After dropping off the girls at an all-day playdate with their cousins in Hayward, my partner and I…read morestarted our no-kids date at a gorgeous coffee shop. I had been to the church before, but I didn't remember the massive coffee hangout there! It's so spacious and offers plenty of seating. How long has this place been here? I wish it were closer to where I live in San Jose! I could easily imagine sitting in one of the comfortable nooks, studying or grading papers. It's also a fantastic spot to meet up or chat with a group of friends. It was definitely a nice place for a date! When we walked in, there were hardly any available seats, but the line at the counter wasn't long. We found a quiet corner to sit and enjoyed our breakfast. I ordered a hot latte with maple syrup in the name, though I can't recall the exact name. It paired nicely with my pastry. The almond croissant I ordered was delectable, with just the right amount of sweetness and flakiness. My partner enjoyed his cappuccino and savory bacon croissant. We walked up two steps to the restroom and were surprised to find more seats and tables. I wish I had noticed that area when I was looking for a place to sit. Oh well, it was comfortable where we were. The girls should have more playdates with their cousins so we can come here more often. Is it really called a "playdate" when the kids are 12 and 15, and their cousins are between 21 and 30?

Stopped by to grab a latte and a pastry on a Tuesday morning. I ordered a salted maple latte and an…read morealmond croissant. The salted maple latte was just ok... sadly it looked better than it tasted. I wasn't a huge fan of their espresso as it left a very sour after taste, even with the sweet maple syrup it wasn't very pleasant. Good espresso should be balanced and coffee forward, and I didn't get that. Almond croissant was great, but I was a bit disappointed in their coffee. Ambience is great for studying or getting some work done.

NICE!!! To me, GooluTea is hands down the best drink spot in the Bay Area I would say. Their drinks…read moretaste genuinely natural, and you can tell they don't rely on artificial flavoring. I'm really sensitive to artificial flavors, especially in milk tea, and I can usually tell immediately when a drink has added flavoring. I've tried pretty much all the popular boba spots around the Bay, and honestly, most of them taste heavily flavored or artificial to me. But Goolu Tea is different -- their drinks taste clean, natural, and the tea itself actually comes through. At this point, I barely even crave drinks from other boba shops anymore. Still waiting for my favorite Golden Tea to make a comeback.

Goolu tea has a distinct citrus flavor!…read more I really enjoyed the refreshing taste, especially with the tea added in. I ordered the strawberry and lime flavor, and it reminded me of ginger in a way. The tea flavor was very strong, and I also enjoyed the bits of strawberry throughout the drink. Staff were also super friendly when ordering!

Lovely place to hang out, enjoy empanadas and the beautiful paintings on the wall. Comfy vibe…read moreinvite you to stay a while.

Just an excellent place to be!…read more A friend had heard rave reviews about their authentic Argentinian empanadas and we were so happy to come and try it out on a Saturday afternoon. Parking was busy (the lot is shared with Trader Joe's) but we managed to find a spot and head into the busy but not packed cafe. There is a large assortment of empanadas, from meat options like chorizo and chicken, to vegetarian like corn and onion, to sweet options too like apples. The menu also boasts lots of great drinks including mate tea! Lucky us, the empanadas we ordered weren't in stock so we had to wait ~10 for freshly baked ones. They came out buttery and piping hot, even with little hand-stamped letters on them so you know what you're eating, and it was so delicious. Most are about $5.50 each. Add oregano chimichurri for a bit extra if you want or pair with a tea, but these empanadas really hit the snacky spot. Lots of wooden tables with fresh flowers make Pampas a great space to chat with friends or to sit and do some work. The most standout feature was the friendly and efficient staff who seem to build connections with everybody who walks in the door. Worth a drive to Castro Valley! Especially if you bring cash for a 10% discount off a dozen :)

If you enjoy cute character desserts, delicious drinks, and an overall cozy cafe experience, I…read morehighly recommend that you stop by Always Yours Bakery Cafe! Not only are you able to purchase from their bakery case, you can also request to have desserts made for special events! (In advance of course.) I very much enjoy their macarons and fresh fruit tarts. They also added Banana Matcha to their menu when it became a craze, and I 10/10 would recommend it. They use high quality matcha powder (Marukyu Koyamaen) for their drinks. This is one of the few things that drew me into their cafe. The baristas are extremely friendly and have a wonderful sense of humor, AND they support small businesses! While you wait for your order, you can browse their shelf full of crystal candies, matcha sets, candles, and they may also have Natsume matcha tins available! (This is not the matcha they use in their drinks, but it's nice to have other options available to buy.) ^^ So if you're in the East Bay and are looking for a business to support, go to Always Yours Bakery Cafe (they're also available on the Too Good To Go app)! They have beautiful outdoor seating available, as well as cutesy seating indoors. Not sponsored or anything, I just wanted to review one of my favourite cafes in Castro Valley. ^^

LOVE this bakery! They have a lot of different and unique desserts and beverages that taste…read moredelicious and aren't too sweet. I recently ordered some desserts here for my daughter's birthday party and they turned out beautiful and delicious. Natalie, the owner, is so nice and made the process seamless. Highly recommend this place for a quick treat or for larger dessert catering!

I'm a bit impatient and do not usually go to crowded restaurants, but I lucked out today because no…read moreone was at i-Tea when I just happened to be in the area. Usually i-Tea is packed. Why is the restaurant packed, because so many people love the place. The menu is vast: Meals and drinks. There's no seating to eat. It's all take-out. There are chairs for people waiting on their orders. Free parking. The restaurant is in the small mall with Wells Fargo on the corner, across from Safeway. The restaurant is definitely worth trying. Customer service is excellent. Very friendly.

Good news: the drinks are good, and the snacks are even pretty tasty. Not haute cuisine but solid…read morefor a boba place. Huge selection, probably the best in the area for options. If you are tech savvy the do have an app or online order option. Bad news. Sterile, with no tables to sit out. It's a gran and go place, so don't expect to sit and enjoy any atmosphere. Not a knock, a valid choice, but know before you go. It's busy, and the staff always seem stressed by that. So, it's popular but don't expect staff to provide much help with that huge selection. They get the job done and all, nice people I'm sure, but yeah, atmosphere is not the priority.

Outstanding and beautiful drinks, indoor/ outdoor space and the right friends can make this a very…read morepleasant afternoon. My drink was very refreshing and fragrant. Perfect for an afternoon pick me up. Some mint on top and not overly sweet. I ordered something straight from the menu and it was just right as is. Indoor space with real leather couches and seating and some bar seating with views out to the boulevard. I spent some time here with a very close friend that I just didn't spend much time with in recent times. Covid and other reasons I suppose are to blame. Hours here could be a bit better but the general area is great with the BBQ and marketplace next door. Value seems good too.

Ok first of all I love Philz and have never had a problem until now. I went in and tried to order…read moreseveral different kinds of coffee and the person literally refused to let me customize my order. I wanted the pistachio spice without the spices and she then said "well then it wouldn't be a pistachio spice". So then I asked if I could just have the filtered soul with the pistachio syrup and she said "no we can't do that, maybe try the cashew drink cause it has pistachio". Ok sure since that's what she recommended, so asked if I could have it with regular milk instead. And so then she said "no sorry cashew is in the name so you can't change the milk". So I had to settle for a mocha tesora. I've never once had my customizations denied at any coffee place let alone been made feel stupid for even asking. Btw - the sign above her literally says "all drinks are customizable". I just don't get what the big deal was. Ok that's my rant. Thanks for reading.

Ive visited a couple of times recently and have had great experiences! The people working are…read morealways super kind and I enjoy the food and drinks they serve. I most recently tried their peppermint mocha and lavender latte, both of which I got iced. They were delicious!! I'm a really big fan of minty chocolatey drinks and I thought the peppermint mocha was done really well for an iced version. The lavender latte was actually a pleasant surprise for me! I wasn't expecting to like it so much and the lavender and coffee were really balanced. The chicken gyro was good as well! It came with a sauce and was packed with veggies, which I appreciate. I do wish they had cucumbers in their gyros too though. Overall great experience :)

I'm not in Castro Valley very often, but when I am I stop by Cafe Rumi. It's a charming, cozy cafe…read morein an otherwise plain strip mall. It's a bit tight inside, but there is seating of various configurations. It's pretty easy to find what you need, like utensils, napkins, & water. There is free Wi-Fi & power strips, which are appreciated. The service is friendly and quick. My orders typically complete within 5-10 minutes. The drinks are pretty good. If you've never had any sort of pink chai, then I'd suggest the Pink Chai Latte. I had mine hot, and it was nicely foamed & sweetened. I also enjoyed the Peppermint Mocha, though the flavors were a bit subtler than I'd prefer. The food is fine. There aren't too many Mediterranean options in town (that I know), but you can probably find better if you go farther out. I liked the pita & yogurt in the Gyros (Beef & Lamb) Wrap, but the actual meat & veggies were just adequate. The Saffron Chicken Platter was a lot saucier & more tangy than I was prepared for.. an interesting dish but not one I'd get again.

Absolutely love the Epi Baguette! I keep coming back for that. It almost looks like a braided…read moreversion of a baguette and it's so easy to break off a piece of it. Next thing I know, I've eaten at least three pieces! I first discovered Seven Hills when a friend introduced me to Castro Valley Marketplace. Naturally, I bought a couple pastries to try a bit of everything. I also brought my mom the second visit. Baked Goods: Epi Baguette Pumpkin Cranberry Muffin Savory Scone Berry Scone Morning Bun Butter Croissant Pumpkin Spice Roll Apple Crostata Olive Sourdough *sliced +fifty cents Excellent variety of pastries! There's something for everyone as long as they're not gluten sensitive. I think they do have a gluten free scone and a few other GF offerings. Staff is nice. Parking isn't bad at all for the marketplace. Lots of people coming and going. I shall return for the Epi baguette!

I really don't know what the hype is. Have tried a couple of items, ham and cheese croissant and…read morescones. There were both so underwhelming. Hardly any ham in the ham and cheese and scones were dry. There's no flavor to the pastries. With all the choices around Berkeley and Oakland, this place doesn't even compare. Maybe because there is no other bread bakeries near by. Honestly, this place sucks.

God forbid you need internet and an outlet while you wait. There is one outlet, and if you try to…read moreuse it, the owner will stop you because he "doesn't want to get sued if anything happens." Like... what? There is no universe in which that is a possibility. I used to come to this coffee shop while waiting for my car to be serviced, but I won't be coming again.

This is a long overdue review. I came here after a doctor's appointment in hopes of supporting a…read morelocal business. Looking over the menu, the owner asked rudely what I wanted. I wanted a latte. So he said, seemingly annoyed, "what flavor? We have all flavors. Anything you want." Taken back by his attitude, I asked if he had sugar free options. He replied, "oh, no. We don't have sugar free." Okay...then. You don't have ALL flavors. See the attached photo. What do you guys think I orders? A steak dinner? Sushi? 5 coffees? 3 lattes? A carton of eggs? All wrong. I ordered TWO drinks and a $6 pastry. One of them being a "seasonal iced drink". YES, you're looking at the actual receipt. THIRTY DOLLARS! I understand that everything is organic, but $30?! The owner, seeing the sheer disbelief on my face said. The prices on the menu are for hot drinks only and any cold drinks are extra. This place is the biggest scam ever. I recommend going up the hill and going to the coffee shop in the church or Philz. Hell, Starbucks is better than this jip joint.

First time at the CV location. I usually frequent the MV location and am big fan of Boba Bliss…read more After a hike at Lake Chabot, this was a needed refresher. Order at the kiosks or at the counter. This location is a $1 cheaper per drink than MV location. Same drink menu. I got the lemon green tea with less sweetness and less ice. Super refreshing and nice lemon flavor. Service was nice and drinks came out quickly. Parking lot parking

This is a small little boba shop where you can chill with friends or get some work done while…read moreenjoying some boba. We ended up getting the Mango Sago and the Natural Ube Taro Milk, which were served quickly. The Mango Sago was very meh. It had a very artificial taste to it and just seemed to have syrup in it with Sago and Milk. Thankfully, the Natural Ube Taro Milk was better. It had the paste on the sides of the cup. So had a more natural taste to it and wasn't too sweet. Overall, quick service and meh drinks for the price I paid.