Food was amazing! Pastries were delicious. The inside was cute and trendy. Service was good.

This place was such a gem! There was a little bit of a wait, but after eating here, I can definitely see why. We waited outside for our table and ended up sitting at one of the small sidewalk tables, which actually made for a really cute and relaxed experience. I didn't get a chance to see the inside since we waited outside and were seated outside, so I can't speak to the interior. The menu is small and tapas-style, which I loved because we were able to order a little bit of everything and share. We had the deviled eggs, grilled corn muffin, petite pastrami biscuits, smoked B&F bacon, and crispy spiced potatoes--and honestly, EVERYTHING was amazing. Every dish had so much flavor, and we couldn't pick a favorite! This was definitely one of those places where the wait was worth it. Great food, fun atmosphere, and a menu that makes you want to come back and try more. We'll absolutely be returning! read more

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PLEASE NOTE: This review is for coffee only. I specifically visited Bread & Friends because I had heard so many people talk about how great the coffee program was. Portland has an exceptional coffee scene with remarkable lattes in particular (as of writing this: Coveside's Cozyside, Rambler's Brambler, Proper Cup's Smoked Salt Maple, etc.), so I was excited to finally see what the buzz (pun intended) was about. I got the Smoked Maple Rosemary latte; I think it's been on the menu since they opened. When I went to order I asked if I could get "an iced maple rosemary latte with oat milk". The person at the counter asked if I wanted it iced or hot. I repeated, "Iced. And can I also get it with an extra shot?" The person at the counter then said, "It already comes with two." I said, "Right, can I make it a qua..." But before I could get the words out I was rung up, and they walked away. The coffee itself wasn't for me; it was such a saccharine flavor. And slightly astringent? I noticed no smoked or rosemary notes. Some of the staff seemed friendly; some seemed to be intentionally avoiding eye contact with customers. They were suuuuuuper busy, I get it. It's so great how popular they are, and that they've become a destination spot here in Portland! But as a hyper local, there are other coffee spots I'd personally rather visit. read more

Bread & Friends - Coffee area. - Bakeries Near Me - Portland, Maine

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We had a couple treats from Bread & Friends from the Freeport/Brunswick Farmer's Market, but I forgot to review! Driving by the store after the Beach to Beacon, we decided to pop in for our post-run coffee. It's a cute place with lots of seating and friendly employees! The coffee was very good! (cappucinos). Along with it, we chose the lime and coconut Kouign-amann. Really great - lime on the inside. Highly recommend! read more

Bread & Friends - Coconut Lime Kouign-amann - Bakeries Near Me - Portland, Maine

Located right around the corner from our hotel (Holiday Inn), this was a great spot for brunch. It is walk ins only and we came in around 1045 on a Sunday. We waited about 20 min for a table. I got a matcha to start which was good quality. While they encourage sharing, we each decided to get our own meal. I had the Lobster Omelette which was amazing! (My friend had similar feeling on hers). Others got the Soft Scrambled Eggs which they seemed to enjoy, but did not seem like a ton of food. For "desert", I tried their Orange Creamsicle Mimosa. The menu said it was topped with cold foam, which I found very intriguing. It was not my favorite, but grew on me as I finished it. Definitely check this place out for a tasty brunch, but be prepared for a little wait. read more

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Long wait, but well worth it. Amazing food. My daughter loved her soft scrambled eggs and croissant and my okonomiyaki was absolutely DIVINE. So many delicious flavors combined together - duck, egg, ginger, cabbage, the sauces. SO amazing, I'm telling you. We ate outside and it was a really lovely day for it. read more

Liked it so much we came here twice! The everything pull apart roll is a hit, as was the Lemon fluff latte and the poptart! Cute little establishment with lots of food options for those who like a little hipster meal. (I love a hipster meal!) Easy walk from our hotel and not too busy! Great place! read more

Nice place to chill out with...bread, and friends. Small but tasty menu, pleasant service, and a bright welcoming space. Can be busy at times, especially on the weekend, but weekdays and outside of lunch hour, you should be able to get a table right away. I had the Dutch Baby and it was almost too pretty to eat, but I dug in after admiring the piece of art that it was. I loved the combination of flavors and textures - brie, mushrooms, egg, jam, greens, chewy Dutch baby, crispy bits. Yum! read more

Bread & Friends - Bakeries Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Delicious drinks! Mine had an Ube cream foam SOOO good!! They have seating inside and outside along with a walk up take out counter. We did wait a little bit because they were busy but honestly I enjoyed my drink so much plus it gave me time to use the restrooms read more

Bread & Friends - Bakeries Near Me - Portland, Maine

FANTASTIC brunch spot worth your time in Portland! Despite there being a line, we were sat relatively quickly in this small shop on a saturday morning. There is also an option for to go pickup of pastries and coffees inside. We started with a maple latte which was delicious (although i'm not sure i really tasted the maple). For our food we had the Jonah Crab omlette that was delectable - the eggs were fluffy and soft, the crab flavor was strong and mixed well with the cheese and roe. We also had the dutch baby - this was my first ever savory dutch baby and it was delicious - the pastry was flaky/crisp, the greens were fresh, and the brie was soooo good. read more

Bread & Friends - Bakeries Near Me - Portland, Maine

Bread & Friends was the start to my wife and my Valentine's Day! Due to past times of seeing how long the wait was we arrived before open and made the right choice being the second group in line. It took no time at all for the place to completely fill up. Which based on everything we had I completely understand why, this place makes incredible food and drinks. Overall it has a great inviting feeling to the space. To start off I enjoyed a Morning Bun Latte while my wife got the Honey & Juniper Latte. Both came out perfect temperature with well done latte art and delicious taste. My wife was obsessed with their pottery mugs that the lattes came served in. Food wise we were looking to split everything and it worked perfectly. We ended up choosing French Toast, Soft Scrambled Eggs, and the Fried Potatoes side. Every dish would be an absolute no brainer for us to order again. Every bite of food kept us wanting even more. Lastly we grabbed a chocolate croissant to go and that was just as tasty and enjoyed it after our visit. After this visit it is certainly a new favorite spot of ours, and look forward to coming back! Worth your time visiting! read more

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Oh my, this place is spectacular! It is so cozy, clean, and cute! The rug decor on the walls is mesmerizing, and the whole vibe of Bread & Friends is incredibly friendly. The staff are so kind and quick to ask if you need anything, but just the right amount of absent for you to enjoy your conversation with friends or a good book. I had the morning bun latte which I can't recommend enough! Just the right amount of sweet, and absolutely gorgeous. And the chocolate croissant is divine. It was so cool to watch the staff make the pastries through the large windows into the kitchen. I will be back! This place is a new favorite for sure. read more

Bread & Friends - Morning bun latte, chocolate croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Portland, Maine

Super cute and quaint place! I had the French toast, chai tea latte, and fresh squeezed orange juice. All delicious, however, the French toast was gooey/undercooked in the middle. Some of the prices are high. $15 for 1 slice of bread for the French toast. And $5 for a very small orange juice. The staff is really friendly. read more

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Just stopped here for a coffee and I got one of their specialty lattes. It was great! Cute little shop with fun vibes. It can get really busy so be prepared. They do breakfast and then close and switch to dinner. I will be back to try dinner! read more

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The restaurant was really busy when we visited on a weekend afternoon. We wasn't able to dine in as the wait was at least 30 minutes. We got some pastries and drinks to go instead. The guava kouign amann was DELICIOUS. If you can only get one thing here, go for it!! It was flaky on the crust, while the guava filling was so light, tart and refreshing. The pain au chocolat was also decent. The chocolate almost like hazelnut, which I guessed they made it with dark chocolate as it wasn't too sweet. The drinks, however, were underwhelming. The cortado had a cute latte art which I appreciated, but the espresso base was too sour that it didn't complement with the milk. The iced blueberry lemon matcha just tasted like...blueberry syrup. Matcha flavor wasn't there at all. read more

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Definitely one of the best chefs in Maine, deserving that Beard nomination. Our group did restaurant week to experience them for the first time. Atmosphere nice, albeit a bit too dim. Super service, delicious dishes, but way overpriced wine list and exorbitant kitchen wellness fee of 5%. I am ALL in favor of this fee, but the Portland average is 2-3% as of today. This ain't NYC. Grilled oyster, caraflex cabbage, duck and swordfish were outstanding. The ravioli filled with egg a bit odd, and the citrus salad a bland miss. Chocolate Mille-feuille dessert heavenly. read more

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Stopped in right when they opened, however, all the tables were taken right away! So we got some grab and go and it did not disappoint! I got a special latte, caramel corn with a corn cold foam. It was so cool, it even came with popcorn on top! It was different, it was seasonal, it was like being in a corn field! But icy cold and sweet. We also shared some seed bread - which was sourdough and I loved that. They also had croissants, of which we got some but were underwhelmed by them. They looked amazing but they tasted okay. But the breads were great. I would have loved to eat here, but we will be back to sit and eat. The food combos looked unique and enjoyable. Ambiance is bright (lots of windows) and a diverse serving team. It was nice. read more

Bread & Friends - Caramel corn latte - Bakeries Near Me - Portland, Maine

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5+ stars! We arrived early, based on what I had heard the crowds would be like on the weekend. Thankfully there was plenty of street parking (payment required) nearby (parallel). There appear to be two entrances to the restaurant (there are not, read the signs carefully) LOL. In the colder months, there is a wind curtain at the entrance door, which is considerate for those sitting and working by that doorway. It was fun to walk into the restaurant as if we were entering on the big stage. LOL We were seated quickly to the left of the entrance in the other dining area. The seating area is bright and lovely. It's cozy, not too jammed and not to spacious. I liked it as it felt like an upscale diner experience. There were so many things that we wanted to try from the menu. The good news is the menu is almost like a tapas menu. They were perfect smaller plates perfect for sharing amongst two people. We wanted sweet and savory and it was exactly what we got. It's hard to pick a favorite because they all were shining stars for different reasons. In the pictures attached to my review, you can see what we ordered. The pastrami biscuit sandwich - amazing - the sweet items we ordered helped balance the richness. The grilled cornbread muffin was great. What I loved about this was the marmalade! Wow. I don't remember the last time I had marmalade and if I even liked it, but I will say, I loved their marmalade - it's my favorite and wish I could buy a jar of it. The bacon was probably the most surprising. It was not the "traditional" bacon with a light maple coating baked on. They were short, thick cut slices in a light "sauce". They were amazing. VERY RICH. We each could only eat two. Which left us with one. And I will get to that in a just a bit... The french toast with creme fraiche. Yes! get it! If you think it looks burnt. It's not- you can see it in the cross section picture I took. The potatoes - Yes! get them! They were wonderful to alternate bites with the sweet options. While we were eating, we were looking at orders being brought out to other tables to see what we may have missed out on. The table next to us ordered a dutch baby which we audibly gasped and swooned over. They then asked if we wanted to try it. I was a bit taken by surprise, but they were serious. We didn't take them up on the offer, but it was so nice. Those around us didn't seem surprised by what was happening. Remember that last piece of bacon? In kind I offered that to them and they accepted graciously! What wonderful clientele. Our waiter smiled and loved the community dining experience he was seeing as well. I ordered something for my husband via the app the night before and our waiter brought that to me before I left. We loved the bread and the pastry we had for take away. Between the food and the vibe and the location being outside of the chaos of the center of the city...I LOVED IT! I will definitely return this year! Thank you to all that made this a lovely and memorable experience. read more

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I'm unfortunately obsessed with this spot. On a weekend getaway to Portland I had to drag my husband 2 days in a row. It's tiny and an awkward space that makes it hard to wait in the winter without jamming up the entryway. That's the only downside for me. Food was beautiful and everything had incredible presentation. Best matcha ever and do not skip the French toast!! It's unbelievable. The baristas were so cool and friendly and conversational. Interesting flavor combos and everything was cooked to perfection. read more

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Came to Bread and Friends on a Saturday for brunch, where they only take walk-ins. I'd heard mixed reviews about this place and wanted to check it out for myself. For our party of four, the wait was about 45 minutes, which wasn't a problem. We were seated very close to other parties, though, and could easily hear their conversations, the space is definitely small. Our server was great, taking the time to explain each dish. Unfortunately, I didn't find much on the menu that appealed to me, aside from their (pricey) deviled eggs. We tried the red bliss potato salmon dish, but it wasn't for me--or anyone in my group. The atmosphere was nice, so maybe I'll stop by for a coffee or pastry next time, but I'll skip the entrées. read more

Bread & Friends - Salmon Red Bliss Potato - Bakeries Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Favorite meal in Portland. Every bite felt clean, intentional, and ridiculously fresh. We walked in mid-afternoon for brunch and appreciated the thoughtful waiting setup--grab a coffee or pastry and sit outside while you wait. Great spot to linger, snack, and savor. We had the chawanmushi (pork belly, steamed eggs, bok choy, beech mushrooms!), the roasted mushroom dutch baby, and the sesame country toast with jamon iberico, honey, ricotta and english. Everything was super fresh and delicious. We even got to sit and watch some croissants getting made! Pro Tips: Try the coffee and any baked good available Don't be afraid of the wait--it's part of the experience read more

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We made a Saturday night dinner res at Bread & Friends after discovering some good reviews online. Only reservation left was for outdoor seating so I snagged it. We were seated right away and placed our drink order with the friendly waitress. Do note that the alcohol is beer & wine only, no full bar. The outside seating is exactly that, tables outside of the restaurant and not really on a true patio. If I went back for dinner, which I likely won't (but only because we live out of state), then I would book a table inside. The good. We really enjoyed the Strawberry & Ricotta, Charred Broccolini, Tortellini, Gnocchi and the Duck Breast. I am not a huge fan of duck and this dish was phenomenal. Loved the green curry and the crispy cabbage. The bad. We reaaaaally did not like the haramasa crudo which we unfortunately ordered two of. We were also pretty meh on the oysters but had friends dining there the same night that loved them. Overall a good experience and would love to come back and try their breakfast at some point. read more

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We came as a group of 6 and ordered most things on the dinner menu to share. I was so inspired by the way they put ingredients together, and everything was so delicious. Everyone agreed that it was the best meal any of us had ever eaten. Service was incredible, and our waiter helped walk us through the right amount of food to order. The pacing of the dishes was perfect, and the wine was also great. Go here, order everything, don't ask questions, eat and be merry. read more

I adore this place! Brunch was delicious as always with the brisket biscuits and soft scrambled eggs being standouts. The congee lacked a lot of flavor which I was surprised by, I also wasn't a fan of the green or pickled veggie on it. There was a lot of tartness and nothing to really balance it out. I think a sweet chili sauce or something could help it out a bit. Regardless, I look forward to trying more of the menu. The drinks really stood out too. The caramel matcha and creamsicle mimosa were very tasty. The "mimosa" was especially equally refreshing and a sweet treat. I think the sparkling wine instead of oj and prosecco was a nice creative touch. read more

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Good find! Friendly staff. Busy spot on a weekend. Lots of unique mini eats. Good for shareables to try different things read more

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Every time i come to bread and friends it is always phenomenal. The food is outstanding along with the baked goods. I love the slight menu changes along with them keeping the bases the same. Get the deviled eggs!!!! The chili oil and parmesan combo is top tier. I am also a sucker for the soft scrambled eggs with their own house made sourdough. I can't even talk about their pastries because i'm left speechless everytime. Not only can they bake but their plain black coffee is actually drinkable. The staff is always friendly and attentive and the interior is such a cute spot for a casual breakfast or lunch work meeting or for a little date. Bread and friends hits all the marks. read more

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Friendly place that seems to be ran by people who care. Server was attentive to the order, breads were fresh and obviously baked in house. A nice little stop on our walk through town. read more

Brunch was delicious here. Perf for a girls brunch! It was an hour wait on a weekend, but you can order some pastries and drinks while waiting. It is a pretty small intimate space, but they also have seating outside that seems more available. Service was pretty quick. We got our food fairly quickly once we sat down. read more

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Finally made it to Bread & Friends for lunch on a sunny spring day, and sat at a table outside. Once seated by the super friendly host, I cast a glance over to my nearest neighbors and had to ask what the delectable-looking orange drink was they had on the table: it was in fact Bread & Friends's orange creamsicle soda, and it comes in an adult version too, like a mimosa. I promptly ordered this and this made me very happy--the foam on top is flavored with vanilla, thought not overpowering, just the perfect amount. And it paired perfectly with the roasted mushroom Dutch baby that I ordered from the super friendly server (do you sense a theme here?). OMG. I've only had sweet Dutch babies before, which are delicious, but this is . . . just wow. The dough was both soft and a bit crispy here and there along the edges; there's melted Brie drizzled over it with greens and mushrooms that are roasted and still also juicy. My table neighbors may have shared theirs, but I ate all of mine, thank you very much! Practicalities: it was Wednesday lunch not in high season, so I easily snagged a parking spot right across the street (you do have to pay for parking in this part of town, FYI). I imagine during peak season and times it will be a lot busier, but there's a range of both street and lot parking close by. I've driven by many times and Bread & Friends has always looked busy--now I see why, and I plan to put this on my regular rotation. read more

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Really enjoyed this place. All the food was very good - we had the Dutch baby and the scrambled eggs. The wait was quick, the staff seemed very organized and were good at turning over tables. read more

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We originally came here for breakfast, but found out they don't serve it during the week. We decided to stay for pastries and coffee, and I'm so glad we did! The pastries were just as good as they looked. The guava Kouign-amann is something I'll probably think about often. The topping was a lightly sweetened guava frosting, almost like cream cheese, and the filling tasted like pure guava purée. It was amazing! Their coffee was also excellent, and we tried both a regular croissant and a chocolate croissant, and each was flaky, buttery, and delicious. Even though we couldn't get breakfast, we were pleasantly surprised and would definitely come back here just for the pastries and coffee. read more

Well we arrived too dam early as usually finally the gates opened at 8:00 AM sharp today. We parked across the street and waited for an hour to make sure we got breakfast here. I cannot understate how good the smoked bacon maple cherry glaze is at Bread and Friends. It's the best bacon I've ever had you have to try it ! I won't bore you all the other items but I spent 100.00 bucks for a lot great things today including to go bread , staff was top notch. read more

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Stopped by this place yesterday morning. The place was a bit busy. I purchased items to go. The service was friendly and efficient. I bought a chocolate croissant for my husband and a baguette for my daughter. Both items were equally delicious. This place is very cute inside. If I'm ever back in the area I will definitely stop by. The coffee looked good. read more

Bread & Friends - Outside hostess stand - Bakeries Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Morning bun and chocolate chip cookie's are theeeee best! If you're on the fence, buy both!

At the top of my list when I was visiting Portland. Everyone raved about the everything pull on social media so I knew I had to try it! Not only did I order one but had to try their new item Thai tea kougin amann. Oh and I also tried their iced chai tea latte. Explosion of flavors in every bite from each. The drink had a hint of ginger I wasn't expecting but it made the drink that much better. The everything pull was everything HAHA and more. BUT the shining star of the 3 had to be the Thai tea dessert. It had the right amount of sweetness and every bite made you want to dance. My bf had never had Thai tea and he loved it! We went back the next day before closing to travel home with some but sadly they were sold out, rightfully so. read more

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We read a lot of amazing reviews before going here. We were pretty disappointed. The okonomiyak was disgusting.. Nothing I liked about it. 0/5 We also got the French toast. Which was soggy but had a good taste. It was drenched in liquid and the texture was not good 1/5. I will say the latte was yummy 5/5! And the brown sugar pop tart was actually to die for 5/5! The vibes and aesthetic 5/5.. We just didn't like what we ordered read more

Breakfast here was yummy! My husband got the fresh toast and I got the okonomiyaki. It was one of the best breakfast meals I've had-so savory! I had the chai latte and it was light and delicious. read more

Bread & Friends - Bakeries Near Me - Portland, Maine

Dawn of the Bread Bakery and restaurant located in Portland's Old Port neighborhood that started out as a Farmer's market stand back in 2021 and quickly turned into this brick-and-mortar location in 2023. Their bakery focus is strictly towards sourdough dough bread and artsan pastries using house-milled flour. While the restaurant side of the business focuses on American fare with Mediterranean and Japanese influences using locally-sourced seasonal ingredients. The Good: *Their coffee creations were fantastic and crafted with great care to balance the coffee flavor and the sweetness. *Great service *Outdoor dog-friendly seating *Whoever is cooking their eggs is a maestro of the ovum. The soft scrambled eggs were that perfect creamy texture eggs *should* be, and the Jonah Crab Omelette was custardy and loaded with Crab and a meyer lemon cream sauce that was odd at first but definitely became moreish by the end. The crispy tater chips and trout roe were nice touches of salt and texture. The Morning Bun and strawberry-filled Kouign-Amann were both extraordinary versions of their respective pastry type. Flaky, buttery, and baked to crispy perfection. Be sure to get one--or both! Oink oink! :8) The Meh: *Location isn't very big and they're very popular, so do the math. Get here early or be prepared to wait. The Ugly: *Paid street parking only Conclusion: Fantastic brunch location that pretty much does everything right. read more

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Best tasting brunch I have had in a very long time. I asked our waiter for recommendations, everything he recommended I got. The flavors popped, every bite was perfection. Atmosphere wasn't the best, very cramped. When our waiter was at the table next to us, his back side was on our table next to our food. Organization was definitely off especially for $100 meal. We both ordered at the same time, hers came out first. She didn't want to start before me, mine came out 10 min later. When I arrived, I waited 25 min outside for a seat. I came early at 10 am. My friend & I were meeting at 10:30 am. Once my name was called she said has your other party arrived? I said she will be here in a few min, she said she wasn't allowed to seat me until my friend got there. For a party of 2 that makes no sense. I told her I came early to wait and I would order. She brought me in, just not a friendly hostess at all. I would have given this place 5 stars, only the staff aren't friendly at all. At the end of my meal after I paid & tipped the waiter 20% I went to the ladies room. As I was walking to the door someone who worked there glared at me as I was walking out, not welcoming not a friendly place. For a place with food as good as theirs they need to match it with friendly staff. Definitely wont be going back. read more

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Seasoned patrons of Bread & Friends will know the best times to go are during the week and when it's off-season. Wednesday AM drop-in in April? No problem snagging a seat. Mid-July on a Thursday, hello wait! But the B+F team have their workflow down. Folks move around quickly and you'll be seated in a reasonable time. Just grabbing to go? There's a separate line for takeaways (expect a wait for coffee). It's creatively styled, with a splash of subdued colors with a stylish coffee counter and pastries on display you'll probably want Instagram pictures of. The soft scrambled egg is my staple (though it looks small, it's filling with the hefty piece of sourdough bread), but I've dabbled in a few of their 'shareables' (I don't share) and highly honorable mentions go to the pastrami biscuits and the avocado toast. I know what you're thinking. Avocado toast?? In this economy?? But it's good. The maple glazed bacon is worth adding on as a side to fill out your meal. I'm looking forward to checking out their dinner service! read more