YAVA Bakery — Restaurant in Fresno

This is a long review, but worth reading.

First experience, we expected to order brunch, but were told after 11, no breakfast items... didn't notice that posted anywhere. It was literally only a few minutes after 11 and because of the long line. I'd already ordered a mocha & proceeded to order sesame chicken skewers- $17. They were decent, but just served over white rice with a few veggies. My daughter ordered an acaí bowl- a breakfast item? The large mocha, is served in a paper cup (tall Starbucks)... small is served in an actual mug & very cute. There was only a two seat table available, so we pulled a 3rd chair from a table where one person sat working at a laptop. We were told by a manager or owner- male, we had to find a table for 3. Just at that moment a large table cleared, or there would've been no seating. This was a birthday "brunch" so I let it pass.

We really wanted to try the breakfast menu, so we visited a 2nd time on a weekday. It was PACKED- open seating outside on wet tables. My daughter went out with the "table holding tab" while I stayed indoors to see if a table cleared. This time our order took a long time. Two tables had 1 person each working on laptops, another table- older couple with to go package, on their cells, dirty dishes aside. Two large tables had just two women chatting with cups of water, meal plates empty, not picked up. After 30 minutes, 2 couples who had just ordered stepped in front of us when at one table the chatting ladies stood. I told them we were waiting. They smirked and said they'd asked the women for the table. One of the woman came back to me to say they hadn't seen me... but there were two other groups also waiting? She told me to get another table next to them- which had not been cleared. It was the only one unoccupied. Our order was served OUTSIDE to an empty table. My daughter went out to retrieve it.

Saraya french toast- just okay, not worth $19. Spiced potato cubes- $5 cubed french fries in a bowl- no evidence of spices. We ate uncomfortably, with the previous customer dishes not cleared- we just pushed them aside. As tables emptied, they were not cleared, the couples next to us (who took our table) still had not been served by the time we left. Waitresses walked around serving, not cleaning. When the dishes at our table were finally picked up, the table wasn't cleaned. We bussed our own dishes... in case they'd like to get a head start on the cleaning.

Here is some advice to YAVA management... tell customers, kindly, there are other customers waiting to be seated. After all you didn't have a problem telling us we could not add a 3rd chair to our table. We saw small tables with up to 6 chairs. Clean the outside tables so they're ready. Ask your waitresses to clear and clean right away. It's more attractive.

Customers- there is an additional 4% charge FOR USING A CREDIT CARD and you will be asked for a tip- BEFORE you're served. I've made it a custom to tip cash, after my meals. I did not read the menu online, and there were no hand menus by the time we came in. The large menu board is over the register and the print is very light, as another review said. The first time we were treated to lunch and tipped generously. This time I saw the extra fee on my receipt. Consider that your tip. We will never...

Looks a whole lot better than it actually is. First timer here. Went to Yava and it was really difficult to figure out what to order. They have a single cafeteria style line you walk down the pastry cases and finally order at the cashier 40’ away. The menu is a huge poster behind the cashier and the font colors are hard to read so you have to be right at the cashier to read it. That’s the first problem, you can’t read the menu and by the time you’re at the cashier you’re pretty far away from the pastries. They do have little printed menus, but we had no idea since they are kept next to the cash register and the line of people was pretty long. They also have an online menu, but the disconnect between the pastry cases and ordering at the cashier is super frustrating - especially when the line is person to person. It’s just a very poor ordering setup.

Ordered the food, and the prices were expensive. $17 for croissant egg sandwich. $8 for a small bottle of orange juice. Overall, I was expecting the food to at least be pretty good based on how it looked. Welp, the pastries were on the stale side, and the food was not very tasty. Bland, and just not great.

The coffees were actually good though. The spiced coco mocha was good! Kudos to the baristas for that.

Another huge downer was they brought our food to us and forgot one entree. We waited about an hour, and finally went up to ask where the last item was? Confused frantic employees looked through mounds of receipts and apologized. Another 20 minutes and we took the last entree in a to-go box.

It was a Sunday, and it was busy!

Overall I confidently give this place a 1 - 2 star rating. Value is not there. Food looks great, but the quality is not worth the cost, and the employees try their best but the whole operation needs a major overhaul. If you try this place I recommend going on a weekday when there are less people, otherwise you will probably experience...

YAVA Bakery and Cafe is a hidden gem in Fresno, California. I recently had the pleasure of dining here after church with my family, and we were all blown away by the delicious food and friendly service.

We started with the pumpkin croissant, feta and spinach croissant, and strawberry cream cheese croissant. All of the croissants were flaky and buttery, and the fillings were generous and flavorful. The pumpkin croissant was my favorite, with its warm and spicy filling. The feta and spinach croissant was also delicious, with its savory and tangy filling. The strawberry cream cheese croissant was the perfect balance of sweet and tart.

We also ordered a fresh orange juice, which was perfectly refreshing. It was clear that the oranges were fresh and squeezed, and the juice was not too sweet.

Overall, we had a wonderful experience at YAVA Bakery and Cafe. The food was delicious, the service was friendly, and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a delicious and affordable meal.

Here are some of the things I liked most about YAVA Bakery and Cafe:

The food is made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. The menu offers a variety of options, including pastries, breads, cakes, coffee and espresso drinks, and lunch and dinner options. The service is friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. I would definitely recommend YAVA Bakery and Cafe to anyone looking for a delicious and affordable meal in Fresno, California.

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