Neighborhood Coffee is one of my favorite cafes in all of the Bay Area. Just don't tell anyone…read morebecause I want it to be one of our best kept secrets. Shhhh...! (It was worth the 13 mile drive for me.) With floor to ceiling windows welcoming in the comfort of daylight and warmth of Californian sunshine (thank you A/C), this cafe sits high above Castro Valley overlooking the distant hills and the bay, depending on where you sit. It's in the front space of a church and upon walking in (my third visit), I feel held by the Lord. Strangely, I'm feeling tears well up because this is the exact sort of space I've been needing as I go through some challenging life circumstances. It is peaceful here but it also has a vibrant community energy on a Thursday late morning. This space is welcoming to all of the bay are community and if you didn't know it was a church, you would never know. It's for the whole neighborhood and beyond. There are tall round tables, bar tables, normal round tables, armchairs at tables, long barnhouse style tables. This space was thoughtfully curated to allow for relationships to be grown, work to be done, and quiet time to be experienced. The Americano I had is nice and strong (whoowee... I'm awake now!). They had interesting drink options and some baked goods. Prices were average for the Bay Area. I love that the cafe supports community outreach. From the web, it partners with this church and community programs. It seems to operate around community support and social impact initiatives. I love that they actively support Inclusion & Autism awareness and medical debt relief (WOW!). This is a cafe that is doing it right!

I'm not a coffee drinker, but I'm always down to try matcha instead. My husband and I decided to…read morebike here on a Sunday morning (10:45am) after our pastry run. Service just ended so a lot of cars were leaving as we arrived. Don't recommend getting in line right after service because I waited over 30 minutes just to get two drinks. The lavender lemonade was very refreshing and not too sweet. The matcha latte on the other hand tasted watered down, so I could barely taste the matcha, super disappointing. It was a nice and sunny day so we decided to sit outside. The inside was very spacious, but I was overstimulated from all of people talking, especially when I was waiting in line. A good spot to stop by to grab a drink and enjoy the view outside if you're in the area. Glad I meet the time to check this place out.

They're serving up smashed fruit teas and I'm into it…read more I have tried their milk tea and guava lime tea. Both had a strong tea flavor which is what i like when I'm ordering tea. You can only add toppings to the fruit teas, you must try the water chestnut boba! I would recommend 30-50% sweet if you don't want your drink too sweet. They had a little craft store in front, and lots of seats inside. The only sad thing is that the only store is in the east bay and that's 40min from San Jose :(

1 star for the (strawberry & hawthorn smoothie) drink only…read more Drinks are more expensive than other places. Service was horrible. The wait was ridiculously long. I only ordered 1 drink and it took almost 30 minutes. When I went to ask about cancel/refund, it turns out that it has been ready and no one bother to call out the number. If I hadn't ask, who knows how long it will go on. Will not come back.

Best overall experience!…read more Customer service was amazing! The people working were so sweet and helpful. The coffee was DELECTABLE! The pastries are not only beautiful, delicious, magnificent, but also so creative and unique! I love them! I get the hype.

This is the second time we've made a visit in less than a month and it's always bustling with a…read moreline and wait for food. We tried the chicken tikka masal both times and the first time was good, but the second time it was made even better. We had a croissant that was decent and a tuna avocado that was also okay. The kouignn amann was also allright. The verdict is come for the chicken tikka masala bun! I am still intrigued by the remaining of the huge selection they have.

I can't believe I haven't written a review for a business my kids and I frequent all the time!…read moreWe've been coming to Always Yours since it opened. Hands down they have the best drinks, cookies, macarons, cakes, and now salt bread! I always come to get treats for my kid's teachers (for their birthdays, teacher appreciation week, just because, etc.). I've brought friends visiting the Bay Area to this bakery, which they have loved. Always Yours also has fun cup sleeve events, macaron classes and afternoon tea from time to time. We love supporting small businesses and this one is definitely worth supporting! P.S. with all these drink places popping up in the area...we still think the drinks at Always Yours not only taste better, but also are of higher quality.

Get the butter toffee cookie because it is so delicious!…read more The store is very clean, plenty of seating to enjoy your sweet treat. Order the ube cheesecake, butter toffee cookie, and a assam milk tea with boba. The order came out quickly. Ube Japanese cheesecake is tasty, not too much ube taste. It is super light and moist, love how it is not too sweet. For the assam milk tea, I prefer it with more tea flavor. The drink was ok, the matcha drinks look better. The butter toffee cookie was the best, it was flavorful, the toffee has added toasted nutty flavor with some sugar. I would get a box full. Overall, has a great variety of baked goods.

This bakery was recommended on the SFBI list of bakeries and pastry shops, so I had to try and stop…read moreby on my way back down south from the east bay. It's in a corner of a very cute gourmet food hall and had a good selection of goods left in mid-afternoon on a weekday. Service is also friendly and prompt. I had to get the kouign amann because I always get one wherever I can, and also picked up a plain croissant, currant scone, and panna cotta. The KA was decent; I would call this one a diet KA because they only put the sugar on one side so it was more like a brulee'd croissant. I also have to admit that, while this shaping is very attractive, the direction of the lamination makes eating this feel like shards in my mouth. However, flavor was excellent. The plain croissant is very plain. It's decent but I've had better. The scone and panna cotta, however, were delightful. Both had lovely soft textures and wonderful creamy flavors. The scone held up for two days and wasn't even a bit stale when I finally had it for breakfast. Highly recommend this tucked-away bakery in the Castro Valley!

I want to start off by saying that this is my first review for a non-gluten free place. I am being…read morere-tested for celiac disease and engaging in the "gluten challenge". Seven Hills Baking Co was my first stop as I haven't had sourdough since childhood. I got their classic sourdough loaf. Even though it wasn't warm anymore it was still amazing. It was quite hard to cut into with a serrated bread knife, which I'm not sure whether that's normal or abnormal for gluten sourdough. However, the inside was lovely and soft. Nice strong sour flavor, spongy dough that was almost moist (not at all dry). I want to note on the gluten free front that seven hills baking co offers a few items which they advertise to be gluten free. Though the ingredients may be gluten free, the items are baked in the same kitchen, the same oven, and then put side by side with the gluten in the display case. Furthermore I don't believe their ingredients are all certified gluten free. Therefore I do not recommend seven hills baking co for anybody with celiac disease. Do not buy your friend with a gluten allergy or celiac these items. There is most certainly cross contact.

I always thought Tram Coffee was popular for its coffee, and I am not a coffee person, so I never…read morevisited the store before, but today I just realized that their fruit tea is just as good. I tried the Peach Orange Tea with 25% sugar and regular ice, and it was so refreshing! I think there's lemongrass in the fruit tea, which adds a really nice flavor and makes the drink even more refreshing. The regular size is $7, while the large is $9.50, but the large is really huge! Definitely a good option if you're looking for a refreshing drink. The staff was friendly and helpful too. I'll definitely be back to try more of their fruit teas!

Nice trendy coffee Spot in downtown Hayward。my first time here and found out that they have wide…read moreselection of fruity teas and Vietnamese coffee mixed drinks, along with some snacks. I ordered the salted cream coffee with coffee jelly to try. The coffee taste is very strong and deep but also smooth and fragrant. The first few sips took a bit of time to get used to but it got better as I sipped it. Located right next to the movie theater. Very convenient location indeed!

First time here…read more I've been obsessed with empanadas since May when I was in Puerto Rico ...... I ordered an empanada of chorizo and of chicken with a side of chimchurri and a Cortado to go The cashier seemed a little bit overwhelmed I noticed she told the customer before me to hold before he placed his order and told me the same thing Inside has communal seating no outside seating available Menu is easy to read and prices are reasonable Parking lot is shared with Trader Joe's so needless to say parking can be hard to come by This venue does offer wine and beer (aside from coffee) Empanadas were OK Guess it gives me a reason to go back to Puerto Rico AYYYY Cortado was an 8/10 Gave me that extra perk Inside is clean and organized Lots of seating available Menu is easy to ready

Food was good, hot fresh and a good size for an empanada! Cashier was friendly, and very welcoming,…read moreonly draw back we were not sure which empanada was which, tried both they were both delicious, but never knew...next time will ask for them to be in different baggies. *not pictured the classic alfajores are delicious, not overly sweet nor dry! They had the FIFA 2026 Game on, which made for a great watch break!!

Delah Coffee is an absolute gem. OPEN to 12!!!!…read more From the moment you walk in, you can tell they put a lot of thought into creating a beautiful, welcoming space. There's plenty of private parking, lots of indoor and outdoor seating, and the upscale décor makes it a great place to meet friends, get some work done, or simply enjoy a quiet cup of coffee. I ordered the Caramel Macchiato, and it was easily one of the best I've ever had. Rich espresso, perfectly balanced sweetness, and incredibly smooth. The pastries were just as impressive. The Pistachio Baklava Nest was generously filled with pistachios and had the perfect balance of crunch and sweetness. The Biscoff Cheese Danish was another standout, topped with Biscoff drizzle and a whole Biscoff cookie that made every bite even better. The café also has a large-screen TV and clean, separate men's and women's restrooms, making it comfortable for longer visits. Whether you're stopping by for your morning coffee or meeting up with friends, Delah Coffee delivers excellent drinks, delicious pastries, and an inviting atmosphere. I'll definitely be back to try more of their menu.

Location: Super elegant, chilly, lots of seating, overall very good vibes. The workers were nice,…read moredidnt have to wait to order which was nice and overall very welcoming even when they accidently spilled my drink they remade it right away. Food: I went here twice and every single time I get any of the shwarmas or meat pies, its cold. Not just a little bit, the entire inside and bottom is soggy cold. It tastes good, super light not heavy, but the coldness makes it unappetizing unfortunatly. Additionally, the biscoff cake was super dry for a milk cake, but the taste is still nice. The saffron and caramel cake are nice though, milky, sweet, pairs well with a hot drink. Drink: Dissapointing. Matcha, Chai, Latte, Smoothie, Refresher--I tried them all and was dissapointing. Matcha (latte, mango, and strawberry) tasted insanely water, same with the adani chai--which is something I look forward to at every cafe. I think increasing the milk content in the chai could really improve it. Coffee was also done poorly (iced and hot). Refresher was alright, super sweet but other than that it wasnt bad. The only thing that was the best was the smoothie. The mangorabian tastes like a chocolatey mango lassi, you can't go wrong with a smoothie. Room for improvement on everything. Overall: Very nice elegant cafe that is perfect for hangouts and doing work, the food needs to get warmed up longer to avoid coldness and all the drinks need to be improved to increase the quality of the taste. Looking forward to the change!

This one does not have any tables at all. The other one has tables for you to eat. This is more of…read morea grab and go place. The food took a while, but it came out pipping hot and fresh. I love the popcorn chicken here. I get it extra spicy. The flavor is yummy and i love how it comes with garlic and basil as well. I wanted to try the japense tofu today and I enjoyed it. The tofu was nice and silky inside, and then very cripsy outside.

i-Tea is a franchise that I have very fond memories of. They've had to raise their prices over the…read moreyears to combat inflation and while their quality isn't as high as competitors, they have an extensive menu and are fairly consistent. I'm a big fan of this particular location due to their many food options (not all iTeas offer food) and how creamy their milk tea is. When ordering food, the wait is understandable given the preparation time but drinks are usually ready within 5 minutes (I recommend ordering ahead of time through the app). My go-to order is Signature boba milk tea, 30% sweet and 30% ice. Their milk tea is on the sweeter side so I strongly suggest 30% sweet max. They go heavier on the creamer compared to other locations, which I think gives the drink a well-rounded/not watery profile. The boba is always QQ and sweet. For food, I've tried their popcorn chicken, garlic noodles with short rib, and baked pork chop rice. All were pretty good!

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.

Late review. My last visit here was the worst experience of any Philz locations. The person working…read moreat the order station is not personable and lacks customer service etiquette. Not a greeting or any kind of acknowledgement. To top it off, she had me repeat my simple order from their featured menu several times. It wasn't like it was loud indoors. And she made it seem like I was an inconvenience. How much more obviously rude can you be? Maybe she wasn't having a good day but she seemed fine chit chatting away with the fellow baristas afterwards. Not my type of Philz if workers here pick and choose who they want to service. Other than that, they have plenty of seating indoors and outdoors. I do like the spaciousness of their outdoor seating. Parking can sometimes be a nuisance even tho there's a parking lot available. Oh and their featured drinks tend to seem a little too sweet. I plan to stick with my philtered soul. Name says it all. But, not so sure if I'd frequent this location.