Cafe 4 - Castro Valley, California

James Parrish

The coffee is from Verve, which in my experience is as much about surfing and Santa Cruz as it is also quietly about Jesus and more vocally about good coffee. There are a handful of quietly faithful based roasters like Verve, Temple, Land and Water, and Devout. All them follow in the evangelical tradition of taking counter cultural trends and converting them into deeply religiously tied expressions of that thing while simultaneously becoming done of the best versions of that thing; think hippie congregations in the 60's and 70's, hard-core bands in the 2000's, and coffee houses in the twenty-aughts. The coffee is great, and the people are kind. There's a beautiful view. The only caveat I would add is that your purchases are likely feeding into a mega church that may have differing values or beliefs from yours. At this point in late stage capitalism, you are likely better giving a group of religious folks your dollar that you don't agree with than a large corporate chain who supposedly support the same humanist values you do because ultimately these films give back to their local communities, and the corporations only give to their shareholders.

The only true downside is the atmosphere: it is akin to a lunch hall cafe on a large college campus. There is plenty of room, lots of tables, but if you are not part of the campus or community, it can feel alien and isolating.

Really cool view though.

Jay M

Walked in on a Thursday morning, packed! Not a seat available! Think collage library centered around a coffee shop. Baristas were great, coffee was great and those East Bay views. Will be coming back!

Doug Bourne

Overall good but not outstanding - other than service, which was excellent. To be fair, I went on a Sunday morning which is probably not the best time. Brew coffee was non-offensive. Aero-press unavailable on Sundays. Pastries were pleasant - not the best I've ever had, but nice. Good lemon scone and Cinnamon roll was decent. I'd recommend on a weekday if you are in the area.

Chris Pagniello

I must begin by saying I have a little bias, Cafe 4 is part of 3 Crosses Church, and as a pastor myself I love churches. That said, whether you are a person of faith or not, this is a fantastic place to have coffee or tea, study or connect with friends or co-workers. Just a great environment. There are many baked goods also. Would highly recommend.

Dima Karpenko

This place doesn’t disappoint!!! The working crews were all kind and friendly. Very comfortable outdoor and indoor seating. Wide selection of drinks and treats. My cappuccino here is perfect every time. I would highly recommend Cafe 4 Coffee! Also, check out their books 📚 section 🙂

Pamela Hancock

What a great church with a safe cafe to work in if you want a warm drink or snack. They have ice skating during the winter holidays with plenty of fun things to do there's a free Choo Choo train Christmas lights vendors and food. I'm sure they have many other special events. I want to make it to the services, but they are at 9 and 11 am on Sunday, and I am working at that time.

V Tancredi

Cafe 4 is fantastic for sitting and doing some work or even meeting with a small group.

Huge expansive space with massive ceilings and plenty of seating in the foyer of the church.

It's located at the iconic 3 crosses church near 238 and 580, so most people in the area have probably driven past it at some point.

The cafe has a few nice drinks and some pastries served at room temperature. They do not have a microwave as they have told me numerous times 🙂

Bathroom on on site and plenty of free parking outside. Located very close to the intersection of 238 and 580, somewhat close to the castro valley downtown area.

Edison D

The best coffee in Castro Valley and surrounding area. They make their own almond milk which is what I usually substitute the milk with my lattes. Wish I was still working remotely as this is a great place to work or study while having delicious coffee. They have free WiFi and plenty of tables/chairs and power outlets. It can get pretty packed though but if you get there early enough you shouldn’t have any problems finding a cozy spot. Parking is a plenty. The only time I would avoid if you’re just going for coffee is Sunday around noon time when mass gets out. It can be pretty crowded and one of the parishioners slammed their truck door into my car 🫤