Backhaus has been on my radar for forever, so I was so excited to finally try them on a Sunday…read moremorning. I came in around 9am and they were already sold out of some items, but I did manage to get my hands on one of their famous croissants! I ended up getting the Pistachio Raspberry Croissant and Chocolate Chip Cookie. Both pastries are PHENOMENAL. The Bay Area truly does have a fantastic pastry (especially croissant) scene, but Backhaus is definitely up there. I loved how well the flavors came through in both, and the textures were great. They were also baked perfectly. I definitely want to try more of their offerings in the future! In general, this place well deserves the hype.

The plain croissant was excellent--beautifully flaky with a delicate sweetness and satisfying…read morecrunch on the outside, while remaining soft and pillowy on the inside. The chocolate croissant was just as good, featuring the perfect balance of sweet and slightly bitter chocolate wrapped in layers of buttery, flaky pastry. The latte, topped with a leaf design, was rich, smooth, and flavorful. It provided the perfect pick-me-up while making a headache disappear. The café offers plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors, with additional space upstairs and downstairs. Friendly staff, a welcoming atmosphere, delicious pastries, and good coffee make this cafe well worth a visit.

I will drive over 40 minutes just to get my coffee fixed. I don't think I've ever had a bad cup of…read morecoffee here. They measure everything that goes into your cup. Although the lines are kind of long it's always worth it. Waiting outside in the San Mateo sun and walking in to fresh AC air is truly the best. Not that it matters, but if you walk into the restroom. Ummm, hello bidet! Cus why is it such a nice bathroom, it screams luxury. They also have different types of milk, so if you're lactose don't be afraid.

Stopped by on an early Friday morning to see what the hype is all about. We still had to wait in a…read moreshort line within the cafe. Out of the 3 drinks we ordered, the miso caramel latte was the standout. It was sweet, but the saltiness of the miso caramel helped to balance it out. I would order this again if we return. The sesame latte was way too sweet for me. Only order if you like extra sweet drinks. The matcha latte was not good at all. It tasted like iced milk, as there was barely any matcha (was a light green once mixed). I think it would help to serve these in a smaller cup so there's a lot less milk, or add extra ice to decrease the milk volume. I'm surprised that people seem to be really big fans of their matcha drinks, but it's possible that it was a consistency issue.

Call and order ahead, so they will have your sandwich waiting. We always go for breakfast, and get…read moretheir croissant sandwiches and a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice. They are very flaky, so it's a good idea to eat sitting down and not while driving. The only thing I miss is their spam as an option: it hasn't been on the menu for a long time, and they keep saying they will get it back, but it's been over six months since they said that. Please bring back the spam!

This is a review for a pickup with Too Good to Go. Parking was easy. Not too busy inside. Staff…read moregreeted me and I mentioned my pickup. They quickly put together a selection of pastry and bread varieties for me in a nice box. Very nice. It's a small shop with limited seating inside and outside. I enjoyed all the options by my favorite would have to be the Guava Cheese. I will be back again.

I've tried Shru's cardamom pistachio cake a couple times and both times it was absolutely…read moredelicious. I especially loved the coconut cream frosting. Might sound crazy but I could actually eat an entire of this mini cake and not feel sugar loaded or bloated - it does feel like all clean ingredients and i personally like it more than a regular dairy based cake. It's easy to tell if something's made with love or not - definitely lots of love in Shru's cakes. I can't wait to get my next one.

I've ordered Shruti's Flavors of India cake a few times, and even though it is a long drive for me,…read moreit is 100% worth it. Her cakes are unique, well-balanced, beautiful, and absolutely delicious. They are light yet flavorful, moist, and not too sweet. And vegan! Even my non-vegan family loves her cakes. Communication and pickup with her is easy and smooth, and she provides clear and accessible instructions on cake care. Shruti is a very kind, sweet person as well. I would definitely recommend her cakes to anyone looking for a tasty, special, local and homemade treat. Thank you Shruti for your amazing business & cakes!

A donut/coffee/ice cream shop in the corner of a strip plaza in San Mateo. We had just finished a…read moremeal and were looking to follow up with something sweet so popped in here. They don't have a huge selection of donuts but you can get your classics here as well as some more unique options, such as mochi donuts, or donuts with unique flavors, like blood orange and raspberry. We decided to get a lemon mochi donut, a blood orange mochi donut, a classic chocolate, and a chocolate "cruellar" donut. All the donuts tasted freshly made, had a soft dense interior, and were very delicious. The chocolate ones in particular paired very well with a cup of coffee the next morning. They also have unique ice cream flavors here. We look forward to trying those on our next visit.

No line on a Saturday afternoon. Can and ordered the donuts with no problems. Inside is just take…read moreout and doesn't feel the cleanest but gets the job done. The strawberry shortcake donut was delicious. The strawberries were a little too tart but the glazed donut was delicious. Mochi donuts were ok but I probably wouldn't get again. Tried a chocolate donut log with egg custard. Do not recommend the custard filling. It isn't done lengthwise and wasn't tasty. Donut itself was soft and fluffy. Overall, I'll come back for a sweet treat. I think service at this one was better than the other cause just less customers.

Only recently came across Claire from IG because of one of the food bloggers I follow and it's safe…read moreto say that she's a winner in our book! She was definitely a drive from San Jose to San Mateo but well worth it. When you pull up to her house, it may be difficult to find parking as other customers are picking up-- I ended up waiting for 1 person to pull out of her driveway so that I could park. The street is pretty packed with cars. Can I first say what a pleasure she is in person? Claire is super sweet and she's the reason I love supporting small business. We ordered the Mocha Crunch cake. Current prices are $50 for an 8". It's cash only so be prepared. The cake itself is on the light side (not as light as Asian cakes but I wouldn't call it dense either). Unlike some other reviewers that found it dry-- I highly disagree as it was not the most moist cake I've ever tried-- But it wasn't dry either. It was right in between and good enough for us. The Mocha flavor was lightly infused in the frosting and filling. It wasn't super overpowering but it was definitely there. The crunch topping was perfect and so unique. The only other place I've tried a crunch topping is in a latte from Kamurocho in Pleasanton. They have a "Honeycomb Latte" that is amazing. We served half the cake at one gathering and we ended up bringing the leftovers to another gathering. The cake was devoured. If you haven't tried Claire's Crunch Cake's yet, do yourself a favor and support a small business and meet the sweetest woman.

3.5 stars. Ordered a take out cake, 6" mocha flavor…read more The cake looks bigger than a 6" as it's pretty tall, so don't worry that it will not be enough. We had a party with 10 people and we couldn't finish the cake! The crunch was really good and special, the cake itself doesn't really present the mocha flavor, as a result, after a few bites, the cake became too sweet. We were all hoping the bitterness from the mocha coffee flavor can balance out the crunch but we were disappointed. Interestingly, we then moved onto eating a chocolate cake from Marvel Cake and the chocolate was able to balance out the sweetness and cleansed our pallet a bit. We all felt that a cup of coffee would be perfect with this cake. The cake inside could also be a bit more moist. So all in all, the crunch got the thumbs up but the overall cake not so much.

The ladies there were so friendly! My grandson and I went there for the first time to get a Too…read moreGood To Go deal. We got our order and then bought even more goodies! The scones were delicious. Both the sweet and savory scones were moist not dry. The Maple Bacon was very good! We will definitely be going back to try more items.

I definitely recommend this place. They sell their own stuff, plus a bunch of food, clothes, and…read moretchotchkes made from other small women-owned businesses. Great model since many business cannot afford a storefront.. I ordered an Apple Boubon pie for pie day (or is it Pi day). The taste of the pie was really good, and the topping was great, but I prefer the apples in my pie to be a bit more soft/cooked (personal preference). However I want to try other pies, including the chocolate pudding. I also bought some chocolate mousse there which was excellent.

I was craving quiche and there's this little bakery in Monterey that I would drive 1.5-2 hours to…read moreto get it. But yesterday I didn't want to do that. I searched online thinking I wouldn't like any of the results nearby. I was wrong The quiche at the baker next door is so soft and flavorful. I felt like going to heaven with every bite. The salad that came with it was fragrant and crisp, with just the right amount of citrus vinegetrtte. Restaurant was clean and cute, doubles as a cafe but no wifi, just vibes. I cannot beleive I am just discovering this place after years living in Redwood City. Where have I been?!!

Was in town for a appointment. I wanted a small snack for the drive home. I've been waiting to try…read morethe pastries. Got there around 9am. There's only paid street parking around here. Saw a small line inside a crowded seating area. We ordered a almond smell and a strawberry chaussen. Also a couple of lattes. They have house made syrups. Big bonus (trying to stay away from artificial syrups). From the waiting area,you could see people actively make more pastries. The almond snell was good but kinda dry. The strawberry chaussen was flaky,had a nice buttery flavor. Super moist and fresh tasting. Next time I'm in town,I will definitely get a bigger selection of items to try.