Richard Tia

Absolutely love Third Culture Bakery in Berkeley! I’ve been multiple times, and each visit just gets better. During their Lunar New Year celebration, I had the chance to try their Black Sesame Latte and Black Sesame Mochi Waffle, and both were incredible. The latte had the perfect balance of rich, nutty flavors, while the mochi waffle was a perfect combination of chewy and crispy with a delicious black sesame twist. The atmosphere is always warm and inviting, and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Definitely a must-visit if you’re in the area! Highly recommend! 5 stars!

Jeffrey Luna-Sparks

The gf mochi muffins and donuts are sooooo delicious. I LOVE all the special waffles they have with special toppings (I don’t share it at all because it has such AMAZING flavor. You can see a picture of one of the special waffles. Soooooo YUMMY!!! My FAVORITE muffin is the churro muffin such DELICIOUS cinnamon flavor. Absolutely the best AND they’re gluten free which is AMAZING. I also want to mention how incredible the entire staff is and how wonderfully you are treated when you are in the store. The owners are also very kind and friendly and so welcoming and it’s a special treat when they are there to welcome you.

Alex Pan

My favorite spot to go to for drinks and mochi treats - every flavor of donut and muffin is delicious, and the staff are always wonderful! They also host plenty of community events and work with local organizations. Would highly recommend visiting if you’re ever in Berkeley!!

Simran Butalia

Absolutely loved this spot! The Ube Coconut Butter Mochi Donut was incredible—chewy, rich, and just the right amount of sweetness. The coffee was smooth and well-balanced, making for a perfect pairing. The atmosphere is bright, fun, and welcoming, adding to the experience. If you’re a fan of mochi-based pastries, this is a must-visit in Berkeley!

Mina Khan

vibes are always immaculate, love their seasonal stuff too. the mochi donuts are very mochi indeed. i love the other stuff they sell like room sprays, face masks, t shirts, matcha tea, totes, etc. the staff is always super friendly. i will go here when i want to feel like things are ok. it’s so pink in there. it helps with my mental health fr

+13

Olga Lonska

Third Culture Bakery is truly a gem! Their array of gluten-free delights, from the Original Mochi Muffin to butter mochi donuts, is simply exceptional. Crafted with care using mochiko rice flour from Koda Farms, organic French-style butter, and local dairy milk, their mochi donuts are a treat for the taste buds. What's more, their glazes, made with fresh fruits or carefully sourced ingredients, elevate each bite to perfection. I'm particularly enamored with their black sesame donut glaze, which undergoes a meticulous 72-hour process of stone-milling Japanese black sesame seeds into a smooth paste. The result is pure delight in every bite. Having tried many flavors, I can attest that they're all fantastic, though my personal favorite remains the original mochi muffin. If you're on the hunt for unique and delicious gluten-free treats, look no further than Third Culture Bakery.

+7

Mei Fu Lee

A friend recommended this place, mentioning how popular their mochi donuts and muffins are. As soon as coming up, I noticed quite the line coming from here. Since I was in the area, I committed to the line. It didn't take too long, it's just they allow one or two parties in the store at a time. Since my first visit, I've come once or twice again when I'm in east bay. I personally prefer the donuts more than the muffins. I try to order almost one of each of the flavors. They're always fun and unique and I love how strong the flavors are in the donuts. The texture is also great. Their matcha drinks are also really good. You can definitely taste the high quality ingredients they use. Absolutely love this place and can't wait to try their new SF locations.

+6

Kandis Gilmore

As a gluten intolerant person I was super excited to try out the mochi donuts and muffins. We got a variety of flavors, and I love the muffins are dense, chewy, and not overly sweet. The donuts are very flavorful between the icing, toppings, and donut itself. Worth driving an hour to check out!

+1

Super cute bakery/matcha spot! Vibes and service inside are great. I wasn’t a huge fan of my drink (caramel roasted matcha latte) but the mochi muffins were to die for! There’s a small bench for seating but probably better suited for to-go orders.

Musk Riz

There was a little line, we got there around 11am. The place was chill and the service/staff is super friendly. The donuts/waffles were just ok too. The matcha felt diluted…just really always really hard to find good matcha drink in the the US….the drinks were just ok too. Just didn’t live up to the TikTok instagram hype.

Sarah Yap

Coming from out of town - I returned to indulge in the black sesame latte which tasted amazing 2-3 months ago: rich, nutty, full-bodied goodness. For whatever reason, last weekend’s black sesame latte was super diluted. Was very disappointed! $6 for mostly milk :( I hope the original black sesame latte comes back… It did look quite diluted. Stirring didn’t do any good

Sarah D

This is the typical situation where faddishness is giving it more popularity than it actually earns. Berkeley is prone to this kind of problem, where popularity is more a question of Insta rankings than actual merit. I stopped in twice in the past week. The first time, it was right after opening time and it was relatively empty. I was waited on by a person that later in the week I saw serving as a barista, she had an air of faint annoyance at having to actually interact and work with customers. On my second visit, today, she and her fellow barista were so engaged in their conversation for the entire 15 minutes that I was in the shop due to the long lines, that they were producing drinks at about half the speed that was possible. The line stretched from the counter to the door, and based on my former experience in a similar job, it would have been half this length if the people making the drinks put customers ahead of socializing with each other and looking cool. They almost never made eye contact with a customer the entire time I was there unless someone asked a question when picking up the drink, and often that person had to repeat the question in order to get their attention. This is completely unacceptable when you’re paying 10 bucks for a coffee and a treat. On the other hand, the young, slightly heavyset guy of color who waited on me at the register by the muffins was clearly committed to doing his job well. He tried to keep the line moving and his efforts to keep the service level high, was being thwarted by the chatty pair making the drinks, who ignored most of his questions the first time he asked them. Food and drink were 4 out of 5: the classic mochi muffin precisely as advertised, crunchy outside and mochi within. Slightly overbaked this time compared to my first visit. Iced coffee latte was excellent coffee but over sweet. Overall, the treats are unnecessarily too caloric, evidenced also by the clientele who range above the norm. The Asian food this place keeps trumpeting as its inspiration is much healthier than this extravaganza of sugar and high glycemic carbs in the mochi flour. Making a habit of this place would definitely be detrimental to your health. If they want to garner a higher rating, they need to coach the self-impressed barista staff on putting the customers first, and they need to add more options that showcase the delicacy, subtlety, and elegance of Asian cuisine instead of taking American sugar cravings and overeating, and combining them with some Asian flavors. Not recommended. In Berkeley, you have superior options for gluten-free, baked goods, and coffee.

Coder Babe

this a mochi donut place?? if so then 1. how are you out of mochi donuts 2. but more importantly why would you let me and others wait for 20 min in line knowing you didn't have donuts !! idc if you scream it or put a sign off don't waste folks time! I was only there for donuts and been a customer before the matcha era yall are in. not all of us there for drinks it's a donut place for christ sakes