Grabbed some coffee and a snack with some friends after a workout…read more This former Starbucks has a small parking lot in the back and there were a few spaces open, so it was very easy to find parking. The service was friendly and quick. They were very patient while we explored all the various items they had on display. I got a bacon and egg empanada which they warmed up for me. It was nice, might've been even better with some kind of sauce too. My friends got the mushroom empanadas which looked really delicious. I wanted to order one to bring home only to find out they sold out! The cafe con lèche was quite strong but they do warn you about it before you order. Nice place to catch up with some friends. Good amount of small tables and it's clean.

Bakery and coffee shop with specialty of Argentina pastries. It has been opened for many years and…read moreI just found it last week. It is nice bakery and coffee shop on same roof. The interior is simple with plenty of tables. One of Their speciality is empanadas and you cannot go wrong with it. It is very yummy. There are couple filling options. The other pastries like Traditional Argentine pastries such as Guava Dulce de Leche which we order are also yummy. The Alfajones is also good. If I am not mistaken either you have to order pastries two at a time or it is cheaper if you order two. The drip coffee is good and light. Beside argentina pastries they also have more common pastries you find at most of places like croissant. Service was good and quick. Parking is available on the street or it has parking lot at the complex. Will come back next time to try other pastries.

My son came into Backhaus specifically for one of their cookies, but they had already sold out for…read morethe day. When the staff realized that was what he had come in for, they gave him a couple of the "reject" cookies that had already been set aside for employees. Needless to say, he was thrilled. It was a small gesture, but an incredibly thoughtful one that really made his day. Backhaus has fantastic baked goods, but it's this kind of genuine customer service that makes the place stand out. We'll definitely keep coming back.

Decided to get in line a lil after 10am on a Saturday. The line moved pretty quickly! We knew we…read morewanted the vanilla latte - got it iced and hot. I got mine with almond milk. It's a good latte! There were so many baked options. We asked the worker for recommendations. We asked about the almond vs chocolate hazelnut croissants & savory options. Speck & egg was the top specific mention, but she added that they're all good. I learned that speck was ham. We ended up getting the chocolate hazelnut croissant & speck & egg. We got the last one of the croissant, so I can only imagine how fast things run out. Baked to perfection - flakey and not dense at all. The croissant did get a bit too sweet over time. There's two tables inside and one bigger one outside. It can get a little crowded with everyone waiting for their drinks. I'm glad I got to try it! I'd come back - lots more to try. Street parking can be a hit or miss nearby. Wherever you park, it's still a nice walk in the downtown area.

Miso caramel never had anything like it, i'm shocked and…read moreimpressed and very down to get this again or try other things on the menu also the Miso caramel didn't overpower the coffee taste at All which is imo rare? service was great and speedy considering how long the line was (30min before closing too wow) I also loved the decor and I think this would be a great place to work: there's wifi, some seating and I think i saw a plug but not 100% sure

4/5 Kaizen Coffee…read moredefinitely lives up to the hype when it comes to their pour over. The space is clean, modern, and aesthetically nice, but it is pretty small and not really the type of café I would hang out at for hours. It reminded me more of a busy boba shop where you grab your drink and go. We came around 1 PM and waited about 10 minutes. They only allow around six people to queue inside, so there was a pretty steady line of people waiting outside. This place gets BUSY. We tried the black sesame iced latte and a single origin pour over. The pour over was easily a 10/10 for me. I love light roasts that are super fruit forward, bright, and almost tea like, and this was exactly that. The barista was also incredibly friendly and even shared his recipe with me, which I really appreciated. The black sesame latte was one of the drinks we kept seeing on social media, so obviously we had to try it. Unfortunately, it was not our favorite. The black sesame tasted pretty grainy and bitter, which clashed with the sweetness of the coffee rather than complementing it. I would probably give that drink a 3/5. One thing I really liked is their whole bean selection. They had a ton of freshly roasted coffee available, including beans from Hydrangea and Black & White. Overall, Kaizen gets a 4/5 from me. The pour over alone is enough to bring me back, but I was expecting a little more from their black sesame iced latte

The baked goods are chef's kiss. Crab cakes were AMAZING. As were the beef empanadas and guava…read morepastry. 100% positive experience.

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!

I'm not even a cake person, and Shru's Flavors of India cake is literally the best cake I've ever…read morehad. I first had it for my birthday back in 2020, and I'd never tasted anything quite like it. The pistachio and cardamom are such a unique combination, the cake is incredibly moist, and it has the perfect amount of sweetness. Vegan or not, it's just an amazing cake--you would never know it was vegan. The owner is also the sweetest person and very responsive. Definitely check out her website and IG, and keep an eye out for her pop-ups and special offerings. And seriously, get the Flavors of India cake. It's SO good!

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.

I found out about this bakery on NextDoor, someone was saying the best cinnamon rolls were sold…read morehere. I had to go! Sad facts, the Hillsdale mall closed Cinnabon and the annual fair no longer sells cinnamon rolls. I'm super thrilled that Made Out of Dough is here, and I hope for years to come. We tried scones and the chocolate mousse. No complaints. Parking is street only, so be careful crossing Old County Road. No bathrooms, so if you are like me, take your goodies to-go. My goal is to go here once a month.

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.

Best breakfast sandwich, hands down!…read more My barbershop is literally next door, and my kids are obsessed with this breakfast sandwich -- it's their all-time favorite breakfast sandwich . They are excited every time we stop by fresh in the early morning before I open up shop. It's become our little tradition, and I look forward to it as much as they do. Highly recommend!

The grain salad here is so good that I planned my errands around picking one up yesterday and I…read moredon't even like salads. Also, the bread they serve with it is ridiculous- perfectly crusty on the outside, soft on the inside...totally worth the carbs. I think this could be the reason their avocado toast is also incredible. On top of that, all of the employees always seems happy to be there and everyone is present, which feels rare these days. I love supporting local businesses like this. Such a welcome addition to RWC!

I've ordered many cakes for special occasions from this shop when I've wanted an extraordinary…read morefocal point cake. They never disappoint and the artistry is masterful. The cakes not only look wonderful but they taste good too. With so many cake flavor and filling combinations, you are bound to find something you like. My personal favorite is vanilla or vanilla/chocolate cake with mocha or salted caramel filling. The fondant is thick but that is needed for all the elaborate and detailed decorations I request. This time I wanted a tall cake so I ordered a 2 tier cake with 5" tall layers. The cake was stunning but it was so hard to cut! That was a mistake on my end. Overall, the cakes are excellent in design and taste. You can describe your vision with a few pictures and drawings and they will bring that vision to life.

I have ordered cakes through The Cake Shop every year for both of my daughters' birthdays for…read moreseveral years now. Every cake they have created is a masterpiece. If you can imagine it, they can make it. I wanted to share more photos of cakes they have made for me!