Bodi’s Java Specialty Coffee House

Cute little place with a sign that reads: «Friends don’t let Friends go to Starbucks «I couldn’t agree more! They have a great, list of coffee drinks as well as smoothies and something called «Frosts». There is a small food menu as well that is mainly bagels with a wide variety of toppings (cheeses, meats, veggies). Everything was great except the wait. Perhaps they were just shorthanded today but one server during the morning rush isn’t enough :)

I absolutely love this place. Great coffee, relaxing ambiance, high speed WiFi, and very friendly staff. Also, the owner, Bora is such a sweet lady. Since I am more of a night-​owl, my only complain is that I wished that this place did not close so early.
Lastly, if you want to be treated well, please don’t come in here with a hasty attitude. And if you can spare a dollar for tip, please do. Coming from a former food-​service employee, those tips (even a couple of dollars) really makes their day and motivates them to give you beyond the best service possible. Pretty good Return on Investment (ROI) if you ask me :)

Coffee is good service is bad.
Paid for a Cappuccino, waited, waited, waited.
I asked if it was ready. She had forgotten my order, and in the meantime served several other people.
Don’t make a guy wait 10 minutes for his coffee.

ahhhhh I love this little coffee shop. I was recently hired near by and decided to stop by today after a long shift. I had no idea what to order and went with a small Mexican mocha. It was sooo good. Could’ve been a tad bit less sweet but that’s just personal preference. Prices are fairly reasonable/​on par with more of the chain coffee places but the coffee really does taste better and the lady working was so friendly and quick.

I came mid afternoon so it wasn’t too busy. Staff was very friendly and quick. My bro and I ordered: due (ham sandwich), tre (turkey sandwich), and a tuna melt (a tuna melt). The first two came on a french roll type bread, toasted on a panini press. The tuna melt came on regular sliced bread, also toasted on a panini press. Look, I’m a simple simple man. I liked it. If it’s good, AND it looks fancy? Dang, extra points for you. Then again I have no shame walking around with knockoff brand clothes either, so it may differ from person to person.
Anyways, the first two were very similar, aside from meat choice. The ham sandwich, however, carried more of the pesto sauce, while the turkey had a bit more balsamic undertones. I’m not EXACTLY sure what undertones are, but I guarantee they were there. Both delicious. Tuna melt, same deal. Tuna was mixed with bits of celery for some texture, and melted with pepper jack cheese (that’s what we chose at least). I’m a sucker for sandwiches in general, but all the food here was satisfactory.
Last thing I note will be the price. Honestly, not bad. It’s hard to find any place to buy lunch for less than 10, so getting a sandwich and coffee for just over 7 dollars is definitely a plus.
Also picked up a hot coffee. Standard coffee, but I do appreciate the choice in sweeteners available including: cane sugar, granulated sugar, brown sugar, simple syrup. I’m a brown sugar type of guy, and not every place makes it a regular item so I was a happy camper.

Bodi’s Java is a gem on the east side of Castro Valley that not too many people know about. With Starbucks and Peet’s Coffee always being overcrowded, I’ve been on the hunt for a new coffee shop that isn’t on the boulevard.
Bodi’s has been around for a while, and for good reason. Their prices are cheap/​reasonable, they have a food menu, and the space is quiet – making it perfect for those who want a place to study or work – but not so quiet that you feel guilty when you’re talking and laughing with your friends.
There are also couches in the back, so you can lounge around with a nice book if you ever find yourself here.
The owner is also extremely sweet. I believe it’s usually only her and another worker, so they can be pretty occupied during the busier hours.
Keep in mind you have to make a minimum purchase of $ 5 if you’re trying to use a credit/​debit card. Doesn’t seem like much, but with their low prices, you really gotta add on the items to meet that minimum. I’d say bring cash, just to be safe.

Unfortunately I couldn’t stay long enough to get much done since the place closed in the middle of the day. I was one of a few straggling customers. We were having a good time. I was asked to not order anymore because they were closing due to lack of customers. It was disappointing

A good variety of coffee drinks, sandwiches, and pastries. Staff is very friendly and they remember and address me by my name.
Convenient location and parking adjacent to several other stores that I frequent.

I called ahead of time to find out if they had wifi because I needed to come in study. I came in and most of the lights were off, which I mentioned to the person taking our order. About 20 minutes later lights hadn’t turned on, and I was done eating my bagel and ready to study but couldn’t really see. There was natural light but not suitable for reading. I asked again about the lights, and another employee said she’d take care of it 5 minutes later, I asked again and she said her manager said they don’t want to turn the lights on. What the heck? I’m never heading back and DO NOT recommend going here to study.

Love their chai… however they don’t stay true to their hours. The place closes at 5 yet everything is already locked up at 4:40. Not sure if the owner is aware, but if the business isn’t going to be consistent with their times they should at least change it on their site.

Closed early:(
If your gonna change your hours, you should probably let Unilocal in on the decision.

Best tasting iced coffee I’ve had of all coffee spots in and outside of Castro Valley. Their coffee frosts are amazing. I think it’s a mom/​daughter business because it’s usually only them working so if it’s busy you’ll be waiting a little while, but they are always super nice, and it’s always really clean inside.

Awful customer service. 20 minutes for a coffee and there was no line. Young cashier just walked away, and the old lady was mumbling explanations and waked away when I asked them to repeat what was wrong.

Love the iced chai. The chai alone deserves 5 stars. I would totally come here more often than go to starbucks down the road IF THEY HAD MORE EMPLOYEES. Some days its ok to wait ten minutes for a drink and bagel sandwich but the days where you need to get in and out, go to starbucks… it pains me to write that!
The price for my medium chai and bagel sandwich was around $ 8 which at starbucks would have been around $ 9-​$ 10. Another reason i would rather support Bodi’s.
My only complaint about the food is the
Lack of selection. They do, however, offer a nice array of Toppings for their bagel Sandwiches.
Lastly, the main reason for giving ³⁄₅ is because no one greeted me when i came in and no one said anything to me while i waited at the register to
Give my order for about 2 minutes. If your shop is going to make me wait 10 minutes for something their competitor would have given me in less than 5 you better say «hello, we will be with you in a minute,» and i would have felt more
Comfortable. Maybe it was a bad day?

Four stars just for the fact that a non-​chain coffee spot is still thriving for as long as I can remember! Cozy little spot with free wifi and ample seating. Extensive menu choices including bagel sandwiches for a splurge on the weekend and when I don’t feel like driving to the Village’s Posh bagel.

I must say, the wifi in this café is stronger than the wifi I have at my house LOL.
I have only been here once and I got an iced caramel macchiato with less sugar. It was above mediocre but not the best macchiato I had. I had to stir for a long time for the warm to mix with the ice. This place is definitely comparable to Starbucks though. Everything just depends on the barista. Thus, if you want to avoid Starbucks, definitely come here.
There are plenty of seats and tables for you to sit at.
In addition, there seems to be a good daily special deal for food. If only I didn’t already eat food before coming here, I would have eaten here…

I decided to give Bodi’s a try since it seems like a nice little local café but needless to say I was thoroughly disappointed by the service.
I ordered a small coffee with soy and after I got home and took two sips I knew something was off, it tasted sour and the coffee wasn’t smooth. I removed the lid and discovered curdles moving around in my coffee (imagine the clouds in miso soup).
I drove all the way back to Bodi’s to let them know the soy isn’t right and the lady behind the counter took one look and poured my coffee down the drain before I was even done speaking! She said that soy milk is suppose to curdle once it is poured into coffee but I disagree. I’ve been drinking black coffee with soy for years and this has been the only time this has happened.
She walked off to help someone else as I stood there and watched her help at least 2 customers. After a few minutes she looks at me and says «what do you want?» By this point I was very upset, my original intention was not to cause a scene but due to the lack of customer service and attitude, I was not going to walk out without a refund. I told her I wanted my money back and she tries to hand me $ 1 when the board clearly says a small cup of coffee is $ 2.50. When I mentioned the price she said «it doesn’t cost that much,» luckily the other woman behind the counter said «yes you did charge her $ 2.50.» She handed me the money and never apologized.
I drove back because I didn’t want anyone to get sick from bad soy milk and I wasn’t even expecting them to correct my cup of coffee. But, the fact that she never acknowledged her mistake and the lack of an apology was really upsetting. A little customer service really goes a long way.

Whenever I am back home, I’m so happy to be only a mile or so away from my favorite coffee shop. From high school to working a summer job in the plaza, I could always count on getting awesome coffee and good food from here. One small complaint is that during the slower hours, if the owner is in the back doing something, it’s kind of hard to get her attention.
I’ve had the lox bagel from here a few times and it’s always been good. Bagel’s could be a little fresher but they don’t make them there so eh. She always makes my iced caramel macchiato exactly how I like it. There’s lots of seating in the back and on the condiments table are colorful straws to go with my coffee :]
Final Thoughts: Coffee = a happy me.

This place is spacious and a wonderful place to catch up with friends or read a good book.
For lunch, I’d recommend their daily special. At $ 6, you get a half sandwich, half salad and a bag of chips.
They also have a wide variety of espresso drinks. Their latte beats Starbucks in both taste and price.
Plus, they satisfy every «I need a café to be productive» man’s requirement with free and reliable wifi.

I never have a good experience here. 4 visits with the same results.
1. The person in from and behind me always get greeted with a
2. They always slide my drink and walk away.
3. I always tip even though I’m getting drink to go.