Just an excellent place to be! A friend had heard rave reviews about their authentic Argentinian empanadas and we were so happy to come and try it out on a Saturday afternoon. Parking was busy (the lot is shared with Trader Joe's) but we managed to find a spot and head into the busy but not packed cafe. There is a large assortment of empanadas, from meat options like chorizo and chicken, to vegetarian like corn and onion, to sweet options too like apples. The menu also boasts lots of great drinks including mate tea! Lucky us, the empanadas we ordered weren't in stock so we had to wait ~10 for freshly baked ones. They came out buttery and piping hot, even with little hand-stamped letters on them so you know what you're eating, and it was so delicious. Most are about $5.50 each. Add oregano chimichurri for a bit extra if you want or pair with a tea, but these empanadas really hit the snacky spot. Lots of wooden tables with fresh flowers make Pampas a great space to chat with friends or to sit and do some work. The most standout feature was the friendly and efficient staff who seem to build connections with everybody who walks in the door. Worth a drive to Castro Valley! Especially if you bring cash for a 10% discount off a dozen :) read more

Pampas Cafe - C for chicken empanada! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

First time here I've been obsessed with empanadas since May when I was in Puerto Rico ...... I ordered an empanada of chorizo and of chicken with a side of chimchurri and a Cortado to go The cashier seemed a little bit overwhelmed I noticed she told the customer before me to hold before he placed his order and told me the same thing Inside has communal seating no outside seating available Menu is easy to read and prices are reasonable Parking lot is shared with Trader Joe's so needless to say parking can be hard to come by This venue does offer wine and beer (aside from coffee) Empanadas were OK Guess it gives me a reason to go back to Puerto Rico AYYYY Cortado was an 8/10 Gave me that extra perk Inside is clean and organized Lots of seating available Menu is easy to ready read more

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Food was good, hot fresh and a good size for an empanada! Cashier was friendly, and very welcoming, only draw back we were not sure which empanada was which, tried both they were both delicious, but never knew...next time will ask for them to be in different baggies. *not pictured the classic alfajores are delicious, not overly sweet nor dry! They had the FIFA 2026 Game on, which made for a great watch break!! read more

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The service was friendly. Parking was relatively easy. The matcha blackberry latte was good but did not even taste at all like blackberry--nor did it have any evidence of blackberry having been added. I was really disappointed about that. Also while we were there, an employee was stamping boxes at a table right next to us. It was loud smacking noises that made it hard to converse with each other. I wish the employee would do that in the back or behind the counter. Waffled between three and four stars because there wasn't anything wrong with Pampas and I like to support local. But ultimately the loud smacking noises for the whole time and the fact that I didn't get what was advertised pushed me towards three. read more

Pampas Cafe - Blackberry matcha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I love Pampas cafe, I almost always come here after running errands at TJd next door. Parking isn't easy but isn't impossible in the parking lot. I love the decor inside--it's cozy, warm, and a little artsy. Kinda like stepping into your very stylish granny's home. They have framed pieces on the wall which look like they could be for sale. One time there was a pianist here! But when he's not they play fun music like SWV. Now for the food, there empanadas pretty much run for 5bucks a piece. I feel like they're a little on the smaller side but theyre so good. They have a lot of options and a lot of them are vegetarians. My fave is it chorizo! The dough is nice and crispy. It's a little on the salty side but I like that lol--it would honestly go great with a beer which they serve btw!! I usually get the iced teas which are refreshing. Today they had a seasonal blackberry sweet tea that was really yummy. I really liked how they have a community board up with several flyers. It's a great way to engage/support the neighborhood. They also had a little bookshelf for free books and a few games to play to enjoy while you're at Pampas. I really encourage you to support this small business! They're always really sweet and I see them working really hard making all the empanadas. read more

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What a surprise find today when my mom and I needed to go to Trader Joe's and saw an empanada business next door that caught our eye! We tried Pampas Cafe's chicken, beef, and breakfast ham and cheese empanadas and my mom raved about their crust and how filled their empanadas are! I hadn't eaten breakfast yet, so the breakfast empanada was perfect to satisfy my morning hunger. The ambiance and decor gave such a cozy and welcoming feel. What a social media photo taking and posting worthy environment! This is worth our drive from out of town to return and try more of their empanadas next time! read more

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Coffee was top notch!!! You can tell they use high quality beans. The empanadas were great too! Get the beef empanada read more

Pampas Cafe - Lattes, one chicken and one Beef Empanadas - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Nestled right next to Trader Joe's is where you can find pampas cafe. There are signs right outside the door, so it's not hard to miss. As soon as my hubby and I walked in, we were greeted with smiles. There were patrons enjoying their food and huge signs on the top indicating the menu and mobile order pickups. I only came for the empanadas because I stopped somewhere else for iced coffee. I did see they had a cardamom latte on the menu and I'm kinda bummed I didn't try it. Guess that means I have to come back. What we tried 1. Breakfast empanada - 10/10 yummy scrambled egg, bacon and cheese all wrapped up in a lovely, and crispy empanada dough. 2. Chorizo empanada - 9/10 this was more of an Italian sausage rather than a spicy chorizo or longaniza type sausage. Still really good though! 3. Ham and cheese empanada - 10/10 chunks of ham (tasted smoked but unsure) smothered in what I assume is Monterey Jack cheese. This was my fave. The menu included veggie options too, but we opted for meaty filling options. The price is closer to $5 but well worth it because we both got full off 2. Will def come back soon! read more

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I love that their chai latte can be unsweetened! Most chai are made with box mixes and are too sweet. Love this local family- owned business read more

Found this place by chance because It is located right next to a Trader Joe's which I was shopping for groceries. I was greeted by the cashier as I walked inside. Since it was my first time, I asked a couple of questions about the menu and the cashier didn't seem to mind answering my questions and was friendly about it. They have plenty of seating space and the decor is modern. They have a variety of empanadas. I tried their breakfast and chorizo empanadas and they were both delicious. Just sad that they are pretty small for what they cost. If I can request to make them bigger, that would be so worth the price! I would buy again if ever I am around the area. read more

Pampas Cafe - Menus - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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This cafe is sort of hidden next to Traders Joe. Nice vibe inside like walking into a family's home with homemade empanadas. Reasonable price for empanadas and coffee. They also offer a few draft beers and cookies. The empanadas dough is on the thicker and crispier side. The stuffing is yummy. Personally I prefer the traditional thin buttery flaky dough for my empanadas. read more

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All the reviews are correct, parking does suck. Especially on a weekend before Christmas. Was able to find a spot next door, so drive down past TJs near the Papas/church parking lot. Ordering was easy and they had a big selection for empanadas. Humita empanada: good corn flavor, had lots of filling Fugazetta empanada: my favor of the two, very good caramelized onion flavor and cheesiness Cardamom latte: good amount of sweetness and not overly spiced, solid cardamom flavor. Recommend! read more

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Cute cafe! Big parking lot that's shared with the Trader Joe's. Upon entering, you can order empanadas and coffee at the counter. There is plenty of seating. One of the cozy areas is by the couches. Empanadas were delicious. Great mix of flavors! read more

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They have a lot of amazing items, but the mushroom empanada is not one of them. The texture was so hard to get down and it was slimy. However the humita is our favorite and generally pretty solid. Every other option has been decent. read more

pricing is fair, very clean, love the ambiance, nice & polite staff. had a regular coffee & their seasonal blackberry matcha. did not taste the blackberry but it won't stop me coming back especially since they're known for their empanadas read more

Pampas Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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this cute little cafe is nestled right beside Trader Joe's in CV. they serve different kind of empanadas and they have a lot of vegetarian options as well. we tried different kinds and all if them were warm and tasty. the alfajores is a must try though. you can't just buy one cause you'll keep on wanting more. the staff were friendly with a chill vibe. read more

First time in and the cafe was super nice. The sweet potato and the kale empanadas were super good. Service was fast and kind. And I was surprised that the coffee was also very good after seeing most reviews just rave about the empanadas. But this cafe truly does good food and coffee. read more

A fun cafe that is next to a Trader Joe's. Pampas has a good variety of empanadas and coffee drinks. The service is fast and friendly even at peak hours. read more

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4/20/25 - Happy Easter everyone. Quality/Quantity - In order of my favorite to least favorite: CH - Chorizo, my favorite of the empanadas. Amazing flavor. BF - Beef, tastes like hamburger. SP - Sweet potato, my daughter really liked this! Her favorite. CK - Chicken, my wife's favorite. My daughter and I thought this was dry. M - Mushroom. E - Spinach or eggplant?!?! What does the E stand for? This was not on the menu, see pictures. Is E for eggplant? Anyways, my least favorite. Dessert - Alfajores, dark chocolate covered caramel dessert. Atmosphere - Very small location, most people buy to-go. Well at least during lunch time. Decent size parking lot, but probably due to Easter Sunday, it was crazy busy! We were in and out in less than 5 minutes. We divided and conquered. Professional shoppers. Open 7 days a week from 7:30am to 2:30pm. Service - No greeting to the people in front of us, nor us... Not friendly, but not rude. I guess just did her job. Waited for us to order, took our order, took our $$, and gave us our food to-go. Price - $43, we felt expensive for what we got. And we got a "3 item" discount for buying 6 empanadas, but were overcharged for our 3 Alfajores... But the overall discounts were greater than the over charge. Still unnecessary and confusing. My wife's favorite empanada place is still in South Lake Tahoe, Empanash. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2016. read more

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First time being here ambiance look all relaxing vibe there is a piano you can ask to play. Staff was friendly answered all my questions. I ordered a cappuccino and it was soo good. I asked to sweeten it up and they did a perfect job!! Was not too sweet. I also ordered a breakfast empanada and chorizo for me. Breakfast was flaky. And warm and delicious. Then next one turn out to be. I believe sweet potatoes was suppose to be my friend one bit accidentally was in my box. So I tried it. I was thinking will be sweet but it was not sweet. It got me by surprised it's was nice a flaky I love it. I would eat it again. I will be coming back to try more empanadas read more

Pampas Cafe - Breakfast and chorizo empanadas - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I've been coming here since they were located in the tiny shop down the street. There is a reason I keep coming back. Hands down my fav place to grab empanadas in the Bay Area. I love their sweet potato, chicken, and ham & cheese - heated to go is perf! It's about $6 for one empanada, but perfect for girl lunch paired with a drink. Their coffee/ espresso is pretty good. I wish they did have a bit more non-caffeinated options. It's in the same shopping center as Trader Joe's - so parking is not fun. There is seating inside that is good for working/ studying. read more

Got the seasonal honey cortado and it was far too sweet and syrupy. Asked them to add more oat milk to it to basically make it into a latte and it was much better. It's located next to a Trader Joe's and they share a parking lot so it can be very chaotic to find a parking spot (especially if you come right before Christmas). The drink was $5.75 (it was an addition $0.50) for oat milk. read more

Pampas Cafe - Empanadas - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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A family friend introduced us to the Empanadas at Pampas Cafe. A lot of customers in line ahead of me ordered drinks and empanadas which might explain the 4 plus ratings. I ordered a variety of Empanadas only to go. Unfortunately I didn't eat the empanadas hot out of the oven. I ate some of them later and reheated them in an Air Fryer. I ordered a variety of 6 Empanadas: Breakfast, Ham and Cheese, Mushroom, Chicken, Spinach and Apple. The Breakfast empanada had a good amount of filling/eggs and the crust other than the edges was not thick. The Ham and Cheese had more cheese than meat which overpowered the ham. My wife thought the spinach and mushroom were good. I thought the chicken one didn't have a lot of flavor but was good. My favorite was the apple empanada, good filling and the crust to filling ratio was good. I was impressed that all of the empanadas are embossed with letters so you know what is inside each one. The crust on all of them aren't real soft which makes it a great place to order a liquid refreshment to enjoy with the empanada. I'm a fruit pie guy versus an empanadas guy which explains why I loved the apple one. If you are an empanadas aficionado, give Pampas a try. read more

Pampas Cafe - Empanada menu March 2025 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 Pampas Cafe is located next to a very busy Trader Joe's. You probably want to be in and out of the lot as soon as possible, but I highly recommend slowing down to grab a bite/drink at Pampas Cafe before you do. I got the chorizo and beef empanadas. Both were delicious though I did savor the beef one a bit longer. The chimichurri isn't a must. The empanadas were already tasty on its own but I would scoop a generous amount in between bites because it was hella good that way too. The traditional alfajor was ok. There's a pianist that plays on Friday mornings. It's a real serotonin boost! read more

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A great local coffee shop. It's right next to trader's Joe, so it was perfect stop after grocery shopping. My vanilla latte was perfectly sweet and creamy, it was delicious. The servers were all super nice. I tried the chorizo empanada and it was great, salty and cheesy. I really enjoyed my visit and will be back to try more items. read more

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My new favorite coffee spot in Castro Valley. Great coffee and reat empanadas, with sweet, savory and breakfast. Very comfortable vibe inside. Quick and polite service. Next to Trader Joe's Lots of parking in the lot next to Trader Joe's lot, on the east side read more

Pampas Cafe - Cortado - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Order: 1 Mushroom Empanada 1 Chicken Empanada 1 Small Iced Oat Milk Latte The empanadas were absolutely amazing--incredibly fresh, flavorful, and served piping hot, which I really appreciated. Just outstanding taste all around. I'll definitely be going back to try other flavors. Service was fast, efficient, and friendly. I visited on 5/26 (a holiday) around 8:30 AM. There was no line, and I found parking easily--likely helped by the rain and early hour. They're conveniently located right next to Trader Joe's. The café's ambiance is wonderful--lots of art and greenery that give it a warm, inviting vibe. Plenty of indoor seating, and the overall atmosphere made it a great spot to relax. Overall: 10/10. Highly recommend checking this place out! read more

Pampas Cafe - 1 Mushroom Empanada and 1 Chicken Empanada - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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I stumbled across this place years ago when after my nephews little league game! It used to be on a corner street but I've since forgot where. I really only come for the empanadas and we live an hour out. The mushroom one is probably my favorite. The chicken and beef probably close second. I do remember the cold brew coffee was good but haven't had it in years. The new location is next to Trader Joe's and if you've ever been to a trader Joe's you know the parking lot gets crazy when the hipsters haven't had a wheatgrass shot. Jk, kinda. Inside is nice! A whole lot more room than the older location and just feels clean! The lady that helped me out was nice even tho I was indecisive about the 12 I wanted. I'm always a fan and will always take a trip when I can. read more

Pampas Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

The coffee is very good, the empanadas not so much, but if they sold more variety of sweet bread, I would give 5 stars. read more

Pampas Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Well lit and clean, with a great selection of empanadas. Good coffee that matches will with the food selection. Reasonable amount of seating for a coffee bar. Service is efficient and friendly. Didn't try the beers but there are a couple to select from on the menu. I'll have to come back to try some more as the empanadas are pretty filling. Chicken was a bit dry as was the breakfast empanada. Beef as well as the mushroom were good. All came out piping hot and will ample filling. Parking is difficult due to the Trader Joe's next door and many spots reserved for the church in the back. Need a return trip to try more flavors. read more

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Stopped by after TJ shopping for an Americano and alfajores. Perfect midafternoon snack. Alfajores weee fresh and delicious. Coffee hit the spot. read more

Pampas Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

latte drink is always made with latte art. beautifully crafted and taste great. will come back just for drink. will not recommend food. read more

Pampas Cafe - latte with heart - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Service was good chimichuri had very distinctive flavors they have that capacity to serve hot fresh empanadas & a variety of teas and coffee in their menu w. .50 off of you bring your own cup read more

Pampas Cafe - Chicken potato - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Dozen empanadas to share: beef, chicken, fugazetta, potato. Something for everyone. Missed getting the Alfajores this time! A nice treat before / after a hike. The dough has changed to be more thick over time. A lighter dough and more filling would likely be the right balance with less salt.. Call ahead order made easy for pick up today! read more

Pampas Cafe - Beef Empanadas - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Came here usually after my morning Trader Joe's run :) their empanandas are very solid, my fav is their spinach and beef empanadas. A little bit sad though that the empanadas do not come with chimichurri sauce without paying extra 50 cents :( Coffee is good, goes well with the empanadas :) read more

Pampas Cafe - Beef Empanadas (with Chimichurri sauce - extra 50 cents) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Pampas is a cafe that Castro Valley really needs in terms of quality and friendliness. The coffee here is good - they use beans from Grand Coffee, which is a pretty good roaster based in SF. The baristas know what they're doing - the shots are pulled cleanly, no bitterness, no sour notes, tasting notes noticable. They make their syrups in house, which is something I am always very happy to learn, and is indicative of a coffee shop that cares. The prices are also extremely fair, and I'd even say cheap for how well their coffee is made. I tried an Americano and their seasonal blackberry matcha, and both were very good. Not sure their matcha brand, but the quality is good. The space is well thought out, with lots of seating, including a couch area. It's a great space to work or just hang out for a bit and have your drink and food. Theres a piano to play and artwork for sale which also add to the vibe. Water cups and for here cups are also available here, adding onto the cozy and inviting atmosphere. The staff is great, and the person at the register asked follow up questions, including things like would i like room in my americano and if whole milk was ok for my matcha, which are questions good coffee shops should ask if you don't specify. I mostly judge cafes based on their drinks and vibe, but it would be wrong to not at least mention their empanadas, since its a big part of their draw and branding - they're very good. Had a few and was very happy with the taste. They also have alfajores as well. This is the kind of cafe the east bay needs, one that cares for the quality of coffee and syrups. Good coffee, good space, great staff. Will be stopping by more regularly. read more

I picked this cafe to meet up with a friend recently, and I'm glad I did! There are soo many options, but we went with the chorizo one, which I would get again. Right size, right amount of meat, nicely toasted. I finished it soon after taking a seat! I liked my coffee (so needed, especially after going without caffeine by the time 11:30 am rolled around. I saw more people inside once we left around 1 pm. Some folks were grabbing a bite, others enjoying a drink while on their laptops. (I personally see it more as a place to hangout rather than study.) If I'm in the area, and have the patience to find a parking spot since it's next to Trader Joe's, you can count on me coming back! read more

Very cute and tucked away place. This is right next to Trader Joe's and shares the parking lot. The empanadas are yummy. Mine didn't come out hot. It was still good. The drinks and coffee and great! I'll be back! read more

Pampas Cafe - Sweet Potato Empanadas - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

We were in the area and decided to stop by here. We literally went 10 minutes before they closed. They had like 4 empanadas left. I loved they sell frozen empanadas that you can later cook at home. We took 4 and it was a great dinner. read more

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Really nice cozy cafe with yummy vegan empanada options! My daughter and I specifically liked the kale one.