Goodthing, the Burlingame-born coffee and cake shop known for pistachio-topped einspänners and cloud-light Japanese cheesecakes, has quietly landed in downtown Palo Alto. The new two-story cafe is already packed with open laptops and study groups, and early visitors say the intricate drinks and in-house pastries mostly earn their higher price tags.
Soft opening in a two-story space
Goodthing took over the former Wood Oven Pizza spot and began serving in late October, turning the compact storefront into a bright, split-level cafe with a loft and open kitchen. According to Mountain View Voice, the extra square footage lets the team grow its pastry program and add more seats for students and remote workers who are settling in for long stretches.
From Burlingame to Palo Alto
The first Goodthing opened in Burlingame in October 2024 and quickly built a following for light, jiggly Hokkaido-style cheesecakes, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Coverage of the original shop describes a cramped counter and tight back-of-house that had staff baking well into the night, a bottleneck that helped push the owners toward a bigger kitchen downtown in Palo Alto, per Redwood City Pulse.
What reviewers tasted
Student reviewers who checked out the Palo Alto location praised the layered drinks and creative cakes but did not miss the higher prices. As reported by The Paly Voice, the Urban Angel, a matcha einspänner, scored 8 out of 10 at $9.75, the Pistachio Einspänner earned 7 out of 10 at $9.50, and the tiramisu cheesecake landed at 7.5 out of 10 for $12. Oat milk upgrades were noted at an additional $0.50.
“This place [downtown Palo Alto] has the same vibe as the Burlingame location,” Chef Peter Mon told The Paly Voice, while barista Angel Lin said the opening “has been successful” and that they “welcome a lot of customers every day.”
Is it worth the splurge?
For anyone who values novelty and precise pastry work, plenty of visitors say it is. Goodthing leans hard into showpiece cream-topped einspänners that come together quickly and look camera ready, alongside rich cake slices for people who plan to linger. Mountain View Voice notes that the cafe rotates light-roast, single-origin beans from European roasters and that the Pistachio Einspänner remains the star of the menu, details that help explain both the lines and the checks.
Practical info
Goodthing’s Palo Alto shop is listed at 532 Ramona St., with many local listings showing hours of roughly 8 AM to 4 PM, Tuesday through Sunday.
