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    Cafe 86

    4.1 (484 reviews)
    InexpensiveDesserts, Cafes, Bubble Tea
    Closed 12:30 pm - 9:00 PM

    Cafe 86 Photos

    Business Info

    CAFE 86 ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise

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    Recommended Reviews - Cafe 86

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    Reviews With Photos

    Ube matcha latte
    Venus L.

    This is tough because I've been on an ube kick and I've been wanting to try Cafe 86 for the longest time, but I think it fell flat for me. Located in a plaza, there's plenty of parking and free. The inside of the cafe is a decent size and I appreciate them using a self-order kiosk. Their menu is extensive, but during my 10-15 mins of being inside, most people ordered their upside down halo halo. We opted for a couple pastries and their ube matcha latte to go - the ube bar was a tad too sweet and the ube pop tart was dry. The drink was okay, but nothing worth stopping for in my opinion. The pastries looked good, but the ube bar was too sweet and the pop tart was dry.

    Ube monster
    Shellaine G.

    What a delightful treat! We've been coming here ever since they opened in Union City, and it's been so nice to see their menu continue to expand. On this visit, we tried the halo-halo bread pudding after it was recommended by the cashier--and I was instantly sold when he mentioned it comes with a scoop of ube ice cream. It was the perfect balance of flavors: not too sweet, incredibly rich, and honestly addictive. Let's just say after the first bite, I had zero interest in sharing. My go-to, of course, is still the ube monster--an ube shake topped with Oreo crumbs. I do wish it came with a bit more Oreos, but next time I'll just ask (even if there's an extra charge, totally worth it!). The staff is always friendly, the shop is cute and cozy, and it's the kind of place you keep coming back to. Can't wait for my next visit when the sweet cravings hit again!

    Upside down Halo Halo, Ube Cashew Brownie, Mai Cons Yelp Bar
    Melinda K.

    This is the only place to satisfy your Ube cravings. There was nobody during lunch when I arrived. Only a few people came to purchase takeout after I arrived. Since my Filipino friends mentioned how good their Halo Halo was, I decided to get their mini upside-down Halo Halo, which was the same size as getting a regular boba drink. I had to order without flan and cornflakes to prevent any sugar crash in the afternoon. The Halo Halo was Ube-licious, not too icy nor too melty, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a few jackfruit pieces, and colorful Nata de Coco filling. I even went home with Ube Cashew Brownie and Mais Con Yelo Bar. Both of these pastries were hard from refrigeration, so heat them in the toaster oven before eating. The Mais Con Yelo Bar was way buttery on the crust and had some corn bits inside the filling for a small bar. Ube Cashew Bar was like eating a brownie with crushed cashews. I recommend their Ube Cheesecake and Ube Flan Cupcake. This is the only location that opens late at 12:30 pm, while the rest open earlier. It gets busy after dinner. It's dim to dine inside, so I prefer to eat outside on a sunny day. Their kiosk doesn't let you tap a card during payment, so you have to swipe it the traditional way. No AMEX and cash accepted.

    The Rosie
    Reeven S.

    For all of the ube enjoyers, this cafe is for you! Their menu is filled with ube flavored pastries and drinks. Some of the enticing desserts include ube leche flan cupcakes, ube truffles, ube crinkle cookies, and ube butter bars. I tried their ube truffles and crinkle cookies and they were absolutely delicious. These purple goodness are sweet, tasty, and delightful. They also have milkshakes, lattes, milk teas, and many other drinks. If you're not an ube enjoyer, they do offer other flavors. I ordered The Rosie milk tea and it was pretty decent. It's creamy, sweet and floral. The only con about this place for me is the price. Their desserts can be a bit pricey with the small portion they give. Other than that, everything else is great. Customer service is on point and the atmosphere of the place is clean and spacious.

    HanNa P.

    We ordered two halo halos (A mini and regular) and a truffle. Very good. Two adults and a toddler shared it and it was enough. We ordered on the kiosk. Decent amount of tables but they weren't clean and the inside was hot. Great for dessert It does get busy on weekends. We like Ube flavored things so will be back at one of the locations. Private lot in front

    Upside down halo halo
    Alyx J.

    I used to come here quite often when the location first opened up and there was a line out the door. Now there is barely any line and a self-order kiosk. My family and i really like their upside down halo halos. We havent ventured too much into the other items on their menu but we do occasionally try their ube pastries. I remember their ube crinkle cookie being to die for! I wasnt sure why i stopped coming here, but then i looked at the price and remembered why very fast! Honestly... worth it for a sweet treat every once in awhile!

    jasmine tea and thai tea
    Alfred L.

    Ordered a jasmine tea and thai tea. Both medium sweetness and medium ice level. Both were just okay, there was a slight tea taste but it tasted watered down more than anything.

    Hung L.

    Stopped by Cafe 86 to try their popular Upside Halo-Halo, which I've heard a lot about. Presentation-wise, it definitely looks fun and Instagram worthy with the ube soft serve flipped upside down over the mix-ins. Flavor wise, it was decent but didn't fully live up to the hype. The ube ice cream was creamy and not overly sweet, which I liked, but some of the toppings felt a bit underwhelming and unevenly mixed. A few bites were great, while others tasted mostly like shaved ice without much flavor. As it melted, the texture became a little watery, which took away from the overall experience. Portion size is generous, and it's a solid dessert if you're craving something cold and different, but for the price, I was expecting a bit more balance and punch in flavor. Worth trying once, but not something I'd go out of my way for again.

    Halo Halo & Banana Bread
    Natalie P.

    Such good halo halo/ube desserts! It is hard to find a spot that does Halo Halo, only time is when you make it at home. I am so happy a spot like this has popped up. I am a big ube fan and this spot hits all those places. It did take a while for them to make it but, I did come before closing which is understandable.

    Front counter.
    Jenner B.

    It was my first time here. And I came here because I thought it was anime day! I saw the post on instagram but I got my days mixed up. So I'll have to come back tomorrow. I ordered the Ube Monster milkshake and Ube bar. So good! They took their time to make it too, which I appreciate because you know and can taste the quality! They have call graffiti art, with a facade brick wall, and cool collectibles. I'll be back for anime day!

    Valerie T.

    I've known about Cafe 86 ever since they opened their first few locations in SoCal and was SO EXCITED when they announced they were opening in NorCal, and so close to me in Union City!! If you love ube, you HAVE to go here. Their entire menu is a heaven of ube. I've tried several items here, and I would most recommend the ube truffles and the ube crack cheesecake. I also wouldn't recommend getting drinks here - they're known for their desserts. The ube truffles were super decadent and flavorful - a slight crunch on the outside but soft and moist on the inside. The ube crack cheesecake was a decadent cheesecake with a crumbly buttery graham cracker crust. I've brought these to holiday parties several times and they've been a hit with everyone!

    Ube flan cupcake and kouki monster
    Phil L.

    You know a place is good, when you see almost a full house an hour before closing. I ordered the kouki monster and a ube flan cupcake, and it was delicious! I finished the kouki monster on my drive back home, with a good amount of creaminess and Oreo flavor! Portion was really good, as I can drink a lot. I tried the ube flan cupcake. Forward ube flavor with a tad bit of sweetness complemented by the flan. The flan was soft and creamy. I liked how the service was attentive despite being busy. It's a very social place that people love to gather for dessert!

    Sandra L.

    I was really excited to try this drink, but it didn't live up to my expectations. The matcha flavor was very faint, and it wasn't mixed properly, there were lots of specks floating around. Overall, it mostly tasted like sweet milk, and the ube layer didn't add much. My sister ordered the pandan matcha, and it was also disappointing. It lacked the strong pandan flavor we were craving and again just tasted like milk. It looks beautiful, but unfortunately, the flavors don't match the presentation

    Upside down halo halo MISSING boba

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    Page 1 of 13

    Cafe 86 Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Cafe 86

    Do yall sell just the leche flan?

    idk but they should tho

    How long are the waits now? Is it still a line out the door or has it died down?

    Lines are not as long as the grand opening. From my experience- I arrived 10 mins before they opened. I was the 4th person in line. I went around 2pm and waiting 15 mins in line.

    Do they have a separate line for online order pickup?

    If you place an online order, you just head to the general pickup area and let them know.

    What's the difference between the the Halo-halo and the Upside down Halo-halo shake?

    The difference is that the halo halo has a vanilla ice cream base. The upside down halo halo has a ube ice cream base.

    Honest, is that Filipino called right? UBE, Halo Halo, and some I saw it. If answer is yes?

    Yes, Cafe 86 serves Filipino desserts like halo halo and ube flavored drinks

    What are their non-dairy milk options? Also, do they have any vegan desserts?

    They have soy and almond milk however any of the Ube drinks contain milk in the powder they use. You also can't get any of the milkshakes vegan. There is one vegan pastry but this location doesn't carry it right now.

    Do you have any dairy free options?

    I was able to order my drinks with soy milk :)

    When's the best time to go for less people? How much is one ube flan cupcake?

    I came around 5pm...less people but still a wait

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    Came here on National Free Boba Day 4/30 which was a nice bonus since we got free panda boba as a…read moretopping! I ordered the fragrant oolong milk tea with fresh milk, extra sweet. It was decent - probably around a 3.5/5 for me. The tea flavor was there, but nothing super memorable. My cousin got the jasmine milk tea, and we both agreed it was about the same, mid at best, not anything that really stands out compared to other boba spots. One thing to note is that they only have self-order kiosks, so there's not much interaction with staff. It makes ordering quick and straightforward for those who prefer that. Overall, a good spot if you're in the area and especially fun if you catch a promo like free boba day, but the drinks themselves are just average. The store is cute though!

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    Tapioca Express - Can never go wrong with watermelon juice (:

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    Super fast service (for drinks) and a classic location to get boba in Union City! With an extensive…read moremenu that has more or less been the same for the past 10 years, they never fail to attract high schoolers and alumni who have grown up with the shop. Definitely check this place out if you are new to the area. 5/5 - Black Sugar Milk Tea with Boba - A nostalgic drink I have ordered occasionally over the last 10 years. Still tastes the same with that roasted sugar taste and distinct from a brown sugar milk tea I've ordered from other boba shops. Definitely try this out if you frequent Tap Ex and haven't tasted!

    Tapioca Express opened here in 2000. Seating just a few tables inside and outside. Walls, spaces…read moreadorned with menus, rows of slot machines, a One Piece anime poster featuring Monkey D. Luffy, a poster commemorating 2026 Year of the Horse & a tea tutorial. Ordering is by tablet or at counter. Use of CC has 3% fee. Ordered. Pd. Ready in 5ish minutes. 2 people working counter & drink preparation. Offerings: (Taiwanese American): milk tea, Color icy, tea, tealush, yogurt frost, coffee, fruitnada, Italian soda, pudding, flavored tea, jelly juice, float, sides, food combos, snow bubbles. Sips: Brazilian coffee (5.25) hot, no boba -surprisingly it came with milk & sugar added. -could still taste the boldness of the coffee thru the milk & abundant sugar. Didn't think to not add sugar & milk. -1st time for Brazilian coffee. Unsure if this is authentic. 4ish stars Worthy! Quality: ingredients taste fresh. Quantity: bigger than usual serving. *Tapioca Express & Quickly's were the pioneers of the boba wave in the U.S.

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    Drinks are always consistent. Sweetness on point. Toppings on point. I massively appreciate this…read moreand hence the 4 stars. Can't give 5 stars because the time for preparation isn't correct (most of the time I stand there and it's already done yet they don't tell you/no longer call out numbers or name and then as I'm driving away, it tells me the drink is done and ready for pick up). Additionally, not much sitting area to the point nobody really stays and wants to chat or play games... I think uses canned goods such as the aiyu isn't natural but canned. (I understand natural aiyu is expensive and takes too much time to prepare.) Service: speaks both Mandarin Chinese and English Vibe: I feel like it's more of a pickup scene than a hey let's hang out here and chat. Would I come back? I always grab a drink when I'm going to Ping's Bistro, harharhar

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