This place is great, they got nice coffee and really good empanadas, The staff is friendly and service is fast. A must try if you are in the area. They offer non-dairy alternatives for your drinks. Parking can be challenging, but that's almost expected since it's next to trader Joe's.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Breakfast, Mushroom Empanadas
Michelle W.
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.
jong-ki Y.
I was next door at stress free auto and noticed this was the closest place to hang out while my car got finished. The place is super clean. I asked the gentleman in front for recommendations, and he suggested I try the fugazetta and beef empanadas. OMG soooo good. The coffee was good. During my stay, I noticed the female worker bought a fresh flowers and was restocking the roses on each table. I love the attention to detail. Thank you and wish you all the best of luck!
Berna G.
Hot empanadas on a rainy afternoon after some grocery shopping! What a way to start off a relaxing weekend. Tucked beside Trader Joe's is the coveted Pampas Cafe, serving up Argentinian specialties, coffee, and a selection of beers on tap. Of their different empanadas, I ordered the chorizo and breakfast. It was around 1pm Saturday that they were already sold out of a few, including the chicken and beef. The chorizo was so flavorful and seasoned. Although, it was a bit on the salty side and very similar to Italian sausage than chorizo. The breakfast empanada was generously filled with scrambled eggs and would've been even better with some Cholula. The baked empanada dough itself was incredibly buttery and thick with a flakey outer crust. These hot pockets make it impossible to wait to eat them. The vibe inside the cafe is very cozy and has plenty of tables. They also have artwork displayed in the cafe that's for sale.
Erica Y.
A little trip to Argentina!! Food -- empanadas were warm, crispy, gooey, and full of flavor! Big but not too big. We had it for brunch, and each person was satisfied with 2 per person. Also, each empanada has an initial of what's in the empanada so that if your party orders a ton, you can know by the initial (and the initials are on the to-go menu) for what's inside them! Coffee -- yummy!! We had an iced latte and it was perfectly creamy and had strong espresso Service -- so sweet, and so fast! They were incredibly helpful and kind with our questions, and worked hard to make the wait as short as possible. Ambiance -- cute tucked in a corner coffee shop. There is a community piano there that someone happened to be playing and singing a song for tips, and it was quite lovely. The inside was packed and buzzing with happy customers!
Aisuluu Kydyralieva
I found this cozy spot recently and it completely blew my mind! The coffee here? Absolutely the best I've ever had. No kidding, it's like a hug in a cup – so rich and smooth, I couldn't get enough of it. And don't even get me started on their mushroom empanada. I mean, I've had empanadas before, but this was on another level. Crispy on the outside, insanely flavorful and juicy on the inside... it's literally to die for. Seriously, if you're around, you've gotta check this place out. The coffee and empanadas combo here is a game changer!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Empanadas
Chloe Medina
I forgot to take a picture of the empanadas because they were so good I couldn’t stop ? got the ham and cheese and the breakfast empanada - SO GOOD! Soft on the outside and warm in the center. They also sell alfajores and they were perfect! Got a hot and cold latte and they were both perfect ? it’s right next to Trader Joe’s so I’ll be hitting this spot before every shopping spree!EDIT: Went back and grabbed some pictures to add to my review!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Empanadas, Iced Latte, Ham & Cheese, Breakfast, Ham and Cheese Empanada
Jojet O.
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.
Aiko
love this
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joshua L.
Pampas Cafe at their new location next to Trader Joe's has a great atmosphere, more space, great empanadas, and reasonably good drinks. Most of their staff is also friendly, and service is reasonably fast. However, after taking careful note of the actual taste of the coffee, I've come to realize that Pampas coffee tastes a bit burnt. I got a standard latte, and compared to a standard latte at Devout Coffee. Pampas Latte did the micro-foam fairly well, and the latte art was beautiful. However, the actual taste of the espresso was burnt. Meanwhile, Devout coffee did the micro foam better, silky-smooth and creamy. Further, Devout espresso was amazingly good, light and mild, while still retaining a distinctive coffee flavor. To be clear, Pampas coffee is still the second-best coffee in Castro Valley, but Devout Coffee blows all competition out of the water. It's a shame Devout Coffee is shutting down business. Castro Valley is losing the best coffee they ever had. Now Castro Valley will only have burnt and second-class coffee. Note: when it comes to value, a Pampas latte is still a good value. A Devout latte is roughly $6, while a Pampas latte is $4.75. If a Devout latte is 6 star taste, a Pampas latte is roughly a 4.75 star taste. Therefore, the value is still the same, and a much better value than some of the other coffee shops around. For example, Cafe 4 and Rumi Cafe both have reasonably good latte's almost as good as Pampas, still nothing compared to Devout. However, Rumi's Cafe is $6. Cafe 4 is either $5 or $5.5.
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.
Luis F.
Your place for the best Argentinian empanadas. A very relaxing and quiet space with music too! They also have beer and wine.
Danny Tran
Wow, everything here was so good. The food, espresso, service and decor was top notch. Perfect find before going out to a round of golf up the hill.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Inder B.
These are amazing Argentinian empanadas. The variety is wonderful. I personally like the sweet potato empanadas and the mushroom empanadas. They have these really cute little marks on the corners of each of the empanadas so you know which one is which. The service is very nice. These guys used to be in Castro Valley at a little hole in the wall but now they have this café by Trader Joe's. Great service and now.
Kat H.
I've been going for a few years now, and wow they have grown into their new location. still the best empanadas I've had! I've tried all their flavors and like them all, but my favorite is the chicken, very savory and the right balance. For dessert I love to get the apple empanadas to eat after dinner, so delicious. I'm so happy that they have been growing, and the new location is a perfect place to sit, relax, drink coffee (or alcohol) and empanadas. The team/service is always friendly as well
This place is great, they got nice coffee and really good empanadas, The staff is friendly and service is fast. A must try if you are in the area. They offer non-dairy alternatives for your drinks. Parking can be challenging, but that's almost expected since it's next to trader Joe's.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Breakfast, Mushroom Empanadas
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.
I was next door at stress free auto and noticed this was the closest place to hang out while my car got finished. The place is super clean. I asked the gentleman in front for recommendations, and he suggested I try the fugazetta and beef empanadas. OMG soooo good. The coffee was good. During my stay, I noticed the female worker bought a fresh flowers and was restocking the roses on each table. I love the attention to detail. Thank you and wish you all the best of luck!
Hot empanadas on a rainy afternoon after some grocery shopping! What a way to start off a relaxing weekend. Tucked beside Trader Joe's is the coveted Pampas Cafe, serving up Argentinian specialties, coffee, and a selection of beers on tap. Of their different empanadas, I ordered the chorizo and breakfast. It was around 1pm Saturday that they were already sold out of a few, including the chicken and beef. The chorizo was so flavorful and seasoned. Although, it was a bit on the salty side and very similar to Italian sausage than chorizo. The breakfast empanada was generously filled with scrambled eggs and would've been even better with some Cholula. The baked empanada dough itself was incredibly buttery and thick with a flakey outer crust. These hot pockets make it impossible to wait to eat them. The vibe inside the cafe is very cozy and has plenty of tables. They also have artwork displayed in the cafe that's for sale.
A little trip to Argentina!! Food -- empanadas were warm, crispy, gooey, and full of flavor! Big but not too big. We had it for brunch, and each person was satisfied with 2 per person. Also, each empanada has an initial of what's in the empanada so that if your party orders a ton, you can know by the initial (and the initials are on the to-go menu) for what's inside them! Coffee -- yummy!! We had an iced latte and it was perfectly creamy and had strong espresso Service -- so sweet, and so fast! They were incredibly helpful and kind with our questions, and worked hard to make the wait as short as possible. Ambiance -- cute tucked in a corner coffee shop. There is a community piano there that someone happened to be playing and singing a song for tips, and it was quite lovely. The inside was packed and buzzing with happy customers!
I found this cozy spot recently and it completely blew my mind! The coffee here? Absolutely the best I've ever had. No kidding, it's like a hug in a cup – so rich and smooth, I couldn't get enough of it. And don't even get me started on their mushroom empanada. I mean, I've had empanadas before, but this was on another level. Crispy on the outside, insanely flavorful and juicy on the inside... it's literally to die for. Seriously, if you're around, you've gotta check this place out. The coffee and empanadas combo here is a game changer!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Empanadas
I forgot to take a picture of the empanadas because they were so good I couldn’t stop ? got the ham and cheese and the breakfast empanada - SO GOOD! Soft on the outside and warm in the center. They also sell alfajores and they were perfect! Got a hot and cold latte and they were both perfect ? it’s right next to Trader Joe’s so I’ll be hitting this spot before every shopping spree!EDIT: Went back and grabbed some pictures to add to my review!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Empanadas, Iced Latte, Ham & Cheese, Breakfast, Ham and Cheese Empanada
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.
love this
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pampas Cafe at their new location next to Trader Joe's has a great atmosphere, more space, great empanadas, and reasonably good drinks. Most of their staff is also friendly, and service is reasonably fast. However, after taking careful note of the actual taste of the coffee, I've come to realize that Pampas coffee tastes a bit burnt. I got a standard latte, and compared to a standard latte at Devout Coffee. Pampas Latte did the micro-foam fairly well, and the latte art was beautiful. However, the actual taste of the espresso was burnt. Meanwhile, Devout coffee did the micro foam better, silky-smooth and creamy. Further, Devout espresso was amazingly good, light and mild, while still retaining a distinctive coffee flavor. To be clear, Pampas coffee is still the second-best coffee in Castro Valley, but Devout Coffee blows all competition out of the water. It's a shame Devout Coffee is shutting down business. Castro Valley is losing the best coffee they ever had. Now Castro Valley will only have burnt and second-class coffee. Note: when it comes to value, a Pampas latte is still a good value. A Devout latte is roughly $6, while a Pampas latte is $4.75. If a Devout latte is 6 star taste, a Pampas latte is roughly a 4.75 star taste. Therefore, the value is still the same, and a much better value than some of the other coffee shops around. For example, Cafe 4 and Rumi Cafe both have reasonably good latte's almost as good as Pampas, still nothing compared to Devout. However, Rumi's Cafe is $6. Cafe 4 is either $5 or $5.5.
Restaurantji Recommends
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.
Your place for the best Argentinian empanadas. A very relaxing and quiet space with music too! They also have beer and wine.
Wow, everything here was so good. The food, espresso, service and decor was top notch. Perfect find before going out to a round of golf up the hill.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
These are amazing Argentinian empanadas. The variety is wonderful. I personally like the sweet potato empanadas and the mushroom empanadas. They have these really cute little marks on the corners of each of the empanadas so you know which one is which. The service is very nice. These guys used to be in Castro Valley at a little hole in the wall but now they have this café by Trader Joe's. Great service and now.
I've been going for a few years now, and wow they have grown into their new location. still the best empanadas I've had! I've tried all their flavors and like them all, but my favorite is the chicken, very savory and the right balance. For dessert I love to get the apple empanadas to eat after dinner, so delicious. I'm so happy that they have been growing, and the new location is a perfect place to sit, relax, drink coffee (or alcohol) and empanadas. The team/service is always friendly as well