But I don’t charge my friends $ 2.50 for a cup of tea. Ergo, I expect something out of a coffeehouse that makes me feel like it was worth spending $ 2.50 for a cup of tea for the privilege of sitting there.

Hmmm…
Three different visits.
Three consistent orders: Ultimate Vegan Sandwich + Chai soy latte.
Three different dollar amounts requested.
Three different attitudes from staff (only 1 positive experience).
I wanted to love you Mama but you have to love me back all the time for me to visit you.
peace, love, and good booze ~ chase

Had to come here yesterday as the boss man wanted to grab a cup of joe and go over some stuff… while not either of ours first choice, the convenience to the office out weights the further walk to another café.
My experience this time hasn’t changed my opinion of the service they provide but I have changed my tune on the coffee they serve. My cup of coffee was damn good. I was a bit surprised…

I love spots like this. Even though it’s small & crapped as all hell in here, their chairs & tables weeble wobble no matter how hard you try not to, they serve facon (fake bacon) on their interesting variety of gourmet bagels & very limited menu, or that the staff & patrons that this spot attracts don’t give one bit a f*ck what you think about them, I dig it.
Walk in, no need to check your ego at the door so be yourself, put in your order, sit down, chillax & expect them to get to you when they get to you. (Eventually they will). Find yourself a seat in their small gallery space while checking out local artist’s work hung initially during First Fridays Art Murmur.
, or out on their back patio where you’re bound to lunge into a deep culture discourse with heavily inked dog owners, pierced hipsters, starving artists, all down & cool ass peeps.
Come out, order a beer & get your BUZZ on or just come out to see what’s all the BUZZ about