As a local in lovely Steveston village, Alegria (not Algeria) is a place I've often noticed but never really went into because it's a bit tucked away from the rest of the restaurants around.

The first thing that really strikes me is how warm the place is, it looks and feels just like what you'd expect from a free-spirited grandma's place - cozy, quaint, and complete with inspirational quotes littered throughout the walls. Their chairs are wooden and rather small and uncomfortable but that doesn't matter, I only got take out - a turkey cranberry panini - and this took a whopping 20mins to wait for even though I was the only customer there. Service was standard, but very impersonal unlike what the ambiance suggested.

The sandwich was nothing special and was rather dear ($9) compared to other cafes. However, the turkey was so heavily spiced with this flavor I can't quite put my finger on that tasted like I was eating Oriental food. Beans and Beyond has much better panini's although they have been skimping on the portion and quality as well...maybe their coffee is better...