Friday, August 5th

I know most people talk only about how great San Francisco's coffee scene is, the East Bay has some really superb coffee shops as well.  And a trip to the East Bay, means a trip to one of my favorites (and one of the first amazing coffee shops I spotted here): Cafe 4.

Cafe 4 is kind of hidden but it's a place worth tracking down and going to. I had a really busy day of work and then a busy day of driving basically all over the Peninsula, South, and the East Bay.  But after having just one sip of my sweetened almond milk latte, my mood completely changed and I was in awe at how delicious the latte tasted.

Regarding taste and espresso quality, there is no comparison. This place rocks! I like their espresso because it's strong and full-bodied.  Um...and hello, they use Verve coffee and espresso, and Verve is one of the best.  I could get an almond milk latte here without the sugar (it tastes really good plain as well), but I like how they have their own natural coconut sugar that they blend into the latte; it compliments their espresso quite well. 

Now, another great part about this place is that it's kind of hidden...I don't know anything about Castro Valley, other than I drive in and out of it to get to other places OR I come for Cafe 4, but it's up on a hill attached to a church. When I found this place on Yelp (and it is 4.5 stars on there), I was intrigued but also wondered if I could come in for coffee without going to the church festivities.And my answer is, for sure!  Every time I come here, the place is packed, and I am not shocked by this. The coffee shop is ginormous, bright, airy, and not very loud. You can come here for great conversation, to get work done, or to sit outside on their patio for some sunshine. Cafe 4 is also very clean; and considering how big the place is, they do a good job maintaining it.

The baristas are always super friendly.  Their latte art is usually very good but yesterday, it was definitely non-existent haha.  Honestly, their lattes are so good that I don't even care if there is latte art or not here (and this is a big deal for me).

Overall: 5/5

Again, I am not one for driving to the East Bay but the coffee scene is amazing and whenever I am near Castro Valley, you better believe I'll be stopping by Cafe 4. Go here, now!