On the corner of Eighth and Carleton streets in West Berkeley, hungry locals gathered by sun-soaked tables to try the newest addition to the local food scene: Café Bolita.
The Mexican cafe boasts fresh masa and ample outdoor seating. Café Bolita — which soft-opened Feb. 26 — is owner Emmanuel Galvan’s first-ever brick-and-mortar restaurant.
“I’ve wanted to open a casual-style Mexican cafe for years,” Galvan said. “Even though I started as a pop-up and farmer’s market stall, I always had the intention of making our products more accessible, and I wanted to do that through opening something that was very casual, quotidian and approachable.”
Café Bolita was born out of Galvan’s company of the same name, Bolita, which has served fresh masa, tortillas, salsa and more since 2020. The cafe occupies the space formerly held by Standard Fare, an institution that served the neighborhood for 11 years before closing in December 2025.
Bolita uses specialized equipment for nixtamalization — the 3,000-year-old Mesoamerican technique of soaking corn in an alkaline solution to unlock its nutrients and flavors — to make masa.
According to Galvan, this process adds elasticity, stretch and softness to their corn, which comes in colorful varieties and is sourced from Mexico City cooperatives.
“I really wanted to showcase the variety and whole spectrum of corn that is currently available,” Galvan added. “I think it’s a really important thing for people to see that maize is more than just blue, yellow and white.”
The current “super soft opening” menu features items that highlight this versatility. Patrons can find a plant-based tamal made with white corn masa hydrated with carrot puree, or a 12-inch blue corn quesadilla stuffed with Oaxacan quesillo and mushrooms. And as a nod to the location’s history, Galvan also serves a potato-packed frittata, a former staple of Standard Fare.
“There’s a lot of neighbors who would come (to Standard Fare) multiple times a week,” Galvan said. “It’s a way for us to also build a little bit of trust by doing something, hopefully, that people are accustomed to.”
Kim Traber, a former regular of Standard Fare, said they were upset to see the restaurant close, but are happy to have a new place in town. “Based on this, I’ll be coming back,” Traber said of Café Bolita’s food.
Sarah Beard, an Oakland resident, said she was compelled to visit the restaurant after being introduced to Galvan’s “Salsa Macha” product.
“We started eating it six months ago and we can’t be without a jar in our house,” Beard said. “It’s lovely to come to a restaurant where people are thrilled and excited.”
As the cafe finds its footing, Galvan plans to expand the hours and menu to include other masa shapes, such as chochoyotes, a type of masa dumpling.
Café Bolita’s grand opening is scheduled for March 18.