This was definitely a fun stop on our road trip! The first floor is the shop, where you can sample a few cheeses or get something like cheese pie at the cafe. But definitely go upstairs, especially if you have kids, to look at the exhibits on dairy farms. We honestly would have missed the stairs if we didn't ask somebody how to get to the exhibits. It's not obvious! There's also a little movie about cheese making that you can ask the staff members to start for you. We also paid $4 each to do the ice cream making at 11:00 a.m. My only real complaint about the whole thing is that the kids weren't able to see what ingredients were in their can before they started the shaking process. The staff led them through all these different shaking exercises, and then they got to open their cans at the end and see some ice cream. But it really didn't mean anything to them because they had no idea what was in there in the beginning! I said something about it to the staff, just asking them why they didn't have the kids look in it at the beginning, and they said it's because they usually do field trips with hundreds of kids..... But our tour was just around 10 people! If I could do it all over, I would have had my kids unscrew the lids to see what was inside. But besides that little pet peeve, I appreciated the staff giving information and a little tour of the exhibits, and the movie is also included at the beginning of the event. read more

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Very cute center! A lot of things to see and do. Ordered a warm sandwich , piglet pretzel sandwich It was good, everything was fast. You can tell it was homemade. It's a cute place to visit read more

Hilmar - Cafes Near Me - Hilmar, California

We passed by Hilmar on our road trip home and boy we had a blast. For those not familiar, Hilmar is one of the major producers of cheese and dairy products! They have food, ice cream, dairy, and gifts for purchase. You know the food is good when employees themselves dine for lunch. We had the opportunity to enjoy lunch here and everything was delicious. The staff was more than happy to give recommendations on what was good. We also couldn't pass up the opportunity to try grilled cheese and mac n cheese among other items. I appreciated that they had some interactive educational opportunities for the kids to see how cheese was made & to see their production line. They even had some interactive opportunities to "feed" milk to a baby cow and see an example of how a cow gets milked. HIGHLIGHTS: -Cheese samples -Daily lunch specials -2-4pm ice cream bogo -Join their mailing list for free cheese curds -Plan to stay a bit to enjoy learning about cheese! read more

What a fun experience. I brought my 3 kids here for a homeschool field trip yesterday. We did the ice cream making & tour experience that was $4 per person. We started out by watching an informative video about how they make cheese at Hilmar Farms. We then went upstairs to the educational area where we learned a lot about the dairy process and cheese making in general. It was very interactive with cool stations along the way and a bunch of photo opportunities for the kids. Natalia was really informative and tried to make things fun for the kids and keep them engaged. After a brief explanation about each of the stations, we could go to upstairs. She brought us all into the classroom area where each of us were given a stainless steel canister and instructions on how to shake this canister to make our own vanilla ice cream. Natalia did a good job of incorporating different shaking techniques and songs to make things fun for the kids. The ice cream was actually pretty good and we've made homemade ice cream before ourselves. After we got done eating our ice cream, we toured the upstairs area a bit more where we were able to take a bunch of pictures and wave to the factory workers that we could view from above where they were making 700lb blocks of cheese. My kids thought it was awesome that the factory workers down below kept waving up to my kids. At the end of our tour we ended up going downstairs and getting a bunch of samples of cheese which were really good. My kids really liked the squeaker cheese. Then we went outside and toured their grounds where they have a huge mural for a photo opportunity and a waterfall and stream area you can walk around. We were here for about an hour and 45 minutes total. We were pretty bummed that we weren't able to do the cheese making experience, which we would love to do (maybe next time.) All in all, it was a fun, informative trip that my kids loved. read more

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Hilmar Cheese Company Visitor Center is a good stop to consider, especially if you like cheese (there are 3 cheeses you can sample in the cafeteria). My husband and I made a stop here this past Thursday afternoon, on our drive back down towards Los Angeles. We came by around 12:45 pm and were able to find parking right in front of the visitor center. We took the self tour and read all the boards, which lead upstairs. Downstairs you can find the cafeteria, where we ended up having lunch. We ordered: Fish & Chips Daily Special, $12.99 prior to tax- My husband decided to order this meal, which came with 2 pieces of fish and a side of fries and tartar sauce. I did not have any of his fish but my husband thought it was just average. The fries were okay, but were not hot. Light & Tasty Meal, $7.49 prior to tax- This meal comes with a salad and a soup of your choice. I ended up choosing cheese chowder. Originally I had ordered a chef salad and decided to also get a soup. The employee taking our order had asked if I would like to have the light and tasty meal since it has both so I decided on ordering that instead. The portion for this meal was the perfect size for me. I liked that the salad was about half of the plate but the salad could have been better with more of the dark green leafys and less of the cheap iceberg lettuce. The cheese chowder was served nice and hot. It is definitely a very nice flavor and because it is a little on the rich side, the portion size was just perfect for me. I also liked the 3 slices of bread that it was served along side with too. Slice of Cheese Pie, $4.30 after tax- We took this this go and didn't eat this until a five hours later (we had a cooler with us so it was kept cold). The cheese pie was creamy, although the slice was pretty small. My husband and I both liked it. --------------------------- (Total= $26.37, after tax) Wait time for our food was probably about 15 minutes after ordering. We ended up sitting outside in the covered patio, although there is also plenty of indoor seating as well. This was a nice visit to have and would recommend this place to anyone. Even if you don't like cheese that much, you can learn about the process to make cheese and try their in house ice cream. read more

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If you want to buy cheese, or even stop for lunch, you don't have to buy the tour. The visitor center acts as a large gift shop, with cheese, wine, cheesecake, sandwiches, Dreyer's ice cream, a good selection of chi-chi jellies, and cow art. The sharp cheddar is the best in the Central Valley. Respect the heat warning when pepper jack is one of the sample cheeses. At the start of my sample piece, I thought "eh, it's not that hot." By the last of it, my mouth was on fire. Do get ice cream to get over that experience: they will let adults buy a child-size serving that's the equivalent of a single scoop at most places. Pleasant rustic ambience, nice staff, great selection of cheese. read more

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I accompanied my daughter on her school field trip yesterday 10/31/2025. During the orientation I noticed one of the employees standing in my daughter's way. My daughter is disabled and in a wheelchair. My daughter's PARA moved her a little to the side and the same employee moved to continue blocking my daughter. I thought that was strange. We then split up into two groups. We ended up in this employees group. The employees name is Debbie so I will refer to her by her name moving forward. Debbie did not include my daughter during her presentation and instead went ahead and placed the sign she was holding in front of my daughter's way so my daughter wasn't able to see. My daughter's PARA and I moved to the other side of the room so my daughter could see. Debbie then decided she would hold the sign the opposite side of my daughter's way to again prevent her from seeing. After the presentation was done Debbie passed out cups of cheese. She skipped my daughter so I got up and asked her for a sample for my daughter which she replied to "I'm going around" as if she hadn't completely ignored my daughter. Debbie walked past my daughter and gave her the dirtiest look. After our ice cream and cheese sample tour was over we headed downstairs to watch a movie. Debbie did not wait for my daughter to get off the elevator and instead started the presentation before my daughter was there with the rest of her classmates. After the movie we went back upstairs. I took my daughter to the big opened windows so she could see the workers and the cheese. At one point another little girl walked up and Debbie made her way over and only acknowledged this little girl and went into full detail about how everything worked. My daughter's nurse and PARA both noticed how my daughter kept being excluded from everything so I know I wasn't over reacting. I was completely disgusted with Debbie's behavior. I believe Hilmar Cheese Factory could do a better job at training their employees to not exclude people with disabilities. Safe to say I will not be going bac read more

A good experience for sure , with the tour and ice cream making . Very affordable $3/person. Came on a Saturday . The ice cream making experience was very informative and fun. Despite the focus seeming to be for kids, it was still very inclusive and nice . The outdoor area of the factory campus was really nice ! They had an outdoor waterfall . They really incorporated form and functionality - using water from milk (which was 87% water I think they said ) in their outdoor water usage . This was to irrigate and for the waterfall too if I recall right. Overall a highly pleasant , informational, and peaceful experience. I didn't know cheese and milk had such a vast effect on what we use in life , and that this plant was very very impactful worldwide on the production of those products . I have a higher respect for cheeses and milk now! read more

Wow! Surprised I didn't write a review for this little cheese factory in the little town of Hilmar,CA since I been here twice! First two times I came on a custom tour bus and this was one of the stops. If you don't live out here, you would not know about this palace. It is near Turlock and Modesto, CA. This is a nice place because before the pandemic 2019, they would offer a self guided tour on the two floors of the visitor center. We also had a guide that came onto our tiny tour bus to drive around to the back where trucks fill up with milk and then drive off into the sunset. It was nice to learn how a cheese factory works from the cow and processing milk to make cheese! Boy do I love cheese! Give me cheese, and I be your buddy for life! Ha! Ha! Ha! Just call me by my nickname, "Mousey". I think this is one of The few working cheese factories that are open to the public. They have a small cafe in the back and the grill cheese is excellent for lunch and their slice of cheese cake is great! Order anything with cheese and it's great! There are other things to window shop like candy, jams and other food items and non-food items to browse. Nice little, peaceful place. Outside the main entrance if you walk to the side there's a mini park with a waterfalll is nice to walk around. Last year someone got me a whole cheesecake! Not bad. The homemade crust is unique and I can't tell what it is, but still okay. It's always nice to support local businesses when I can and if I am in this area. read more

Hilmar - Come here for cheese sandwiches. And buy Cheese to go! Nice small museum upstairs and at end see them making cheese - Cafes Near Me - Hilmar, California

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A friend recommended this place, stopped here during a trip. If you like cheese, cheesecake sandwiches, soup, and a hidden gem type of vibe, then this is it. This place is in a small town that I passed by all the time but never knew of. Inside is clean and very old style vibe with a kitchen, peets coffee, and souvenir store etc. My friend told me their cheesecakes are to die for, I did not get to try it, but I did have a sandwich and their cheese clam chowder, and it was a: 5/5. Def. recommend. I'll be going back during a road trip. For brunch, etc. Con: it can get busy, depending on the time and day. The one time we stopped there was a few families there (I think on tours etc.). We waited about 20-30 minutes for our food. read more

I always look forward to visiting this location for pick-ups. Even tho I have only been driving for almost 10 years; it is rare to find a place that exudes such warmth and hospitality. Linda from the shipping and receiving department exemplifies professionalism and kindness. Additionally, the ENTIRE team responsible for loading and unloading operates with remarkable speed and efficiency, ensuring a smooth experience. Overall, it is truly a pleasure to come here. Thank you, Hilmar Cheese! Note: I reviewed the Hilmar Cheese address on August Ave and noticed that there were three available to review. I wanted to reiterate my feedback here to ensure it is visible to everyone. It's important to highlight that even if you visit the visitor center (which is amazing btw), your truck driver friends who are picking up will also appreciate the other side of the experience! read more

Holy cow! Based on the cheese chowder and brown cow milkshake alone, this place gets 5 stars! I was here for a 2nd grade field trip. It was a lovely experience. read more

Hilmar - Cheese Chowder - Cafes Near Me - Hilmar, California

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Amazing food in the restaurant Crystal clean facility beautifully laid out kids learn and enjoy about cheese and all the different factors of cheese and especially savor and remember the moments like my granddaughter from two years ago making and enjoying ice cream. I don't know how anybody can't rate this a five star compared to any other restaurant or manufacturing plant in the area. The variety of food to purchase is vast employees are all friendly and helpful and my granddaughter and I had another memorable moment in our travel exploration. I highly recommend it just for a stop in your many travels but especially for your children to learn how and where things are made rather than you get it at the grocery store. read more

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Took a friend for a visit. He liked the free cheese samples, but wished for more varieties of cheese to sample from. The moo-vie at the back was interesting and educational. You can learn how cheese is made, from beginning to end. Then we went to see the upstairs exhibits. Those are more geared towards kids, as there are buttons to push, and clothes and hats for dress-up. From the back windows you can see down to the factory floor. I just wish I could have seen more. read more

The food was good! My sandwich combo came with a drink, cheese chowder, and a single cheese squeaker. I wasn't sure if I would like the cheese chowder, but I really enjoyed the flavor. Service was pleasant and quick. A nice local place to check out. read more

Hilmar - California Classic (half) - Cafes Near Me - Hilmar, California

Staff supervisor extremely rude, rolled her eyes when asked why she took a bridesmaids personal property and hid it. Supervisors name is Erika. When asked to be more respectful she threatened to call security. She has poor customer service skills read more

I think HCC is a nice place BUT I do feel they may not be "in-touch" with Customer Appreciation. Our daughter visited from Manteca and was adamant about getting some Cheese from Hilmar Cheese Company. She spent at least $100. We spent $25. I ask the person helping us if there was some sort discount and she said No. I am thinking isn't there a cheese company on Hwy 120? There was about 4 other customers present so clearly HCC could use some more customers and a 10% or 20% discount would possibly encourage the buyer to spent more and definitely will share the message multiple time. Give a little Hilmar Cheese Company, seriously there is an expiration date on and opportunities. read more

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Poor customer service. Salad was old and soggy. Poor quality food this time. Was so disappointed as we have drove out of town to check them out. Girls were just talking way as they missed up the orders. read more

We came here for a group tour. The tour guide was nice and friendly and all of the kids and adults loved the ice cream making. They have lots of cheese samples and a cute gift shop. The gift shop is very expensive. The cheese is priced well. I love the variety. The food here is made to order and really good. There was also some delicious caramel chocolate chip cookies. Overall this place was really pretty and we will be back. read more

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Pretty disappointed with my sandwich. Menu says thick cut of bacon and I received thin ham. I asked cashier about the issue and she told me "that's what you get." I hope they at least correct the menu because I would have ordered something else.. read more

Hilmar - Not thick cut bacon... thin ham instead. - Cafes Near Me - Hilmar, California

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Delicous!! If you go I hope the tour of factory is open. It was closed due to covid when I went. But honestly GO THERE and eat!! I had their cheese soup and OMG delicous!! I also went back and had the grilled cheese sandwich. It was to die for!! I actually dream about it. LOL I know if we drive by the exit on our travels WE WILL BE BACK. They also have cheese for sale!! I purchased the curds they were tasty but the impressive one was the PESTO! read more

First time here and cashier was rude and very unprofessional and unhelpful. Definitely not what I was expecting in service. Food is good but may not go back because of the service. Update. Manager messaged me to confirm the associate in the picture is the associate that was rude and told me they would follow up with her. I may try it again later but definitely not getting the pb&j and bacon again. Wasn't all that. read more

Hilmar - Rude cashier. Poor customer skills. Company should do a better job at choosing friendly associates. - Cafes Near Me - Hilmar, California

A great casual cafe atmosphere with indoor and patio options. On site freshly made sandwiches, salads, and desserts (the potato salad was delicious!). The staff were super friendly and helpful. A short 20 minute drive from Turlock, a nice place to meet up with friends . They also have a great gift shop with unique items. Their optional tours are interactive, educational, and hands on. I recommend purchasing freshly made cheese to take home or as a gift, you'll be glad you did! read more

Unpleasant and unhelpful stuff. Prices for cheese are extremely high. Would never go back

I've been eating at Hilmar Cheese for a few decades now and they are somewhat of an underrated establishment. Why anyone would waste money at Subway when Hilmar Cheese is 2 minutes down the road baffles me. I think we take it for granted sometimes. They serve delicious sandwiches, soups, fresh fruit, ice cream, Peet's Coffee, all the best lunchtime food. I've never had a bad meal there. Nice, competent staff. Bright, warm environment with seating inside, outside on the patio or even over by the waterfall. Highly recommend the cheese chowder, that's been a staple there as long as I've eaten there. And grab a tub of squeakers on your way out! read more

Must stop if you're in the area. Great variety of cheeses, crackers, food counter, ice cream counter, and bakery area. Eat outside and enjoy the grounds. Friendly staff and good prices. Thank you Hilmar cheese company for providing a wonderful place to stop on our trips. read more

I came here for a work reason, but I was impressed with the setup. The visitor center was extremely nice. The self-guided tour was ok, but could have been better. I can't say anything about the "real tours" because I did not do one, but I assume they might be good considering the size of the place. My biggest issue with the place was the lack of selection of cheese to take home. I admit this might be my issue. The cheese selection was bland - cheddar, mozzarella, Jack, etc. I wanted something I can't get everywhere, but It did not exist here. As such, it was not more exciting than s local market with a good cheese counter. read more

Hilmar - Cafes Near Me - Hilmar, California

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We took a day trip from Clovis, CA just to get out of the house. had seen that a Youtuber that we watch had been to this place and raved about the sandwiches. We enjoyed lunch so much that we did a little thrift store shopping in nearby towns, then took a detour to go back for takeout sandwiches to go home with us. We ended up getting a cup of ice cream for dinner and sandwiches to go. We saved the sandwiches for the next day's lunch, but overdosed on sugar with the huge servings of ice cream. Thank you Hilmar Cheese Company for a great lunch and ice cream experience. Patrick Walker read more

Hilmar Cheese is not willing to support the community. However, they are willing you to spend your money there. The last time I was there, you could only buy the larger bricks of cheese and not the smaller ones. read more

Pros: Self-guided tour of the basics of the cheese making process. Cons: No opportunity to see the cows. Limited view of the factory. read more

My family went here while visiting my grandparents in Ripon, and we fell in love with this cafe. Normally I am not a sandwich eater, and whenever someone offers one I just think of Subway and how I would prefer something else. But here, they exceeded my expectations. Since this place is a cheese factory, the bottom floor has many different layouts of dairy products and other little odds and ends. It has a cute, rustic appeal. The top floor is for banquets in one section, and kids on the other. They have a window where you can watch them make cheese and look at the interactive wall that displays the on-goings of a cheese factory. But the food from their cafe. It is delicious. My family has been here multiple times since we discovered it, and none of us have been disappointed. Their cheese pie (aka cheesecake) is one of the best I've ever had. Just call ahead to make sure they have a whole one if you want to take it home. Ya just can't go wrong with fresh cheese and a great sandwich... read more

Hilmar - Their cream cheese artichoke and jalepeno spread is what makes this creation divine. - Cafes Near Me - Hilmar, California

Squeaky Cheese. They sell it here by the pound and it's delicious and tastes like cheese pizza to me. Its cheese curd. There was a wedding party onsite while we were there at our impromptu stop in here at Hilmar Cheese on my birthday. The scenery is beautiful here and the building is monstrous in size. They offer cheese chunks for tasting and the Pepper Jack and Cheddar were both delicious. Didn't sit down and eat in the restaurant so cannot comment on that. A positive experience. read more

Such a cool place! We came to Hilmar for my daughters 2nd grade field trip. And I have to say it was the best field trip I've ever been on . While I waited for the bus to come I grabbed a latte. It was ready quick and was well made . Kids had a blast ! They loved trying on the clothes and making ice cream. When the kids went back to school I stayed for lunch & shopping ;) . I ordered a sandwich and a side of pasta salad. The sandwiches come with a bag of chips. Food was delicious! They have such a great collection of wine . And so many great foods and cheese you can buy . I picked up a couple bottles of wine , cheese, salami & salsa . And some cute chocolate cows for the kids . I would love to come back for lunch. read more

Really good food from meals to deserts . Service was great . Very welcoming . Lots of things to buy .

First off let me explain that this is a visitor centre with exhibits and not a factory tour, because I was personally confused when I was deciding to visit here, I thought it was a factory tour, so just wanted to clarify that. With that said I think this place is worth visiting if your traveling on the CA-99 North or happen to be in Merced visiting the old courthouse museum or the Castle air museum close by- but don't come here if the sole purpose is visiting this centre. The reason I say that is because this place is literally an oasis in the middle of no where but it isn't huge or anything enough to impress and again no factory tour. It has a stunning dutch styled building for a visitors centre complete with a exhibit of how cheese and milk is produced, a gift store, a complete deli selling sandwiches and food and even a small cafe. Within its facility also lies a garden oasis with waterfall and grass land that was beautifully manicured. It really feels like an oasis. The only downside is, the actual exhibits is not very big nor is it an interactive walkthrough, like you know how a science centre or museum is, its just a large hall with pictures, and also there isn't a walk though tour of the factory, so Im slightly disappointed there. But there is FREE sampling of a variety of cheese and the parking is also FREE here. and of course the exhibits is FREE. The store offers a variety of good for purchase, they mainly of course sell cheese- from their own factory and surrounding producers, but they also sell fine wines, nuts, chocolate. Furthermore they also sell arts and craft, which is cool. The exhibits themselves is very informative, but if your looking for action, this wont impress you, because there is no demonstration of how cheese is made, instead a laid out information on informative graphically designed board - its juts a large room with random exhibits. There is sample of what a cow eats, a miniature model of a cow farm, and finally also a model of a cow being milked by the machine. Finally there is a viewing area where you could have a peek into the cheese factory. I think overall they did do a good job on up keeping and making this place beautiful especially in the knowledge that its free too. They also do offer ice cream making classes at noon, mainly for kids. Overall this place is a really nicely done visitors centre, but if your looking for demonstration, this is not the place for you. I did suggest that management include a tour of the factory, but according to them USDA and FDA doesn't allow production line tours anymore. There is nothing they can do when its the law, but overall it was a very well done exhibit. read more

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If you're travelling up/down 99 between Modesto and Merced there's one place you have to stop - Hilmar Cheese Company. It's a few miles off the highway, and there aren't any highway signs pointing you in the right direction but with some help from Yelp or Google you'll easily find it. Stepping out of your car you may notice the awful stench of cow manure, which is normal in this neck of the woods, but step inside Hilmar's Visitor Center for the perfect break from driving. Need a pick me up? They have Peet's Coffee. Hungry? In addition to cheese samples (the Vintage Sharp Cheddar is especially good), Hilmar has its own café selling soups, sandwiches, and salads at fair prices - lunch was ~ $22 for two adults and a child. The sandwiches on pretzel bread are quite good and the cheese and potato soup is outstanding (naturally). If you want to take home a souvenir they have lots of Hilmar cheese and logo paraphernalia (hats, shirts, cheese slicers, etc.) for sale, as well as non-Hilmar meats, cheeses, and jams. There are also seasonal goods like Christmas decorations. Hilmar offers more than just shopping, however, as the ground floor offers static displays and Moo-vies showing the cheese making process. Head upstairs and you can look down on a working part of the factory and check out a slew of interactive displays about dairy farming and cheese-making, which is fun for both kids and adults. read more

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We stopped here after visiting the Bass Pro Shop in Manteca. In talking with a few friends a couple months back, they had mentioned that Hilmar Cheese Co had some good ice creams. We go there around 5 PM. They were still open. On that day, their freezer for ice creams was broke. However, they kept ice creams in the back. Their ice creams were okay. I think Hanford's Superior Dairy still have better quality. The girls in the store were very friendly and helpful. They hand make their waffle cones fresh in front of you. Try one. Outside, there is a mini park area with a waterfall area. You can enjoy your ice cream there if you don't mind the farm style smell. read more

Hilmar - The backside of water. - Cafes Near Me - Hilmar, California

Love love love this place! First off, the grounds are beautiful. Check out the waterfall! The visitor center is also very nice and the 2nd floor almost alway has a special event going on of some sorts. They have a cute little info spot for kids to learn about how the cheese is made and the cows, etc. Also a little window on the 2nd floor for you to look inside the factory. Be sure to check out the gift shop and get some Hilmar cheese! They have a wonderful selection to choose from and a slice of heaven for all the cheese lovers out there. They have samples of their cheese and most of the time, they will have samples of other cheeses or snacks. Aside from the cheese, they have wines and gifts too. So definitely a good spot to pick up some eats for a picnic or party. And then there's the food. Oh boy! Try everything! You will be impressed. My favorites are the cheese chowder (of course, made with Hilmar cheese) and any of the sandwiches. The #7 is the Colin Kaepernick special, also very tasty on a pretzel bun. To finish your meal, head to the island where they serve a full menu of Peet's coffee or grab some San Francisco brand Double Rainbow ice cream. You will definitely be rolling out of this place with a VERY happy tummy. read more

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I really enjoy their caprese griller. I've had their other sandwich before and their ingredients are really fresh and the bread is always so yummy. I also enjoy their pasta salads, fruit salads, and then go over to the ice cream part of Peets and got an island smoothie. It was so yummy! I wasn't even aware that they had smoothies there or that you could get a shake with their ice cream. I always thought that they just had hot drinks. We also came on a day where they were having a 50% off on select cheese. So we stocked up. My daughter's favorite part of Hilmar Cheese is the waterfall outside. She likes to throw coins and make wishes. So we always have to spend some time in there. We will definitely will be back. read more

Chocolate chip is my absolute favorite!!! Such a clean and welcoming place. I'd go here as a kid all the time