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    Penny University

    4.3 (73 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Penny University Photos

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    Recommended Reviews - Penny University

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    Lox on toast and regular drip coffee

    I love working out of Penny University, it's become my go-to spot almost every day. The atmosphere is exactly what I need: calm, welcoming, and perfect for getting work done without distractions. No one bothers you, but it still feels friendly and inviting. The food is also a highlight. I'm obsessed with their biscuit and jam (so good), and today I tried the lox toast for the first time definitely a new favorite. If you're looking for a place to focus, relax, and enjoy great food, this is it.

    Scot M.

    This was my first time depending university. It's a cute little coffee spot to grab a quick bite to eat as well. They have tables inside where you can sit down and what looks like some delicious pastries as well as breakfast foods. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, and delivered our drinks and food to our table. I would definitely go back.

    Fig and cardamom latte
    Celina T.

    Was pretty disappointed by the service: slow and of all the people that dined in, the server didn't bring me my coffee. The table to my right (woman) and table to my left (man) ordered before and after me, respectively, so I don't quite understand why the server brought them their coffee while I had to be called up to pick up mine (it's not like they're understaffed and the cafe wasn't packed). The interior was so cute and cozy, but sucha shame, the service was horrible. It also took 20 minutes for them to make coffee? It takes me like 5-8 minutes to brew coffee with a moka pot and 1 minute to foam up my oat milk in the morning. Why did it take 20 minutes for them to use a fancy coffee machine? No idea...but they can do better.

    Paul G.

    A coffee house that actually delivers on both fronts: excellent coffee and surprisingly good food. Service can run a little slow, but the end result is worth it--you walk away with something you truly enjoy. This is a coffee house I'd like to see grow and open a second location.

    Menu.
    Camille M.

    Always wanted to stop by & after a trip to Intrinsic Elements - I finally had the chance :) I went on a weekday & it was quite busy for a weekday afternoon, albeit it was during lunch time. There was no line so I was greeted and helped right away. Super friendly staff! The menu is right at the front counter so there was no display on the wall. There is also a menu on their merch display - I saw this as I was leaving. I was stuck between ordering an Iced Bourbon Caramel Latte & an Iced Brown Sugar Cinnamon Latte so I asked the person helping what they would recommend for a sweet tooth. Their recommendation was the Bourbon Caramel Latte since it was sweeter than the Brown Sugar. They asked if I was okay with whole milk so they do have alternative milk options. My drink was ready in less than 3 mins, super quick! I didn't dine in so I had it in a to-go container. My drink was good, not as sweet as I wanted but I am literally a side of coffee with my milk & sugar type of girl. I would definitely go back & try their lunch, it seems to be a popular spot for it! EDIT: I went in again and ordered the Bourbon Caramel Latte but asked for it to be sweeter this time & it was perfect! So if you're a sweet tooth like me, ask for it be sweeter.

    Chai
    E. K.

    The hot Chai and the biscuit Breakfast sandwich were delicious. Each employee was helpful and courteous! Gotta love a clean & spacious place that plays crowd-pleasing tunes as you enjoy a break in your day. It's an ideal place for some homework or casual meeting! This natural light will invigorate anyone! See you when I return!

    Butterscotch latte
    Ms H.

    The drinks are mid, a little pricy too. I have not had their food only a cookie and it was good.

    Butterscotch Latte
    Vanessa T.

    I was excited to check out this coffee spot in my hometown. Loved the spacious seating and how open it was for individuals or groups to stop by for some good caffeine. I ordered the butterscotch Latte with oat milk and I really enjoyed it. Next time I go, I'll have to try a meal or pastry for a full experience. Would definitely go back!

    Carmen G.

    The environment is nice if you need to study or have a chat with a group. Ordered a cortado took like 20mins was confused didn't get an explanation just a sorry.

    Coffee
    Just Honest B.

    FOOD: I truly enjoyed the veggie sandwich with chili oil! To drink order the brown sugar cinnamon latte iced SERVICE: Very one is kind and helpful ATMOSPHERE: It's very modern atmosphere. Even have seatting outside in case you bring your pup with you. They have a large community table that's always nice to set at if you don't mind speaking to others. You'll find people studying on their laptops and families PARKING: They do have front parking. It's located downtown. VEGAN: yes the veggie sandwich, They are very kind and will walk you through the menu

    Iced coffee and scone in the 97 degree heatwave for the win!
    Bella S.

    Great coffee shop downtown! Two rooms with clean, attractive design. Open and airy, also has outdoor seating when the weather is good. Each time we've gone the coffee has been delicious! House-made chai is recommended! Friendly and prompt service! I wish they had additional locations up and down the valley! Bonus: their food is also yummy and Pecan scone hit the spot! It was large and flavorful without being overly sweet or dry!

    Yogurt parfait (all mixed up), veggie sandwich, and lattes.
    Jessica W.

    First time visiting, we walked over with the puppies. Love the location and ambiance. Laurel was super helpful. I ordered the veggie sandwich and the maple rosemary latte with oat milk. My friend ordered the yogurt parfait and a latte. The food was delicious. We love running into our downtown local friends. 10/10 will be back to try the amaretto rose latte.

    Dave L.

    Great spot in downtown Modesto. Plenty of room, well made drinks, great breakfast and good service.

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    Commonwealth - I dont remember the 5 tacos

    Commonwealth

    4.0(1.2k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    I work next door to Commonwealth and really enjoy the quality of the food and the variety of…read moreseating options, both inside and outside. It is always a great spot to invite colleagues, family, and friends. They offer a solid selection of burgers and craft beer, and the location is very convenient in downtown Modesto, within walking distance of the Brenden Theatre and nearby venues like the Gallo Center. The customer service is phenomenal and they truly make you feel at home. If you need pickup, just give them a call and they will get you situated right away. Definitely recommend it.

    Sadly disappointed…read more My friends and I stopped by Commonwealth on a Saturday afternoon for a late brunch. It was a beautiful day so it was busy for both indoor and outdoor seating. Here, you order your food, grab a number, and find your own seat for the food to be brought out to you. We sat at a table outside to decide what to order. There were no menus available so we just had to search for it online before heading inside to order. Despite being third in line from the register, we had an extremely long wait to order. There was only one person running the register who also had to make the drinks, meaning the service incredibly slow. We wanted to order the five taco platter, garlic fries, chicken Caesar salad, and mimosa pitcher. Sadly, we were only able to get the pitcher and salad. The cashier told us "sorry, we aren't doing fries right now." Not doing fries? Every plate in the vicinity had fries on them. She said that because it was brunch hour, only food on the brunch menu could be ordered. We looked at the brunch menu again and literally saw garlic fries as an option as a side for the burgers/sandwiches. No where did it specify that you can't order off the other menu and both were available online. What bothered us about this is that we placed this order at around 1:50pm, and brunch ended at 2:00pm. I understand that we are not entitled to things on the lunch menu during brunch-time for items like the tacos, but considering the menu swap was less than 10 minutes away and they were quite literally were "doing fries" at the time, it didn't make much sense to us. The only food that we ended up ordering was the Chicken Caesar Salad. This one dish took a super long time to receive. By the time it was brought out, the three of us nearly finished the Mimosa pitcher. The waitress noticed we had no silverware and said she would go grab us some. Because of how the service had been going thus far, we placed a bet on whether or not the waitress would come back with the silverware. Surprise, surprise. She didn't. We had to go inside later and search for silverware ourselves. We weren't even able to get sharing plates which was upsetting since the waitress asked us if we would be sharing the salad. The salad itself looked delicious, but was bland. The dressing was missing that zing and zest that a Caesar dressing typically has. I do appreciate that is was a chopped salad, had avocado, and seasoned croutons. It is just unfortunate that it was lacking any flavor at all. The food prices are quite affordable for the quantity of food you receive though. This experience was disappointing because I was so optimistic about the place. The menu looked good, it had fun and casual vibes and a cool crowd of people. If Commonwealth worked towards better service practices, it would have been a more positive experience.

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    Commonwealth
    Commonwealth
    Commonwealth - Cranberry mimosa

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    Cranberry mimosa

    18Seventy Brewing - Margarita Pizza

    18Seventy Brewing

    4.2(42 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    In an economy where beer consumption is declining and breweries are going under, this gem of a…read morebusiness shines bright and is highly worthy of a visit! Woman owned, plenty of seating, quite the selection of board games to play while hanging out. The beer selection, I have not seen one that extensive in a while, including ones brewed in-house!!! And affordable pricing as well! And they sell pizza (looked and smelled incredible, but I did purchase any when I went since I was still full from dinner). They have live music sometimes with a clever indoor/outdoor stage, which is also a perk. It was a very cozy, comfortable, and safe vibe going there, especially since I was there enjoying my drinks solo. The staff were very friendly despite the crowd and long line, happy to explain their "on tap" selections with only one offering being unavailable that evening. I had a Nitro Stout and then later a Cherry Cheesecake Pie Hard Seltzer, both brewed by them, and both were delicious. The hard seltzer did have all those flavor notes and it wasn't overly chemical sweetened, which I greatly appreciated. And I was so happy to see a darker beer option on their menu as the current trends tend to heavily favor the IPA's. Please support this awesome business, I look forward to bringing my significant other soon to play a board game or two over some brews and pizza!

    We went with friends , it was our first time and it was fun time! Beer was smooth taste on several…read morethat I tasted and as for the pizza was also great tasty . Service was super and cool place

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    18Seventy Brewing - Pizza

    Pizza

    18Seventy Brewing - Growlers

    Growlers

    18Seventy Brewing - Merch

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    Merch

    Black Orchid Brewing - Close-up of gauge on brewing tanks

    Black Orchid Brewing

    4.7(21 reviews)
    3.9 mi
    $$

    Very cool spot to do some beer tasting, watch sports on the big flat screen, play games, and just…read morehang out. Great selection of beer, just a couple of IPA's which was fine with my group since we aren't fans. Their Mexican lager and blonde were YUM and the others we tried were exceptional good. They had a plethora of games on hand for all ages and we met the owners and their cutest pooch ever! They are very welcoming, friendly, and their son is the brew master so it was fun to see him in action while he was tending to the tanks pfrom time to time. The only reason why I knocked off one star is and it just may be us be we love to eat while drinking. They did have a selection of chips and pretzels but it would be great to add peanuts, popcorn, and maybe even some candy but ultimately man if they had wings, fries, and veges with ranch dressing, BOMB!!!!! We will be back nevertheless.

    This is an awesome brewery to come visit! Dog friendly, friendly owners and they offer free games,…read moretrivia nights and Bingo! And of course their craft beers and IPA's, as well as specialty seltzers and mocktails. Also, they can customize the seltzers to make them as sweet or not sweet as you want. This place has such a welcoming vibe and all the patrons inside were so friendly as well. I went for the free Bingo with my friend and she had the most delicious mocktail (it had pineapple in it) and the owners let me try their new orange IPA (yes...delicious as it sounds!!) and their apple pie seltzer (OMG like dessert in drink form) and their strawberry mint seltzer (light and refreshing). You can bring in food to eat while you drink, socialize and play games, and families are welcome. There were a couple little kids there with their parents. Perfect spot for parents looking to get out without having to get a baby sitter. Love this place!

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    Black Orchid Brewing - Main tasting area

    Main tasting area

    Black Orchid Brewing - Slushie machines, a non alcoholic option available too!

    Slushie machines, a non alcoholic option available too!

    Black Orchid Brewing - Taps!

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    Taps!

    Bauer's By Sazon - Pastrami Burger With Onion Rings

    Bauer's By Sazon

    4.3(202 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Had an overnight work trip that had me in Modesto so I was trying to find something fun to eat…read more After a bit of research I found this place. I showed up around 7pm and I thought it might have been closed because no one was here. But they were open. I ordered a Bauer burger with the house seasoned fries. They asked how I'd like the egg cooked and the burger cooked: I asked for medium for both. Given how dead the place was, it did take a minute to get my food. The burger was ok, not worth $21. The bun fell apart very quickly which is a bit of a cardinal sin in the burger game. The bacon on the burger was not bacon strips but a bit of bacon crumble. The patty was a bit overcooked so it was dry and it wasn't seasoned so it was bland. The egg was cooked perfectly, but the aioli and the egg yolk with a disintegrated bun made for a huge mess. The fries were interesting. The house seasoned fries are not salted. So the fries were almost sweet due to the spices, but no salt. And they do not have regular table ketchup or malt vinegar. I did ask for some ketchup and they brought me their house ketchup. While not like a classic ketchup, it was actually quite good. Oh, be aware. They will charge you a 4% fee when they bring you the check (what would have happened if I'd paid with cash?). I do not see anywhere on the menu where they say their is a payment fee so that is a pretty shady business practice. Overall: meh. I think for the price point the burger should have been great, but sadly I can't say it was great or even good. I'd likely not return.

    Food menu was so on point. Everything sounded good! Everything was delicious! The restaurant had a…read moregood amount of people and we got a nice table right away. Our waitress was so nice and in a good mood so that was nice too. The restaurant doesn't have have music and I liked that, we could actually have a conversation and not yell at each other. Lol our food was super flavorful and we will be back! The ketchup had a unique & I will say my black berry coulis & Brie burger was delicious. I loved the flavor combo. The seasoning on the fries and the Mac and cheese was also unique and kind of sweet.

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    Bauer's By Sazon
    Bauer's By Sazon - Caesar salad With Crispy Chicken

    Caesar salad With Crispy Chicken

    Bauer's By Sazon - Cowboy Chicken Sandwich With A House Salad

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    Cowboy Chicken Sandwich With A House Salad

    Penny University - coffee - Updated May 2026

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