Rarely is coffee served with a side of funk, but as "Play That Funky Music" blares over the speakers of newly-opened Opa Café, it becomes clear that this is not simply another corner store. At Opa, you can even buy some beer with your bagel.

Since they opened their doors in early October, the Post Street storefront has quickly transformed from a boarded-up eyesore into a lively community hub, serving the needs of the diverse Upper Divisadero neighborhood. Opa serves up fresh and organic coffee, sandwiches, and baked goods, as well as soups and salads, in addition to the corner-market staples of liquor, cigarettes, and cereal.

The business also thrives as a bustling local lunch spot, drawing in nearby residents and hungry hospital employees with unique Mediterranean cuisine like chicken shawarma on lavash bread with caramelized onions and falafel with chickpea fritters. The Jerusalem-born owner purchases gourmet ingredients for his menu, selling the same locally roasted espresso beans and delicious Boar's Head meat from your Swiss pastrami sandwich by the pound.

The proprietor settles for nothing but the best. When he is not busy scooping out the finest products to sell, the omnipresent storekeeper is baking European favorites like sweet, flaky baklava and creamy panna cotta as well as muffins, scones, and concoctions like cranberry bundt cake.

Hours vary daily. Employees can sometimes be seen scurrying around as early as 5 a.m., preparing to deliver a catered breakfast to one of the nearby hospitals, or working as late as 1 a.m., selling late-night incidentals like coffee, candy, cigarettes, and alcohol to insomniac neighbors and capricious college students. Expect to wait a few minutes at any time of day, especially lunchtime, but the made-to-order food is worth the wait.

From the staff to the food to the people eating the food, Opa Café is a place to find local flavor just around the block. [X]