formeryelpers

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Tri City Notary, 40368 Robin St, Fremont, CA 94538

I had a positive experience with Ekta, the notary. I texted her about her services. She responded an hour later and was apologetic. I wasn’t expecting an immediate response. She was easy to communicate with and reasonably priced ($30 travel fee, $5 per signature, $10 to send via FedEx if I provided the label).

She was 15 minutes late but apologetic. My father didn’t answer the door, but she waited 15 minutes to try to get a response. She came back and was able to get his signature on the document.

She was always very professional and polite.

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Bright Star Notary, 4408 Norocco Cir, Fremont, CA 94555

I texted the notary on Thursday afternoon about getting an appointment for a signing. She responded right away, but said she was at an appointment, so she would get back to me later. I never heard from her again. I found another notary in the meantime.

2 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

JTS Tree Expert, Bay Area, CA, jtstreeexpert.com

I used Yelp to get a few quotes for a tree removal project. I had hoped to get a rough estimate by describing the project and uploading pictures. However, every tree service company wanted to visit the property.

JTS is owned by Jose and Veronia, a married couple, and they have 21 years of experience.

JTS has a verified license and was quick to respond. The owner, Jose, was available for an estimate the following day. Veronica provided a rough estimate of $2,500. After Jose saw the tree in person, the estimate remained $2,500. This was much higher than the other estimates ($1,100 - $1,500) for the same job.

The estimate was free, and they seemed professional.

3 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Julian’s Tree Care, Bay Area, CA

I used Yelp to get a few quotes for a tree removal project. I had hoped to get a rough estimate by describing the project and uploading pictures. However, every tree service company wanted to visit the property.

I called Julian’s on Friday and made an appointment for Monday at 11AM. On Friday, Emmanuel sent a text wanting to change the time to 10 AM. I said that didn’t work. On Sunday morning, Emmanuel texted to say that he could not provide an estimate “today.” But he was never supposed to come on Sunday.

Despite the misunderstanding, I told him he could come at 11 AM on Tuesday. At 11 AM, he called and said he was running late by 40 minutes. I said okay. At 12:09 PM he sent a text saying that he was outside and that no one answered the door. This was not true.

My tenant was home during that time. He said no one came to the door.

Emmanuel sent me an estimate of $1,500 or $200 off if I agreed that day. I declined and he lowered it to $1,000. I didn’t trust his reliability, so I passed. He showed up late, mixed the dates up, and could barely string together a coherent text message.

1 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Cal Line Tree Care, Concord, CA, https://www.caltreecare.pro/

I used Yelp to get a few quotes for a tree removal project. I had hoped to get a rough estimate by describing the project and uploading pictures. However, every tree service company wanted to visit the property.

I heard from the owner of Cal Line Tree Care soon after my quote request. Alejandro was professional and true to his word. He provided a free estimate and sent photos of his license and proof of liability insurance. His quote was the lowest of the three tree services. The company was established in 2019 and serves the Bay Area.

He was on time for the scheduled appointment to get the estimate, and his crew were on time to remove the tree. The tree removal took about 90 minutes (it was a tall tree), and included clean up/debris removal but not stump removal. The project was $1,160.

I think the only forms of payment accepted are Zelle and Venmo. And probably cash??

4.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Capture Coffee, 3768 Capitol Ave, Unit A, Fremont, CA 94538

Located inside the Fremont Food Hall, Capture Coffee is a newish coffeehouse with Asian specialty lattes made with real ingredients (not powders). They use fruit to make the fruit lattes. It’s good for anyone who is lactose-intolerant.

I went in the evening and did not see any pastries. The menu includes waffles and salads though. It seems a little limited food-wise but maybe it’s because of the time of day that I visited.  

For drinks, they use locally roasted coffee and offer coffee, cold brew, espresso drinks, and specialty lattes (banana, ube, lemon condensed milk, black sesame). They also have matcha drinks. For milk, they have lactose free milk or oat milk.

Mung bean latte ($6.50) was made with real mung beans. It tasted weird though – almost fermented and bitter. I didn’t like it, and I ordered it because I like mung beans. I could not finish the drink, which is very rare.

This place is quiet, has free wi-fi, free parking, a bathroom, and plenty of space.

2.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Comfort Inn, 2460 Whipple Rd, Hayward, CA 94544

For a budget motel ($68/night), it’s not bad. The room décor looked fairly new even though the building was obviously old. It’s walking distance to Target, Yogurtland, and late night taco trucks. The building is three stories, off a busy road near the freeway, and on the edge of an industrial area.

The check-in experience was fine. The room was definitely smaller. It’s comfortable for one person but felt small for two people. Oddly, the sink is in the entryway and there is no towel bar to hang the sink. The light closest to the door is for the sink’s mirror. There was no closet but there was a wardrobe with hangers. The room had no soap and no drinking glasses. I’ve never been to a hotel/motel where soap wasn’t in the room. However, this just required a trip to the front desk where we were given two bars of soap.

The towels were softer than I expected. The toilet paper was thin and rough. The toiletries were some brand that I hadn’t heard of. The room had most of the basics: TV (big flatscreen), phone, microwave, coffeemaker, ironing board, iron, ice bucket, two chairs, and lots of pillows. The bed was comfortable enough but the metal frame creaked. Mr. Froyo liked the plush pillows and the firmness of the mattress. I liked how the windows had two different shades (one for darkening the room, one for letting in light).

The room was fairly clean. The chair was broken though, so it wasn’t comfortable. The other guests were quiet at night. Breakfast is included and included scrambled eggs, make your own waffle, cereal, muffins, fruit, yogurt, etc.

Note, the elevator hasn’t worked in months (possibly longer). The lobby area smells like cooked rice and weed. There is a laundry room, two vending machines (one with snacks, the other with beverages), an ice machine, free wi-fi, and free parking. The other guests were surprisingly quiet!

3 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Chicken G’s, 40839 Fremont Blvd, Fremont (Irvington), CA 94538

I must have eaten too many fried chicken sandwiches back when they were the thing, because I'm sick of fried chicken sandwiches now. Chicken G’s offers halal fried chicken (tenders, pieces, sandwiches), loaded fries, and drinks. Sandwiches come with the choice of one side. Sides: seasoned fries, mac & cheese, coleslaw, French fries.

The chicken is never frozen, non-GMO, hand-battered, and cooked to order. They make their own sauces. Freshness is emphasized. The lemonade is made with lemons every day. I’m guessing that it’s Indian Muslim-owned from the spicing, prayer room, and the fact that they offer chai. Also, it’s in an area with a large Indian population.

My Veg G ($13.99): includes choice of one side, housemade potato and chickpea patty served in a sesame bun with cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato slices, red onions, & a tangy garlic sauce. The sandwich was huge! The patty was thick and gigantic. It had Indian spices (including a considerable level of spicy heat). The deep fried exterior was crunchy and the filling creamy and flavorful. So good! LOVED it. The veggies were fresh. The garlic sauce was flavorful too. The sesame bun was decent, nothing special but very soft, warm, and fresh.

Mac & cheese (side): uses the typical size elbow macaroni. The cheese sauce was super thick and extra creamy. Served hot with crumbs on top. This was really good, way better than average. I wish I had some hot sauce to add to it.

Chai ($2): tasted housemade, creamy, but it was too sweet. They should allow guests to sweeten their chai to taste. Small cup, served hot.

I noticed that the fried chicken sandwiches were ginormous too.

Chicken G’s has a fast food look with an interesting difference, a prayer room. Order at the front and pick up your food, bus your own table, help yourself to water, etc. Strip mall parking was easy to find. Online ordering is available. They also have a rewards program.

4.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Moim Coffee, 3505 Eagle Rock Blvd Los Angeles (Glassell Park), CA 90065

Moim Coffee is a coffee pop-up that is currently in Glassell Park (but I’m not sure for how long). It’s inside a brewery and shares the space with another pop-up.

What makes Moim special is the founder/barista, Joe. He has a passion for coffee and it shows in the coffee he roasts and the drinks that he makes. He’s a Q-Arabica grader, which means he’s an expert in evaluating the quality of coffee beans. You can see that he really takes his time to craft each drink. He was also so nice!

The menu includes pour overs (will be taking Mr. Froyo), hot or iced espresso drinks, and cold brew. There were no food offerings, but it’s next door to Bub & Grandma’s. You can eat your Bub & Grandma’s pastry or toast at Moim.

Cappuccino ($5.50), whole milk. Expertly made, flavorful, the foam was perfect.

I’m not sure how long Moim will be at the current location. Check the Instagram account, IG @moimcoffeela

5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

SWRLIES, 5132 York Blvd, Los Angeles (Highland Park), CA 90042

Fro-yo girl here. SWRLIES just started their froyo pop-up in 2019 and just recently launched a fancier trailer. They started with a cart back in 2019. The trailer parks in Highland Park on Fridays and Saturdays and in Toluca Lake on Thursdays and Sundays.

I do find it troubling that they parked a few steps from Magpies, the soft serve ice cream shop. But I was also curious to see how the froyo was since I haven’t had it since 2019.

Choose your base (vanilla ice cream, tart froyo made in-house, or vegan), choose your mix in (strawberry, peach, mango, pineapple), choose your toppings (Oreos, sprinkles, granola, etc.), and choose a drizzle. They also have some signature creations. Your base and mix-in are mixed together using a drill. The fruit is organic.

Strawberry froyo with granola ($8): This was better than what I had in 2019. It was creamier and tarter than I remembered. And it tasted fresher and less processed than your average yogurt. It was thick and not as smooth as your typical yogurt. The granola was fine but nothing special.

I wish there were more fruit and toppings options. The waffle cones are not made in-house.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Patra’s Charbroiled Burgers, 2319 N San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles (Glassell Park), CA 90065

Patra’s opened in 1976 and is known for char-broiled burgers served with old-fashioned milkshakes. They have beef and veggie burgers, Jamie Oliver’s Revolution burgers, chicken and fish burgers, hot and cold sandwiches, sides, salads, lunch plates, dinner plates, breakfast all day, and Mexican fare.

Order at the counter or use the drive-through. My burrito was ready quickly.

A bean and cheese burrito is listed as $5.99 on the menu. The register also mentioned a cash discount. I paid cash and the burrito was $6.29 plus tax. The menu price must be incorrect. It’s still a good deal because the burrito was big and heavy. The warm flour tortilla was stuffed with creamy refried pinto beans (quite flavorful) and cheddar cheese (melty), with hot sauce/ a red salsa on the side. I liked it even though they used cheddar cheese. The salsa was very good and quite spicy.

It's in an industrial area and has indoor seating. It looks kinda like a diner or fast food place, but older.

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Senor Birria, 9952 Lakewood Blvd, Downey, CA 90240

When birria became popular a few years ago, you usually had to get it from a food truck. Then birrierias (restaurants specializing in birria) started to open. Senor Birria was one of these. It opened in 2020. It smells like birria inside the restaurant and the smell is mouth-watering.

The menu includes tacos ($2.99), burritos, tortas, and many forms of birria (nachos, fries, quesataco, ramen, pizza, plate, tostada). You can also order a tray of birria.

Order at the counter and grab a number. They’ll bring your order to the table. There’s a self-serve condiment bar with salsa, lime wedges, and pickled onions.

Birria crunch wrap ($12.47, credit price): This was ridiculous and delicious. It’s like a Taco Bell crunch wrap – the flour tortilla is on the outside and serves as the wrap. The filling included corn tortillas (for crunch), lots of finely chopped birria, cilantro, chopped onions, finely shredded iceberg lettuce, creamy pinto beans, sour cream, and a layer of melted cheese. And then they added another layer of cheese on the outside. Two kinds of cheese (American and maybe Monterey Jack)! It’s amazing. The beef was drenched in juices but still seemed kinda dry and a touch too salty – maybe? It was on the line of just enough and a bit too much salt.

Small consommé ($4.99, credit price) with onions, cilantro, and big chunks of birria. I’ve never seen so much meat in birria consommé. Tangy, beef, hot, savory, and delicious.

Senor Birria is in a strip mall with plenty of parking. Prices are reasonable. There’s a 4% surcharge for credit card payments. The prices on the menu are for cash payments. It has a casual feel with a Mexican soap opera showing on the overhead TV. Excellent service. The place seemed clean and well-run.

4.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Jacks N Joe, 2498 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles (University Park), CA 90007

Flapjacks and coffee specialist? I had to check out Jacks N Joe, the all day breakfast spot near USC. They do close early, so you can’t have breakfast for dinner there, unfortunately. Choose from 13 kinds of pancakes (e.g., Oreo, cinnamon apples), 3 kinds of coffee, omelettes, French toast, sides, combos, smoothies, and beverages. Any pancake can be made with buckwheat. Buckwheat pancakes are hard to find.

House roast ($3.50, unlimited refills): stronger than your usual diner coffee, quite bitter though. They refilled my cup twice

Roo’s favorite ($16): three chocolate chip pancakes topped with brown sugar butter, real whipped cream, and powdered sugar. The pancakes were served with real maple syrup. The pancakes were light, fluffy, tender, and flavorful with small chocolate chips in the batter and also sprinkled on top. Great pancakes. The large ball of brown sugar butter wasn’t necessary. The whipped cream tasted like it came out of a can.

Service was attentive. They checked in on me multiple times. To view the menu, you have to use a QR code.

The shared parking lot is small and it looks like a tough area to find parking if you don’t find a space in the lot. Don’t park behind the restaurant.

The interior looks somewhat like a homey sports bar rather than a diner. The curtains do make it homey.

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Clover Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405

People in Santa Monica seem to love the city parks. I was surprised by how many people were at the park – all kinds of people, including joggers, dogwalkers, cyclists, skateboarders, etc. A few people brought hammocks. A group of people provided live music with drums and instruments. There were plenty of families using the playgrounds.

Clover Park also has basketball courts, tennis courts, volleyball sand courts, and ball fields for soccer, and baseball. There are picnic tables, trees, restrooms, a paved concrete path that goes around the park (it’s short, probably under a mile), and free two hour parking.

At 17.9 acres, it’s a larger park, but you don’t feel alone because of all the people and the fact that it’s on a major street. It’s also next to the Santa Monica Airport, so you can watch small planes take off.

I noticed a few people living in cars near the park.

The park is open from 6 AM – 11 PM.

3.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Creamo, 3534 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles (Silver Lake), CA 90026

The founder of Donut Friend opened Creamo, the vegan ice cream shop, a few years ago. All the Donut Friend locations carry Creamo ice cream, and Creamo carries Donut Friend donuts. For the best selection of ice cream (16 flavors at a time), you have to go to Creamo in Silver Lake.

The ice cream is made in-house using a soy base. I was surprised since many people seem to be anti-soy nowadays. Is Creamo ice cream non-GMO? I don’t know. Free samples are offered.

The menu includes milkshakes, sundaes, donut ice cream sandwiches, and scoops of ice cream served in cups and cones. As for the donuts, I saw that they added mochi donuts. The donuts and ice cream had cute band-inspired/music-inspired names like Banana Kill, Corn Against, X-Ray Speculoos, and Rudimentary Peanut. A single scoop is $5 and a pint $15.25. Toppings include whipped cream, magic shell, mochi, nuts, sprinkles, sauces, etc.

Rudimentary Peanut: the texture was thick, smooth, dense, and creamy – similar to dairy-based ice cream. It did taste like peanut butter and wasn’t too sweet. It was good – not amazing good, but good in a simple, natural tasting way.

Pistachio: Pistachio butter ice cream with toasted whole pistachios – it did taste like pistachio and the crushed pistachios added texture

Creamo has a few outdoor tables in a covered patio area and no indoor seating.  Parking is challenging to find in the area.

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Jam Jam Tea Lab, 128 E Palm Ave, Burbank, CA 91502

Jam Jam Tea Lab first opened in Irvine. The recently opened Burbank location is the second. During the soft opening, coffee drinks were not offered. The menu includes milk tea, slushes, fruit tea, specialties, and a kid’s menu. No food is offered, only drinks. The emphasis is on the use of real fruit. The drinks come in one size. You can customize by adding toppings (boba, jellies, Oreo, barley boba, aloe vera – no grass jelly) and/or a foam top, as well as specify the type of milk (fresh, soy, oat), sweetness level, and ice level. Drinks are made to order.

Tangy fresh peach slush ($6.95, includes agar boba, 25% sweetness): the drink is layered, so you need to shake it before drink. The seal was leakproof. It’s fresh peach jam, ice, and round agar pearls. The jam tastes like fresh peaches. It was a bit too sweet for me and not tangy, despite the name. The peach skin added some texture.

It’s a cute mostly white shop with glowing shelves and a large counter. The only seating is one bench inside. So, it’s set up for takeout. There was a self-service order kiosk but it wasn’t on during my visit.

Online ordering is available. There is a rewards program. Parking is free and easy in downtown Burbank because of the public parking structures. Jam Jam Tea Lab is across from the AMC movie theater. I was told to expect a grand opening in around two months.

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[formeryelpers]

Alfred Coffee, 5815 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles (Highland Park), CA 90042

The proliferation of coffee shops continues in Highland Park, with the opening of Alfred Coffee. It’s interesting that each Alfred location is different – e.g., they have a different bagel supplier in Pasadena vs. HP. They do choose quality vendors and offer trendy drinks. It comes at a premium price, of course.

For drinks, they have drip coffee, espresso drinks, cold brew, nitro coffee, matcha, cloud cream, etc. The pastries (cookies, croissants, muffins, scones, cake), yogurt parfaits, and pre-made sandwiches all look good. You can also order breakfast burritos and bagels with schmears (including a gluten free bagel).

Sweet onion bagel ($3.50) + scallion cream cheese ($2.5): Pretty sure they heated the bagel without being asked, but it wasn’t toasted the usual way (split in half and toasted). It was heated without being cut (in the oven?). The rip & dip bagel was soft and fluffy, but still chewy. The sweet onion mixture in the center of the bagel added sweetness (natural?) and flavor. The cream cheese with fresh scallions was yummy and plentiful. The bagels are from Wake & Late in Pasadena.

Cold brew ($5.50 for 12 oz): Over half the cup was filled with large ice cubes. The cold brew tasted fine but no other place uses that much ice.

The coffee they serve is roasted for them in LA by Stumptown. You can buy bags of Alfred Coffee branded coffee beans.

The shop is about average in size with lots of small tables that are close together. It has a stylish look with mirrors along the back wall, a large counter island, ceiling fans, and green walls with brown tile.  It does have parking (shared lot) but all the spaces were taken when I visited.

I’d normally given them four stars, but there was way too much ice in my drink.

3.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.