I really like this place! In my opinion, it is more of a "drop in for breakfast or lunch" type of place rather than a "sit down and have a big meal" type of place. I really like trying their coffee flavors and breakfast sandwiches. Everything I have tried there has been really good. I often sit and do work on my laptop there. It is rather quiet there on weekdays, but it gets really busy and crowded on Saturdays during the day. Overall, my experiences there have been positive. read more

Gave in and ate here because everyone kept mentioning it to me. I had really great good and perfect service. The only downside about the place is probably the lights. I went to eat around 7-8pm and the lack of lighting made it difficult to see the menu. Other than that, it was great! read more

Big fan of Cafe Gouda. The scene is enjoyable - smells of sandwiches and freshly brewed coffees. The atmosphere is very welcoming, and the staff is super friendly. A chalk board features a great menu (breakfast sandwiches/wraps, lunch sandwiches, quesadillas, salads, soups). Each time, I struggle deciding what to order. The Hot Brown has been my favorite sandwich here. Highly recommend Gouda. Advice: Bring your own drink. They charge upwards of $2 for a cup (refillable), or you can pay for a bottle of water with their logo. Tap water would be more sustainable, but maybe that's something for the future. read more

My fiance and I stopped here on our way back from a family trip in the mountains and we were very pleased with everything Cafe Gouda had to offer. Every single staff member had a smile on their face and they were all very helpful. The food was very inexpensive and delicious. I've been a Barista at a local coffee house/diner and I don't think I've ever seen a cafe mocha as cheap as it was here. I also forgot to order my drink with soy and she asked me before she made the drink and they didnt charge me extra for a milk substitute. In my book this was the cutest little place. I will definitely be coming back in the summer to sit outside in their little patio. Great job, guys! read more

We tried this establishment for the first time tonight and left utterly astonished that a place of business could have such bad service and quality of food and have been around for as long as they have. To keep it short...we found the restaurant to be unclean (floors look like they haven't been mopped in a while), very messy and unclean restrooms, and service that was just rude, uninformed and non-existent. We had to ask twice for utensils, never received any drink refills (nor were we asked) and had to hunt staff down to bring food quality issues to their attention and pay our bill. Our sever obviously knew nothing about the menu...asking us to point on the menu the item we were ordering so she could read what each was and came with. Food - chips and salsa came out first with shades of red all over chips. We were told this is because the yellow and red chips are fried together, but this made no sense as all the chips we had in our order were yellow. We left the chips untouched and were not offered a substitute. We also ordered a "grilled" chicken sandwich which was anything but grilled. The sandwich could not be cut in half when it arrived to the table. After struggling with it - I finally got it cut and took a bite to find that the chicken was stone cold, inside and out...like it had been cooked sometime earlier and then tried to be re-heated. Took it to the staff who apologized, but oddly didn't seem surprised. About 5 minutes later I got a new sandwich back, but this time the entire sandwich was scalding hot (not in a good way...in a over compensating way)....even the bun. After letting it cool for a few minutes, I again struggled to cut it in half. The chicken was rubbery, over cooked and everything on the sandwich tasted like it had been microwaved (way over-micrwaved). What little I had of the chicken had zero flavor or seasoning. The fries they brought out with the second sandwich tasted microwaved as well...I assumed they were the fries that had been with my original sandwich and microwaved over to make them warm again. Told two different staff members how bad the sandwich was and that it was not edible, but honestly did not seem surprised or concerned. I picked at the bun and bacon...but left 75% of the sandwich untouched. The staff brought our check and said they took 10% off......10% off an $8 sandwich that I did not eat nor could eat. They acted like they were doing us a favor since we had a coupon for half off the entree. We were vocal at our displeasure, but the staff simply went and hid behind the counter....not addressing us further and after about 10 minutes, we finally went to the counter to pay our bill. Staff was having issues with the register and with another customer that was having issues as well...so we paid and left. Was our first and only time visiting. read more

Food is great with the addition of a selection of delicious homemade cookies. But the kids menu has no sides and only a couple options. Me and my family were probably sitting and waiting for our food for a total of 30 after we ordered. The place didn't have too good of service. Everyone got frustrated with the time it took to get our food. I wasn't sure if it was extra crowded the day that I was there or what. read more

We just visited Café Gouda Sunday, July 1, 2018, and can't say how disappointed we were. The filthiness was so disturbing we couldn't even eat the meal in the restaurant. If we hadn't ordered and paid for the salads before looking around, we would have left without ordering anything! The floors was disgusting and the floor at the pick up counter was sticky under our feet. The window sills hadn't been wiped down in ages. If the public areas were so horrific, what was the kitchen like? We had just come from serving lunch at an area Soup Kitchen and their facility, dining room and kitchen, was spotless in comparison. Café Gouda is now off our list of preferred restaurants. read more

Coffee is awesome. Food is fun and innovative - especially breakfast. Service, however, can be kind of spotty and sometimes a bit grumpy. Although it would appear if you are one of their "fav" clients you can get special treatment. read more

We love this restaurant. It serves all our event needs. The food is always inventive and delicious yet healthy. We would recommmend them for any meal or event. We do wish they were closer to us. read more

Customer service is a day of the past if you want to be greeted with a good morning this is not the place for you. Several people in the community have agreed to the attitude that is served with your breakfest. Their speciality is to make it your way at least for some of the more popular regulars. Ask for coffee and you are out of luck. Ask the owner for a particular coffee they make randomly and she told me that they made it yesterday, sorry. You be the judge read more

My wife had been here once or twice and really enjoyed it; this was my first time visiting. Employees were neither friendly nor unfriendly. Breakfast sandwich was a great idea: egg, provolone cheese, tomato, sprouts, and Turkey sausage on sourdough bread. Unfortunately the tomatoes were near white and tasteless. The other ingredients were nearly as bland. We also ordered pancakes and they were some of the worst I've ever had. Water is only available as bottled, and we were offered two plastic cups with it. How about saving some plastic with tap water and glasses? Prices would be reasonable, if the food was up to par. read more

Used to be a great lunch spot. It feels worn out and like they just don't care anymore. The size of items has been cut way back. The dinner time specials are not great. Just lunch menu for dinner, but you have to then tip waitress. If they are going to serve dinner, then they need more dinner items that are different than lunch. I have always loved this place, but It isn't my favorite anymore! read more

We went for Father's Day 2016 with a reservation for six at 12:30. We arrived on time. When ordering, we were warned that it may take up to 30 min. for perpetration - we agreed. The fist plate of six arrived 1.75 hrs. after ordering. The remaining plates arrived throughout the next 15 min. (2 hrs. after ordering). Two stars, as opposed to one, due to the food being good - when it arrived. No recognition by the staff that there had ever been a delay or issue. read more

Stopped in with my wife and dog. The greeting was friendly and the menu is large. We ordered at the counter and sat out on the patio. The sandwiches were great and big. The waitress brought out a bowl of water for Lexie. A great place . I would definitely go back. read more

I used to eat here very regularly. But I only stop in every few weeks now. But I still love it! Friendly staff, great food. A little pricy on some items but well worth it! I try a new menu item almost every time and have many favorites. read more

it's grungy, it's slovenly, it's loud, it's overpriced. it's got a giant tv looming over everything with queen latiffa holding forth. the service was brusque to non existent. want butter on your pancakes? try 4 mini pads, frozen solid. the sausage links were large, but cold and like sawdust. speaking of dry, adequate fluids are hard to come by here. we were there for breakfast, next time were going to macdonalds for the "big breakfast". it's cheaper and gourmet by comparison read more

Try cafe gouda if you're looking for a sandwich or meal that's a little different (unique ingredients and combinations). One of our favorite places to eat in Hickory. My favorite is the Monte Cristo. read more

I was a little bit disappointed with my experience at Cafe Gouda, as I had been a long time before and it was great. I ordered the french toast (they have all day breakfast) while my boyfriend ordered the buffalo chicken pizza. The toast was great and the serving was good for the price. The pizza was okay, it just had a massively thick layer of cheese that made you a bit sick. The 3-star rating really comes from the service. After ordering at the counter, we got a clear plastic sleeve with a phrase on it to take to our table, presumably as an order marker. After seeing the waitress walk around the room twice with my toast, looking at my table multiple times, I started to stand up to let her know it was mine. She comes around and asks if I ordered the french toast, rudely states that I didn't get a table marker, and plops down my plate. After saying that I thought the plastic sleeve was our marker, she says that it isn't, sweeps it off the table, and walks away. While normally this wouldn't phase me, the fact that she didn't even bother to explain the correct marker for next time makes me want to avoid this establishment for a long time. read more

Went for lunch and ordered a sandwich and the famous Gouda Bisque soup, my favorite. When the food came (about 20 minutes after ordering) the soup was cold - like it had just come from the refrigerator. I took it back to the counter and told them the problem. The soup was returned to me in a few minutes with the warning, "Please be very careful. It's very hot." But it wasn't. It was slightly warmer than before, but lukewarm is a generous description. Being out of time, I asked for a container and took it home to heat at another time. Very disappointing. read more

Yummy sandwiches, coffee, salads, and more! Nice, artsy atmosphere and friendly staff. I'm a regular! :)

Don't agree with Roger S. at all. The place is always packed because it is AWESOME! The Rueben is good...but the Hot Brown or The Funky Chicken grilled are delectable. Their breakfast is so unique and fun, and the dinner is affordable and great food. Try the Smokin Quesadilla. Their service is more consistant than any other restaurant in town. Patio is great during the Spring. I woudn't normally do a review, but after I saw Rogers S's I had to give my opinion. Cafe Gouda is our favorite restaurant and has been for 8 years! read more

I just enjoyed the French Onion Chicken Sandwich. It was just superb with caramelized onions, a moist chicken breast, melted cheese and spinach on a delectable buttered bun. very good!! read more

Teff Hair Studios is the most stylist salon in Hickory. The service is EXTREMELY consistant....no excentric druggies. I love my hair cut every time I leave there. This salon is better than any high priced salon I used to go to in Atlanta! read more