If Nora Ephron had spent a rainy afternoon in Burien, I like to think she would have written from a…read morecorner table at Nelle's. This is the kind of café that makes you want to linger. Order an iced coffee, a fresh salad or the salmon BLT, open your laptop, and suddenly that intimidating blank page feels a little less intimidating. The space is bright, cozy, and effortlessly charming without trying too hard. As a writer, I'm always looking for places that make creativity feel possible. Nelle's has become one of those places. Whether I'm working on an essay, answering emails, or pretending to write while people-watching, I always leave feeling like it was time well spent. The food is consistently delicious, the coffee is excellent, and the atmosphere is exactly what you hope for when you need a quiet afternoon outside the house. What better place to write than a café that gives off the very best Nora Ephron vibes? Five stars. Burien is lucky to have it.

With high expectations, I came to have the Turkey Club that was highlighted in some advertisements…read morefeaturing this business. It seems to be popular at lunch, and we just got the last table. The atmosphere is like an ice cream parlor and candy store that serves salads and sandwiches along with both draft beer and hard cider. It's a bit confusing, but I knew a sandwich was what I wanted. I went to the counter to order the Turkey Club, and my wife wanted the Turkey Brie, but they were out of turkey--so the alternative was ham. I ordered the Ham + Brie for my wife, and I ordered the Italian. We got some water from the self-serve water station, but it ended up tasting like tap water. Our buzzer went off, and somehow my order turned into yet another Ham + Brie. So now I was on my wife's choice, which I didn't remember making, but I just decided to enjoy the moment. In reality, the Ham + Brie should be called "Toast with a load of fig jam, no brie + ham." My mouth is still tasting the sweet jam; the ham was good - couldn't remember the brie, but I just only could taste the jam. Overall, I thought the atmosphere was a bit too much like being in a Molly Moon's. They didn't have turkey, and they (or maybe I) misordered the wrong sandwich. The process of ordering the food, water service, pick up the food and busting the table is self-serve, I left completely underwhelmed with Nelle's.

If you are looking for flavor, I have found it. Now Make Me a Sandwich is packing so much flavor…read moreinto their offerings that you could hang a clock around its neck and make it your hype man. Period. No notes. I've been here a couple of times now, and everything I've had has been memorable, which is not something I say lightly about sandwiches- a category that can betray you! The Ragnar's Club is a stellar concoction of herb roasted chicken breast, bacon, cheese, and apple jalapeño slaw. It's a delicious mess. The kind where things are happening all at once and every single thing is a good idea. Absolutely outstanding. On my most recent visit, I had the Fidel Cashflow, which features some of the most tender, perfectly seasoned pork belly I've had on a sandwich. It's like an Uber Cubano--familiar, comforting, but leveled up with serious execution. Two visits, two excellent sandwiches, which now has me fully convinced that everything on the menu is as good as it looks. I trust them. I would let them choose my sandwich destiny. Service is super friendly. You order at the counter, but you're met with genuine smiles and a helpful, welcoming attitude that makes you feel like you made a very good life choice. Parking isn't the easiest, but you'll figure it out. The space itself is tiny, with just a few tables, so while you can eat there, a lot of people seem to grab it to go--presumably to eat it somewhere quiet and reflect on how good it was. Sandwich shops are a dime a dozen. Really good ones are a special find. This is a really good one. Destination-worthy

Really tasty sandwich! I got the El Duderino to go but they do have a little seating area inside if…read moreyou're dining in. I will definitely be stopping back again next time I'm in Burien.