We saw the Cafe 86 LA location in a news clip, and it reminded me that there's one closer to us. I've been to the Mira Mesa location before, but this was my first time at this one. My husband and I both love ube, and Cafe 86 is known for its variety of ube desserts. It was fairly quiet when we visited on a Saturday afternoon. Since we had already eaten lunch, we decided to stop by for dessert. The inside was pretty nice -- I especially liked the lighting, which gave the place an industrial vibe. There were couches and tables for seating, making it feel comfortable overall. We were greeted by a younger employee who could've been a bit more energetic and welcoming. The dessert case also looked a little sparse and underwhelming. My husband ordered the Ube Monster shake, and I got the ube cheesecake. The shake was pretty good, though not as creamy as I expected, and I wished the ube flavor was stronger. The ube cheesecake, on the other hand, was fluffy and not overly sweet, which I really liked. It also had a thick cookie crust that was delicious. Still, I would've loved a more pronounced ube flavor in that as well. I'm a huge ube fan, and when I make ube desserts at home, I usually add extra flavoring to really make it stand out. Overall, I'd come back again. Next time, I definitely want to try the flan! read more

Cafe 86 - Ube Monster and Ube cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Had a craving for halo halo and wanted to check this place out since they had different varieties. I was in between the upside down halo-halo but chose the mais con yelo since I really enjoy sweet corn desserts but rarely see them. Overall, it tasted okay, but I wished that you were able to customize it somehow (i.e add jellies, change slush flavor, etc). Maybe I could have asked but what made it challenging was that the menu did not clearly show everything they had to offer or it was hard to decipher which price went with what item. The cooler was pretty good and it was part of their $3 drink specials. Keep in mind though, it was not advertised, I just happened to know because I almost did an online order and saw it. I plan to go back and try some more things but there really needs to be more transparency about the menu and the prices clearly displayed. read more

Cafe 86 - Menu - Desserts Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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So annoying. Came here to get a latte and stood in line for 15 mins. Service was so slow and there were so many people waiting for their drinks. When I finally got the front I handed them a $20 bill and they go, "uhm" opens their drawer and proceeds to say, "oh i actually cant take cash right now." All i had on me was cash so I just walked away. Next time put up a sign saying you aren't accepting cash. Could have at least saved me the time from standing in line. read more

Café 86 is that spot. I'm just glad they exist they've saved me from showing up empty-handed to way too many family parties. Their pastries is Gooey, moist, and dangerously good. Perfectly sweet, the upside down halo halo... it's a beautiful, icy masterpiece. I tell myself I'll try something new, but nah I always come crawling back. Bomb every time. read more

Cafe 86 - Desserts Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Chill staff, comfy tables and chairs to do writing, music that's not too loud, and great coffee and pastries. I tried the ube butter bar which was tasty, light, and just the right portion. My latte was the perfect temperature and the espresso didn't taste burnt, so it was just the right pull. A simple, quaint place that's close to home and very comfortable. It's a top fave already, and I'm looking forward to coming back and hanging out. read more

Cafe 86 - Ube everything. - Desserts Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Got the Upside Down HaloHalo today for my wife. We were supposed to share it, but she drank 90% of it. Drats! Next time, I'm getting my own! read more

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Delish.... Love their Ube Matcha and Ube desserts!!!! Small cute place to chill or do remote work. read more

Cafe 86 to me is Ube heaven. I LOVE Ube and this spot is the perfect place to go to if you are craving some Ube, desserts and drinks. My favorite drink is the Ube Monster Milkshake and if i am craving more dessert i will get an Ube Truffle. My second bake good would be the Ube Butter Bar. They are alway's consistent with their quality and flavors. Simple and cute Ambience as well. Love the art on the wall as you walk towards their bathroom. Parking has never been a problem. Free parking for an hour or so. Hope you check them out!! read more

If you're looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, look no further. Cafe 86 has you covered. With a plethora of Ube dessert options, you're bound to find something that satisfies your taste buds. I opted for; an iced Ube latte (yummy, sweet but not too sweet.) I didn't really taste coffee, but it was still delicious. What I love about their desserts is that they aren't too sweet. My favorite that I ordered was the Ube crack cheesecake. All the other popular items were sold out by the afternoon (2 PM). Get here early if you want to try their popular items. The inside is cute and modern. There's lots of seating available, and free wifi as well. Service was great. The men who served me from the counter were extremely friendly and answered questions I had about their drinks. Will definitely be back with company. :) read more

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Love the upside down Halo-Halo. It has a nice ambiance. Only downside is fall. No public restroom . But I would still recommend read more

Service was great, the Ube Crack Cheesecake was amazing. I highly recommend you try it, the Thai tea I had was also pretty decent. It was very balanced, not super strong or to sweet read more

It's been a while since i've been here, but their ube flan cupcakes are always a hit. Got my dad a pastrami sandwich which he said he enjoyed a lot & it was our first time ordering. For a Sunday afternoon (12-1pm) it wasn't that busy and there was plenty of parking. I will say, i'm a bit disappointed in the ube and turon poptart. Those tasted very bland to me, not a hint of turon or ube flavors in either of them. On the other hand, upon walking in, noticing the 2 male employees up front looking down and playing with their phones was also the reason i'm only giving 3 stars. There were customers inside, i just felt like the customer service was a bit lacking. :/ read more

Came here based on the reviews and I'm glad I did. It's very quit and chill when you step into the cafe. I love that they offer free WiFi for customers, you can enjoy a treat and get some work or school work done. I was greeted right away by a staff member and my order was taken. She did recommend a treat as well since I was unsure of what to get. I got the Matcha Monster shake, it was so good. A mix of Matcha and Oreo cookies. I also ordered an Ube Cookie bar, that was also very good. The only thing that was a downside was my drink did take about 15 minutes to come out, I did think it was weird since I was the only person to order?. But it was overall worth it. read more

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Carly is amazing! And the team here are wonderful! They customize your drinks as you like until it's perfect and will re-make it for you if you don't like it. Amazing service. You guys are awesome :) read more

Update: Cafe 86 contacted me after my review to refund money and also stated being unaware of someone needing a refund & asked me for proof of receipt. Thank you Cafe 86 ! read more

Bought an upside down Halo Halo this afternoon for my daughter and she loves it. Service was fast, friendly and efficient. Ambiance was relaxing and love the store decor. Worth a visit while in Chula Vista. read more

Cafe 86 - Menu - Desserts Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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This review is purely for their "Ube Latte." I've been on the hunt for a good Ube Latte/Coffee. Since I knew I loved their baked goods (I'm looking at you truffles) -- I figured the drinks must be good too! I ordered an iced Ube Latte. Upon receiving the drink it was this weird purple-shade. Not a rich or light purple.. but purple gray. There was no distinction between Ube and latte.. just.. purple gray. I took a sip and it was -- for lack of better adjectives -- gross. I took a 2nd and 3rd sip thinking it was just an initial meh-taste. No. So I stood there looking at the menu hoping another drink might look good so I could ask for a replacement. No. I tossed that thing in the trash by the door. I'm sad, irritated and thirsty now. But at least I still have the truffles. read more

I was excited to try this place since it's local, but found it strange they don't open until 12:30! The location is great , with lots of street parking ! The shop itself has great aesthetic ! Loved the artwork and the vibe inside of the shop. I ordered a vanilla iced latte with oat-milk but they said they only had soy or almond milk which was disappointing . As a coffee lover I was underwhelmed with this latte , it was too milky with no actual espresso flavor. My husband chose the chamoy-mango slushy and he really enjoyed ! I thought the price was a little high due to the actual quality of the drinks, especially my coffee. I don't know if I would return again unless a drink came well recommended ! read more

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Good coffee. Yet they offer more than coffee/lattes, teas, pastries, milk shakes, milk teas, slushes, and blended coffee. Very Clean, family friendly and inviting atmosphere. Modest prices. Indoor and outdoor dining available. We ordered a cookie butter latte and a vanilla latte. Both were good. Only one size available. read more

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Neat little shop with focus on Ube sweets and teas. They do use a lot of powders and flavorings, so it tends to be really sweet. Not very flexible on the menu since everything is pre-made. For instance, they sell hot latte. I had an infant and needed hot water or hot milk. They wouldn't sell it to me. So I ordered a latte with no espresso. ??? Idk. Must be the kids working aren't trained or something. Also, they cancelled their most popular dessert- the chocolate crunch cup!!!! so I don't really have a reason to go back unless I'm in the area and really bored. read more

Drinks are bad, place is so dirty, even the employees are rude! Crazy what's happening here!

My and my daughter liked, it was very comfy, the guy behind helped pick the dinasour and ube cupcakes and the drink was quite nice, will come again! read more

Quiet Cafe to meet with ppl or study! Variety of Drinks: teas, milkshakes, espresso bar, milk teas, slushies, blended lattes, ...3 sandwiches. What this place is known for is the pastries! UBE EVERYTHING! Halo Halo as well! Obsessed over the ube truffle and Ube Butter Bar! read more

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Food, service and ambiance are great!!! I love their desserts as well! Will come back again!

A cute spot that has tons of ube desserts and drinks! My partner and I were craving a sweet treat and were in the area. My boyfriend got the Milo milk tea with boba, and I got the ube oreo milkshake with boba. We also ordered the ube truffle and it was sweet and indulgent. The service was fast, my drinks and dessert were ready within 10 mins! read more

I've come here various times for treats and their boba drinks. I love their halo halo, it's not rlly traditional but so delicious. Their ube cheesecake, ube bread pudding and other ube desserts are sooo good. read more

I visited this place with my son and asked the cashier if they had boba, she said yes. We placed the order and when we received the drink we left. While we are driving home, my son says there is no boba in the shake. He was extremely disappointed and asked that we don't return. Its a bummer because the place feels cozy. read more

Cafe 86 - The receipt shows that we payed for boba. unfortunately we didn't get it. - Desserts Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Great local option! Came here for a refreshing drink and left completely satisfied. We will be back to try some more items from the Menu.

I'm not a chocolate fan whatsoever, but Cafe 86 has converted me to an Ube Truffle loving fiend! I've never tasted anything like it and wasn't sure when I opened the packaging. They're the size of a large meatball rolled in chocolate cookie crumbles. The inside is moist, delicate, not overly sweet and nicely balanced with the flavor of the ube and richness of the chocolate. I received a 4-pack thinking my husband would have 3 of them, but I was fighting him off when he asked to eat half of them. I relinquished half, but not willingly. I can't wait to return to try their Halo Halo and their Ube Flan cupcakes. read more

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I ordered an Ube latte, it pretty much just tastes like Ube ice cream in liquid form. Still enjoyable, no complaints. There's no music playing at all so it's pretty quiet inside when there's not too many people around. The service seemed a bit slow, as there was only 1 person taking orders and 1 other person making the drinks. When i ordered, a huge flood of people came in during lunch time, so the two baristas took more time for any drinks to come out. Other than that, they are very nice! I heard a picky customer complaining about how her drink was being made, so the barista was very accommodating and super nice to her and remade her drink without any additional costs. It's a cute small local cafe, plus the baristas seem young and are trying their best! read more

Overall 4.7/5 delicious pastries, on the pricier side though. Food: ube leche flan cupcake 5/5 so good. So moist. Perfecr une flavor and the leche flan isnt too sweet. A great size can get like 2 big bites or 4 regular bites. Filling. I crave them every once in a while! Ube truffles: 4.5/5 dense, moist, not sure if theyre still a thing i had them years ago hahah. Drink: upside down halo halo 4.4/5 ube slush with the jellies, boba on the bottom, leche flan, corn flakes and vanilla ice cream on top. It's a nice different version of halo halo but i wish it had more ice in it. It being 9$ was a bit much for me also. Hibiscus calamansci tea: 4.5/5 very good. You can taste the calamansci fer sure! But on the pricier side. Need to try more of their pastries they look bomb! I will be back for those and to try other drinks. read more

Cafe 86 - Upside down halo halo 9$ 8/2023 - Desserts Near Me - Chula Vista, California

My fave ube place! I always get the ube butter, ube truffles, ube tres leches, ube crinkles. ube milk tea! The other day, I tried the upside down halo halo and it was so good! Glad we have one in our area! read more

Cafe 86 - Desserts Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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I used to come here frequently 2 years ago, but stopped coming because i moved away from chula vista. Service was great before. I decided to visit and get some treats for loved ones and it took ONE HOUR to get 2 halo halos out + the treats (which they said were stocked) to be served to me. All while this was happening, several customers that came in after me (not sure if they ordered online) got their orders. AND they got HALO HALOS! A total of 4 halo halos were handed out while i was waiting for my two. I spoke to one of the guys and I guess the person who clocked out that took my order lost my receipt?? One of the girls apologized profusely and the man who i asked got to working on my order. I asked them for a full refund, but again, taking an hour and not noticing that youve had someone waiting for an HOUR is ridiculous. read more

Came here for a quick stop since I happened to be in the area. Got my ube fix: ube crack cheesecake, ube truffle, ube bar, and ube/flan cupcake. All very delicious, my fave is the ube bar! Good texture mix of crunchiness and smoothness. Not too busy on a Friday afternoon. Greeted immediately, ordered and food was packed to go in seconds. Didn't realize how much you can do with ube! So much I have yet to try. Parking is a bit scarce in front. There is a lot behind the shopping center where you can find more spaces. read more

Cafe 86 - Ube dreams - Desserts Near Me - Chula Vista, California

I recently stopped by on a Saturday afternoon and thought they ran of desserts because their front display case was empty, but it turns out, it was broken, so the desserts were in the back. Good to know! While I was there, I tried their Upside-down Halo-Halo and their Hibiscus Calimansi Tea. I gotta say, I enjoyed the their Upside-down Halo-Halo! One thing I liked about it was that wasn't overly sweet and not to mention I also liked how they added the corn flakes in it. It had a good mix of ingredients that make up a traditional halo-halo like gulaman, jackfruit, and small coconut strips. As for the Hibiscus Calimansi Tea, the flavor was subtle and not overly sweet. I am not a fan of overly sweet treats, so this tea was perfect for me. The wait time for the drinks to come out was short, the cafe was clean, and the service was friendly. Overall, good vibes! read more

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Ordered a few drinks in the evening with some friends to do a quick catch up hangout. The staff was helpful when I asked a few questions I had about some of the drinks and gave me recommendations. Ended up ordering a hot ube latte which I really enjoyed especially with the night being a bit chilly. read more

I go here all the time for their upside down halo halo and ube cupcakes. The flan that they include in their cupcakes and halo halo is SO dense and creamy; it's to die for! I'll probably try more things in the future but you really can't go wrong with these two items. There's also some seating inside and they always got good songs playing. I highly recommend cafe 86! Tip in case there's no parking in the front: there is a bigger parking lot in the back :) read more

The parking was relatively easy but it was also raining and no one was really out and about. Free parking is always a plus for me, and this one was free for two hours before they'd call you out for loitering. The inside felt very cozy and homely and the white noise from their machines meshed well with the hum of conversation. We ordered our drinks ahead and just had to wait a minute or two before they were all ready to be packed up and sent on their merry way. Visually? All of our drinks were GLOWING. I need their skincare routine cus DAMN were they beautiful. The halo-halo had crushed up Frosted Flakes? Like who even conceived of such an idea and why is it so damn good?? The drinks were overall sweet but not too sweet. They hit the right amount of taste and the price wasn't too terrible z read more

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Today I always love buying treats for my family! So I called first because there hours have changed 12:30-7pm Monday thru Friday & Saturday & Sundays There open on the weekend too 2 ube flan 1 ube truffle I order 3 drinks 2 chai lattes hot 1 Thai tea Monster It had been a cold & raining so I stop in it was so cool inside but not busy. Music was playing the vibe was there but Cafe 86 was lonely. My hot chai is good not overly sweet which was great! Thai tea was good too it had chocolate cookies crumb on top fancy drink my daughter likes it We all share the Ube truffle that is a big truffle it's soft and delicious The Ube Flan was the best I could of ate more. It's like a small cupcake Parking is street parking read more

Finally came here after being recommended by a friend, they have a bunch of ube desserts so we tried (almost) all of them. The tres leches was disliked the most of everything we tried. Our favorites - ube cheesecake crack, ube butter bar and my sister liked the tiramisu (she's the only one that tried it, we were sugar coma'd). They have some really yummy drinks, bf got the monster matcha and I got the combo with the hibiscus calamansi tea with aloe (super yummy and not too sweet). This is a bit far to visit, but I may try to make it to their other locations. Also, if you come here often take advantage of a 20% discount by buying a $100 gift card for $80! read more

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