SF’s first Yemeni-style coffee house expands to the East Bay

Delah Coffee House, a popular Yemeni-style cafe—and the first of its kind in San Francisco and the Bay Area at large—is expanding to the East Bay with a location at 420 W. Grand Ave. in Oakland.    

The second location in the Delah Coffee family is expected to open within two weeks, pending final inspection, Elias Aldubaie, manager of Delah Coffee’s San Francisco location, told The Standard. 

The Oakland offshoot will occupy a vacated Starbucks and serve up the same favorites that have made Delah San Francisco a popular gathering spot for Yemeni sips and sweets since opening what Aldubaie calls its “mother” location in SoMa this past June. Expect Delah’s cardamom-, cinnamon- and honey-infused Yemeni latte and Adeni Chai (black tea boiled with cream and spices) to be on the menu in Oakland.

Aldubaie says Delah is open to everyone but is particularly focused on serving the Bay Area’s Middle Eastern community, representing the next generation of Yemeni coffee and being a “safe spot” for friends and family to gather. 

Delah has also remodeled its forthcoming location and looks to have pulled out all the stops on the interiors, which are gorgeous.  

Since opening its first location in San Francisco this past summer, Delah has been on a mission to introduce Yemeni coffee culture to the wider Bay Area and hopes to grow even more in the years to come.  

“We’ve had a really good success with the first location,” Aldubaie said. “We’re taking our experience to the next level with opening more mini locations, hopefully.”