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    Sutter Cafe

    4.4 (44 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

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    Ed U.

    Who would think to come to the Sutter Stockton Garage for a homemade tamale? I was on my way back from a medical appointment at 450 Sutter when I decided to stop here based on the little sandwich board on the sidewalk. I quickly looked at the Yelp app and found that people do indeed come to what looks like a little sandwich and candy shop right across from the elevators (photo: http://bit.ly/12cdY0c). And why? Because the owner, a quiet, charming woman named Holly Li, married a Mexican-Chinese man and learned to make tamales from her sister-in-law while living for years in Mexico City. Her tamales caught the appetite of a 7x7 food writer (photo: http://bit.ly/14EnpYh), and now she's developing a cult following through the Yelp gravevine. A sign perched precariously in the corner atop a stack of phone books heralds her Chicken Tamales with a quote from 7x7: "A perfect ratio of masa to shredded chicken and olives" for $2.75 each (photo: http://bit.ly/13exIa8). OK then, two please as I expected them to be small for that price. They are and come steamed in their corn husks (photo: http://bit.ly/14hBz2W). Peeling them off gingerly given the heat, they are perfectly molded with the masa thick and almost gelatinous and with a generous filling of spicy chicken, chopped jalapenos and olives (photo: http://bit.ly/12y6a7X). She came back with a squeeze bottle of siracha gave an even greater kick to every bite. They are definitely delicious and made me want some enchiladas and refried beans on the side. Two more please. FOOD - 4 stars...homemade tamales with panache and flavor and you don't have to take the 14 AMBIANCE - 2.5 stars...looks and feels like an office building business SERVICE - 4.5 stars...Holly is great and steadfast TOTAL - 4 stars...you don't have to park here to get a satisfying tamale

    Tamale ($3.50) - Tiny bite sized tamale with hard masa that does not even come with sauce. Terrible.
    Ahmad J.

    Sutter Café is a small coffee/sandwich shop in the basement of the Sutter-Stockton parking garage. This place is hidden inside and unless you go looking for it there is no way that you will run into this place or spot it from the road. It's accessible from the Sutter street entrance next to E&O Kitchen and Bar. After passing by it many times I finally decided to give it a try. I saw a big sign for chicken tamales ($3.50) so I decided to get one to-go. As expected it was cash only. The short review would be that the chicken tamale was crap. It was a tiny bite sized over steamed masa that enclosed literally a minuscule amount of chicken. It did not even come with any sauce to help slide this down. I don't know what I'm missing but this was one overpriced crappy tamale that I have no intention of ever getting again. Some of the reviews here have praised these tamales to the high heavens. I'm not one of them. I'd rather go to Tropisueno or any of the Taqueria's in the hood (Tenderloin) and get decent tamale instead.

    Sausage& Egg croissant
    Borah Y.

    The lady made a warm breakfast croissant for me, fresh eggs. Shes really sweet and the cafe is easy, located inside sutter-stockton garage building near the elevator.

    the interior of the restaurant
    Luis C.

    The place is small (located inside a building, next to the elevators for the Sutter Stockton garage), but it's stocked with a HUGE variety of food items: coffees, canned drinks, sandwiches, salads, pastries, bagged snacks, and candy by the pound. The store owner, Holly Li, is super friendly and sweet, offering to reheat food items and carefully packaging to go orders. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eYTJwqW-bJ2iUNk7wrqh8Q?select=iBgplgA0wUDC470U1U_Opg http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eYTJwqW-bJ2iUNk7wrqh8Q?select=JJkQBNtnhZ2hCn8DNXgetQ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eYTJwqW-bJ2iUNk7wrqh8Q?select=lhXaK6CU14FmlOT5qcBSbg http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eYTJwqW-bJ2iUNk7wrqh8Q?select=L_ud6nZ8vAFZ1o6MmgFnLw Sorry the fuzzy pictures are from my cellphone camera. 7x7 magazine awarded it best tamales in 2007. The shop has a little card next to the chicken tamales to remind customers about it. In my opinion, that award was overrated. Perhaps the magazine was trying to increase business at this shop, which is usually empty. I think that the magazine's staff should try La Palma Mexicatessen on 24th St, or other places in Oakland, to learn what really good tamales are like. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eYTJwqW-bJ2iUNk7wrqh8Q?select=Uo8qMdQlW-eg7nyeOEaTEg I ordered 2 tamales ($2.25 each). These are half the size of normal tamales, the chicken filling is tasty but the dough around it is a little too dense and dry. Maybe the batch I got was no good, I don't know. Definitely not the best tamales in the bay area. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eYTJwqW-bJ2iUNk7wrqh8Q?select=y04wmH7AHy3gD8AOp_GdMg On another visit I got an egg salad sandwich and a can of mango drink - mango flavor of drink was excellent, but I found a piece of egg shell inside the sandwich. *sad face* http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/eYTJwqW-bJ2iUNk7wrqh8Q?select=MgSsozAts-Wz0qkB84TGlg The place is lovely, it has a few tables to sit, service is very nice, and you do get a great variety of food options. So even with the flaws I found, I'd rate it 3 stars.

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    13 years ago

    5 stars for the tamales. They are amazing! If I go anywhere this place my husband demands I bring them home.

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    11 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Sutter Cafe

    Scones, espresso, beverages, and princess cake slices.

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    A Buttercup Dessert House

    A Buttercup Dessert House

    4.3
    (248 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$

    Although they don't serve variations of buttercups, A Buttercup is one of the few dessert houses…read moreoffering Taiwanese-style treats like Bingsoo, Milk Bread Toast, and other Asian fusion creations. I'm always hunting for spots like this because I have a weakness for those over-the-top, Instagram-worthy desserts that look like diabetes in a dish. Like most places in this genre, A Buttercup is small, modern, and minimalist with limited seating. If you plan to go, aim for off-hours unless you enjoy waiting in line for sugar. The decor is cute and trendy, perfect for photos if that's part of your dessert ritual. As they say, "you eat with your eyes first," and when it comes to presentation, this place definitely gets an A+. The desserts look stunning and set high expectations. Unfortunately, that's where things started to crumble. It's like going to see your favorite artist live. You've watched the videos, memorized the songs, and paid for the experience. But instead of the electric performance you imagined, you get someone lip-syncing and barely connecting with the crowd. That was this place in dessert form. We ordered the Mango Bingsoo on our first visit, and when it arrived, we were surprised by how small the portion was. The guy next to us even looked over and said, "Whatever that is, I'm getting that next time." He shouldn't have. The Bingsoo looked great but was bland, and the "snow" was more chunky ice than soft shave. The Thai Tea Roti was also not what I expected. It came with Thai tea ice cream and sauce alongside a roti that was fried to a crunch. Interesting idea, just not the best execution. The sauce and ice cream needed a stronger Thai tea flavor to balance the crispy roti, and the flavors never quite came together. Overall, A Buttercup nails the aesthetics but misses the flavor. If you're here for the photos, you'll be happy. If you're here for the taste, you'll leave with a full camera roll and an unsatisfied sweet tooth.

    We got the pandan roti, which was fantastic! The roti itself was super flaky and crispy, and I…read moreloved the combo of the roti + spoonful of ice cream with a bit of the pandan drizzle. The coconut strips were also the perfect addition. Super decadent and overall the perfect sweet treat I agree with the other reviews that portions + presentation are a bit disappointing, but it was still undeniably tasty food

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    Garden Creamery

    Garden Creamery

    4.7
    (1.7k reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    This place seems to always have a line, but there's absolutely a good reason for it! Located in the…read moreMission, Garden Creamery is a small ice cream shop with lots of Asian inspired and seasonal flavors. The line went pretty fast on a Wednesday evening, but I can't imagine what it's like on a weekend. There's a bit of seating inside to enjoy your ice cream. They let you try three flavors, and I tried two, and both were so good I just decided on the spot. My first sample was the Salty Kaya. WOW. Heaven in my mouth. A burst of coconut and the saltiness that paired so well together. There's a reason this flavor has a permanent spot on the menu and isn't just a seasonal flavor! My second choice was the Funky Miso. I guess I love the sweet and savory combo. Also delicious! But not quite the flavor explosion in my mouth like the Salty Kaya. This one really grew on me after several spoonfuls of it. I really like that the single scoop allows you to get two flavors. How can I decide on just one when they have so many fun flavors?? I love this spot and will absolutely be returning. I'm still thinking about the Salty Kaya weeks later.

    I've been coming to Garden Creamery for years, and it's one of those places I always look forward…read moreto. I love that they rotate seasonal flavors because there's always something new to try. My favorite is when they have their melon flavors, and I was so excited to see cantaloupe back this week! It was just as good as I remembered... fresh, creamy, fruity, and not overly sweet. Their flavors are creative without feeling gimmicky, and everything I've tried has been yummy. They let you sample up to 3 flavors, which definitely helps when you're trying to decide between all the seasonal options. There's usually a pretty long line but it moves fast so I've never felt like I was waiting too long. The staff is always friendly, and the whole experience is worth it. If you're into unique, seasonal flavors, Garden Creamery is definitely a place you'll want to keep coming back to.

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    Single (strawberry yuzu, genmaicha), double (strawberry yuzu) (11/2025)
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    Cantaloupe and Vanilla Lilikoi

    Sutter Cafe - desserts - Updated August 2026

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