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Bodi's Java Specialty Coffee House
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Restaurants Sandwiches Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches [Edit]
3803 E Castro Valley Blvd(at Nugget Canyon Dr)
Castro Valley, CA 94552
(510) 581-2634
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 6 am - 5 pm
Sat-Sun 7 am - 5 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
83 reviews for Bodi's Java Specialty Coffee House
Review Highlights
"The free wi-fi makes it a great place to study, but bring..."
(in 12 reviews)
"Breakfast sandwich/bagels are awesome."
(in 12 reviews)
"It had sun dried tomatoes and grilled eggplants."
(in 2 reviews)
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83 reviews in English
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Review from Sven S.
Hayward, CA
11/26/2011
Good coffee - good selections and decent breakfast snacks, bagels and egg sandwiches etc. The girls behind the counter are very nice and helpful.
A good place to hang out Sunday morning with my friend and shoot the breeze! -
Review from Nellie o.
Castro Valley, CA
12/18/2011
Bodi's was a life saver about five years ago when my toddler was running me ragged. Back then they had a nice play area in the back with a big comfy couch. I could grab a coffee and melt into the couch while the kiddo played with the train table.
Nowadays, I come here for coffee dates with friends. They make a nice mocha. The service is ok -- nothing to write home about -- sometimes I wish they were a bit friendlier. My only major issue is it always seems to be so hot -- maybe I'm just turning into an old lady? Who knows? but the last few times it was so warm that I was practically sweating and ended up sitting outside -- and let's face it, sitting outside of a strip mall in Castro Valley facing a parking lot just isn't all that great. -
Review from Cindy M.
Boring, OR
Updated - 9/24/2011
This place is great for meetings and studying. The staff AND the customers here are SUPPPPER NICE! ;D
The place is small, cozy and very clean!
I'm giving it 3 stars because the food was not great at all. I ordered a "TRE" which is like some kind of sandwich with sweet tomatoes, pesto, turkey, and etc etc and a caramel macchiato. Not a great food experience here, but if i ever needed to study and get out of the house, i would come back here and maybe, hopefully my second try will be better~ :P
FREE WI-FI YEAH!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/27/2011
This place is great for meetings and studying. The staff and just generally people who order drinks… Read more »
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Review from Robert W.
Hayward, CA
1/25/2012
Great java and staff! They also have some great salads as well.
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Review from Albie F.
1/1/2012
Great place to enjoy some wifi over a coffee and a pastry, especially if it's right after your workout at the nearby 24 Hour Fitness. I usually find myself gravitating toward one of their chai tea lattes and a fresh berry scone (these are the moist ones with real fruit and just enough sugar without going overboard). Bodi's is one of my two regular coffee shops in Castro Valley that I'll rotate between when I want to take advantage of working in a clean, friendly coffeeshop environment.
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Review from Gung K.
Castro Valley, CA
1/27/2012
Ordered a soy latte and less than half way thru - the soy milk was was coagulated. Now my stomach is making all kind of noises, can't be good. Probably won't be going back there anytime soon. So much for "friend don't let friend go to Starbucks" sign that they post. At least I've never gotten coagulated latte from Starbucks.
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Review from Krystal G.
San Francisco, CA
8/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Customer service is good. The owner of this establishment really shows how much she values her customers. I've memorized a few of the faces of some of the local customers that visit regularly.
The sandwiches are pretty tasty. There is also an interesting system of ordering a hot breakfast bagel. You get to mix/match 3 different items into one bagel.
Bodi's also offers a variety of coffee flavors.. from a "Milky Way" latte to a "Cupcake" latte, along with your basic espresso and coffee drinks. My only gripe is that the espresso/coffee taste gets lost in all that sugar flavoring and milk. If you want a stronger cup of coffee, I suggest ordering an extra shot in your regular sized drink. -
Review from Erika E.
Lafayette, CA
9/22/2011
My son and I absolutely love this cafe. They have the best sandwiches. We brought my husband here, but he did not like the fact that they did not have mustard. I still like the place. It's not over prize like most delis and the food is really good. We usually add things to our sandwiches and they make it perfect.
I love the their TRE lots. -
Review from Japen G.
Anaheim, CA
I had a pretty good experience!
This is a small cafe with some good choices on food. They offer breakfast sandwiches and lunch sandwiches.
I wanted to go healthy... somewhat and ordered the Tomato with Eggplant sandwich. It had sun dried tomatoes and grilled eggplants. It was quite tasty but the size was pretty large.
Their coffee was actually pretty good. Something that I didn't expect. I tend to be biased towards Starbucks. They had a Iced Vanilla Latte with Soy.
The service was very quick. Our food came out less than 5 minutes. I was impressed.
Good place to hang out as they had plenty of seating area. -
Review from Casey S.
I thought this place was the one-stop shop for a cup of brew, and it still is...provided you get your order to go.
While the coffee is as good as ever, the dirty dishes all over the back tables and the spotty Wi-Fi (with ads!) make me reconsider my love for the little local shop on the hill.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/23/2010
To me, a coffeeshop needs to have three things: great coffee, free wi-fi and (most importantly), a… Read more »
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Review from Ashlee J.
1/31/2011
Came in to get a cup of coffee. Nothing fancy just a regular cup. It was OK. The gal behind the counter smiled & seemed personable but was rushed & preoccupied with something else. The atmosphere was OK. They had tables throughout & couches in the back. There were some bins with toys but the toys were pretty picked over. I would bring my toddler here if they added something other than Lego's to the bins.
There is free WiFi & they serve food. I didn't eat anything but it looked like they had a good selection. I noticed they had several Valentine's Day specialty drinks that sounded delicious (& caloric). The Tiramisu Latte was calling my name. I need to get a good workout in before I consume that so I will be back another day after I hit the gym. -
Review from Kelly M.
Hayward, CA
9/30/2011
Great little place with lots to offer. If you are looking to get out of the usual Starbuck scene I highly recommend Bodi's Java. They make some great food fresh made to order, and their coffe and tea selection is great as well.
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Review from Robert P.
Livermore, CA
1/4/2011
Just came here to get some work done with their free wifi. I like their location, atmosphere, and the free wifi. They also have plenty of tables to work at, which is a huge plus.
The negative is what they are serving. I had an iced tea which tasted horrible (like plastic) -- I ended up throwing it away. And whatever they were cooking in the kitchen smelled awful (boiling vinegar?) -
Review from Carolyn B.
Castro Valley, CA
3/25/2011
I used to like this place, but the last two times, I left without drinking more than a couple sips of my coffee.
Their coffee used to be inconsistent. Now, it's just consistently bad. Really, really acidic and foul-tasting, and the soy milk turns to tofu the second it hits the coffee, even when steamed.
Their scones are good, and they make some nice sandwiches. But it's a coffeehouse, and their coffee sucks. -
Review from Karen W.
9/22/2010
Very friendly staff, good soy chai lattes, great paninis, and wonderful cafe setting.
I've lived in Castro Valley for almost all my life and it wasn't until a few months ago that I discovered this hidden gem in the 580 market plaza. Always knew it was there in the corner, but never thought to give it a try. Who knew there was a place like this in CV? -
Review from Julie J.
Hayward, CA
6/27/2011
The taste of their espresso drinks are so original. If you're tired of the taste of Starbucks every day then come here! They also have a few different types of snacks and foods on the menu like sandwiches, bagels, salads, etc.
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Review from Jason P.
Oakland, CA
7/13/2011
Bomb coffee, friendly employees, comfortable seating, convenient location... What's not to like?
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Review from Westyn N.
Oakland, CA
8/4/2011
Great drinks and snacks. Very friendly owners. Fair prices.
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Review from Louisa T.
7/29/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Lived here all my life & tried it for the first time this past weekend! This a fairly nice coffee shop with a good amount of seating. It's a good place to grab a cup of coffee, and have a casual conversation with friends. I would recommend this place to coffee drinkers that have more if a sweet tooth, or enjoys the blended coffee drinks more.
I ordered a snicker mocha which tasted nothing like a snicker bar, but was quite tasty nonetheless. I also tried my sister's caramel macciato which was yummy as well. Like I said, good place to hang out and grab sweeter coffee drinks. -
Review from DANNY B.
San Francisco, CA
10/11/2010 1 photo
I'll keep this simple.
The coffee was just ok -
Review from cat k.
San Francisco, CA
5/16/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Conveniently located by Safeway and off of 580, is this cute little coffee shop in a sleepy party of Castro Valley. The owner is very friendly and nice and suggested that I order the Vanilla Latte Frap. It was tasty and good! Thanks for the great service!
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Review from Cortney M.
San Leandro, CA
9/29/2010
Pros: atmosphere, free wifi, good for kids, clean bathrooms, friendly staff, lots of different kinds of drinks, breakfast bagels, supports community events and businesses, decent prices for drinks
Cons: almost every mocha, latte, cappuccino, and other mixed drink here is made with some sort of powder mix, the sandwiches are pretty expensive for what you get, and the biggest complaint of all, no DRINK STOPPERS for when you take drinks to go (like the ones at Starbucks)! It drives me crazy. I hate buying drinks in large quantities for other people because it spills all over my car. They give you a piece of scotch tape, but it really doesn't help. Please get drinks stoppers, and I will be much more likely to buy more drinks to go! -
Review from Tracey F.
Dublin, CA
6/12/2011
I may have a new favorite smoothie. The Tango Berry was yummmm. Plus, it was a great space to sit with a friend and her baby girl - it was quiet enough that we were able to spread out over the coffee table and work on some projects. The staff was friendly but the kid's book section looked like it needed a good weeding.
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Review from Gregory H.
Castro Valley, CA
4/2/2009
I've been here about 3-4 times in the morning, always getting a medium cup of coffee and sometimes a pastry. The coffee tasted decent, a little burnt but overall worth the price.
Inside, its a great atmosphere. It's obvious that a lot of people come here to meet up and chat, the cashiers and the owner are friendly, and the decor makes it easy to relax.
The free wi-fi makes it a great place to study, but bring headphones! Bodi's can fill up quickly in the mornings towards lunchtime, and it can get pretty distracting.
Overall, its a good place to relax, study, or just grab a quick cup of coffee. I'll definitely be studying around here quite a bit. -
Review from Karen R.
Castro Valley, CA
1/6/2010
5.5 stars!
I can't believe I've never been here before! Had to meet up with someone here and was so impressed with the selection of coffee drinks and food. I ordered my usual Americano and it was so good! Much better than my daily bucks....
Also, for those with children, I read that there is a playspace for them!
Thankfully, now that I've been here, I will come again for a tasty coffee instead of a rushed put together one! -
Review from Linda M.
Hayward, CA
11/19/2006
Finally tried this place after reading Tasha's review a long time ago.
I was a little nervous about coming here at 10:30 on a Sunday morning. I figured with a kids section, it would be a zoo (like Zocalo's). I was pleasantly surprised! No lines. There were a few patrons but it was not crowded. The kids section was not as elaborate as Zocalo's, but was very comfortable with two leather couches, a beautiful fish tank, and a train table. The servers were very friendly! Actually, so were my fellow customers.
The only reason it lost a star was that the coffee was a bit strong for my wimpy tastes. If you like your coffee very dark, you may give it five!Listed in: Wait! Let me check Yelp.
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Review from Jeff H.
Castro Valley, CA
6/19/2008
This place is literally 5 minutes away from me (driving)...or I suppose I could tumble all the way down the hill, past some roadkill, over a few SUV's, through two intersections and a freeway onramp in my pj's at the crack of dawn given the cost of gas these days. Hmmm...
During the weekdays, I can see why the majority of customers are elderly retired gentlemen...the place is staffed by nothing but cute young girls. It's a conspiracy, I'm sure. It makes me smile watching the old guys try to flirt with the baristas, but the girls are friendly and enthusiastic and don't seem to mind. I'm always greeted with a smile and they never get my order wrong, despite it sometimes coming out sounding like nomnomdopmochahhh (yes, I say that with a cantonese inflection).
The espresso drinks used to be inconsistent at best (I think the shots went bad and the milk wasn't properly frothed), so I shied away from them for awhile in favor of a regular drip coffee wtih room. Now they seem to be much better--no matter who's making them--and worth a try. I don't go for any of the frou frou drinks so I can't comment on the frappes or snicker-oreo-twinkie-oompa-loompa-sugar-doodles but the other customers who order them seem to be in 7th heaven. Thank God there's a 24 Hr Fitness next door! Sometimes I just want to whisk those customers into the gym, but, alas, I blame Starbucks for the bastardization of coffee. This place is simply serving what the people want and doing it well.
There's a nice complement of food items--from cakes, cookies and scones to go with your coffee or tea, to mixed fruit and other munchies to suit your craving. I really enjoy their breakfast bagels: you get your choice of bagel and 3 items from the list on the board. Always a great choice for breakfast or brunch. They also offer 4 different signature panini style sandwiches served with a mixed green salad.
As others mentioned, there's a children's play area, 2 flat screen tv's (usually showing 2 different stations), and a fast (and reliable, imo) free wi-fi connection. The interior is modern and comfortable with ample parking in the lot in front and behind. And, I'm happy to report, the bathroom (there's only one) is always clean and fresh smelling...and that's important.
Thanks to the friendly service, consistent espresso drinks, tasty nibbles, and welcoming atmosphere, I'm glad to have Bodi's as my neighborhood coffee spot.Listed in: Every time I do it I do it for…, Java Joints
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Review from Linda C.
7/30/2007
How come I waited THIS long to review Bodi's?
A staple since the teenage years, and still going strong amongst the community. A wide variety of coffees, teas, specialty drinks, italian sodas and the like, and offers some food items and muffins. Has a nice magazine rack and comfortable seating. Even has an area in the back with two couches and a little play area for kids if you're a mom that wants to meet up with a friend...I think it has one tv for you to watch but the sound is off and if you're at a coffee shop you should be shooting the breeze not watchin the 'tube....
Free wifi for the laptop hounds, and a nice quiet place to study...too bad they're only open until 8. Keep this place open later, and I'm sure it'll be welcome! :) -
Review from Brittany H.
San Francisco, CA
12/13/2008
Best soy chai latte I've had to date.
That's all I got when I went there, but I'll be back. The baristas are friendly, it looks like a peaceful place to bring one's laptop too. Horrah! -
Review from Aivy C.
3/2/2009
I like Bodi's! My BFF and I stopped here on our way back to Hayward. It's a cute spot with tables up front, couches in the back and even some small chairs and Legos for little kids to play with. Free WiFi is always a plus. And the back door opens up to a view of the neighboring hills. Nice.
As for the coffee itself, I will have to probably go back and try something different. I had the snickers mocha and it tasted like a regular mocha. It wasn't bad, just wasn't what I was expecting and it was kinda lukewarm too. Reviewers seem to like the White Storm Mocha or regular coffee, which they describe as really strong so I will try those when I come back for sure. -
Review from Bob S.
Castro Valley, CA
6/2/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Great coffee, great food friendly happy staff, good place to start your day.
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Review from Wendy V.
Dublin, CA
Updated - 7/27/2009
Still my favorite coffee house of all time. The oreo mocha frost is of course still my drink of choice. The only reason I'm updating this review is because I have noticed that the "kids area" is decreasing in its toy selection every time I go there. Are they getting ready to chuck it all? I really hope not! My 2 year old likes to play with the blocks, legos, etc. while I have 5-10 minutes of peace and quiet so I can enjoy my drink.
Please, Bodi's.....don't get rid of the kids' stuff!!!Listed in: My all time favorite…
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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1/24/2009
still my favorite coffee shop of all time. The kid's area entertained my 18 month old son for 30… Read more »
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Review from Thea T.
San Leandro, CA
8/7/2009
What I like the most about Brodi's is their free WIFI feature. I also like the location, which is next to my husband's office. I'd sometimes camp out with my laptop in this coffee shop.
I like their cappuccino and their sandwiches -- I can't get enough of their turkey sandwich with sun-dried tomatoes! The staff are always smiling and very approachable; the place is clean, the people are friendly, the ambiance is relaxing and inviting, plus they have a small play area for kids, should you decide to bring your curious tots. -
Review from LaKeisha S.
Hayward, CA
5/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice environment and really hot water. Oh, and the restroom is outstanding! I almost felt as if I was at home :-)
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Review from Michael H.
Hayward, CA
5/5/2008
A wifi cafe very close to 4 stars.
This place looks a lot nicer in person, the Yelp pics don't do this place justice. Seating around 20-25, Bodi's also hosts a small children's area. There are several outdoor tables as well. The different forms of seating including an open booth with small tables, counter seating with high chairs, small table seating, and additional high chair table seating. I wouldn't recommend large groups as the seating is restricted to mainly 2-4 people.
The interior carries along a subtle feeling. The coffee house achieves a soothing effect through its stone tiled flooring and earthy color scheme. The design is not ambitious, yet it feels comfortable and has a local vibe to it.
Bodi's chalkboard menu is quite long. They have a bunch of drinks including some candy bar inspired ones. Food includes sandwiches, bagels, pound cakes, cookies, and additional baked goods.
I ordered a medium mocha ($3.05 including tax). The drink comes in a white paper cup with a map illustrated cup holder. The drink was good and was topped with some nice white foam. I wouldn't particularly order this again, but there is nothing bad to say about it.
The atmosphere can get get noisy as it seems to be contantly visited by regulars and locals. I often found myself unintentionally listening to loud conversations of middle-aged men about the most mundane of things, such as why coconut is not the best of flavors (not hating, just keep it down please). Blenders and customer chatter don't make this a great study area. Also, the seating isn't that comfortable for long periods due to the plastic seating with; however the booth is pretty soft.
In terms of wifi connection, I was surprised to find that the wifi is blazingly fast. After an hour, my connection became increasingly unstable. At first certain web pages couldn't pop up, then it became nearly impossible to surf. Long-term laptop users beware, there happens to be only one electrical outlet with two inputs. This is located near the front end of the booth where most of the traffic is.
Everything else being said, Bodi's is still a good place for casual conversations or quick snacks - I just won't go out of my way for its services. As of yet, they don't have a website up, but it's nice to know that they're working on one. -
Review from Lilly O.
San Mateo, CA
6/18/2007
Bodi's has a nice, comfortable atmosphere. The service was friendly and fast and the drinks have all been very good.
Although I don't have children and there haven't been any when I have gone, I like the children's area in the back. It is a nice touch.
Good for studying: Not really.
They do have WiFi now. The only couches are in the back in the children's area so I sat my ass down in a chair. It was not so comfortable after a while. Maybe I just need to start bringing my own seat cushions to these places if I want to study.
Plus, there are tons of regulars which is awesome, but not so cool when they're all yelling back and forth to each other and you're trying to read!
I'll be back for drinks definitely, but no education for me here. -
Review from Erick ..
Foster City, CA
9/22/2006
Super spaciously clean Castro Valley coffee shop. Definitely a Starbucks/Peete's alternative, not that there's anything wrong with the Berkeley/Seattle chains. Cappuccino tastes decent yet typical. They're also more than considerate to have a kiddie den at back.
Unfortunately, Bodi's doesn't have WiFi. Their calm establishment is ideal for some quiet study time and webtime. There "may be" an open hotspot or two nearby, and I'll leave that to your judgement or conscience or what have you. -
Review from Andrew L.
Oakland, CA
1/8/2009
I see myself spending a fair amount of time here in the future, considering that I'm contemplating moving to CV. This place has GREAT sandwiches. The #3 was excellent.
To Allison, it seems like they serve drinks in ceramic mugs.
Umm, not much else to say. They have wifi, a TV, a decent amount of seating, etc. etc.... It looked like they may have a cozy couch in the back but I didn't venture back there on my lunch break.
Edit 1/18: Went back with my boss on Friday. Ended up utilizing the couches in the back. Fruit smoothies were tasty but came from frozen packets of fruit and were too expensive. The sandwiches, especially the "TRE" are unbelievably good. I had a decaf mocha there the other day, and it was OK. -
Review from Brian D.
Oakland, CA
8/29/2007
Meh. Bodi's is so-so, more of a neighborhood haunt than a destination cafe.
They have some interesting drinks, like the Milky Way Mocha and the Snickers Mocha. The Mexican Mocha is pretty weak though; it's just a little cinnamon-flavored. I expected more spice.
Bodi's is next to Pyzano's, the world-famous (seriously!) pizzaria, owned by Tony Gemignani (I think that is how you spell his name). He't the guy on the Food Network you see every so often doing pizza-throwing acrobatics. -
Review from Tiffany M.
Union City, CA
2/23/2009
I'll actually want to give this place a 3.5 star rating.
Bodi's is cute, in the PetCo plaza you see along 580. My boyfriend and I ordered there Grilled Sandwiches which were about $5.25* each.
[The DUO]
Ham, mozzarella cheese, sun dried tomatoes, pesto sauce on dutch crunch.
[The TRE]
same as the DUO but with sliced turkey and parmasian cheese.
*As for the SERVING SIZES for these sandwiches, I wasn't too pleased. The quality of the sandwiches were great and tasteful, but the sizes were very disappointing. I'd suggest getting chips if you want to get full.
Free WiFi, friendly service, I'll give Bodi's another try...
