Still loving the mochi donuts and matcha latte with oatmilk. Adding picture as an ode to the guava donut - it may not be the brightest colored donut, but it IS the tastiest in my book
Michelle R.
This time i tried the rich and roasty latte with espresso cream. It's amazing. I also got the banana bread pudding. Omg it's so sinful! I'm amazed at how fast they make the matcha drinks, since they're more complicated than coffee.
Sonya H
I go for the high quality matcha drinks. Great staff, nice vibe. No seating inside but ample seating to enjoy your tea and mochi treats out front.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sierra Zacarias
The banana bread pudding was EVERYTHING.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kitty S.
I absolutely love third culture! It's probably one of my favorite places to grab breakfast, and I'm very lucky that it's within walking distance of my home. I can't recommend the Matcha latte with strawberry lychee enough, and I'm always excited to try their newest mochi muffins and mochi donuts, the staff are always really pleasant and friendly, and I love that the store feels like a pleasant brunch party, with fun, music, and lots of decoration. A local gem!
Alan R.
Love this place... super safe for gluten free I always go for the waffles! Can be crowded but worth the wait
Taimur A.
Berkeley classic. Iced caramel matcha with an original mochi muffin ftw. Friendly service and one of those places you have to check out if you're visiting Berkeley and are looking to catch a vibe.
Grace M.
Love love this place! The drinks, mochi donuts, and muffins are so tasty and exactly how you imagined only better! I love Sam and Wenter's story and we were lucky enough to meet them on a Sunday we stopped in. The location is a bit off the main road but worth the detour. Try anything that looks tasty, and you hopefully won't be disappointed. I had an ube mochi muffin and my friend got the beautiful drink pictured below.
Theresa D.
The mochi donuts here are so good. I prefer these mochi donuts over the mochi-nut donuts. Better chewy factor and flavor. They have so many donut flavors, it's a shame I couldn't try them all. Guava, ube, matcha were good. Thai tea.. I wish the Thai tea had a strong Thai tea flavor. I had their black sesame latte and it was wonderfully nutty and creamy. I dont think there's any caffeine in the drink, so I wish it came with espresso as a standard. Service was friendly and polite. Parking can be kinda tight since it's in an industrial area but it's more of a grab and go place anyway.
Cassidy Robertson
I'm just throwing this rating in here. I loved the donuts, the drinks, and the muffins so much. I live in Denver and at least 5 people I know personally miss Third Culture so much. We crave it all the time and wish you could bring it back to Denver!!!!
Responding to comments below, I clearly ordered 2 salted caramel matchas--it was the reson we came. The owner handed me two normal matcha, and when I asked if they had caramel he said no. I indicated that I had ordered *caramel* matcha, he said, "well those cost more." So I offered to pay the difference. He balked so I asked, "can you just put some caramel in there?" But he said it is a no, it had honey. At this point, it felt too discouraging to beg him to make corrected drinks (which is what I should have done), so I went back and ordered 1 more caramel matcha.The assertion that the owner "offered to remake it" is false. He stared downwards and begrudgingly--although by now I had offered to both pay the difference and let him just dump some caramel in there--sighed, "I'd have to remake it."Stupidly, at this point I said ok, I guess I'll buy a caramel matcha, to which he asked "are you sure?" And when I left I told him how upset I was to have to repurchase drinks because of his mistake.Deliberatley misconstrued as if I "put him in a pickle????" I clearly wanted the correct drink and he clearly made it as hard as possible to do anything other than buy more drinks. I should have just said--yes, sighing owner man, make me the drink I ordered, I can pay cash difference, or he should have just done it, full stop.My husband did drink the one normal matcha and the other normal matcha went in the trash.I'm astonished at a shop that doesn't correct its staff's mistakes and even went so far as to argue the facts of a 5 star review left by someone who is a weekly customer.Thank you for multiple reasons to stop coming frequently and recommending your shop.Previous (5 star) review: Owner will not remake drinks the staff order incorrectly so CHECK YOUR ORDER. But products are delicious and hours are great, I'll be on pause because it's annoying to get wrong products but we've been regulars and love this place.Owners response to my 5 star review:Response from the owner an hour agoHey Cate - I was the owner handing you the drinks on Saturday 3/2. I believe our cashier misheard your drink order so when I handed you your beverage, you asked if we can add the maple syrup into the drink and I told ya it would be too sweet since it had honey already in there. When I asked if you wanted us to remake it, you said it was fine and that your husband would drink it, and you'll just buy another one. So we did just that! Very happy to remake whatever you wanted but kinda puts us and anyone on our team in a pickle here since you told us that you didn't want us to remake your drink! All the love and hope this was just a sort of miscommunication that can be sorted out in the future.
Stacy M.
The best doughnuts I've ever had. We ordered two doughnuts - a guava cheesecake and ube and two muffins - black sesame and churro. Across the board, the group I was with rated the guava cheesecake as the top pick. It was very flavorful and the texture is so gooey and chewy in the best way. The black sesame muffin was also another high rated if you like black sesame. If you like mochi, you'll love this place. The service was very friendly even when we came in 4 minutes to closing! They also had a variety of drink options that we didn't get to dive into but I definitely will next time!
Erin F.
OBSESSED. A gluten free heaven. Wish I could eat their churro mochi muffin everyday for the rest of my life.
Julie T.
If I lived closer, I would gain weight from squatting here. Have not had a mediocre offering from this place and that it's gluten free is a bonus. Love that the muffins are dense and moist (yeah, I said it) and not overpoweringly sweet. Their hot beverages are exceptional as well. Love 3rd Cult
Elizabeth W.
Third Culture has always been on my 'to-try' list since being in Berkeley. Promised to have the "best matcha" by my friends, I decided to go try it out myself. While there are no indoor seats, outside there were cute pink tables to sit at. The inside of the store is small, but cozy, with lots of decorations and all sorts of new drinks, jams, and spices displayed around that you could purchase. My friend got the basic matcha, and it was light and refreshing! It definitely tasted like "real" matcha -- meaning that it was very fresh, and imperial grade! I opted for the limited time Black Sesame drink. I am a huge fan of black sesame, so I personally enjoyed it a lot. However, it was on the sweeter side. We ordered two mochi donuts: the yuzu lemon and the guava. The lemon was delicious and tangy, but I could not say the same for the guava. While it was still good texture-wise and sweetness, I could not really taste the guava flavor. Overall, highly recommend Third Culture!
Still loving the mochi donuts and matcha latte with oatmilk. Adding picture as an ode to the guava donut - it may not be the brightest colored donut, but it IS the tastiest in my book
This time i tried the rich and roasty latte with espresso cream. It's amazing. I also got the banana bread pudding. Omg it's so sinful! I'm amazed at how fast they make the matcha drinks, since they're more complicated than coffee.
I go for the high quality matcha drinks. Great staff, nice vibe. No seating inside but ample seating to enjoy your tea and mochi treats out front.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The banana bread pudding was EVERYTHING.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I absolutely love third culture! It's probably one of my favorite places to grab breakfast, and I'm very lucky that it's within walking distance of my home. I can't recommend the Matcha latte with strawberry lychee enough, and I'm always excited to try their newest mochi muffins and mochi donuts, the staff are always really pleasant and friendly, and I love that the store feels like a pleasant brunch party, with fun, music, and lots of decoration. A local gem!
Love this place... super safe for gluten free I always go for the waffles! Can be crowded but worth the wait
Berkeley classic. Iced caramel matcha with an original mochi muffin ftw. Friendly service and one of those places you have to check out if you're visiting Berkeley and are looking to catch a vibe.
Love love this place! The drinks, mochi donuts, and muffins are so tasty and exactly how you imagined only better! I love Sam and Wenter's story and we were lucky enough to meet them on a Sunday we stopped in. The location is a bit off the main road but worth the detour. Try anything that looks tasty, and you hopefully won't be disappointed. I had an ube mochi muffin and my friend got the beautiful drink pictured below.
The mochi donuts here are so good. I prefer these mochi donuts over the mochi-nut donuts. Better chewy factor and flavor. They have so many donut flavors, it's a shame I couldn't try them all. Guava, ube, matcha were good. Thai tea.. I wish the Thai tea had a strong Thai tea flavor. I had their black sesame latte and it was wonderfully nutty and creamy. I dont think there's any caffeine in the drink, so I wish it came with espresso as a standard. Service was friendly and polite. Parking can be kinda tight since it's in an industrial area but it's more of a grab and go place anyway.
I'm just throwing this rating in here. I loved the donuts, the drinks, and the muffins so much. I live in Denver and at least 5 people I know personally miss Third Culture so much. We crave it all the time and wish you could bring it back to Denver!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Responding to comments below, I clearly ordered 2 salted caramel matchas--it was the reson we came. The owner handed me two normal matcha, and when I asked if they had caramel he said no. I indicated that I had ordered *caramel* matcha, he said, "well those cost more." So I offered to pay the difference. He balked so I asked, "can you just put some caramel in there?" But he said it is a no, it had honey. At this point, it felt too discouraging to beg him to make corrected drinks (which is what I should have done), so I went back and ordered 1 more caramel matcha.The assertion that the owner "offered to remake it" is false. He stared downwards and begrudgingly--although by now I had offered to both pay the difference and let him just dump some caramel in there--sighed, "I'd have to remake it."Stupidly, at this point I said ok, I guess I'll buy a caramel matcha, to which he asked "are you sure?" And when I left I told him how upset I was to have to repurchase drinks because of his mistake.Deliberatley misconstrued as if I "put him in a pickle????" I clearly wanted the correct drink and he clearly made it as hard as possible to do anything other than buy more drinks. I should have just said--yes, sighing owner man, make me the drink I ordered, I can pay cash difference, or he should have just done it, full stop.My husband did drink the one normal matcha and the other normal matcha went in the trash.I'm astonished at a shop that doesn't correct its staff's mistakes and even went so far as to argue the facts of a 5 star review left by someone who is a weekly customer.Thank you for multiple reasons to stop coming frequently and recommending your shop.Previous (5 star) review: Owner will not remake drinks the staff order incorrectly so CHECK YOUR ORDER. But products are delicious and hours are great, I'll be on pause because it's annoying to get wrong products but we've been regulars and love this place.Owners response to my 5 star review:Response from the owner an hour agoHey Cate - I was the owner handing you the drinks on Saturday 3/2. I believe our cashier misheard your drink order so when I handed you your beverage, you asked if we can add the maple syrup into the drink and I told ya it would be too sweet since it had honey already in there. When I asked if you wanted us to remake it, you said it was fine and that your husband would drink it, and you'll just buy another one. So we did just that! Very happy to remake whatever you wanted but kinda puts us and anyone on our team in a pickle here since you told us that you didn't want us to remake your drink! All the love and hope this was just a sort of miscommunication that can be sorted out in the future.
The best doughnuts I've ever had. We ordered two doughnuts - a guava cheesecake and ube and two muffins - black sesame and churro. Across the board, the group I was with rated the guava cheesecake as the top pick. It was very flavorful and the texture is so gooey and chewy in the best way. The black sesame muffin was also another high rated if you like black sesame. If you like mochi, you'll love this place. The service was very friendly even when we came in 4 minutes to closing! They also had a variety of drink options that we didn't get to dive into but I definitely will next time!
OBSESSED. A gluten free heaven. Wish I could eat their churro mochi muffin everyday for the rest of my life.
If I lived closer, I would gain weight from squatting here. Have not had a mediocre offering from this place and that it's gluten free is a bonus. Love that the muffins are dense and moist (yeah, I said it) and not overpoweringly sweet. Their hot beverages are exceptional as well. Love 3rd Cult
Third Culture has always been on my 'to-try' list since being in Berkeley. Promised to have the "best matcha" by my friends, I decided to go try it out myself. While there are no indoor seats, outside there were cute pink tables to sit at. The inside of the store is small, but cozy, with lots of decorations and all sorts of new drinks, jams, and spices displayed around that you could purchase. My friend got the basic matcha, and it was light and refreshing! It definitely tasted like "real" matcha -- meaning that it was very fresh, and imperial grade! I opted for the limited time Black Sesame drink. I am a huge fan of black sesame, so I personally enjoyed it a lot. However, it was on the sweeter side. We ordered two mochi donuts: the yuzu lemon and the guava. The lemon was delicious and tangy, but I could not say the same for the guava. While it was still good texture-wise and sweetness, I could not really taste the guava flavor. Overall, highly recommend Third Culture!