Updated review: recently tried their seasonal drinks: and 5 stars to Cranberry Matcha and Salted…read moreHoney Rosemary latte. Cranberry Matcha is such an interesting and unique flavor. There's good balance of matcha and cranberry taste. Tried it iced, tasted perfect. Salted Honey Rosemary Latte: very interesting and delicious. Came back for seconds on both drinks. Also love their cafe, it's nice and spacious. Great service. Definitely give it a shot.

Plenty of parking available. Interior design and ambiance are nice and clean. It's quiet on weekday…read moreafternoon, perfect place to relax, study, or hang out. They offer seasonal and special drinks on the menu, many great options to choose from. Barista is friendly. Tried Raw coconut latte - only available in cold, it was delicious. Personally I think $7 and up for a coffee is a bit overpriced in Merced. Plus, they charge an additional $1.10 for substituting oat/soy/almond/coconut milk. If I'm in the area again, I would return and try other drinks.

A friend heard about the live jazz sessions they hold here so we drove up from Fresno to check it…read moreout this past Saturday. The area & shop were very low key. There was a spacious parking lot next door as well as street parking. We loved the ambiance inside the shop & the strawberry matcha we both ordered was delicious! The staff were very friendly & the jazz session was a great time. People of all ages were present & either vibing to the music, working on their laptops, or chit chatting. 10/10 experience all around, we will definitely be coming back!

Tried a seasonal drink. It was unique and worth an occasional splurge. Pricier than other places…read moreI've been, but I'm hoping that's due to purchasing fair trade beans and using overall high quality products. I wasn't there long enough to know what sort of beans the used. The vibe of the location was nice. A place that somebody could easily relax and work for a couple of hours.

Great place, awesome coffee and fabulous employees! We visit every time we come to Merced!read more

Back again for a visit and had to stop in. Love the laid back vibes of this place. They have some…read morereally creative drink options. Unfortunately, this time around I had to keep it basic with an almond milk latte. I do love that they have multiple sugar free syrup options. I just did vanilla but they have about five other SF flavors to choose from. If you are in merced, this is a great independent shop to try.

Obsessed!! they have the best coffee in Merced with so many fun options. Kinsey is the best and is…read moreso nice. On weekends sometimes the cart is outside of the cycle studio and is totally worth a try!

I was around the area in Merced after visiting some family -- and we searched up boba places near…read moreour area. We came across Em-Tea on Apple Maps with 4.0 stars, and we decided on this location. It genuinely did not disappoint, the inside ambiance was super cozy and I loved the vibes it gave! Me and my sisters ordered the Thai tea, a drink mixed with mango and passion fruit, original milk tea, and mango tango. Our personal favorites were definitely the mango tango and thai tea, the flavors really hit! The service they delivered was quick and patient since we were still deciding, but overall everything was great! We aren't from Merced, so it's definitely a place we will come back to again the next time we visit our family or pass by Merced.

Came here while I was grabbing lunch at a place nearby and figured it'd be nice to get some milk…read moretea as well. There is ample space inside of the facility with plenty of seating, alongside a claw machine and a shelf with board games. The menu was a little overwhelming (the default drink is that they let you pick multiple flavors and I didn't want to risk messing up my own order), so I went with one of their specialty drinks, the Caramel Camel. I set the sugar level to light, yet it reached a level of sweetness that was so intense that I had to get it redone. Even with an ever lighter level of sweetness, it still tasted excessively sweet. Overall, an interesting experience. If this is the best that Merced has to offer, I feel kind of bad for everyone in Merced for not having access to better drinks. Not sure if I'd get the chance to return as I don't normally go to Merced, but on the off-chance I end up in this area again I'd hope that maybe one of their other drinks was better.

After a not great experience with their açaí bowls- I decided to try a smoothie instead. Seriously…read morethe worst smoothie I've ever had. It was the peaceful strawberry smoothie. It was flavorless and grainy. It felt like drinking almond milk, ice, and sand. I've just learned that this place is not for me.

Such a beautiful addition to downtown Merced! Kind Neighbor has a community focused vibe and they…read moresell local organic produce. They are the only place that sells fresh juice and natural smoothies and bowls.

They messed up my order, added cream cheese when I had specifically asked for no cream cheese…read more I brought it back and they made me a new one, but accidentally charged me for it. They also missed on my son's order, he ordered two bagels and only got one, so he had to go back and order the second one again. The bagels themselves were good, and the place has a nice independent vibe. I wanted to like it, and would go back, just wish they would listen better.

Yummy bagels! I…read morestopped by Bagel Tyme with some friends on a weekend morning. If I could describe this place in one word it would be "BUSY." The line to order was wrapped around inside the shop and out the door. I would say the bagels are 100% worth the wait though. They offer a wide variety of fresh bagels, cream cheeses, and toppings. They even have a sandwich menu! I ordered the Beesting Bagel Sandwich which comes on your choice of bagel with egg, bacon, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and a hot honey drizzle. It was absolutely delicious! The bagels were super soft with a nice crust on the outside. The cream cheese was perfectly thick and creamy. The hot honey drizzle really tied everything together well! Because it was so busy, it did take a while to receive our food. The line to order, although long, did go by pretty quickly. There were some tables inside but it was too crowded to find a spot. Luckily we were able to find a table outside while we waited for our orders. Whenever an order was ready, the workers walked around both inside and outside shouting the name of the order which made it convenient for us to not have to fight the crowd to the counter. The only issue I felt there was was the cleanliness. When you are standing inside, you can quite literally see years of caked on dirt on some of the not frequently touched surfaces. The lamps probably had an inch of dust built up. Although this isn't the most important detail, it still makes me question the cleanliness of the whole establishment. Despite this, I won't be held back from revisiting if I am in the area again!

We had the papaya salad and the kha poon soup (spelling?). They were both good but the soup stood…read moreway out. It was delicious. The place is located in a Mexican store and is take out only. The service was excellent and the owners very interesting and communicative. Definitely will be going back for the soup and to explore the rest of the menu!

When my sister went to school in Merced, we always made sure to stop by Papaya Lady whenever we're…read morein town. Since she has graduated, I won't be in town anytime soon, but I highly recommend them for some good Thai and Laotian bites if you're ever in Merced! They have a selection of delicious dishes and I have loved everything that I've tried. My go-to orders are the Papaya Salad and Khao Poon. The papaya salad is a must and the spice level was the perfect amount. The Khao Poon is a coconut curry based noodle soup that is so flavorful. I've also come to really enjoy the Nam Khao (Laotian crispy rice salad), each bite is crunchy and absolutely delish. Your Asian comfort food cravings will definitely be satisfied here. Wishing The Papaya Lady continued success!

Just needed a bite to eat while passing through on our way out of town. This popped up on the map…read more Never heard of it.. such a cute place outside and inside. Nice selections of bakery items! We were greeted promptly and seated. Their menu is a great selection of sandwiches, salads, burgers. My husband had the Salmon salad 2.0, I had a grilled vegie sandwich on focaccia bread. Got the food fast. We were shocked at the size of the salad! It was plated beautifully! My sandwich was delicious. Only tiny complaint.. I wish there were more vegies on it. The fries were crazy good and crispy! Crinkle cut.! There are other options for your sides. I got a piece of pumpkin roll to go. Had to take a bite as we were leaving.. it was divine!!! I can't wait to stop again. The ladies were so attentive and fast. Please stop by if you're in Merced.

Perfect family friendly breakfast spot…read more We got the chilaquiles and chicken fried steak. Both were really good! The chilaquiles actually had a hint of spice which we really liked and the gravy on the chicken fried steak was so good. We also got their pumpkin bread on the side which was made in-house. Everything was just great. Really enjoyed having breakfast there. Friendly service and a great mom and pop shop. We'll definitely be back!

A wonder gem in the e Central Valley, there are many things to treasure the service impeccable,…read morefeta and spinach pastry, pellegrino and a cup of joe. Native Sun is not only my favorite Richard Wright novel but my favorite cafe in Mercr

Omg...do not come to this place if you need something quick. ONE person working on the Sunday…read moremorning of UC Merced commencement weekend. So imagine this...she had to take the order and then make each drink (unless a plain black coffee then it takes longer). You'd think they would staff up for this weekend. I ordered 2 large peppermint mochas and she gave me 2 regulars. Honestly felt a little bad asking for her to correct the mistake because she was clearly overwhelmed but I paid for large right? But then she gives me the corrected drinks and says the only difference is that in the large, they add more milk. NOTE: THAT MEANS NO DIFFERENCE IN COFFEE CONTENT between the regular and large?!