Bongo Java has good coffee but the customer service is something is that of something that is left to be desired. I stop in every now and then the cashiers and baristas all seem miserable and un-inviting. I now make it a point to go to Fido to get coffee instead when I'm in the area. read more

So I got the Sweater Weather. While the hint of Apple was delicious, I'm a little disappointed that there was no wool in it. I fully expected strands of sweater to be included, naturally. Also, the Neighborhood did not spontaneously serenade me...good drink but I was expecting something else. read more

I am so disappointed with this place. I've been going here for years and the service has really gone down hill. The staff cold and rude. I went to Bongo to get a iced coffee drink, spent more than $7 dollars, then took it outside to drink it and eat a bagel that I had brought. I was told to leave even though I had spent money there. I will not be going back. read more

Great place for breakfast on a Saturday morning. Sit on the patio and don't miss out on the Juanita Burrito with hashbrowns. The Icy Somoan is wonderful. Dog friendly and prices are reasonable. read more

I feel like more of an inconvenience than a customer here. Yes, the coffee is good, and the patio is perfect for this time of year. The problem with Bongo Java is with the service and overall attitude of the people who work there. I was literally kicked out last Sunday night at 9:45 when they were open till 11:00. The next night I was there, it happened again! At such a prime location, this establishment can do whatever they want, so there isn't much that can be done except go to Frothy Monkey where they welcome me rather than sigh when I walk in to order. read more

The food is decent. Reasonably priced also. The coffee is not my favorite, I always kinda feel a little sick after a cup. Staff kinda sucks. always too busy chatting or are too stoned to ever get my order right. but i guess you cant really expect much from a college area coffee shop. read more

Never been here before. Usually a straight coffee or espresso drinker. Ordered the latte called Ginger Slap. It was wonderful. Not too sweet and the ginger fragrance was heady! Oh, and there was outdoor seating but since it was 23 degrees, we wussed out and went inside. read more

the coffee was amazing, however the customer service was poor, employees were stuck up and hella rude and not at all welcoming to the establishment which ruined the experience read more

I've been a regular at bongo for several years now. Since then I've had nothing but pleasant experiences dealing with the employees and food quality. However, I have recently noticed that the company is extremely lacking in its eco friendliness. I'm originally from the west coast and almost all of the coffee shops I regularly attended there had recycling and compost bins obviously labeled. Bongos recycling bin is out of the way and hardly noticeable to a passing customer. On top of that there is no option to compost leftover food. It saddens me that this seems to be such a common trend in the south. One would think that a coffee shop in a metropolitan would be more in touch, but sadly this is not the case. Since this has come to my attention I've decided that I can no longer support a company that seems to be completely apathetic when it comes to environmental issues. If you have any care whatsoever about the environmental crisis I would suggest that you find your coffee somewhere else (crema is a great option). Very disturbing.... read more

I went to Belmont, so this place was conveniently located. It is right across the street. That being said, the service left such a bad taste in my mouth the first time I visited, that I only returned maybe a handful of times in five years. Coffee is just decent, nothing remarkable. They have a killer chipotle cream cheese. But, like I said, the service is straight up rude/snooty. My first time in there as a freshman and I wasn't really sure what to order - there wasn't much of a line, maybe one other person (it was an off hour), but the barista gave me major attitude and started trying to school me on how "a Starbucks macchiato is NOT a real macchiato." Which is fine, I love learning new things! But not when you act like I'm a total idiot for not being a regular. Not cool, hipster barista girl. I also wasn't sure if they would bring my coffee to me after I sat down, or if I had to go get it (first time, remember), and no one said anything, so my coffee sat on the counter for a good 5 minutes after she finished making it. After that experience, I only went in to Bongo a handful of times. The service never improved. Just skip this place unless you're desperate. read more

I've frequented Bongo many times because of the convenience. I've always felt the food was just ok and the staff seem uninterested in being there. But after visiting today, I decided it would be the LAST time I would give them my business. If I could give zero stars based on service alone I would. After waiting nearly 30 minutes for an egg on an English muffin (not too complicated), I asked the extremely unwelcoming guy at the counter who took my order, how long the wait would be, especially since customers that ordered after me seemed to get their orders. He then looked at me as if I were bothering him and replied by saying "I don't even know what you're asking me", and walks away. At this point I'm extremely annoyed. Then he returns from the kitchen with the same order I placed and gives it to another customer, whom again, ordered after me. I then proceed to the counter to get my money back and he questions me about the order that he took. By this time I can't even wrap my mind around waiting another 30 minutes for a simple sandwich and more importantly, giving this business who doesn't seem to care about their customers, my money. I asked for my money back and was never given an apology or anything. This place is a huge disappointment. Unfortunately, it's the only breakfast spot convenient to Belmont but I could never bring myself to spend my hard earned money on mediocre food and disrespectful customer service again. read more

ok, there are several good things i could say about this place putting it into the 4-5 star range but in the end none of them matter because this place has FLIES!!! flies are gross, esp when they land on your reasonably priced and reasonable though not amazing but still pretty good-tasting french toast while you are enjoying wifi in an overall comfy non pretentious environment!!! read more

I've visited this location twice and each time I've experienced TERRIBLE, RUDE service and mediocre coffee. The last time I visited, the barrista wanted to argue with me about my order when I told her it was wrong; really? I will NEVER return to this establishment. read more

The worst omelette I have probably ever been served. Stone cold omelette and attitude from every person I encountered working at this location. It's great to be ultra cool when you can back it up with quality, then the pompous grunge wouldn't have bothered me as much. The only thing worth your salty attitude is the coffee, but need a bit more when I spend close to $20 for breakfast. read more

As a Belmont student, Bongo Java is the most convenient place on Earth. It's always been a haven for the smokers both pre and post the tobacco ban on campus. The porch is an ideal place to spend a sunny morning or afternoon, and the cozy interior is ideal for rainy days. Either way, you'll most likely run into someone you know. If you're looking to make new friends, make a b-line for the community table in the middle of first floor. While the coffee doesn't necessarily excite me, their eclectic mug collection never fails to entertain and the caffeine gets the job done. Here you can find the best deal for a hearty breakfast - a mere $5 for toast, hash browns, 2 eggs the way you like them, and a cup of coffee. Later in the day I'd lean towards the fancy grilled cheese - tomato, mozzarella and pesto make for a killer combination - topped off with a side of chips and salsa. With an "after-hours theater" upstairs, it's even a good place for a slice of night life. Considering Bongo, as it's affectionately nicknamed, was the first local coffee shop in town, it comes as no surprise that it's my go-to shop. read more

My friend was just in this restaurant and ordered an omelet... when it came out it happened to have bacon on it and she can't eat bacon so she took it up to the counter and politely told the manager the situation and if she could get one without bacon.. He rolled his eyes and asked if she could read the menu!!!! This ended with her leaving and crying in her car!!!! This is unacceptable and replacing an omelet is not that serious... read more

I stopped in this place for my second round of coffee for the morning. I must say that I've never been in this part of town before even though it's just a street or two over from my main haunts. Behind Belmont, people jogging and walking their dogs. Back to the coffee house. I give them props on the renovated house turned coffee house. The patio area out front was nice. The fellas taking my order looked to be the grungy-I'm in a band types but once I placed my order and made some eye contact, they were genuinely nice guys. I ordered my coffee drink of the day, Cafe Au Lait but here in Bongo Java land it is Cafe O' Lei and their website gives the whole history behind the name. I really didn't pay much attention to the food items they offered so I couldn't tell you much on that but I did notice the upstairs area, Bongo after hours, it's nice to have a coffee shop that actually has events and things to do when it's past the regular coffee shops bedtime. I must go back for one of the events and order some food to do a full review. I perused the area and the main sitting area had more of the usual tables and less of the comfy coziness which is expected from all self-respecting coffee shops. There was a section in the very back that I didn't walk into so maybe all of the comfy cozy was hiding back there. The only outdoor area is the front patio area. Back to the main point of this review, the coffee, they do offer different types of brewed coffee's here. You can get your coffee brewed in an aeropress, siphon pot, and a host of other ways and I believe that is one ways to tell a true coffee shop who actually has a love affair with it's coffee from those who just want to fill you with drip coffee. Different brewing methods bring out the different flavors of the coffee. My coffee was just the perfect blend of coffee and milk and I could actually taste the espresso. The actual flavors of the coffee were present and not bitter and not overly strong. read more

We visited last weekend while in town for work and Bongo ranked in our top 3. This was our last stop on our second day and a breath of fresh air. This shop had personality and more importantly good espresso. read more

I hope that the owners of Bongo Java read all the reviews and then tweak their business. Their site says..." We hire a professional staff who are focused on customer service." Unfortunately this is not the case the few times we visited and unfortunately, I know that it is now getting a reputation for being an unfriendly cafe with the university students at Belmont. A little more training of their staff to create a warm and welcoming place is needed OR start hiring friendly people from the Universities. I am sure there are a lot of students in need of a paycheck. Looking at the reviews, it seems it is a hit or miss when you go. It should be a home run each and every time you walk into an establishment! People can forgive errors in orders if the employees are friendly and happy to help. I should add that we also visited the Fido Restaurant and even though the lines were long, there was a completely different atmosphere and it was a great experience and great staff. I hope for the sake of this particular branch that the owners take note. read more

Art Gallery Coffee vibe with good coffee, so-so acoustics and potentially very long waits. Wouldn't recommend, but the area options seem limited. read more

I've come here before about 5 times because it convenient, all around brunch time on the weekends. I usually get the Scramble On which comes with scrambled eggs mixed with veggies, a heaping cup of fruit, and two pieces of toast. It's about $11, but it was worth it because the portions were good and the food was fresh. They are open until 8 p.m., but they stop serving food at 6 p.m., yet its not specified anywhere. I went again around 5 p.m. and ordered my usual, the Scramble On. What I got was pitiful. I recieved barely any eggs which were lukewarm, my TOAST wasn't even TOASTED (and the bread also happened to be stale), and I recieved no fruit cup whatsoever!!! All for the same price of $10.93. I understand that it is at the end of the day and before they stop serving food, but to go from what I usually get to what I got tonight is unacceptable. The guy I ordered from couldn't even had said, "yeah, we no longer have fruit" or "it's no good" or could have reduced the price or something. Or AT THE LEAST could have toasted my toast!!!! I won't be going back for a while, but definitely only go earlier in the day because they no longer care by the end!!! read more

Their food is okay and very pricy. I have a diet issue and politely asked them if they could make some adjustments and one employee goes: "we're not an omelet bar. So next time, just order what's up there how it is." And was incredibly rude about it. I tried to explain and when they finally understood why I had to make adjustments to my food they was still incredibly rude about it. I ended up giving up every other time I've gone there and end up getting fruit and some yogurt. With the exception of a few cashiers, the staff is very very rude. read more

had an oddly uncomfortable experience with purchasing my coffee. great coffee. rude staff.

Not my favorite place. The food is very average, and the service is not particularly prompt. Service with a smile is clearly not their forte, but the place has lots of space that would be good for studying. read more

The good: outside patio. The bad: RUDE STAFF (Yes, it's getting even worse), slow internet, DIRTY TABLES and cigarette ASHES on most of the patio tables, peeking in the kitchen frightened me (look for yourself). But most of all, the staff have been incredibly offensive. I live nearby and won't bother returning. This local customer has had enough. Will review again in 6 months. read more

I think I found my new coffee spot! I'm new to Nashville so I've been trying some new places and this is by far my favorite. Not only is it in a cool area, but I love that you can sit outside on their spacious patio and enjoy some of their AMAZING coffee while enjoying the nice weather. What an awesome place!!! :) read more

If you like waiting 15 minutes for a burnt bagel this is your place! Seriously every time.

I live next to about 8 Starbucks, yet I will drive the extra distance to Bongo to chill out and read and drink a cup of coffee. The best part is definitely the laid back atmosphere. At times it gets a little too crowded and hectic, but its a small price to pay. And I saw Keith and Nicole there, you can't beat that. read more

Theatre called Bongo After Hours is a nice small playhouse with low-budget limited engagement amateur productions. They don't cost much and are fun for a date because of the variety and the intimacy of the room. Also as you walk up the steps to the theatre area there is a great small seating area for coffeehouse customers that's great for group study at the table. This place is marvelous for both the theatre and for the sharp baristas behind the counter. read more

This place doesn't even deserve 1/2 star....have been there for breakfast and afternoon coffee for 5 days now (here for 1 week course at Belmont)...we have tried to overlook their basic surly and unfriendly attitude, despite our smiles and friendliness....they don't give receipts, and somehow the same order for breakfast results in different prices every morning....also, they don't have staff trained to understand the difference b/w a single espresso (2 shots) and a double - which is more than 2 shots.....6 times in 4 days I was charged for the double (which they define as 4 shots), but got the single version and when I would try to verify they insisted it was a double (4 shots), which i know is impossible as I order this all the time at other places that seem to know their own store definitions - when tried to clarify this today with the man who always seems to be in charge, he was so rude about it, that this place has definitely lost our business for the rest of our time here, and future summers, when we are here for this regular course....a simple "sorry our staff was confused and gave you the wrong order the past few days" would have sufficed, rather than a rude "what do you want?!" - sir, I just want your staff trained well enough to know your cafe's definition of a single vs double as the way you define it on the board can be confusing to them ...a smile now and again would help, too...oh, and the service is horrifyingly slow....#nevergoing back read more

great big shady porch. fun assortment of breakfast treats; I especially like the egg melt on english muffin. coffee is good, too. some of the best people-watching in town. read more

loved this place. i went twice in one weekend. the coffee was excellent, and the lattes, even better. i'm pretty particular when it comes to coffee, and was delighted by my experience. i do wish they offered pour over, but that was minor compared to the flavor and creativity of the offerings. additionally, a friend had an issue with her latte (the espresso machine was broken), and the staff made her a new drink right away. the front porch was lovely as well - definitely a five star experience. read more