NEWS! FLASH! ALERT! Finally, finally, FINALLY! The home of the one & only OG as in Original Mochi Muffin in the Bay Area has landed a brick and mortar location in the heart of Downtown Walnut Creek - inner East Bay region of Contra Costa County! Aesthetics are a key element found in a sleek, modern, contemporary design that welcomes visitors & guests of all ages to their "disco-inspired" establishment, which is a "dream-state" with rainbows bouncing off of their chrome vinyl walls! In addition, their new space features chrome vinyl when you look up their ceiling, plus dichroic film treatment on the windows that reflects light as cool blue in the mornings and hot pink in the afternoons. The combination creates a swirl of colors, rainbows and blurry self-reflections, like a surreal alternate reality. How cool is that?! I was fortunate enough to be in the immediate area during their Grand Opening weekend - and I had been checking out their various social media platforms (mostly on their Instagram account) as they definitely celebrated with a loud BANG! (literally) & lots of perks and prizes and giveaways for their much-awaited patrons for their long overdue and awaited presence in Walnut Creek! During a mid-day break in between the church services that I was accompanying for, I made a quick pitstop - only to see a long line that had formed around the building, so I just left LOL! (and made a vow to return later that day, haha) Sometime in the afternoon after having a late lunch with a significant other, we discussed to make a pit stop & check to see if there would "still" be a long line at the establishment - and to our surprise, NO LINE!!!! Ayeeeee!! (this was around 3 p.m., so I guess that's a good idea to check this place out on a given weekend, LOL - even though, we initially HAD THOUGHT, they HAD sold out already of their creamy lattes & delectable mochi donuts and muffins...) There were so many baked goodies, and treats, and merchandise, along with a vast array of drinks on their menu (Regular & Seasonal) - so overwhelming, especially that they HAD JUST OPENED! Yikes! Gotta work extra hard & do some O/T at work if I'ma be a regular here, LOL! I did get a dozen of one flavor of each of their mochi donuts, and got 2 of their Ube and Original Mochi muffins to take home, as well! As for a pick-me-up, I didn't want coffee, so I opted for their Strawberry Lychee Matcha Latte with Oat Milk! Refreshingly good & it wasn't overly sweet at all! Highly recommended! So glad and ecstactic for Third Culture Bakery to finally make their presence known to this part of the East Bay - and offer a display case full of baked mochi treats - naturally gluten-free thanks to rice flour - plus an added focus on matcha. Don't forget their drinks and merchandise, as well! Looking forward to more trips here in the near future! Aloha & Mahalo, and much love, love, LOVE to ya'll!! read more

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YAAAYYYY Mochi donuts and muffins, and matcha drinks all in one place in Walnut Creek! I went on Saturday during their grand opening weekend. It was around 11AM, and there was a line against the colorful translucent window/wall. I wanted to compare the stuff to their Berkeley location, and I enjoyed this one more! Here were my thoughts - Mochi Muffins - I tried the black sesame and the churro ones here. Both were good and the textures were excellent. I liked how the black sesame had somewhat of a thicker "crust" to it, similar to regular muffins - the muffin tops. YUM!! The churro one was good, consistent in flavor throughout. Mochi Donuts - These are dense and chewy. I enjoy the texture, but the flavor just comes from the top frosting glaze portions. I tried the raspberry lychee and the Vietnamese coffee ones. The flavors were alright, but unfortunately, the kids took a bite to try and both didn't like it at all for whatever reason. Iced Strawberry Lychee Matcha Latte - so glad you get to choose the type of milk here! Whole or soy by default, or oat milk for a dollar more. The strawberry compote is pretty good. The drink looks so nice. I couldn't really taste the matcha, but that's most like my issue since I have a hard time tasting matcha from a lot of matcha stuff. It did taste better than the one I tried in Berkeley by a lot though! Iced Golden Matcha Latte - the husband chose this one. The drink looked nice too, but to me, it just tasted like turmeric. Pass, not quite my thing. I'd definitely be back to try new muffin/donut flavors, but more so the muffins. read more

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I went here to pick up some sweets for My co workers. I had been to the Berkeley location a few times, but I am estatic to have one here closer to the 925. This location is a lot smaller but convenient to park at with a smaller lot. They had the regular Mochi donuts and Mochii Muffins. I had picked out a few different varieties and a Pumpkin Muffin. I had a Roasted Carmel Matcha with soy ,as well. The cashier was friendly and I was In and out in a jiff. No long lines since I went early in the morning. read more

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First time here. We came on Saturday. Place is cute and small. Mochi donuts are SOO good. The coffee was a little too sweet for me. My partner liked everything as well. Definitely will be back for the mochi donuts. I took one star off for the coffee being way too sweet for me. They sell merchandise there too which is cute. The donuts are off the hook good! read more

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Different flavors and varieties of Asian donuts recommend for sweet tooth lovers supporting local businesses

Decent coffee and mochi doughnuts. Worth stop if you are gluten free or really enjoy mochi doughnuts. We came on a Saturday morning for doughnuts and coffee. There was a short line, but not a long wait. The location was relatively convenient with ample street parking. The ambiance was unique and rainbow colored inside which made it a bit hard to see doughnuts and pastries. However, it did make a interesting experience. Outside there were a few small tables for seating, but the feel was definitely more of a grab and go location. The coffee itself was good, bold and well made. The mochi doughnuts were well flavored, but not my cup of tea. They were chewy and had a rice aftertaste. If you are gluten free or love mochi doughnuts the variety and quality of flavor are quite impressive. The service was decent, the workers were nice and they were pretty efficient. Overall, a decent coffee experience. Would recommend for the mochi doughnut lovers or for a cup of joe. read more

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Love everything about this place. Love the donuts and love the matchas. The texture and flavors are wonderful!

Saw this place while I was craving sweet things and decided to order the Daily variety of Butter Mochi Donuts & Mochi Muffins. My bf and I are in love, not sure if it was mainly because we were craving sweet or not. I love the fact that it's donut but it's not overly sweet like the others. The texture is so unique. The donuts were baked, not fried, which made me even feel a bit 'healthy' since there is no oil involved. The flavor for donuts range from dark chocolate, black sesame, mango passion fruit (my favorite), strawberries n' cream, ube coconut, guava cheesecake. The flavor for muffins range from black sesame, uji matcha, churro, ube and chocolate Mochi brownie. They can solve your cravings, but also can be a great gift! read more

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An absolutely amazing bakery! The mochi goodies are the best!! I came to the 2nd day of their grand opening weekend and arrived around 15 minutes before they opened and there was a short line at the entrance. The interior of the shop is gorgeous with so many cool colors and just a really awesome design! They have their donuts and muffins in a display case that you can see when you're in line closer to the cash register. There are seasonal mochi donut flavors as well as non-seasonal ones. The VIP package that they were offering for their grand opening contained all the seasonal ones so I also ordered an additional guava cheesecake mochi donut which wasn't included as well as the seasonal pumpkin pie mochi muffin. All of the mochi donuts and muffins were soo good! I would say my favorite would probably be the raspberry lychee flavor just because the icing had a very strong flavor to it but it wasn't overly sweet. I also really enjoyed the pumpkin pie mochi muffin, the ube muffin, and the matcha muffin. They're honestly all so good though, so it's hard to go wrong with any of them! I also got a pumpkin matcha latte that's part of their seasonal pumpkin series. The drink was yummy, but I was somewhat expecting a stronger matcha flavor, as the drink seemed more on the milky side to me. I also was hoping for more pumpkin flavor as well since it tasted a little more like pumpkin spice seasoning rather than pumpkin, which is kind of what I was hoping for. The cold brew drinks though, did sound really tasty, so I do want to try one of those next time! read more

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Thank goodness I dont have to go to Berkeley for this anymore... or is it a bad thing because I'm going to visit here more often... I visited during the soft opening to avoid the crowds and it was empty at the time of my visit. Nice looking interior! Same flavors you would expect with all the yumminess of the Berkeley bakery. They had a seasonal pumpkin menu and a pumpkin mochi muffin! I finally got to try their banana dulce de leche donut and an unexpected tiramisu flavor donut. Both divine with strong flavors! I could imagine the parking area could get pretty bad right in front of the shop during busy times. read more

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Soft opening today 10/12/21. A fantastic addition to Walnut Creek! The mochi muffins are bites of heaven. Semi-crunchy exterior, chewy inside. The original mochi muffin is still my favorite. The other flavors offered today were ube, churro, black sesame, matcha, chocolate brownie, and pumpkin pie. Great flavors, great texture. Didn't get any mochi donuts today, but others seem to be huge fans. Lots of unique flavor combinations for the donuts. The design of the store is just lovely! The iridescent window film gives the interior a dreamy rainbow vibe. Definitely worth stopping by! read more

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Their Matcha drinks are delicious! They always have a seasonal drink which is often delicious. I also really love their Banana pudding bread! read more

I've been wanting to go to Third Culture in Berkeley so when I was searching for sweets while in Walnut Creek, I was so excited to see they had a location there also! It's walkable distance from all of Walnut Creek's shopping but they also have a great parking lot nearby. The mochi muffin banana bread pudding was SO GOOD! Not too sweet & just the right amount of chewy. Get it warmed up to make it even better. It is a little sticky so get your napkins ready. The decor is so cute here too! Love the iridescent colors and disco theme. I'll be back to try some of their drinks for sure! read more

Third Culture Bakery - Love this story on their back window - Bakeries Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

The muffins are delicious! The perfect mix of chewy and soft. Highly recommend! Customer service was also very responsive! Can't wait to try more! read more

Wanted to get on here to highlight the food and drinks, but also speak on wait time and staff. I'd rather this be an email to the owners but there is no way of contacting them directly. I know that each matcha is hand whisked which results in a longer wait time - i'm fine with that, so I made a doordash order for pick up this last friday around 3pm. There were only 2 employees and it was obviously so busy (as usual), but my doordash order was overlooked and was sitting empty with my name on them for quite some time. Long story short - after a few check ins I ended up waiting over 30 min for my order. The female employee was SO nice and apologetic. I've seen her before and I know she works hard, but the male employee was in and out of the area, mostly in the back, and not much help at all. When she called him for help he was obviously frustrated, but poor thing was working the register, and making all the drinks by herself - not sustainable. I love the bakery and I hope that in the future they can invest in a couple more employees during peak times, as I see this happen at this location pretty frequently. All in all - great matcha, amazing mochi desserts, but service is not quite there. read more

FAVORITE!!! This was my regular tea shop when I lived in WC. Now, it's an occasional treat I never miss. The staff always make my day. They're so sweet and genuinely care about helping you. Nicole asked me how my day was. She understood how excited I was to be there and made the best ceremonial matcha with honey for me. I also got the Pandan mochinut. Both were 12/10. You can tell they only use high quality ingredients. If you haven't tried this place yet, please go like now read more

Friendly employees, delicious gluten free treats, customized drinks, and a rainbow pin! Space is small but cute and there is outdoor seating. If I lived closer I'd be here all the time. You guys are doing great! read more

Third Culture Bakery - To go box of treats for the road trip - Bakeries Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

I always wanted to stop in and try something here. My mom would get matcha lattes after spin class and it always looked good. After the whole controversy of the Mochi Muffin, it was like get over yourself. It's like using Pizza as your trademark lol. But whatever! I will say I do like all the Mochi items here. Very good and not overly sweet. Service was okay but the cashier just seemed unenthusiastic. Like why do I have to work. But the ambiance of this place is chill. Kind of like a grab and go, don't stay around place. Haven't tried any of the drinks, just a sip of one. Not too bad, but haven't gotten the full experience. Will be back again since I do work in the area. read more

The coffee and donuts are good, lots of options even though they mostly all taste the same. Customer service isn't so great.

UPDATE: Went here on a weekday morning at 9am, waiting for 10 mins past the opening and they did not open. There was no message or sign saying they would be closed. read more

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If you like matcha, you will like it here. Lots of fun seasonal options and cute swag. The donuts are a plus!

Oh my goodness , I drink tea a lot. And BY FAR, the honey green tea I ordered was MY FAVORITE tea I've EVER EVER had! Perfection ! This little gem is welcoming and has a wonderful menu. Can't wait to get back!! read more

I wanted to give this place a better review. So here's my experience... Ordered a few donuts and other baked goods. The mochi muffin was pretty good. My drink was pretty good. But here's where it goes wrong the two chocolate mochi donuts tasted like it was sitting in the open for more than one day. My two kids love chocolate mochi donuts but they took one bite and didn't want anymore. My wife's drink was mediocre. Then we waited 15-20 mins for a regular drip coffee for my grandma. First the forgot to even plug in the hot water for the day. I'm patient so I waited without saying anything. When we got it we went on our way. A mile out my grandmother tasted it and it taste like luke warm water with no coffee taste to it. We all tried it to confirm and all it did was taste like water. We had to throw it out. Now basically out of the $40+ I have spent more than half of it was useless. Not sure if I got them on a bad day but it was definitely not worth it to me. read more

I got the mochi waffle & it was super delicious with the whipped cream cheese on top. I also got the matcha guava sparkler which was just ok. read more

If you like sweets this place is for you. The Mochi donut here is filled solid, comparatively other Mochi donuts are chewy but hollow inside. Depending on the flavor you get the sweetness level can be pretty heavy. Should have got one regular one. The flavors are a stand out and the chewiness is good. read more

Third Culture Bakery - From top right clockwise: Taro, forgot but could be toffee?, jasmine tea, raspberry, Thai tea, and strawberry cheesecake I believe. - Bakeries Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

I love third culture. It's my favorite matcha spot! If you order online they wait until you get there to make your drink. Which is so nice so I am stuck with a water down drink. The place is well lit and has calming music playing the background. They even have a little shopping area to buy merch and lots is sitting. I definitely recommend. They are super nice! read more

Third Culture Bakery - Caramel Matcha Latte with Almond Milk - Bakeries Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Always wanted to try this place when it was in Berkeley so I am happy to have this in Walnut Creek. The Black Sesame Mochi donut had just the right amount of sweetness with the black sesame glaze. It also had a nice tender chewiness more so than the equally good Original Mochi muffin. Cutting both into little slices allowed prolonged enjoyment of both! While it's available, highly recommend the Black Sesame! read more

Third Culture Bakery - Original Mochi muffin and Black Sesame Mochi donut - Bakeries Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Such a cute/chic bakery!! I got a half dozen mochi donuts and all of them had unique flavours. I saw a box of Mochiko sweet rice flour on their shelves and their donuts exactly tasted like those if you have tried baked goods made out of those powders. The donuts were a bit dense compared to other mochi donuts I have tried but flavour was still enjoyable and I would love to try their muffins or other pastries next time! read more

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The Mochi Donuts are crazy delicious. Favorite is definitely the Yuzu, then Maple Blueberry and last is the Matcha. They're on the denser side and can be filling but don't let that stop you from getting a few. The Mochi muffins are really dense with a nice chewy texture and extremely flavorful. Ube was the standout. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Side window of Third Culture. - Bakeries Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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I do not understand the high ratings for this place. The dough was so overworked in both items I ordered. the texture of the donut was awful. So dense. I don't know that it had any rising agent in it, and it certainly had no sugar. The mochi sesame muffin was even worse. It was dense and gummy and again no sugar. What a waste of money! each item was almost 4 dollars apiece . I threw both items away after one bite each. Plus what kind of a place that sells donuts runs out of hot coffee at 10 AM? I definitely would not go back and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else either. read more

ALRIGHT. I've been on a Yelp hiatus for the longest fricken time and I'm finally breaking my silence to write a review for Third Culture. I'm Filipino and I ain't gonna lie, I'm pretty fricken prideful rn because ube is a buzzword and there are ube flavored foods left and right nowadays. So I'd be lying if I said I wasn't on the hunt for the best ube baked goods/drinks in the Bay. Third Culture is a gem. I've been wanting to try this place for the longest time because mochi donuts + asian fusion = love. I only got a couple of items today because I can get quite overboard (and mochi donuts don't stay good for long). So I'll cut to the chase and talk about the ube flavored goods and coffee I got: Ube mochi muffin (4/5): Dense af, tastes like the ube mochi pancakes you get from Trader Joe's (which isn't a bad thing ok), but what's better is you can order this year round :P If you were only ordering one ube flavored thing though, I'd go with the donut. Ube coconut mochi donut (5/5): Just... THE FRICKEN TEXTURE AND CHEWINESS!!! SO GOOD! It's basically a mochi donut, but ube icing on top and hint of coconut flavoring... that just makes it. I feel like these mochi donuts are the best I've had. I got here around opening, so I feel like I got the freshest batch lol... I was a huge fan. If this is your first time here, GET THIS DONUT. Strawberry Lychee Cold Brew Oat Milk Latte (3.5/5): The cold brew is a little bitter for my liking, so make sure to really mix the strawberry/milk at the bottom to help with that. I asked for oat milk, but I think I would have rather gone with normal milk. I feel like having a more creamy/thicker drink would have enhanced the strawberry/lychee flavoring and reduce the bitterness of the cold brew. Oat milk is lightweight the same but... not really. *Random, but I'm also not a huge fan of the straws they give out... They're the compostable ones that literally break in 2 seconds once you slide the straw up and down LMAO. So right when I started mixing my cold brew I had to wait til I got home to get a new straw -__- I understand the straw thing isn't related to the drink, but it did ruin my experience and excitement. Please get more durable compost straws if possible :') I heard that this place gets packed on the weekends, but around 9-10 it wasn't too bad. Overall, please give Third Culture Bakery some love! I can't wait to come back when I'm in town. Please open one up on the Peninsula!!!! read more

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Stopped by while waiting for my pup to be done at the vet... parking was easy. Not busy at all. Cute shop inside. Service was great - friendly. In and out in less than 5 minutes! Loved all of the Mochi donuts and Mochi muffin I got! Matcha Mochi muffin, strawberry Mochi donut, chocolate Mochi donut, and ube matcha donut. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Stopped by here before work to get some donuts. I got the Ube and red velvet peppermint pretzel donuts. They both were amazing. The peppermint donut has actual peppermint candy pieces crumbled on top which made them sticky. The peppermint was very subtle not overpowering. Definitely try the peppermint. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Peppermint pretzel and Ube donuts - Bakeries Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

we ordered the mochi muffins and matcha latte through uber eats and let me tell you!!!!! the mochi muffins were so good and unlike anything i had before. they are chewy and so flavorful. my favorite is probably the original or the chocolate one. i also enjoyed the matcha as well and im quite picky with my matcha! i brought some for my friends and family and they loved it. i'm from southern california and ill definitely ask my friends to fly home with these muffins when they come visit me read more

Third Culture Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Amazing mochi donuts and muffins! I first became acquainted with Third Culture at the Yelp Elite Event in November 2021. Although I've never been to the original location in Berkeley, I'm happy there's one 10 minutes away from me in Walnut Creek. I bought some donuts and mochi muffins to my mom's on Saturday 02/26/2022. She loves donuts and has never tried mochi ones. I got the ube and churro muffins along with the dark chocolate, strawberry, and guava cheesecake donuts. I also had the matcha donut, original mochi muffin, and the lychee matcha drink at the YEE. The staff are friendly and helpful with spot on recommendations. I have yet to try a bad muffin, donut, or drink from here. Will be back! read more

Third Culture Bakery - Top (left to right): churro and ube mochi muffins. Bottom (left to right): strawberry, dark chocolate (hidden), and guava mochi donuts - Bakeries Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

The blueberry muffin and Americano coffee presented themselves most favorably. I found myself pleasantly surprised at the sight of the muffin elegantly placed before me on a fine porcelain plate, and the coffee served in a sophisticated coffee cup rather than disposable material. This establishment is a refined, meticulously maintained bakery of modest size. read more

Chewy, flavorful, and interesting! I came here on a whim and was happy I did, the guy helping me (maybe the owner or manager?) was helpful in his recommendations and advice on shelf life. The inside of the shop is very retro and is definitely one of the more unique spots I've visited in the area. His recommendations were the original mochi muffin and the black sesame which he took pride in since he said that was one of the more time consuming ones to make, something about 72 hours worth of work! I got these two in addition to the guava cheesecake mochi butter donut which ended up being my favorite! -Original Mochi Muffin: Pandan and coconut flavored, not sure how long these sat out for but it was a bit stiff on the sides but towards the center of the muffin boy was it good. -Black sesame the consistency was still good but I guess I'm not as much of a fan of it to enjoy it to it's fullest. -Guava cheesecake mochi butter donut: my favorite! It was a little sweeter being glazed but it's chewiness and flavor was top tier for me. Each pastry was a bit pricier being $3-4 each but I think it's well worth trying if you've never had it before! read more

Third Culture Bakery - Black sesame, original, and guava cheesecake - Bakeries Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

The plain mochi muffin is actually my favorite. I tried the other flavors and found they were too sweet for me, but that's the great thing about variety, there's something for everyone. I discovered Third Culture Bakery at the SF Coffee Festival. I knew they were in Berkeley, but when they opened in Walnut Creek, I had to check it out. Note: Parking is strange. If you go around to the lot where Ross is, park there and walk in. Once you make it inside, it's really cool in a hipster sort of way. read more

Unfortunately I wasn't a fan of the taste of the donuts. It all looked pretty, colorful, Very Insta'Gram' worthy... and gluten free, matcha etc... but I'm just not diggin' it?! First of all, it's kinda pricey. I bought 2 boxes of 6, for a total of a dozen donuts and 3 matcha type drinks. My sis in law loved her green matcha with oat milk ... (as you can see I don't drink matcha , it was my first time drinking it). I had the sparkler & well, I guess I'm not a fan of matcha. Is matcha an acquired taste? Anyhow add up my total & the bill was over $52. The donuts were pretty bland for me. I had come here, bcuz I was searching for mochi donuts after returning from Hawaii. (I know I shouldn't compare bcuz it's just not the same. I had ate a poi Mochi donut that was a ring style from Liliha Bakery in Waikiki, that I kept dreaming about it.) so I googled mochi donuts and this location came up. A lot of people gave a 5star review so maybe I'm just the odd one here, and I came here w expectations. For me, it didn't live up to all this hype). I will say that this place is a work of art, it's very pretty and stylish. If you've never been here before, don't do what I did and go crazy buying everything. (I bought almost all flavors) When you go, buy one just to taste. And if you like it, then buy more. The staff are excellent, very professional and patient. The place is clean and adheres to Covid safety. read more

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I am so happy that third culture is now open at a location near me. I came in a couple months ago and they had my ultimate favorite flavor banana dulce deleche. If this is ever in store when you stop by it is a must try. This time around I tried four new flavors lemon, black sesame, Vietnamese coffee, and strawberry creme. Out of all of these I like Vietnamese coffee the most. Strawberry was pretty good as well. However the other two I really was not a fan of. I love getting the matcha latte with oat milk. I usually ask for a tad bit more sweetener in my drink as well. Not much of a difference but such a big taste difference. Love their match so different and tasty than other places. This last time I came in I was the only one in the store and experienced some pretty bad customer service. I don't want this to cloud my judgement because of all the other times I have come and enjoyed my time. However I was being rushed and the tone was pretty rude and short whenever being spoken to. It might have been a rough day but that felt pretty bad and like I shouldn't have come in. read more

Third Culture Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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