This is a cute little corner shop that you could easily miss if not paying attention. The parking lot is super small so I can see why it would be pretty crowded most days. The staff is super friendly and the empanadas were so delicious. They have a good amount of filling! We tried the breakfast chorizo and the chicken. My favorite was the chicken! We also got a hot chocolate and maybe I ordered it wrong but it was super bitter and not sweet at all. I'm not sure if I was supposed to add my own sugar but I grabbed it and left sooooo I was stuck with some bitter water. Again, could be my fault but I expected a sweet hot chocolate. I'd come back and try the other menu items tho! It's definitely worth a try! read more

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Pampas Cafe. pampascafe.com 22222 Redwood Rd Castro Valley, CA 94546 (510) 359-9339 February 03, 2024 I can finally check off Pampas Cafe off my Yelp List. YES! Probably too late on the deliciousness of Pampas Cafe but I made it. The location is next to Trader Joe's. Remain calm and be patient as you maneuver yourself at the parking lot -specially on weekends. They have both savory and sweet offerings, I opted out of the sweet ones and bought each of their savory ones. Be sure to ask for the chimichurri sauce. I also opted out of this since I prefer the Asian hot pepper flakes chili oil. What did I get, all the savory flavors. Yes! I did that and went there. The cafe itself is very nice, clean, atmosphere friendly, staff is also very friendly. I love how aesthetically pleasing the designed and layout of the cafe and the wooden tables- love it. How can you go wrong with a cafe that pairs up their empanadas with beers, coffee-hot and cold brew, cold and hot teas. I love the local artists artwork that is featured and for sale. Support local business and local artists. Perfect place in Castro Valley to meet-up with friends. I love the couch and piano elevated area of the cafe. read more

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My go-to spot for a quick snack before a hike, for a roadtrip/picnic, on my way to work, pretty much any time before I start my day off. Simple menu with coffees and pastries, but don't be fooled... every single one of those items packs a serious punch! Hard for me to say which is my favorite empanada filling, just because I love them all!! But my top three would have to be sweet potato (not too sweet), breakfast (cuz I love my eggs), and spinach (surprised myself too) there's an absurd creaminess to it that I can't get enough. The staff here are always super friendly and nice. If you get lucky, you might arrive when a fresh batch has come out of the oven... then you're in for a real treat! read more

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

What a gem in Castro valley! The empanadas are phenomenal. Don't skip out on the beef and chicken if you eat meat. But I'm a fan of the Humita as the corn adds a nice touch of sweetness to the veggie empanada. The staff are always friendly and the space is large and great for kids as there's tables to sit at and space for them to wander around. Don't forget to grab a coffee as well! read more

Stopped by a few weeks ago for coffee and empanadas, and IMO it is totally worth a stop. The coffee was good and the empanadas are super good, so much so that I ended up buying more to go. They are a bit on the pricy side but given ingredient cost, size of empanada, and taste I'd say its fair. The shop give a cafe vibe and has some good tables and chairs to sit at so it's a great place to hang and chat for a bit - maybe not to study though as there is a lot of foot traffic. read more

Amazing empanadas I have been coming here since living in the area and the empanadas and mate are always delicious Don't forget the chimichurri sauce read more

Stopped here after shopping at Trader Joe's- I've seen them on instagram so I was excited to try them- I'm visiting from so cal so finding good spots while in the Bay Area is crucial to me. I walk in place is clean- walk up to the counter and order a few different empanadas- their specialty- The gentleman puts them all in one box so I ask how would I know which is which- he showed me they are all stamped on the corner with 2 letters. When I got to my family's house it was hard to find the right ones we had to touch them all- (they definitely need another way to mark them) taste was ok! The beef one was the best tasting one but still lacked something- The others especially the sweet potato was nasty- I don't know what it had in there and the chorizo . I was very disappointed I was hoping I found a good spot for empanadas. read more

Very cute and cozy cafe with yummy empanadas! Around $4 each! Good price. We tried the chorizo, breakfast, and mushroom. I love chorizo the most but I think it can be a little more spicy. Breakfast is decent but could be better with egg has more egg flavor inside. Mushroom is very good as well. We also got the mocha! They have plenty of tables and a coach if you want to sit somewhere very comfortable. Parking may be a challenge as they share with trader joe. Will definitely return. read more

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

These empanadas make a great little snack! If I had came little earlier, I would have made it a brunch since they sell coffee and other cafe drinks. I got the mushroom, chicken and humita which is Fresh corn, butternut squash, red bell pepper, onion, basil, ají, and mozzarella. I think they pre make them that day and then heat it up when you order which comes piping hot! The crust is pretty good - not too doughy. Each of the filling I really enjoyed. Overall a solid empanada and not too much bread so you can actually taste the filling. read more

Came here today for the first time, it was so good! It's a very cute cafe. I got an iced vanilla latte with oatmilk and it was great. I also tried the Chicken empanada and it was so good! it was very flavorful. read more

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

Best empanadas in the area. Have been coming here for the past couple of years and they never disappoint. Service is always great, the cafe feels very homey, and they always have paintings on display/ for sale from local artists. They even have a little library of books. read more

Cute place, friendly staff and good coffee. Empanadas are good and worth buying hut chorizo def was not chorizo , tasted like breakfast sausage. Place was also very warm read more

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

I've seen this place so many times during my Trader Joe's runs. Finally had to check them out. Decided to get the beef, chicken, and ham/cheese empanadas. My bf's favorite was beef, I liked the chicken and ham/cheese. Service was quick, space was nice and clean (and pretty quiet). read more

Latte was good, matcha not good. Tasted of algae and olive oil. But we like the empanadas a lot! We buy 2-6 about every 2-I am attaching the cooking instructions, if you take and bake yourself. Easy to drop into the location, after shopping at TJ's. read more

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

Great place for some empanadas! Pampas Cafe is a small spot next to Trader Joe's. As such, parking can be somewhat limited, especially on the weekends when people tend to go grocery shopping. Inside, however, was large and spacious. What I tried: - Breakfast: Bacon, cheddar, eggs and cream. It was great! The eggs and cheese goes really well with the light and flakey pastry of the empanada. - Chorizo: Chorizo, chimichurri and provolone. This one wasn't my personal favorite, but this was my mom's favorite one. The chimichurri was really nice though! - Chicken: Chicken, triguisar spices, sofrito. The spices hit and make the chicken really nice and tasty! - Beef: Ground beef, onions, olive, raisins, hardboiled egg. This one surprised me with all the ingredients in there, but it turned out to be my favorite. The staff here were great. It was my first time and they recommended all of the ones that I tried along with some of their popular veggie ones. I appreciated the lady who explained each one. Overall, this is a great place! read more

Local quaint coffee shop that sells empanadas too! My friends and I got oat milk latte and they hit the spot. A little expensive (4.50 per empanada). My favorite empanada was chicken, which was moist and flavorful. I liked the stuffing to crust ratio in all of them. Empanada flavors ordered: ~Chorizo ~Spinach : filling is like Mediterranean cuisine spanakopita dish ~Mushroom ~Sweet potato ~Chicken Will be back here to try all the various empanada flavors. read more

I pass by this place whenever I do my weekly grocery shopping at Trader Joe's next door so I decided to stop by to try it out. It's a small place with some counter seating and some table seating. It gives off the homey, cozy feel. It's a great place for a quick bite before work or after work. I wasn't in the mood for coffee so I ordered their apple empanada. The food came out quickly and it was just the right temperature. The Apple empanada tasted ok but keep in mind for the amount of food, it is a bit pricey. I wouldn't get out of my way to eat here if you just got out of church and is hungry, this would be a good spot to get something small to hold your stomach over. read more

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

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Cute lil spot off of Castro Valley Blvd with its own parking lot! 3 small tables outside, 1 bench, and 1 long standing table against the wall. Chorizo had a hint of spice. Best one Breakfast was ok... least favorite Apple pie tasted like McDonald's apple pie. Chicken had good consistency and wasn't dry Spinach was good and creamy Overall, they were crispy and flaky, not too oily. Also, love how they stamp the corners of each empanada with letters to identify which flavor. A bit pricey but maybe not due to inflation. Either way, great for a quick bite and coffee (we didn't get to try this time). read more

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This is a truly love review! I have ordered empanadas from here for many years. At their small old location, I had to order online, as they didn't open until 8am. Eating those piping hot meat pies was my dream. I got rid of my old car because I dripped empanada juice on my seat belt. The onion smell never went away! Lol. I went to the new location last week - at 7:45am and ordered my same meat pies. They were sitting under a warmer. Yes, convenient, but not as juicy? as my pies in the past. The staff was very friendly, yet I was not very impressed with the food. read more

Went to try it for the first time and I ordered the beef, sweet potato, chicken and mushroom. I wish it had some butter on the shell though it was a little too dry but I guess the filling balanced it well.I really enjoyed the mushroom empanada. I'd rate it a good 3.5/5. The chai latte only comes in hot. I'm not really into chai latte but I wish the flavor was stronger it's a bit light with the milk. Service was friendly and nice. The ambiance is super quiet! Perfect if you are trying to do school work and study. read more

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Pampas has moved to a new location next to Trader Joe's. I love this new location, the ambiance is very welcoming and I love that they transferred over some of their previous decor. Parking is a bit difficult once Trader Joe's opens but overall still manageable. They offer a wide variety of delicious empanadas both savory and sweet. I love that they have the option to order online even before the store is open. They accept most payment options but prefer cash. TIP: if you are ordering 12+ empaña online, make sure to select the option to pay at the counter otherwise you will not get your 10% discount. I was not aware of this but they still gave me a free empanada voucher for next time. Staff is so helpful! Love this place, I highly recommend. read more

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This place never disappoints! Food/drinks-All of their empanadas are to die for. The ones I highly recommend are the breakfast empanadas, beef empanadas, sweet potato empanada , and fugazetta . They also have a variety of coffees to choose from. My go to is the chai latte and cappuccino Seating-they do not have indoor seating but they do put our tables and chairs during warmer days Would i come back? YES! read more

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Location/Experience: 10/10 This was my first time visiting the new location next to Trader Joes. The store feels very large and open, with 7 tables and a "living room" area. It is a little annoying to find parking though because they share parking with the Trader Joes. They have free wifi, but you have to ask them for the password. The service was good, the cashier was very friendly and wrote down the wifi password on a sticky note for me. It wasn't too busy on a weekday afternoon and there were plenty of seats. There are also a lot of outlets and a bathroom, so it was a nice place to work. Taste: 8/10 They said that the breakfast, beef, chicken, and spinach empanadas were most popular, so I got the chicken empanada. The chicken empanada was good, the chicken wasn't dry and I enjoyed the sweetness of it. The crust wasn't too thick or burnt. I also ordered a chai latte, which I probably wouldn't get again. It was just chai tea bags with milk, so it was pretty watered down. Luckily, it was only 3.65. The cashier asked if I wanted a medium or a large, but they let me know it's the same price for either size. The chai latte also only comes hot. Value: 10/10 The drink prices are very reasonable here, though I didn't especially enjoy my chai latte. The empanadas are around $5, but I enjoyed it so I would definitely get some again. I would return to try other empanada flavors and to do work here again. read more

Pampas Cafe - Large Chai Latte & Chicken Empanada - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Solid cute little empanada coffee shop. Came by for a quick stop picked up a bunch of them and also a mate latte. Everything was decent and satisfying. Our barista did an excellent job describing the different drinks and empanadas so I'm thankful for her! Food: 6/10 Vibes: 7/10 Service: 7/10 Value: 7/10 read more

Pampas Cafe - the outside! pretty q - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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With all the great reviews, we were so excited to try the empanadas here. Unfortunately for us, it was after 2pm by the time we arrived so all the flavors we were hoping to try were long sold out. We settled on potato, humita and chicken. The chicken was really good; it tasted just like when I slow cook chicken with salsa. My husband really liked the corn flavor of the humita and the potato tasted somewhat like a less spicy samosa to me. Three empanadas was plenty of food for a small lunch shared between the two of us. They are located just to the side of Trader Joe's in the corner so the parking lot was full, but the prices are definitely right. We will try and get there much earlier next time so we can hopefully try the mushroom empanadas I have heard so much about and hopefully a sweet flavor as well. read more

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

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Pampas has become our after hiking spot on Saturdays. Love the honey latte (they use real honey) and my husband says the mocha is a "real mocha". It has a slightly spicy Mexican chocolate taste. The empanadas are tasty, and not greasy! I prefer the chicken, beef or breakfast. Goes perfect with the coffee. Pleasant atmosphere, tables, and even a couch to lounge. There's even art on display for sale. read more

Pampas Cafe - Honey latte and breakfast empanada - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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I was excited to try out a local coffee shop, especially because it had good reviews. Unfortunately I was left a bit unimpressed. You can park at Trader Joe's or they also have reserved parking im the back. They are dog friendly so I loved that about them. I got a latte which looked great, but the taste was just ok. I also ordered a chorizo and breakfast empanada. The breakfast empanada comes with eggs, cheese, and bacon and that was good. My chorizo empanada was really bland for being chorizo. The place is cute and pretty big inside as they have couches and tables to sit at. The staff were also really nice. read more

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

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I was really excited when this cafe opened next to TJ's-I always thought a coffee shop next to the grocery store would make a lot of sense and the addition of empanadas is great too! Finally got to try Pampas out this morning and overall it was a good experience but they have some areas for improvement. The empanadas are delicious and I wish we could have tried more but when we got to the front of the line, the only ones ready were 2 beef and a chicken so I ordered those (the others were going to take 15 min to heat up and we had already been in line waiting for that long). The coffee was a miss-definitely need to do some re-working of the espresso drinks because my latte was a lot of milk and very little espresso..I also don't know if the milk was steamed and then iced (as I assumed it would be) or if they just added espresso to cold milk (which is what is tasted like). They were super busy but it was a bummer not to have a good coffee after waiting in line for a while. Service was kind (cashier apologized for the long wait) and the prices are reasonable. Saturday mornings will likely be busy here so I hope they are able to withstand the morning rush a bit better in the future. Great addition to the shopping center though and my kid really enjoyed his chicken empanada! read more

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First time at this new location in Trader Joes! Ambiance/Service 5/5 - Off the bat, the ambiance is super cute. It is open, airy and a great place to sit and work. They even had a little social living room. The older location was smaller so it was a surprise to see this new area. I will be coming back to work for a few hours next time. Our cashier was nice and accommodating! Food - 4/5 - We got the breakfast empanada and the mushroom empanada. My partner got the breakfast empanada and she felt the dough was a bit thick. The filling was just okay for her. The mushroom empanada was flavorful and complimented well with the dough crust. I really enjoyed the soft inner filling. Drinks - 3/5 - We got the matcha latte with oat milk. The matcha did not feel up to quality as I am typically used to. The drink overall lacked flavor. Overall, I will be coming back here next to try some different empanadas! read more

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We have been trying and trying to come here on their open days before 2PM, but have never managed to... until today. The stars aligned and we were able to stop by and pick up a dozen+ assorted empanadas and an iced latte. Their espresso is amazing, I'll never understand why anyone would visit one of the chains when you have a local espresso bar. The empanadas were everything I've been dreaming about. I bought an assortment: Beef, Chorizo, Ham and Cheese, Spinach, Potato (vegan), Mushroom, and Apple - I don't know if I can choose a favorite yet! I will definitely be back, and try remembering to order ahead :) read more

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Empanadas are great! Small but filling! I usually order breakfast Empanada with small hot Mocha! Not as expensive as I had thought!

What a random, but awesome find! This place is so conveniently located next to Trader Joe's. If you ever want a quick breakfast before or after your grocery shopping, you just might want to stop by Pampas! It's a cute spacious shop! My partner and I wanted to stop by for a quick and light brunch, and this fit the bill. I think we arrived just around 11 AM and this place was popping. All the tables and the seating area was filled. There was a bit of line for ordering. But thankfully, it's quick service and turnaround for tables. For myself, I went for the Kale Vegan (EK) and Chicken (CK) because I don't eat cheese. I also got a Chai Latte with almond milk. My partner got the Humita (HU), Mushroom (MU), Beef (BE) and a Golden Horse. Thankfully, a table opened up for us after we finished ordering, so I'm glad we got to enjoy our little breakfast in the space! Names are called when orders are ready, and one of the employees kindly explained to us that each of the empanadas are stamped with a letter or two to clearly indicate which empanada is which flavor. I love this little detail! It's great for those with dietary restrictions. As a side note, I don't think I've ever tried empanadas, but I've been looking for a spot and these empanadas have been an awesome introduction to it! At first glance, these empanadas look like they're filled! Chubby pockets of goodness is how I'd describe them, haha. The chicken empanada first - this was flavorful and juicy! The ingredients inside are seasoned well! This was an immediate hit for both my partner and I. As for the Kale Vegan, this was interesting. The flavor wasn't what I expected it to be, but it was still pretty good! The flavor of it kind of reminds me of asian preserved veggies I have occasionally. I've also got to try a bite of the mushroom and beef empanadas. Those were really delicious as well, but between all of them, I'd have to say chicken and mushroom would be my top favorites so far! Other things to note is that these empanadas are baked (I'd usually opt for baked over fried if given a choice, so I appreciate this aspect a lot). The crust to filling ratio is perfect and it's just a tad flakey, kind of like your apple pie crust. On the other hand, my chai tea was meh. It's just a tea bag served with hot almond milk. I like a good spicy kick to my chai, so I won't be ordering this next time. However, my partner's Golden Horse was pretty good! Really refreshing! Maybe I'll give their other tea selection a try next time. read more

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Pampas Cafe sits in the same plaza as Trader Joe's. There are many tables for customers to chill or to do work. Super friendly staff. They offer amazing coffee and delicious empanadas!! They have many different kinds of empanadas but my favorite would have to be the beef one! read more

Pampas has amazing coffee and empanadas! They used to have wonderful alfajores a very long time ago but now they're glazed and taste more sweet. Their location changed is wonderful because the place is bigger and has more sitting space. However last time I went a while back they were still figuring out how to take orders efficiently. I'm hopeful that they'll improve given how great their food is! Also customer service has always been good even when they were in the location near the gas station. Hopefully as they are expanding they can keep up with the quality of the coffee and food. read more

Great coffee cookies and empanada. I tried several of the empanadas and they are full of flavor a few of times I went and it was closed earlier than stated on the website and signs outside so that is a bit of the bummer. The alfajores they have are delicious and they are quick when you order anything. It's hard to find parking on a busy day but worth it to get the food. read more

Small but delicious empanadas that's packed with fillings. I love that the crust is seasoned with herbs and spices, and the filling is flavorful and delicious. I've tried the humita and mushroom empanadas so far and my favorite out of the two is the mushroom one; it's packed with mushrooms and has a very creamy flavor that pairs well with the thin pie crust. I will definitely want to come back and try the other ones. The coffee here is very good as well. It pairs very well with the empanadas! The staff is very friendly and service is fast. There's a side table outside with 3 stools. Its not a place to work with a laptop but it's a good breakfast place for a grab and go. Plenty of parking spaces too. read more

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Finally I got to try this cafe, the location is so close to Trader Joe's which I can have my coffee after grocery shopping XD, friendly staff, yummy foods and I really like the iced latte :) read more

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Just like their coffee menu it's straight to the point, however it whisks you away to a cafe on the corner of an Argentina alley where you can picture fans outside raising their country's flag proudly cheering in celebration of their big win. "Argentina for the Win read more

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

Charming cafe and very good empanadas! The beef empanadas are great! Would definitely come back again....and again!

Yummy empanadas with veggie and vegan options. Small shop look like they sometimes have performances there's a small piano in the corner. read more

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