Love this place. Atmosphere isn't quite as nice as the Belmont location, but still worth it. A bit more chill here. Coffee is fantastic, as expected. Highly recommended. read more

We stopped in here after the 5k for this year's Tomato Fest. The coffee was A-OK a bit on the super strong side. It almost overpowered my soy latte. The food was tasty though! I had the Grateful Dead bagel with the sun dried tomato, pesto cream cheese, It was just delightful! It hit the spot after dragging my 2 wee ones through the hood to see their Daddy run the race. I'll have to go back to try their other coffee items fo' sho' read more

Really the only thing you need to know is that a small corner of the menu reads" "We appreciate your addiction." Otherwise, this place is legit. The vibe is perfect, the barristas know their stuff, and the coffee is exceptional. Grab a cup to go or sit and enjoy the great atmosphere. read more

Awesome cup of Joe EVERY TIME I go! If you haven't tried the Grey Skies (Iced), RUN there NOW and get one! I promise you won't be disappointed! read more

Bongo East + GamePoint - Breakfast bagel w/ egg, cheese and BACON on an Everything Bagel...YUMMMM - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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I had never been to Bongo Java despite living here for 13 years. I also don't drink coffee so that's probably why... But I had a meeting scheduled there so that's the only reason I went. First of all parking is crappy. They have maybe 5 spots in front of the business. So I had to drive down the street looking for parking, finally went back to a side street and parked on the street. It was about a two block walk to Bongo Java East. Upon entering I went to the counter to order and encountered two very bored employees. Not only did they appear bored with the job but already bored with me, perfect! I ordered a chai latte and it was ready pretty quickly. It was hot but not good. It clearly needed something else. The only highlight of this place was the awesome people watching. The outfits I saw!! You would have thought it was a walk of shame runway show on a weekday afternoon A plus of this place is that there are a lot of tables and chairs. There were plenty of working solo on laptops at the tables and the staff didn't seem to care. read more

Bongo East + GamePoint - Artsy chai. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Best coffee in Nashville by far! I'm not sure why Crema gets so much attention. I went there once to see what all the fuss was about...they don't even have an organic option. Seems odd to me given the coffee industry is all about sustainability. I'm a Bongo girl all the way. The east side location is the best, it's much more laid back than the belmont location. Though, parking sucks sometimes. read more

The range of reviews for Bonga Java is interesting, and I think it's either your kind of place, or it's not. For me, it is. But then again, I guess I'm one of those tattooed hipsters myself, so I blend in. Or maybe it's because I don't really expect too much friendliness at the coffee counter, after all, some of us are there trying to wake up in the first place. But I don't think I've ever encountered anyone working there who was in a grumpier mood than me, and that's a good thing. And the coffee is good. And it's organic and fair trade, too -- a real rarity. Makes you feel good about drinking it. The space is a big old garage that they converted into part coffee roastery, and part coffee hangout. The tables and chairs are mostly funky and mismatched, and sometimes I think I might find my initials carved into some old table that maybe came from my old school (which of course, it wouldn't have since I just moved to Nashville, but hey, it's like old school furniture). I can't really attest to their fancy drinks, since I'm sort of a purist. I learned long ago that it's waaaaay cheaper to just order a regular cup of coffee and put your own danged milk in it, and I don't like sweet drinks, so you won't catch me drinking some kind of frothy mocha thingie with whipped cream on it and an extra shot. What I want is quality fresh strong coffee, and that's what they have. They also have some simple sandwich-and-muffin-type food, and I always order the Fishy Bomb, which is your basic bagel and lox, which is the perfect food to eat with a cup of hot strong coffee. It's not that cheap, but it's plenty good. There is free wireless and always lots of people making use of it. And the art on the walls changes often. And I find the people who work there are just fine. In fact, they're friendly and efficient, though yeah, it's a hipster kind of place, that's the nature of the neighborhood. It would be awesome to have more outdoor space than a couple of benches out front where the cars park. Maybe they could give up their private parking and build a nice patio out front for the good-weather days? Hmmm? read more

The Fishy Bomb, the coffee, the people and the neighborhood. I love this place and since I work in the area I know I will be here often. It's an awesome place to drop in and eat or get something to go. Prices are reasonable for the quality ingredients. read more

I often forget that Bongo Java is right around the corner, a good spot to grab a quick weekend breakfast or coffee. Bongo Java uses local Bagel Face products for their breakfast "bomb" sandwiches. I recently enjoyed an Egg Bomb of everything bagel, egg, and veggie sausage. The meal was substantial and flavorful, perfect hangover fare. Another favorite is the Toasted Banana PBG Wrap--decadent, yet moderately healthy. Service is generally prompt and friendly. Looking forward to trying the tuna melt and other lunch options on a future lunch visit! read more

great coffee and environment! went on a saturday afternoon and it was decently busy. it would be a fun spot to hang out with friends or a date and play games! read more

Place is in a really hipster laid back area. Coffee shop is big nice tables a lot of space to spread out and study. Im a huge coffee drinker the iced milky way was AMAZING! My friend tried the blue sky organic soda it was also really good. If you are in the area and a coffee drinker deff stop by here. read more

Bongo East + GamePoint - Life changing - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

all I care about are 2 things.... They have Vegi sausage and house made jalapeno cream cheese. put those two little items on a bagel and your whole day will head in a better direction. read more

Stellar java! The bachelor bomb bagel is worth whatever it costs and however long the line is...do it and be happy!This is East Nashville ..drink it in,it always goes down smooth! read more

Nowhere else in east Nashville takes as much pride or exudes as much excellence in their coffee offerings as Bongo. Oftentimes you will drop in on active roasting and drink coffee roasted that day. The breakfast bagels are great (or should I say "bomb"? Ha) and I frequently choose the Bachelor Bomb. "Mudd" is my favorite coffee blend they offer at the moment. read more

Bongo East + GamePoint - Espresso machine - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Before I moved to Nashville in late 2014, I visited well over a dozen times, going back to 2012. On each visit, I sought to explore the Nashville coffee scene. I have been to Bongo Java at least 10 times in the past two years. In the early days, I found Bongo Java's brewed coffee to be very nice and their espresso drinks to be among the best in Nashville - as far as I knew at the time - but still a notch or two lower than what I was used to. While I eventually checked out still more places, I kept going back to Bongo Java, but over time I noted a gradual decrease in quality, which may be attributable to the beans. In fact, in late 2014 I bought a bag of beans to grind and brew at home, either on the Bonavita or the Technivorm. I was put off by the labeling of "medium roast" on the bag. I guess I never noticed that before, because I went there for espresso drinks. That sort of categorization or labeling caused me to shake my head; it told me something new about them and how they view their customers. Yes, rather than presume that their customers are intelligent, they dumbed-down their labeling. I would rather see a general description or summary of the flavor profile on the bag, describing the end result of that crop of that bean, as they saw fit to roast it. If they did want to note the level of roast - which has little to no relevance when the profile is accurately described for consumers - they should use more universal terms to describe roast development. Again, I would rather see such things removed. Anyway, about that "medium" roast - whatever that means. I would have called it more of a "full city" roast: not far enough from "second crack" territory for my taste. If I want more smoke on the beans, I'd go to Charbucks, but I don't. I may as well go to McDonald's for coffee. No, I don't like trendy, highly acidic and predominantly citrus profiles, but I think there is some glorious space between that and post second crack. Back to the bar: I have found more and more cases of what seems to be scalded milk or just less cohesion and smoothness overall, in terms of lattes, mochas, etc. I don't know what factors have cause this back-sliding, but I hope they can get it figured out and maybe turn the roaster down a few degrees. Bongo Java was once knocking on the door of the big boys and could have taken things up a notch or two, but instead they remain at a better-than-average level. I will still stop by, when it's convenient, because it remains better than every other place I know of in East Nashville, but I will not go out of my way for it. read more

When I first moved to Nashville and didn't have a coffee pot, yet.......... I would go here - usually the first one there since I wake up before God. Free wifi, strong coffee, real whole cream, no stevia. Lots of young mothers that don't want to stay home, so they bring their children here and allow them to run around. I love the smell of the place, but then again, all coffee lovers love the smell of freshly brewed coffee. They sell their coffee half price on Tuesday. Lots of pastries and stuff. The staff here are a little on the snobby side... It's a shame they think they are better than any of us. They ruin it for the rest of us. I think the staff could use some hospitality training... Teach them that treating your customers right, brings repeat business. Because of the toddlers running around amok, and the snobby waitstaff.. I no longer do business with them. JMHO. read more

Bongo East is a cool little coffee shop in East Nashville. Right on Five Points. My mom was in town and staying right in that area. She is a person that needs coffee every morning before functioning. Luckily, Bongo was just a hop and a skip away for her and she LOVED the coffee. She went to another shop one morning, I won't say which one, and said the coffee didn't even compare. I joined her one morning before we hit the road and needed a little snack so I wouldn't be hangry during our adventures. I'm glad that it gave me an excuse to check out the shop. It is pretty small and while it does have parking in the front, it can be tricky to get in and out of. You have to back out onto the road but if there isn't traffic, you're good. There is also street parking and a paid lot just around the corner so it's not a big deal. This little place gets pretty busy so don't be surprised if there is a line out the door during peak hours. What I really liked about Bongo is that it is also a game cafe. They have bookshelves full of games to play and buy. My mom and her friend actually bought a game from here to play during down time. Ok, back to the goods. I got a cookie and holy mother of cookies, was it good. The cookies are big and soft and just yummy. I tried the M&M cookie and peanut butter cookies. I highly recommend the peanut butter. I can't personally comment on the drinks because I didn't try one. The menu looked good though! They also have food items and beer. If you're in East Nashville, this seems to be the place to come to for great coffee! read more

Not disclosing drink prices is rude, pretentious and unfriendly towards people of lower incomes. It's creates an embarrassing situation for them to have to slow the line to ask for prices. I happened to visit with a friend a few days ago who's hard on his luck and the experience was embarrassing for him. I ended up helping him pay and he asked to leave. I doubt he'll return. The latte prices are higher than most cafés in the area. That's fine but OWN IT. Otherwise, the coffee is excellent. I would just like to see a more transparent, honest, and kinder of treatment of all customers. Advertise your prices! read more

I've been going to Bongo off an on for years and I'm just not sure what people are talking about concerning rude service (and I'm definitely not a tattooed hipster). Maybe I just don't expect the server to be my personal friend? Anyway, the place is fine, and it's a good place to meet the locals, but avoid it on Saturday and Sunday morning - it's not worth standing in line for. I usually head to one of the two coffee houses near Eastland and Chapel when there's a long line. read more

The strong coffee is a sure cure for those "Will I ever wake up?" days. When I'm not ready to be up all night, I like the Ginseng iced tea, which has a little lemon zing. A good solid mocha and a competent soy latte are good options when I feel like a treat. And on a whim I tried the Scarborough Fair rosemary latte. Quite a nice idea, that one. They started serving Bagel Face bagels, which are a new locally-made favorite of mine. Most of their quick food is too sugary for my tastes, but the couple of times I've had time for a bagel sandwich, it was perfectly good. Good place to grab coffee with a friend or get a little work done in the afternoon. read more

Well! I loved The place! Great coffee and a fabulous breakfast bagel (east side bomb) I would love them to turn down the AC though... Otherwise, great experience read more

Coffee is okay. I know lots of people who love this place, and it's close to me, so I keep trying it every now and then, but it's underwhelming. Setup is good for studying. Open, roomy, standard tables. Not loungey. Street parking mainly. Not a full food menu. Service is a bit "eh". Not friendly, but not rude either. read more

I love bongo so much. The coffee is Delicious and the drink recipes are unique, exciting and perfected balances of flavor. Fireside chat is my favorite. The atmosphere is congruent for visiting, or working, or taking in the local artwork displayed. read more

Bongo East + GamePoint - Milky Way - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I was extremely disappointed with my experience here, as the other location I really enjoyed. I stopped in for a nonfat latte on a Saturday afternoon. There was one barista and teller working at the time. I waited over 25 minutes for one drink to be made, which was an insane amount of time. The milk didn't seem foamed all the way, like it was rushed so I was disappointed by the quality of the latte and the timeliness. I would possibily stop in again if in the area, but while in 5 points, I would rather hit Ugly Mugs or Post East. read more

Yum!!! Their espresso is divine. Their baristas are super nice. Their bagels are delicious. They have a TON of board games. Super cool spot.

Iced tea was delicious on a super hot July day, however the customer service SUCKED. The cashier barely looked at me when I placed my order and was more concerned about catching up with her friend than being at all pleasant to me. Not sure if I wasn't tattooed enough or obviously a coffee-house-bum, but I was very disappointed at the interaction by both cashier and barista. I'll probably be going anywhere else next time I need my caffeine fix... like Fiddle Cakes. They're nothing but sweet over there. :) read more

This is the location where bongo roasts their coffee beans for their 3 or 4 Nashville affiliates, so it smells strong and warm. It also has a bit of a factory / warehouse feel to it. Free wifi, a small place to sit outside, decent location, good staff, and yeah--great coffee. They also have a great menu throughout the day, and it's apparently made from food sourced locally. That's a win. They sell their coffee in whole bean form, they've got some kids toys out, they sell their own merch, and there are some limited, pre-packaged food/drink offerings. They always feature new art from a local artist. My favorite coffee shop in Nashville...and the universe...so far. read more

Had a delicious iced latte with ginger and honey and cardamon I think - it was fabulous.

I've tried the coffee on a few different occasions but I really don't like it. I'm usually a house drip, not a super skinny, extra mocha, grande whip whatever kind of girl. I like to taste the coffee because good coffee stands on it's own without all the sugars and extras. Aside from coffee, it's HELLA cold in there in the winter- i swear the place doesn't have any heat (go pee and you'll see what I mean). I just didn't feel comfy there. read more

Ignore the whiners, I found the service totally fine and the coffee second best to Barista Parlor. I love that this location is spacious and makes meeting others very easy. The wifi worked great as well. I adored the art on the walls and wish I could buy it. (FWIW The art here was priced way better than art at the Post East which was both expensive and not as good...) read more

Average coffee. Funeral home atmosphere. But that's not the real problem. The people that work there are just way too cool for their jobs. I guess they're waiting for their country music deal/Trump internship to come in. Put another way, they're like Starbucks rejects. And they're pissed about it. The last time I was there, the 21-year-old brain dead zombie chick order-taker acted like it was her last day on the planet and just couldn't be troubled by my order. I've lived in the East since the 2003, and nothings changed. Thank Buddha there are several, much more friendly alternatives. read more

This is a great place to meet all sorts of people and also dogs from East Nashville. Unique coffees and satisfying bagel sandwiches -- for hangovers, try the Eastside Bomb. edit: downgraded to 4 stars. getting tired of the slow service, even when there is not a line out the door. edit #2: after 2 years since my first review here my experiences at Bongo Java --which are now few and far between-- have steadily gone down hill. They could not be less interested in interacting with me. When the cash register breaks down, they get annoyed with the people in line, who actually take it in stride. Janin O. hit the nail on the head and inspired this revision. Also, only one person making the sandwiches on Sunday morning? Really? Still good sandwiches and unique atmosphere, people watching, although the attitude is making this less of a focal point for the neighborhood. 3 stars. read more

Great tour stop for the travelling musician. Great local coffee spot, fast WiFi and an above average number of attractive people. I didn't eat them, but I was told by a trustworthy source that the "bagels are tasty". Enjoy! read more

Not the best tasting coffee in town, but I love this location near 5 points. Its a great place to relax alone, chat with friends, or gather with a team for a meeting. Good selection of food and snacks, too. read more

Ok new to Nashville and a coffee lover! I've tried several different coffee shops around town and Bongo java is amazing! The employees were more than nice and helpful. The store was super clean and the coffee was AMAZING! We paid $9 for two drinks so make sure it's in your budget but totally worth it! Best cup o Joe I've had in town!! read more

I love the healthy options for food and the tasty coffee drinks. The new addition of board games will have me back much more often. It's also great to have a spot to hang and play games after dark. read more

I live in Seattle, land of espresso, and I had one of the best lattes in my life this morning in Nashville. It was a special, it had thyme in it, and it was genius. The foam was fine and thick, the milk just the right temperature and even the presentation was nice. So my partner and I tried four of the specials in all, including one with carrot and ginger, each was remarkable. Wish we had a Bongo in Seattle. read more

this is a great stop for a cup of coffee or their cold summer drinks and the board games selection are so much fun. its really packed when i stopped by this saturday after my bike ride. everything thumbs up read more

I see reviews for both prompt and horrible service here at Bongo. I can't speak for the latter, but I've never had a bad experience the handful of times I've been to the East location. I have yet to try any of their food, but I always come in for their coffee specialities! read more

Dude! I accidentally trekked six miles to come here, from a conference at Vanderbilt (needed to walk off all that barbecue anyway, what you gonna do?), and glad I did. Get the Old Earth Theory. No, seriously, do it. It has a eggnog latte kinda feel, and I'm not sure why. But yum. read more