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- Hours:
Tue-Sat 10 am - 6 pm
Sun 11 am - 5 pm
- Price Range:
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$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
711 reviews for Love At First Bite
Review Highlights
"Red Velvet- MUST MUST must absolute must try."
(in 322 reviews)
"or go anti-oxident & give the matcha green tea a whirl."
(in 82 reviews)
"The cupcakes are hand-made and delicious."
(in 569 reviews)
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711 reviews in English
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Review from Jessica S.
Castro Valley, CA
1/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
i love this place! I used to go often.. but haven't gone since I went away for college. But I went again and it is just as great as I remembered. I love their red velvet cupcakes and the matcha green tea. My favorite is the Hummingbird. I'm not sure what I feel about the Pretty in Pink... its too sweet and tastes ALMOST like it was made from the boxes.... but everything else is so good.
unlike sprinkles... the frosting isn't overbearing. They have just the right amount of cake and frosting.
Hope I can visit more often :) -
Review from Frantascia P.
Oakland, CA
2/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Meh.... I am going to have to channel my inner "Florian from Cupcake Wars meets East Oakland" for this one.
Got the lemon pistachio and peanut butter cakes. The lemon pistachio one was Sahara dry. Had some funky citrusy taste. Didn't taste errrrr' pistachio.... I just didn't like it.
Moving on to the peanut butter cup. Texture wise, it had a little bit more moisture. Not due to any moist chocolate cuz I couldn't taste any! It was a'ight....
Both tasted mostly of frosting and not cake.
Love the location .... but I would hold out for Wednesday nights when the Cupkates truck is at OTG around the corner. -
Review from Joanna L.
San Rafael, CA
1/25/2012
Their shop is adorable! Super inviting and staffed by very friendly folks. I could have lingered for awhile and just gazed at the lovely cupcakes displayed in the case; every single one of them looked so appealing. The bakery also sells little trinkets that are fun to look at- check out the jar of buttons at the cash register. This place is just cute and quirky.
But let's get to the goods. You want to know how it tastes, if it really was love at first bite. Sadly, no. I had the PB Affair ($2.95 for a standard size cupcake): devil's food chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream and a garnish of Reese's peanut butter cup. I'm always looking at the cake to frosting ratio and this was a bit heavy in the frosting department- I couldn't really taste the cake. But the cake was kind of dry and crumbled apart after the first couple bites. Like, the bottom of the cake actually fell off. So the ability to taste the cake wasn't really necessary in this case. In addition, the peanut butter buttercream was too peanut buttery. I was getting that sticky feeling in my mouth and needed to wash it all down with some water.
But, hey, maybe the other flavors are better. -
Review from Virginia D.
El Cerrito, CA
1/14/2012
props for having at least 2 vegan cupcakes a day. have to say I am not a huge fan of the chocolate, but I do appreciate the effort :) the gingerbread is AMAZING.
nice that they have the mini cupcakes, so I can have a little treat & not feel too guilty about it.
they have cute random tchotchkes, too-- eBoo games, old fashioned candy, funny buttons, etc. -
Review from Jacqueline H.
Diamond Bar, CA
Cupcakes are really good! I only tried the red velvet and it was delicious, but my friends tried the mud pie and the coconut, which they all loved. This is a great dessert place to go try out and the atmosphere it great too. The staff was very friendly and offered recommendations and the store was really adorable, with great decorations. Must try!
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Review from Tiff K.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
My friend and I tried the red velvet, lemon pistachio, and chocolate. I had high hopes for this place, given all the positive reviews, and was especially looking forward to the lemon pistachio.
Unfortunately, all the cakes were pretty dry, especially the red velvet - we both tried one bite of it and wasn't interested in any more. The chocolate was the only one that was at least half way decent, although I thought the frosting was a little too sweet. At least the cake was more moist compared to the other 2 that it didn't crumble completely upon cutting it.
The shop itself is pretty cute, and they have some other random merchandise for sale that's fun to look at, including a "Cupcake Game." They offer both regular and mini size cupcakes, and pricing is decent. -
Review from m q.
El Cerrito, CA
1/30/2012
Yes, Virginia D! This place is good, and the vegan cupcakes are pretty yummy. I love the matcha ones and the red velvet though. I was bummed they were not open for my son's birthday party (dec. 29) but everyone's gotta have vacation some time! For those of you who need cupcakes when Love at First Bite is not open (or just a good contender to try), contact Braxton's Boxes (no storefront, they cater).
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Review from Aralyn A.
San Pablo, CA
1/10/2012
I felt dirty and guilty walking into this place. That has nothing to do with the shop itself, the shop is cute as a button (and they sell cute buttons!) I felt dirty and guilty because I was cheating on my all time favorite cupcake shop, Teacake Bakeshop. I was scared I would love it more.
I didn't. But that isn't to say the cupcakes aren't good! I had a lemon cupcake and my boyfriend had the strawberry. Both were delicious! I think I was just a bit disappointed because I'm not sure if they were good enough to keep me coming back. I think I would only come if Teacake didn't have the flavors I want that day.
Aside from my bias, the shop is too cute. They have a cute display for their cupcakes and they sell Izzie sodas and these cute little button pin things for 99 cents! My boyfriend bought one with a picture of a basket that said case underneath. Cute :)
Anywhoo, nice shop. Yummy cupcakes. Second choice shop. -
Review from Grace L.
Berkeley, CA
1/5/2012
SO many choices! tried the matcha green tea, PB affaire and the mud pie! the cupcakes are very flavorful and delicious, but the cake was a little dry and the frosting was too too sweet.
The green tea was by far my favorite, the matcha flavor was abundant but not overly bitter. I just with the cake was fluffier and softer. -
Review from Joshua C.
12/20/2011
Green Tea Cupcake
Put it in your mouth
Thank me later -
Review from Betty T.
Berkeley, CA
1/11/2012
Moist moist cupcakes... I love the smooth buttery icing (unlike the whip cream ones on many cheap cupcakes)... Can't go wrong with the black and white cupcake!!! The strawberry one is also good. Peanut butter cupcakes are a tad too sweet though..
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Review from Samantha S.
San Leandro, CA
Updated - 12/15/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Here's my update, I came back to Love at First Bite and got a match green tea cupcake!!! Whoo!!! This experience was completely different from my first time here.
The match cupcake was moist and embodied the essence of green tea. Honestly my favorite part was the frosting. It was super light. I also got another pretty in pink, hummingbird, and red velvet. Pretty in pink was on point, just like the first time. The hummingbird reminded me of a cake my mom loves to make, so there was a little connection. The one thing I didn't like about the hummingbird was the frosting, but that's because I'm not the biggest fan of cream cheese frosting. The red velvet is what I would expect it to be, but I'm also not a red velvet expert.
The good thing about this visit, all of the cupcakes were moist! And moist cupcakes are a huge contributing factor to enjoyable cupcakes! I can't wait to go back and get another matcha green tea cupcake and pretty in pink, my go to cupcakes. :)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/30/2011
I came here on a Sunday with a friend, and we were both really excited. Once we found the place… Read more »
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Review from N Family N.
San Ramon, CA
It's pricey but what yummy cookies and cupcakes they have. I especially recommend the peanut butter chocolate chip cookie. The chocolate chip cookie looks great but the other one tastes better.
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Review from Lu E.
11/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yep. this place is the business right here.
I started off with a mini vanilla cupcake. It was tasty---I measure most cupcakeries by their mastery or lack thereof of the vanilla cupcake. It's a simple cake that is SO easy to mess up! The cake at L@FB was moist and tasty and the frosting was a nice even buttercream with a good amount of sweetness and vanilla flavor.
I continued on my merry way and then about 2 hours later I returned to buy 4 more regular sized cupcakes. I have issues.
Here's what I got:
Vanilla/Vanilla (because I just couldn't get enough the first time)
Hummingbird: Which is one of my new favorite cakes in general and I was so excited to see it there. It turned out to be quite tasty too--a nice amount of banana and pineapple and a really divine cream cheese icing.
Lemon with Pistachio buttercream: This one I have mixed motions on this one. I liked the lemon cake, but i thought it was a little dry, and I am not sure I even liked the pistachio in the frosting--it made for a really sweet flavor that I wouldn't get again.
Coconut with coconut icing: this one was pretty good. I liked the coconut cake but the icing was just ok. Disclaimer: I ate this one the day after I bought it, so it might have been better if it was fresher.
However with all that being said, I would totally come back. I love the open kitchen where you can see all these little creations being made. Reminds me a lot of Billy's bakery in NYC which I adore.
MMM. CUPCAKES. -
Review from Alyssa A.
Bakersfield, CA
11/17/2011
First off, I'm an avid baker and cupcake maker - so I'm always scoping out cupcakes wherever we go! This is actually one of the few places I would try to go again to try more flavors, the cupcakes were really fantastic; the cake was the perfect consistency, and the frosting wasn't overly sweet like 90% of the place I've tried. The prices were right as well - less than $3 per cupcake.
We tried the Red Velvet, PB Affair, Coconut, & Sweet Potato. Out of those, the coconut and sweet potato stood out the most, but again, they were all good.
The only complaint I'd have is that this place was super small and there were a couple small groups of people in there, and the way the shop is set up leaves you hardly any room to look around. The girls are also walking around with a tray to help you pick out what you want, so that adds to the tight fit. That would never stop me from visiting again, though! -
Review from Nicole G.
Richmond, CA
1/15/2012
I had these yummy cupcakes for the second time today. The first time I had specifically gone out of my way to find this very small, tucked away bakery. Neither time have I been disappointed. The bakery features excellent, standard flavor cupcakes. Clearly they use great ingredients because they are super light, fluffy and moist. Well worth seeking out their off the beaten path location!
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Review from Tori S.
Irvine, CA
12/10/2011
This review is all about their green tea cupcake. I found this little joint for the first time in college and tried this jem of a store way back when. I remember being very impressed with the fact that they had a green tea cupcake. Now, I am quite particular about my matcha green tea foods and that includes matcha green tea bobas, cookies, bread, cakes, you name it. So when I got their green tea cupcake, there was a high standard to live up to. Which begs the question, does it?
And the answer? Certainly. I've tried to make matcha green tea cupcakes before and it's a lot harder than you think to get enough matcha flavor while at the same time making it fluffy. So props to them. Also, I'm not a big fan of frosting but their matcha green tea frosting is delicious! It's finger-licking good! I think their frosting has some lemon squeezed in it bc it's a bit tart, which gives it a fresh kick in the tastebuds. -
Review from Captaine s.
Berkeley, CA
1/30/2012
Cupcakes are a stupid fad that will be gone in a couple of years. However, LFB's rugelach should live for millenia. They are that good. Four stars because they don't make more non-cupcake stuff. A waste of their magical talents.
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Review from Earlene C.
East Bay, CA
Ohhh mmmm geee! Yes you will truly fall in love!
With one bite of the Green Tea, I was weak in the knees!! *swoon*
Thanks to EL. B I would have never discovered this hidden treasure nestled in a random cozy plaza in Berkeley.
We also tried the Coconut, Oreo and Strawberry. All were tasty... but I pick bachelor #1 - Green Tea! -
Review from Kathleen M.
Hercules, CA
11/19/2011
Found this place on yelp & boy, was I happy with my decision to give this place a try. The cupcakes are just absolutely delicious! They are so moist & just the perfect amount of sweetness. What's awesome is that the cupcakes still taste fresh even after 2 days (note: you'll need to leave it in the container away from any heat i.e. stove). This is something I can't say about about bakeries like Teacake & Kara's.
I think the prices are reasonale (~$2.75/each). Also, they deliver ($15 fee, if local). I have been telling everyone about this place... My new favorite spot! -
Review from eryn l.
Oakland, CA
11/23/2011
This little cupcakery is unpretentious and charming. My boyfriend and I got the Mudpie, Pretty in Pink, and Cookies and Cream. The strawberry frosting on the Pretty in Pink was hands down the best frosting I've ever had, and I've had alot of cupcakes.
My one tip would be a bit of branding. Maybe a pretty sticker with the name on the otherwise white cupcake box?
And the hip hop playing in the store didn't exactly make me think of delicious cupcakes...
I'll be back for the strawberry frosting! -
Review from Amber B.
Oakland, CA
11/10/2011
Because I love cupcakes, and these are some of the best cupcakes I've ever had. I've currently only tried the green tea and lemon pistachio cupcakes, but both of them were absolutely fantastic. I will try more!
I love that this place holds true to its name. :) -
Review from Rose A.
10/16/2011 1 photo
Ehh...these cupcakes are just OK. They had maybe at least a dozen different flavors available and they seemed promising but the flavors didn't impress me much.
I was excited to try the Matcha Green Tea but it just tasted weird (and I drink plain green tea daily). The Lemon Pistachio cake faintly tasted of lemon or pistachio but the cake was pretty moist. The Peanut Butter cup was probably my least favorite. The cake was almost too moist - kinda stuck to the roof of my mouth.
The best tasting of the 4 I tried was the Hummingbird. The cake was moist, I'm sure from having pineapple in it. I liked the texture from the nuts mixed in the cake. But the cupcake overall was a bit too sweet.
I do like the candy flowers that they decorated the Matcha Green Tea and Hummingbird cupcakes with. They weren't too sweet & were soft enough to be a little crunchy. -
Review from Carol L.
Oakland, CA
11/8/2011
I haven't been here in a while but the last time I came, I remember the cupcakes being deliciousssssss and I've been wanting to come back.
So goooood. Go go go. It's as good as it gets around here! You'll be seeing me there soon! -
Review from Mike L.
Great cupcakes.
- Good size (they also had the miniature/bite size ones, but I'm not as much of a fan of those)
- Decent price
- Good variety of flavors (red velvet, oreo, lemon, carrot, etc.)
Brought them to a dinner party for dessert, they were a hit. -
Review from Beverly F.
Fremont, CA
12/14/2011 2 Check-ins Here
WOWie! They live up to their name. I have tried many different flavors and they are all good. I had their sweet potato cupcake and it was moist cakey sweet potato goodness with marshmallow-like frosting and literally it was the icing on top of the cake or should I say more like the icing on top of the icing. I saved the walnut last which was a nice sweet crunchy glazed walnut. OMFG! You need to try this before the season ends. I am assuming it's a seasonal cupcake. It reminds me of candied yams.
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Review from Kathryn W.
Redondo Beach, CA
12/19/2011
We were celebrating a birthday up in the Berkeley area and driving up from Redondo Beach - so I decided to order cupcakes from Love At First Bite. A friend who lives in Berkeley suggested them. The woman I spoke with on the phone was so kind & sweet and made putting in an order super easy! The prices were great. When I saw the finished product, I definitely was impressed. The only thing I would deduct points for is that the cupcakes tasted a bit dry. I prefer a moist cupcake - but the icing alone was worth the price - delicious!
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Review from Jennifer H.
Berkeley, CA
10/25/2011
The frosting was light and the cupcake was moist - that seems to be what I think of when it comes to a cupcake. They had a wide variety of choices. I got the cookies and cream cupcake and it was very tasty. I could imagine finding myself in there again in the future.
I'm hoping the peanut butter cup cupcake I brought home is just as good. -
Review from Alicia y.
Berkeley, CA
12/23/2011
We came home today to find another delivery of utterly decadent and delicious cupcakes from Love At First Bite! We have been thoroughly spoiled on different occasions by some very thoughtful and generous friends overseas.
They are presented so stylishly, and each flavor is truly delicious (she says, wiping off the crumbs of evidence). Red Velvet, Pistachio, Cookies and Cream and many others - each one is so good, and the frosting is heavenly.
Pat is lovely, and her warmth just rounds off the experience. This is a quality product, from a gem of a store. Whether you're after a gift, something to take to a dinner party...or just to spoil yourself, I'd suggest that you hotfoot it over. -
Review from Briget P.
11/23/2011
Definitely love at first bite! I tried their red velvet and it is perfectly moist, not too sweet as most are, and the icing was divine. You want to eat it slow just to savor every bite! I was super bummed that we came late and they ran out of Green Tea cupcakes. Can't wait to try that on my next visit!
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Review from Emily E.
Richmond, CA
10/15/2011
Food Network has a TV show called Cupcake Wars....big surprise that I decided that I was hungry for cupcakes. I stopped in this little shop. It's in the Walnut Square shopping area in the Gourmet Ghetto. Parking is not too bad there for Berkeley.
The flavors are unique and amazing and the presentation is cute. I got 6: 2 of the matcha, 1 of the mudcake, 1 of the pretty in pink, 1 of the southern pecan, and 1 lemon pistachio. The staff is very friendly, there's no pretentiousness at this bakery. Prices are reasonable as well but you will be paying around $3 per cupcake. You can also order ahead, this would be a good place to get a dozen and serve at an office meeting.
I had one of my cupcakes this afternoon with a cup of Philz coffee, and I was in heaven!
It's also fun just to walk by and see what everyone is eating. I saw a kid today licking the icing of his cupcake, and it fell all over his shirt. But he was so happy he just giggled, so cute. -
Review from Anita C.
Rockville, MD
9/6/2011 1 photo
My favorite cupcake here is the green tea one. Not too sweet and pretty moist. Cupcakes are $2.75 each.
Personally, I love Cupkates much more, but sometimes the mobile cupcake truck is just too difficult to track. Cupkates' frosting is lighter and has a more "whipped" consistency, while this one is more akin to traditional cake frosting.
However, the flavor is the green tea is surprisingly light and delicious. The red velvet was a little too sweet for my liking. Go for the green tea :) -
Review from Yiyi C.
Berkeley, CA
1/16/2012
"Def a five, good, so good" --Fu
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Review from Analisa S.
Berkeley, CA
8/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Situated in a beautiful little area of North Berkeley, surrounded by cafes and dog shops, with nice gardens, giving the area a very North Berkeley feel. The shop was really cute and colorful. It was filled with all types of cupcakes. I tried the hummingbird a cupcake with bananas, pineapple & pecans, topped with a cream cheese frosting. I didn't taste any pecans or pineapple, just banana. The frosting on all their cupcakes were smoothed on and weren't decorated very well. I also tried the matcha green tea which I did not like at all. Their orange creamsicle and lemon blueberry were okay, a little dry though. The shop was so small that there was no place to sit, we had to grab and go. In an area like that, I'd love to just sit down and enjoy my dessert and enjoy what surrounds me.
One thing I didn't like was the girl behind the counter was hacking up something fierce. At first I tried not to let it get to me since I figured she was just handling money, but then she put on an apron and went into the kitchen to help prepare cupcakes. I do not want people who are handling my food to be sick, not cool. -
Review from Chira E.
7/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Oh! My! Freaking! Gosh! These cupcakes are the best-est! I know cupcake spots are popping up everywhere, and that is the new "it" thing. The difference between this place and other cup-tiques, is that I found Love at First Bite to be a more moist and less dense cake. Many unique flavors, and the staff is very friendly.
I gave them 4 stars only because I think all of these cupcake spots( not just Love at First Bite) are too freaking expensive! -
Review from Katrina A.
Manhattan, NY
11/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Knowing my love for baking and sweets, the boy took me here on my visit home. Small but cute shop right in the Gourmet Ghetto. Since we were stuffed from Cheeseboard, we decided to share the cookies and cream. Solid cupcake- very moist and good flavor. Oreo frosting was great- not too sweet and not too much. Maybe could be even better if they filled the cupcake with more of the cookie goodness. Nonetheless, the boy ate his half in one bite.
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Review from Teresa P.
With an abundance of cupcake shops popping everywhere, who needs another one, right? I have had many a cupcake (not sure if that's something to be proud of).....sure, a lot of them are sweet, and cute to look at, and each shop has its own hype and novelty. But they all start tasting the same after a while.
When you bite into a Love At First Bite cupcake, it evokes a warm, fuzzy feeling...a birthday surprise, baby's first smile, like Love At First Bite.
As the other reviewers mentioned, these cupcakes are best eaten the day you buy them. (I would prefer to eat them straight from the shelf!) Just like all fleeting, fuzzy, warm moments, they are meant to be enjoyed in the present!
I am deeply in love with their Black Bottom cupcakes. I can't stop thinking about them. The huzbeau doesn't think I know, but he is having an affair with their Red Velvets. Simply amazing. -
Review from debbie t.
6/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Why? WHY?? WHYYY????
Dearest Sophia K. recommended Love at First Bite to me, and I'm severely disappointed. We both have an undying love for cupcakes, and although this place holds a special spot in her heart, it broke mine.
I came here after a visit to Cheeseboard for some quality dessert. Well, I was hoping for quality. What I ended up with was dry, crumbling cupcakes. I tried four cupcakes: Lemon Pistachio, Red Velvet, Green Tea, and Hummingbird. The only decent on in the bunch was the Red Velvet. But when you have competitors like Virgina Bakery and Teacake, the red velvet here just doesn't cut it. I would most definitely skip the Lemon Pistachio. After a bite each, the bf and I looked at each other and both said, "What were they thinking?!?!" I love pistachio and I love lemon, but together, at least in a cupcake form, lacked flavor. The Hummingbird is okay if you enjoy banana bread.
And, Green Tea cupcake? Sigh. I think I'm too disappointed to write a description. Let's just say I'm still searching for the perfect Green Tea cupcake. Someone please help me!Listed in: HOLY CUPCAKES BATMAN!
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Review from Chia L.
Berkeley, CA
9/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Maybe I just can't tell cupcakes apart.
Honestly, it tasted like a regular cupcake to me. A great cupcake, but just a cupcake nonetheless. I feel like for 3$ it had better show me something incredible, but the red velvet I tried was satisfying, and only that. I love red velvet and cream cheese frosting, and Love At First Bite does it extremely well. But it would maybe have been nice if they had done something special to their cupcakes to set them apart from the rest of the pack.
Nothing too special about it but does have good cupcakes. Very much on the sweet side, I couldn't finish without drinking a lot of milk. -
Review from Kathy V.
5/16/2011 1 photo
I was on the hunt to satisfy my cravings for a cupcake. While driving around the city of Berkeley, my first thought was to find Cupkates truck but I saw on twitter they had sold out =( My back up plan was to use Yelp as my guide to find the next best thing.
Even then I got lost driving around looking for this small cute bakery, it was soo totally worth it. Love at first bite, was everything I was looking for. This bakery is located inside a complex of other food vendors & shops. Since it was 3pm the bakery barely had any selections left. My eyes were set on the last two red velvet cupcakes, but the lady in front of me just purchased them UGH!!!! I happened to notice there was this pink cupcake that had said "Pretty in Pink" which consisted of delightful strawberry cupcakes with blushing pink strawberry butter cream made with real strawberries. Results: My first bite? got me sprung! LOL
Picture this: moist & fluffy on the inside and dense on the outside with the flavors of real strawberries. Need I say more?
