The coco earth is the best drink I've ever had! The crew is very nice and made sure I was happy.read more

Marina helped me a lot with my order! She was very friendly and compassionate, and she even gave me…read moregreat recommendations. She offered a FREE sample, and the mango pudding was amazing! I ended up getting the mango mochi which was also very delicious. Highly recommend going here. The customer service, drinks, and pudding are incredible!

The fried intestines appetizers here are the only fried intestines I've ever liked. They're crispy…read moreon the outside but soft on the inside, and extremely snackable. I love the night market decor too, especially the outdoor buildings facade. It's such a fun treat to look at the signs and the fake shops while you wait for your food.

I'm not sure how it managed to happen, given how long they've been around and how many times I've…read moreeaten around 3rd Ave, but I had no idea Dessert Republic even existed, let alone been here. Presumably, never walking down their block of the Main St. alley had a lot to do with it, but who knows how much longer it would've taken if not for my friends suggesting we come here for dinner. Which is kind of ironic, considering the name of this place! While nothing about the outside of Dessert Republic really stands out, the decor inside is great. It may not be all that flashy nor have much of an IG aesthetic, but I like how it has a Hong Kong/Chinatown alley sort of look to it. As for the menu, true to their name, there's no shortage of desserts to choose from, whether it be hot desserts, like glutinous rice balls, sweet tofu, or egg pudding, cold desserts, like mixed fruits, sago, or ice cream sundaes, egg puffs, and crepes. In addition, they also have a bunch of regular food options, from snacks and dim sum items, to rice plates, noodle soups, and even lomo saltado. -- (#A03) POPCORN CHICKEN Not terrible, but not popcorn chicken either. Rather, this felt more like the salt & pepper porkchop dishes I've had in the past - the batter was thick, the chicken was unmarinated, it was seasoned with just salt and pepper, and it was topped with cut peppers instead of crispy basil. -- (#S01) BRAISED BRISKET & WONTON NOODLE SOUP Overall, this was a mixed bag. On the plus side, the bowl was decently loaded, the wontons were plump, and it had chunks of beef tendon, which were tender. On the other, while the noodles were fine, the veggies were way overcooked and the beef was chewy. -- (#M08) SUPER STRAWBERRY - Strawberry Freeze, Aloe Jelly, and Strawberries Topped with Strawberry Ice Cream Undoubtedly, this had a lot of strawberry flavor to it. Even though the strawberry freeze didn't do a ton for me, especially as it melted, I liked how well the aloe jelly, strawberries, and ice cream complemented each other. As far as service goes, I've seen some folks mention running into issues, but I've actually found it to be entirely unremarkable, for better or worse. Each time I've been here, the workers haven't really gone beyond the basics (take orders, bring out dishes, take care of checks, etc.), but I never really expect anything more than that either. Still, they do seem to be relatively friendly and get orders out decently fast, which certainly counts for something. Since I've clearly only had a small handful of what their menu has to offer, there's the distinct possibility (probability?) that I haven't had the best of what Dessert Republic has to offer. However, based on what I've ordered and my friends' egg puffs and sweet tofu that I've tried (both were fine), the desserts here definitely seem to be the safer bet overall. Which is handy since they stay open so late, especially on Friday and Saturday nights (until 1am).

Love how fluffy and flavorful the cakes are without being overly sweet. The mango pancake is also…read moredelicious.

Wow! We were surprised how good the mango cake that we got. They wrapped it so nicely…read more Also, they have different pastries that reminds me of 85 degrees. But this place is much better.

We endearingly call the taiyaki "fish waffles", and it has become a running joke to confuse our…read morevisiting family with it. - Us: Do you want a fish waffle? - Them: Huh??? - Insert confused facial expression - Especially for my family, who are from Belgium, this was slightly different from what they were used to. It was their fun shape that lured me into this place the first time, and then we discovered they put Nutella inside. Let's just say we've been here too many times to call it a healthy habit. Oh well. No regrets. I've tried out their soft serve before as well and absolutely loved it. I have yet to try other fillings because Nutella, but have been meaning to give the cheddar one a try. Only negative? Everyone seems to like this place, so the line and wait can be quite long.

We were pretty disappointed with our visit. The biggest issue was the lack of personal service…read more Instead of ordering from an employee, you're expected to use a self-service kiosk and then stand in a waiting area with no chairs or stools. The whole experience felt cold and impersonal. What made it even more frustrating was that after we carefully selected our toppings on the kiosk, the employee still asked us what toppings we wanted. If we're expected to do all the ordering ourselves, the staff should at least be looking at the order we just entered. There are often long lines, and I suspect part of the reason is that many first-time customers aren't sure how the ordering process works. Since the employees are busy filling orders, there's really no one available to answer questions or guide people through it. As for the ice cream, it was just okay. It wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't memorable, and we've had much better elsewhere. Overall, the impersonal ordering process, lack of customer interaction, and average ice cream mean we won't be returning.

First time trying this out, my friends told me these cookies are delicious... well they were right,…read morethe cookies were so good! This shop is small, the service was great and I liked how they also write down on their menu if they are low on cookies and how many are left. They also have a small oven where you can WARM UP YOUR COOKIE(S)! Such a great idea, highly recommend checking this place out for their cookies.

We stop by Antoine's almost every time we're in San Mateo to pick up a cookie. My boyfriend and I…read morehave slowly been working our way through the menu and trying a different cookie each time. The cookies are consistently good--crispy around the edges, soft in the center, and slightly chewy. They're sweet, of course, but not overly sugary or overwhelming. I also appreciate that there's a microwave inside so you can warm up your cookie. So far, we haven't tried a cookie we didn't like. It's become one of our favorite spots to grab a treat, and we'll keep coming back until we've made our way through the entire menu.

LOCATION IS CLOSED as of 2/2/2026…read more Really enjoyed the popping chestnut topping here. Worker said place is being "rebranded."

Food: - Items: 2 Coconut Mango Puddings…read more- Liked the Coconut, the mango tasted kind of artificial - 7/10 Service: - Ordered from a kiosk - Server wasn't very helpful in describing their best drinks, just pointed us to their menu - 6/10 Ambiance: - Small place, don't remember any seating inside - To go type of place - Nice lighting and decor - 7/10 Overall Rating: 7/10

Made a call in order and arrived with order ready for pick up. Tried the Pambazo and wow it was…read moredelicious! Filled with potatoes mixed with chorizo and creamy with the sour cream and cheese. The lettuce gives it some freshness as this is a heavy torta. Then tried the tosti esquite and it was also delicious! It also has cut up cucumber in there which was unexpected but added some freshness to it as well. I just wish there was more added sour cream to the corn dish but other than 10/10! Will definitely return for the Pambazo! There's plenty of seating indoors and none outdoors. This place is close to downtown San Mateo where the food life is 10/10.

I stopped by on a weekday afternoon. The place was not busy. I went for 2 scoops of ice cream -…read moregansito and oreo. Both were good. I think their fruit bowls were the best. I should have went for one. Ice cream flavors were limited.

The very first time I ever tried Beard Papa's, over a decade ago when the one by the Metreon in SF…read morefirst opened, I wasn't exactly blown away by the experience. Granted, my friends probably hyped it up a bit too much while we were waiting in line (I think it was already their second or third time going), but, regardless, I thought it was just okay. Fast forward all of these years later and I have to say - whether it's because my tastes have changed or because I found a flavor that I really liked, this place is so much better than I remember! With so many boba joints and dessert shops nearby, it's pretty easy to overlook Beard Papa's. Being located on the edge of downtown/3rd Ave certainly doesn't help, but, for something quick and convenient (and different), they're a decent option. While the menu may not look all that extensive, it has a fair amount to offer when you consider how you can mix and match your choice from their near dozen cream puffs/eclairs and handful of cream fillings. Add to that the occasional seasonal/featured flavors they'll have and their assortment of lava cakes and cheesecakes and there's plenty to choose from! -- ST. VALENTINE'S RASPBERRY ECLAIR - Raspberry Cream Custard-filled Eclair with White Chocolate Coating and Raspberry Frosting This was a seasonal offering (admittedly, an older one), but if they ever added this to their regular menu, I'd easily get this again. Surprisingly, this actually wasn't super sweet and I loved how well the raspberry and white chocolate flavors complemented each other. -- GREENT TEA ECLAIR WITH VANILLA CUSTARD FILLING Not nearly as good as the St Valentine's Eclair, but way better than the original Vanilla Cream Puff I had before. The frosting had a strong hit of green tea to it, and the custard was fine, but, this time, the cream puff felt a little stale/dry-ish. While I definitely enjoyed Beard Papa's cream puffs/eclairs more than I did before, I can't say I've loved everything about this location. Mainly, the service here has been a little uneven - the first time we stopped in, the guy behind the counter looked really annoyed with having to help us and seemed like he was dying for us to leave (FWIW, we walked in almost an hour before they closed). Our last visit, though, the workers were friendly and super fast, as they handed us our eclair before we could even finish paying. Even though my opinion of Beard Papa's has definitely improved, since I never really crave cream puffs/eclairs and limit my sweets to the occasional scoop(s) of ice cream or milk tea, I can't say Beard Papa's is on the verge of getting into my regular dessert rotation. However, given how much I enjoyed their St. Valentine's Raspberry Eclair, I'm definitely more open to coming back than ever before if/when should the desire come along, especially since they don't have those same long lines anymore! THREE AND A HALF STARS rounded up for now.

The closest Beard Papa's to me! I've tried it at multiple locations, so I already know it's…read moreconsistently good haha. I love getting the mini ones because you can try all the different flavors, which is the best part. Why pick just one when you can have them all? The fillings are amazing, and I love that they fill each one fresh when you order. Such a great dessert!