My Favorite Coffee Place in Fremont, California

Mission Coffee Roasting Company, located at the base of the Fremont foothills on Washington Blvd., west of Mission Blvd., near the classic Mission San Jose in Fremont, California, is my favorite place for coffee, hanging out, and relaxing. Over the past one year, I have frequented Mission Coffee almost every month, sometimes a few times each month, and have quickly become fond of their hot coffee, cappuccinos, pastries and lunch sandwiches.

My favorite coffee is actually a mixed blend of their coffees that include French Roast, Costa Rica, Don's Blend (Don and Gael Stewart are the owners) and the flavor of the day – you see, I enjoy mixing the coffees together and enjoying the rich and complex flavors of the coffees all at once. Perhaps this is unconventional, and goes against the classic coffee tradition of enjoying each flavor in isolation; however, I have come to enjoy the bold flavors of coffees blended together. Of course, most Mission Coffee customers simply enjoy their coffees the good old fashioned way, a flavor at one time. And there are many customers that frequent Mission Coffee. Mission Coffee has been around for ten plus years (original Mission Valley Coffee opened in 1993; Mission Coffee in Mission San Jose opened in 2000), and from glancing at the customers that I have seen over my visits, Mission Coffee boasts repeat customers who go their daily. Mission Coffee serves over twenty different coffee and tea drinks delivered piping hot and fresh in stylish cups (try the café Borgia on your next trip), sells over a dozen classic and exotic coffee beans from all over the world, and makes cold fruit freezes and frappes that is sure to cool you down on a hot summer day.

Coffee without pastry is like having dinner without dessert. My favorite pastries with my mixed blend of coffee are Walnut muffins, Chocolate croissants, and Chocolate chip cookies. Mission Coffee serves over a dozen different pastries for all types of taste buds. Of course, each pastry that you consume simply melts with the coffee you savor, so much so, that you want to have more than one pastry with the hope that the coffee will melt away the extra fat or sugar that you are consuming. I recommend trying out at least one pastry on your next trip to Mission Coffee. If you are going to try that first pastry, and don’t mind the extra calories, you should ask for the Chocolate croissant; and while you are ordering the croissant, you perhaps want it served warm. And then sit back and relax at the more than a dozen coffee tables with ample space around them with your friends or significant other, cozy back on the plush couches, or even sit outside in the patio and watch the passing traffic going to and fro from the Mission San Jose and Mission Blvd against the backdrop of the rolling Fremont hillside. Of course, it’s best to open a newspaper if you are alone and read that Sports or Political story as you sip away the coffee, or better yet, pick out one of the many books or magazines that Mission Coffee offers on their book shelves, and enjoy a chapter or two.

My favorite lunch at Mission Coffee is the Grilled Veggie Panini Sandwich. Even when I write about it, I can’t help but think of the delicious, mouth watering, juicy taste of the vegetables grilled and served together with melted cheese: Veggie Panini is an instant classic. You see, it is made fresh, served straight from the grill, and has olives, mushrooms and tomatoes grilled together with pesto and mozzarella on Focaccia bread. You can’t ask for a better Panini sandwich. Of course, if you eat non-vegetarian, you will also enjoy Turkey Panini, Monterey Panini or Roast Beef Panini sandwiches. Mission Coffee serves over 15 different sandwiches at lunch time or any other time that you visit until 9 p.m., hot or cold, all made fresh, along with the soup of the day. You can even build your own sandwich, half or whole, depending on how hungry you are. And there is also the available ½ Sandwich and soup special. When you are building your own sandwich, you can choose from four different types of meat (beef, turkey, ham, tuna), four different types of bread (sourdough, 7-grain, French roll, dark rye), five different types of cheese (American, cheddar, gouda, pepper jack and Swiss), fresh produce including lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers and sprouts – along with your favorite condiments, sides and extras. Mission Coffee claims to be the best spot for having lunch in Mission, and I have to agree that it is indeed the best sandwich and coffee place for lunch, late lunch, or even an afternoon snack.

Wait there is more that Mission Coffee offers for coffee lovers. And it has nothing to do with coffee, tea, pastry or sandwich. It has much to do with music. Live music!! Mission Coffee has live music concerts from upcoming and emerging music artists in the Bay Area and beyond. Mission Coffee brings one music performance from a budding artist each month on an average. Here is the music schedule at Mission Coffee in the coming months:
Sat, Mar 10 Dayan Kai
Sat, Apr 21 Brian Anderson & the New Generation
Sat, May 19 Houston Jones
Sat, Jun 16 Fishtank Ensemble

So, when you are in the mood for the best coffee in Mission San Jose in Fremont, California, want to spend a relaxing afternoon enjoying music on your iPod or at the live concert, chat and while away some free time with your friends or significant other, complete that homework or work project, play cards or board games, have a lunch meeting (and enjoy the great sandwich), take a break from your trip to the beautiful Mission San Jose, conduct a community roundtable meeting, or just want to liven up your day with that fresh morning coffee – Mission Coffee is the place to visit.

Mission Coffee Roasting Company
Mission San Jose
151 Washington Blvd., Fremont, CA
Phone: 510-623-6920

Favorite Restaurants in greater Fremont

I enjoy going out for lunch and dinner at these favorite restaurants in Fremont, in no particular order. I am a vegetarian (I do eat some dairy), and don't eat sea food. Our daughter is allergic to dairy, eggs and nuts. Hence some of the restaurants we frequent have to be offering food that does not contain any of the above allergens (even if they share pots and pans sometimes when they make the food with these ingredients). I normally go out a bit later for lunch (after 1 pm) to avoid the rush. For dinner, we go between 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Before 6:30 p.m and after 8:30 p.m., most restaurants in Fremont do not have much rush. If you are in mood for a takeout, these restaurants offer good takeout services as well.

Ho Chow Restaurant - Chinese cuisine - located on Warm Springs Blvd., between Mission Blvd. and Scott Creek.

Phone: 510-657-0683

We have been eating at Ho Chow Restaurant for the past six plus years, and I have to tell you, they make superior food that is sure to appeal to everyone who enjoys Chinese food (who doesn't). Ho Chow has been around for more than ten years, probably fifteen. Ho Chow brings back memories of the old Fremont, and still blends well with the new expansions. The restaurant is conveniently located in the middle of the shopping center, and they have a separate side entrance for Takeout only. My family and I savor their Broccoli and deep-fried Bean Curd (special order), Vegetable Chow Mein, Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup, Buddha's delight and Steam rice. In particular, when it is cold in Winter, or if you are just having a cold, we love to drink their Hot and Sour Soup. I have also tried their Egg Plant dish and Veggie Mushu which are both delicious. If you are in the mood for a takeout, Ho Chow won't disappoint. We normally do dinner takeouts, and the hardest part is the drive back home until you can open the boxes and start eating. The best part of ordering takeout food is to actually drive up to Ho Chow, and then order it; this way, you can see how the chefs put together the fresh ingredients and make the food as you are waiting. The wait time is general only five to ten minutes for Takeout food.

Cost: $8 to $10 per person without drinks.

Chevys Fresh Mex - Mexican food - located near Chucke Cheese's off Stevenson exit from 880 - Mowry school road.

Phone: 510-226-9080

You can't ask for a better Mexican fare around Fremont. By address, Chevys is based in Newark, but it is located right off the 880 freeway. I really enjoy their warm tortillas made fresh from the Machino. My kids just run to the Machino (large Tortilla making machine) and grab couple of tortilla bags. Each bag has three hot and fresh tortillas. The tortilla chips and authentic salsa is mouth watering. Our kids love the burritos, enchiladas and fries. I enjoy their Vegetarian fajitas. Simply the best out there. I have also tried their Veggie and cheese enchiladas, Chille rellenos and Taco salads. On most evenings of the weekends, Chevys also has the balloon puppet maker who goes around various dinner tables, and makes cool characters out of balloons. He really cracks kids and adults up with his antics, and is really good at making all types of characters from dogs, cats, hats, crowns, and whatever else you can think of. If you are enjoying your birthday at Chevys, you would get a great birthday cheer, a free ice-cream and the authentic Sombrero. Chevys has plenty of comfortable seating in the main restaurant, around the bar, outside in the front patio, and in the back patio. A few years ago, we celebrated our kids birthday party at Chevys in the back patio at lunch time. It was one of the best birthday parties that we can still remember.

Cost: $8 to $10 per person without drinks.

Udupi Palace - South Indian and North Indian food (although specialists in South Indian fare) - located near Newpark Mall. Same shopping center that has Payless shoes.

Phone: 510-794-8400

Udupi Palace serves all vegetarian Indian food, cooked in authentic South Indian style. They are also serving some North Indian fare, although it goes without saying that they are one of the best South Indian restaurants in Bay Area. If you are in the mood for Dosas, Uttapams, Idlis, Vadas, Rasam, Sambaar, and authentic South Indian dishes - this is the place to go. We enjoy many of their Dosa varieties; in particular, Paper Dosa, Saada Dosa, Masaala Dosa, Spring Vegetable Dosa, Onion Dosa, etc. Our kids enjoy their hot, fresh Idlis. My daughter enjoys the Idlis with some oil on the side; lately, she has been eating the Saada Dosa also. My son can't have enough of the Saada Dosas, Idlis, and even Vadas. I have tried various versions of their Dosas; and each is scrumptious. I also eat their Uttapams (in particular mixed vegetarian), which is just right with the spices, taste and serving size. Udupi serves many combination plates for both lunch and dinner. Combination is usually the best deal, since it includes both Dosas and Idlis. I have also tried their Thaali dinners which includes a little of everything. If you are really hungry, a Thaali dinner or lunch is the way to go; you will not only get South Indian varieties, but also a bit of North Indian food, including dessert and raitas. In competition to several good Indian restaurants in greater Fremont, Udupi also offers a Buffett on the weekends. The Buffett serves over twenty to twenty five various preparations which is sure to please anyone. And it's a great deal as well. I also recommend their Mango Lassi or Salt Lassi (although it is quite filling).

Cost: $8 to $10 per person with drinks.

Mission Pizza - Pizzas, Calzones, Salad Bar and Live Music - Washington Blvd. at the intersection of 680 (towards Paseo Padre).

Phone: 510-651-6858

There is pizza, and then there is Mission Pizza. Mission Pizza has been around for more than ten years at the very least (at least to my knowledge); it is one of the original pizza restaurants in Mission San Jose, Fremont. I only got introduced to Mission Pizza in the last year and a half, and it has quickly become one of my favorite Pizza restaurants to go eat at lunch or dinner, or simply takeout. Mission San Jose is a beautiful mission, restored and resplendent, at the intersection of Washington Blvd and Mission Blvd. It is perhaps the best looking mission in Bay Area. Mission Pizza bears it name from the Mission San Jose. Mission Pizza serves up some of the best vegetarian pizzas that I have ever tried. From the plain cheese, to masaala pizza (yup they have a Pizza catering to the Indian population), to garden style - their sauce, ingredients, and the pizza crust is simply too good to taste; somehow, the way Mission Pizza bakes their pizzas makes you want to eat more. If you don't believe me, order their medium pizza and see how many slices you end up eating. The masaala pizza is not for the faint of heart; it is spicy good, and is sure to leave a mark on your tounge and stomach. Just like the pizzas, the calzones are also prepared from scratch, and are juicy. If you are in the mood for salad, there is a small but fresh salad bar. The best part of Mission Pizza is their live music over the weekends - Friday and Saturday nights. This has been a Mission Pizza tradition for the past ten plus years. Pizza, Live Music, Friends, Fun. Doesn't get any better.

Cost: $7 to $10 per person without drinks.

I also enjoy Mountain Mike's Pizza (Washington Blvd. and Fremont Blvd. intersection), the new Z Pizza (next to GNC on Warm Springs Blvd. - old Albertsons shopping center), Round Table Pizza (at lunch has the best deal for pizza, salad and drink - next to Taco Bell on Mission Blvd.), and of course ordering pizza delivery from Pizza Hut and Domino's. Although we don't go to Olive Garden a whole lot (it's a bit far from where we live - Mowry and 880), we always enjoy the savory Italian food, in particular the unlimited Garlic Bread, the endless Salad and Soup.

In Indian food, I recommend the Chaat Cafe (the original is next to Barnes and Noble on Mowry), the new one is in Warm Springs shopping center next to Long's Drugs and Radio Shack (Mission Blvd. and Warm Springs Blvd.). We recently catered from Golden Moments (this used to be the New Taste of India) on Warm Springs Blvd. (next to Ho Chow). All our friends enjoyed their food, and could not stop praising about the quality. The name has already made an impression on my son (he keeps on telling me why they named an Indian restaurant Golden Moments - I finally told him this is clever marketing).

If you are in the mood for eating healthy and fresh without any guilt, the best bet is Sweet Tomatoes (located on Paseo Padre and Walnut intersection). Lunch or dinner, Sweet Tomatoes perhaps provides you the freshest food in Fremont. The best part: All you can eat Salad, Bread, Pasta, Soup, Muffins, Fruits, Dessert and more for one low price (look for the coupons in the mail). The only down side: you end up eating too much (when you go there to eat healthy).

Some of the restaurants that we have not visited recently, although have fond memories are Chillis (Fremont Hub) and Elephant Bar (Fremont Hub). You can never go wrong with either; both offer a good selection of delicious fresh entrees. The wait time in the evenings is easily half an hour or more.

Some of the new restaurants that I have been recently eating lunch are Panera Bread (Pacific Commons) and Pick up Stix (Pacific Commons). Panera serves up great sandwiches, sourdough sandwich and soup bowls, soups, and pizzas (in their own style). Their breads, cookies, pastries and donut variations are sinfully delicious. Panera has quickly become a place to hang out, and enjoy fresh lunch in the new Fremont shopping center in Pacific Commons (Automall West off 880). They also offer free Internet (although I have not yet tried this). I have been to Pick up Stix a few times already (same center as Panera bread). I have become a fan of their Pad Thai with Tofu. Pad Thai is my favorite Thai dish, and Pick up Stix has made its mark. Pick up Stix also offers a giant cookie which is quite good for dessert. Panera Bread and Pick up Stix are part of the new Fremont, and have already become busy restaurants at lunch time (you can't find parking next to them).

I enjoy eating at these Fremont restaurants. Many days, you would find me eating though at the local Subways, Burger King, KFC (yes, they have many vegetarian side dishes to offer), Jack In the Box, McDonalds, Taco Bell and Quiznos. What is amazing is that each offer reasonably good Vegetarian meal at a good price.

Here's to eating in Fremont.