What a find this was for me! We tried multiple empanadas, quiche and alfajores. Coffee is delicious…read moretoo. There is a good amount of seating, and the ambience is calm. I also happened to meet the owners - wonderful family business. I will definitely be back and make this a regular haunt!

I went to Lolita's Bakery today for the first time and absolutely loved my experience. The place is…read moreclean, cozy, and welcoming. And they even have parking, which is always a plus. The food was amazing and the staff was incredibly friendly. There was a lady (not sure if she's the owner) who was so lovely and welcoming. Since it was my first visit, she didn't hesitate to walk me through the menu and give recommendations, which I really appreciated. I ordered the beef empanada, dulce de leche alfajores (my first time trying them!), and a dulce de leche latte. Everything was delicious. As someone who loves coffee and pastries, trust me, this place is superb. I'll definitely be coming back and recommending this spot to anyone looking for great pastries and a warm, friendly atmosphere.

The bakes here was some of the top ones I have had. I tried a couple of bakeries on my road trip up…read morethe Pacific Northwest and this was one of my favorites! I tried the cheesy twist, morning bun, and the ham and cheese croissant. I am pretty sure I tried other things but I can't remember exactly what but these were the stars. The cheesy twist kind of tasted like there was an Alfredo type sauce along with the cheese. It was delicious. One thing I wish I would have done is ask for it heated because I saw some other people doing that and it looked delicious. The morning bun was so good. It had a beautiful medley of spices that truly brightened your morning. The flavors were so balanced. As for the ham and cheese croissant, the star was the ham. The flavor of the ham reminded me of a thanksgiving ham. It was amazing! Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with anything here. I regret not getting a full loaf of bread to take home with me.

Update 4/1/26 - came in yesterday and tried a new item. The passion fruit danish, and omg... I'm…read moreobsessed!!!! It was so dang delicious, I went back today in the hopes it might be there again. Needless to say, I figured the chances were pretty slim!!! No way it would be there. however to my overwhelming happiness it was Don't judge me. had to get a couple!! I even told the kind staff members helping me... PLEASE..... tell the Chef.. to make these a regular. & That all the baked goods are great, but this danish is amazing!!! It's just that good, to me!! The dough is a perfect soft chew, layered almost with just enough butter and sweetness. The passion fruit shines with the perfect tart and zip.... And that marshmallowy meringue on it, is delightful. " You did your thing with this danish Chef" This danish now trumps my go to kouign Amann. By the way. I'm from Hawaii, so it might be one reason this flavor speaks to me, but I'm pretty sure anyone who likes a little tart, bright, perfect sweet will also enjoy it. If not more for me I did get an epi for my friend and a couple other goodies as well. I dropped off two items to a friend who works near and she could not thank me enough and tell me how much she enjoyed her goodies too.

"Excuse me, are you done yet?"…read more It's a fine coffee spot. Just not a place to get work done, relax, read, catch up with friends, or have something with your specialty coffee. Lest you be assaulted by the stares of the envious folks in line waiting to do the same thing. Just do yourself a favor and get the coffee to-go. As suggestion to the business: If the space could be renovated, then I'd recommend a long bar top along the wall at counter height. At least then you can fit more people in the space and their line of sight would be facing the wall or watching the coffee be made. Vs staring at the queue awkwardly.

No shame in declaring Kaizen as my favorite coffee shop in the Bay Area!…read more Kaizen is a coffee shop located blocks away from the Hillsdale shopping center. It does not have a dedicated parking lot, so be sure to grab the first street parking slot you see! It's a modern, small shop with some seating options (if you come early enough, you will be able to get something!) My usual here is typically a black sesame latte and I will say, probably the best one you can get in the Bay Area. It's toasty, nutty, but not over powering. I have been having a hard time finding a comparable contender. Besides that their vanilla latte is delicious and bright. For me their miso is a bit salty but that might be a preference. They also have some amazing selections of pastries you can get. I always get something new while I'm here, most recently, I got a pork floss croissant but I did enjoy the ube croissant when they still carried it. Their baristas are always very kind, and are willing to help. Despite coming in some busy times, I always get my drink in a reasonable time. I will continue to rave about this spot to my friends! It's a gem. :)

The food was oh so delicious and yummy and the prices were excellent!!! I got the vegetarian…read moresandwich with cheese, onions, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes with a green goddess dressing and a special secret garlic aïoli. and washed it all down with a large yummy hot chai latte.

Lovely local bakery with fresh baked goods. Hard working family that is attentive to customers!read more

Cake was delicious! 2 layer pistachio cardamom with rose coconut frosting. Was light and not too…read moresweet. All flavors came through well so if you're not a cardamom fan you may not love it. Easy communication via text.

We ordered a Flavors of India cake from Shru's online store. The order and pick up process was very…read moreeasy and straightforward. The cake had incredible flavors and was beautiful. We can't wait to try the other flavors. We also love that the cakes are completely vegan (no dairy, no eggs, no honey).

A donut/coffee/ice cream shop in the corner of a strip plaza in San Mateo. We had just finished a…read moremeal and were looking to follow up with something sweet so popped in here. They don't have a huge selection of donuts but you can get your classics here as well as some more unique options, such as mochi donuts, or donuts with unique flavors, like blood orange and raspberry. We decided to get a lemon mochi donut, a blood orange mochi donut, a classic chocolate, and a chocolate "cruellar" donut. All the donuts tasted freshly made, had a soft dense interior, and were very delicious. The chocolate ones in particular paired very well with a cup of coffee the next morning. They also have unique ice cream flavors here. We look forward to trying those on our next visit.

No line on a Saturday afternoon. Can and ordered the donuts with no problems. Inside is just take…read moreout and doesn't feel the cleanest but gets the job done. The strawberry shortcake donut was delicious. The strawberries were a little too tart but the glazed donut was delicious. Mochi donuts were ok but I probably wouldn't get again. Tried a chocolate donut log with egg custard. Do not recommend the custard filling. It isn't done lengthwise and wasn't tasty. Donut itself was soft and fluffy. Overall, I'll come back for a sweet treat. I think service at this one was better than the other cause just less customers.

3/25/26- Hands down…read moreone of the very best crunch cakes we've ever had.. Saw a social media post and sent it to my son.. So happy he knew I really wanted a different cake for my birthday.. Super moist- light and the crunch topping is light and crunchy- some crunches can be really hard.. but these were perfect..

My sister went through great lengths to get this cake for me for my birthday. This is the cake you…read morenever knew you needed! Actually, I've had this cake before from a bakery in Japantown, SF. I remember it being good... but not "finish the entire cake by yourself good". That may or may not have happened. Either way, I'm told the woman who bakes these cakes is in her 80s! Kudos to her! I've had a small cake business in the past, and I know how hard it is to churn out cake after cake! The cake was super soft and crumbly (in a good way), the frosting was almost like a light whipped frosting, with whole strawberries!she gives you specific instructions on how to cut the cake. If there are left overs, it won't hold up well... so do yourself a favor and make sure you're getting the right size cake! We got a 6inch and it was more than enough for 4 adults and 2 children. Thanks for making my bday cake Ms. Claire! I'll be ordering cakes from you exclusively! P.S. this is not a bakery, it's run out of this sweet old woman's house. Since the "crunch" part of the cake is honey comb, it doesn't hold up well for very long... so don't be late picking up your cake!

The ladies there were so friendly! My grandson and I went there for the first time to get a Too…read moreGood To Go deal. We got our order and then bought even more goodies! The scones were delicious. Both the sweet and savory scones were moist not dry. The Maple Bacon was very good! We will definitely be going back to try more items.

I definitely recommend this place. They sell their own stuff, plus a bunch of food, clothes, and…read moretchotchkes made from other small women-owned businesses. Great model since many business cannot afford a storefront.. I ordered an Apple Boubon pie for pie day (or is it Pi day). The taste of the pie was really good, and the topping was great, but I prefer the apples in my pie to be a bit more soft/cooked (personal preference). However I want to try other pies, including the chocolate pudding. I also bought some chocolate mousse there which was excellent.

Good quality. The service, cutlery, plates, seating, and lastly the meals (croissant, focaccia,…read morecroque monsieur, and smoke salmon tartine) were all excellent. I'm so happy that The Baker Next Door has become a popular spot in RWC.

Hands down one of my favorite bakeries on the Peninsula. You can really taste the level of care and…read morecraft in everything--they're clearly working with seasonal ingredients, and it shows in how thoughtful and balanced each pastry and loaf feels. Nothing feels overdone, just really well-executed and intentional. Also have to shout out Marisol--she brings such great energy to the space. Warm, welcoming, and genuinely makes the whole experience even better.

Couldn't have been more happy with our experience with this wonderful bakery and the owners! We…read moreused them for our winter themed "baby, it's cold outside" baby shower. Literally every person raved about how beautiful our cake was on the outside and also how delicious it was on the inside! You know the ultimate compliment from an Asian is "not too sweet!" It was perfect!!! We also did a mini dessert bar and the treats were just as beautiful and delicious! Super responsive via email and phone, always accommodating and flexible. Wonderfully creative! Recommend them for any upcoming event!!

I recently tried a chocolate cupcake from The Cake Shop in San Mateo at a friend's birthday, and…read moreunfortunately I was really disappointed. The cupcake itself was quite dry, and the buttercream had an overwhelming buttery taste rather than the smooth, creamy, silky texture I expected from a professional bakery. There was also very little frosting on top, which made the presentation look unfinished. I'm honestly relieved this wasn't for my son's birthday, because I would have been extremely disappointed. I really wanted to love it, but it just didn't meet the quality I hoped for.