The Oaxacan mocha was delicious! Great cinnamon and dark chocolate taste and the cafe itself is…read moresuper cute!

They say they're organic but having just delivered half&half... yes, it's made by Clover but not…read moreorganic... OVERALL: Kind of reminds me of the local Suju's in Fremont (where I'm from), as their local go to coffee in Salinas that's more concentrated in espresso complexity. CUBANITO: Their specialty! Only 8oz with 3 shots of espresso, turbinado sugar, and milk...can modify level of sweetness. However person for which this drink was for states it's still overly sweet. CARAMEL Macchiato: Made me sad that it wasn't authentic as milk should be first then the shots of espresso so there's two layers (that's why I secretly wanted this drink). Then a drizzle of caramel. Tastes like a caramel macchiato, nonetheless. ***overall, their coffee is good with a smooth flavor profile and no bitter undertones or after taste, equating to high quality beans*** SERVICE: They are so sweet, kind, and patient, willing to answer any and all questions. Very splendid seeing a group of Spanish speaking ladies going strong at it! AMBIANCE: Casual, local coffee joint that's mainly enjoyed by the Hispanic community. Bathroom available. WiFi available. Very clean. Very modern decor. Two outdoor tables. Multiple indoor seating options. Located in the Safeway plaza with a multitude of establishments, stores, Jamba Juice, services, etc. Very large private parking lot. In the suburbs. Would I come back? Probably not.

Beer and coffee sign me up! I grabbed the first street parking stall i saw. The concept is simple…read morebeer or coffee. At 11am i went with an Americano i was pleased it is smooth. The barista made sure my order was correct, I appreciate that because it doesn't always happen. The drinks came up quick. They have a stage for live music and plenty of different settings for pairs or a small group. You can even sit in the front window. What a pleasant shop and I hope to be back.

Great coffee options! If you like something sweeter or more classic, they have you covered. Plenty…read moreof options for seating around, so grab a seat if you can! A comfortable and cozy spot to meet up or relax.

The best iced coffee in town. The flavors of coffee and her syrups blend effortlessly and…read moredeliciously. Taste is always consistent! Cinnamon Roll Latte is my personal favorite but the blueberry matcha is fantastic. Customer service is excellent.

Terrible communication and customer service, really disappointing. Ordering process is really…read more unorganized. It's a shame because the drinks were actually good, but the experience overall wasn't worth it.

They have really good ceremonial grade matcha, so smooth, sweet and not bitter! Looking forward to…read moretrying more of their teas. The barista was also very friendly.

My partner and I were visiting the area and were so excited to find this tea shop! It was very cozy…read moreand cute inside and the woman working was so warm and inviting. She brought out a few different teas for us to smell and was really helpful and informative. We drank our tea there and she offered a second steep, milk, honey. It was a really nice experience and I wish they had a shop closer to home, but I've already ordered more of the tea that I had, Jasmine green tea, which was high quality and quite fragrant! Will be back!

Kind service, fast, warm atmosphere, excellent iced latte, lgbtq friendly. Great placeread more

Hands down best coffee in town. Every time I visit my family in Salinas I stop here for my fix…read more Their espresso is legit!!

Cute bakery in Prunedale. Got some pastries and a coffee for the road when passing through…read more They are great and worth stopping by. Was hoping for guava but they didn't have any today. They have plenty of staff for the small place so even if there is a line, it moves fast.

Hidden gem alert! Absolutely amazing pastries, quick service and attentive staff and adorable…read moreambiance. I bake personally and not only is the lamination top tier, but its design and flavor combinations are out of this world. We got the discord roll, chocolate croissant, Dubai chocolate croissant. The strawberry vanilla with meringue on top was fresh and light. The real vanilla bean pastry cream was delightful. You could see the trademark specs throughout! It's hard to get pastries that aren't tough or go soft mid morning, but these pastries are even better than some I've had in Paris!

First time here and I walked in with my 13 week old puppy that was really excited to be there and…read morejumping all over things so the cashier offered him a pup cup and a kind lady enjoying her coffee offered to hold him while I ordered. I had no idea what I wanted so I told the cashier what I liked: matcha, lavender and cappuccinos or lattes and she crafted this for me!!! Everyone there was super friendly staff and customers. Good vibes all over, very inviting. Laid back atmosphere!

Checked out this coffee spot before eating at Toro Cafe next door. Super cute inside and they have…read morea lot of coffee/baked good items. The coffee was good, but this spot is kinda out of the way unless you live near by.

Is there always a line? Yes. Is it worth the wait? Yes…read more Staff are always friendly, and they're flexible if you have adjustments or requests not on the menu, they definitely know their coffee. Cold brew with cold foam is my go to. I'm not a fan of the matcha since it comes sweetened, but the drinks that are flavored here tend to be on the sweeter side. If I want to throw a few extra miles on my gym runs I will have the Mexican mocha frappe, but I don't even want to know the calories on that one. Good local spot you have to try.

I recently started coming here and have had such a great experience every time. The service is…read morealways friendly and welcoming. I usually ask for a "surprise me" drink because I never know what to order and don't want to hold up the line deciding. Every drink has turned out amazing! I really appreciate the creativity and care the baristas put into making something unique each time. Definitely becoming one of my favorite coffee spots.

I only ordered a fruit bowl, but what I got was a bunch of…read moregrapes, 4 smaller pieces of pineapple, and a diced banana. They threw in a 1 sliced strawberry. $12 dollars

Sadly I'm going to be the bearer of bad news and say that First Awakenings is highly overrated. I…read moregrew up in Salinas and always remember this place being busy and thought of in high regard by pretty much all the locals. Being back in town, I had to give it a try after 15+ years being away. What a let down honestly. We were seated right away which was appreciated. It was about 10am on a Wednesday and we arrived just before the big rush it seemed. To drink, we ordered waters and orange juice and coffee. A whole coffee carafe was left on our table which was a bit of a surprise and the orange juice as advertised tasted freshly squeezed. Before ordering our food, my husband began asking the waiter about gluten free pancakes or waffles (since such was advertised online in a review from 11yrs ago) and before he could even finish the question the waiter cut him off to explain all the pancake and waffle options. My husband kindly asked again and was told they didn't have any specific gluten free options. That's ok, he ordered their Bacado omelette and instead of toast on the side he asked for a side of fruit. I ordered their Cinnamon Bread French Toast and a side of 1 scrambled egg and 1 sausage. I was told the sausage only comes in 2 or 4, and so I chose 2. When the food arrived, I immediately thought this all looks ok. And the taste was just the same. The omelette was not fluffy like you'd expect a highly rated restaurant omelette to be. The side of fruit came in a condiment cup and had 1 grape as well as 3 pieces of other fruit. The hash browns were sad looking, pretty pale and absolutely no crunch. My husband even added salt which was sad and rare to watch him do. My French toast was ok, kind of soggy and didn't have any caramelization or crunch on the outside whatsoever. It's definitely cinnamon toast vs a cinnamon roll French toast and was nothing special. The sausage was the best part which says a lot. I wouldn't come back here because there's infinitely better options minutes away.

It's a really cute cafe and the drinks are yummy. I like how the menu is creative with unique…read moreoptions

Service was good but conchas were old and tough, not fresh at all. cafe de olla was extremely…read moresweet. Music was extremely loud but when we asked they lowered it a little.