B & O Espresso

06/15/2008 Posted by andy261

I went there with a friend last night for dessert and coffee. I got a nonfat latte and the espresso mousse torte and my friend got the apple crisp ala mode. We both enjoyed what we got, but they definitely weren't the best desserts we'd ever had. Prices, service, and ambiance are all just ok. I wouldn't make a trip just to go there, but if you're in the area I'd recommend stopping by.

05/03/2008 Posted by mesembrianthemum

The last time I went to B&O was the LAST time. I used to live across the street from them, and would always walk right by on my way to Glo's for breakfast. The food is overpriced, and not that flavorful. Not worth it, in my opinion, and hasn't been in a long time. For breakfast/brunch, try Broadway Bar and Grill (shorter wait). For drinks, try Cafe Metropolitan. For dinner, throw a rock.

Pros: None

Cons: Food, Price

11/25/2007 Posted by smackbabe

Sadly they no longer do high tea at this shop. I still always enjoy their coffee and the atmosphere is always pleasant.

10/19/2007 Posted by cyberpunkx

I have been to B&O only about four times, but each time has been exquisite! They have the best eggplant sandwich in town, by far, and fantastic desserts. Also, they are fast! It is a wonderful place to just sit around and talk to friends while enjoying a thoroughly tasty meal. (Prices are reasonable, too.)

Pros: Great food, service, prices, atmosphere :)

Cons: Parking is hard to find sometimes

09/03/2007 Posted by mimnar

We went in for an early breakfast on the weekend and it was only moderately busy - plenty of open tables. It still took a few minutes to be noticed and seated. Then about 5 more to be asked what we wanted, another 15-20 to get our drip coffee (which was burnt and overly bitter) and again 20 minutes to get our food. I had gotten the "petite breakfast" consisting of a pancake, an egg, and bacon. I expected a small meal, but the "pancake" was a joke. It was not an average pancake of any reasonable 4-6 inch diameter, rather it was one of the tiniest silver-dollar pancakes I have ever seen. I ate it in two little bites and then used some of my fiance's toast to stop my hunger and sop up my egg. My fiance's meal was a decent size, but tasted horrible. He ordered the corned beef hash (which he loves for breakfast) and got the blandest, mushiest mess of potatos and what we think was cornmeal. It tasted like soggy bread crumbs while being dry and gritty. He had to hunt for a few tiny bits of beef - which had none of the pickled flavor of a good corned beef. I think their chef must be an idiot who thinks "corned beef" means beef with cornmeal. I'm just happy we didn't wait to try this place with our guests from out of town next week! Talk about an embarrassment to the cuisine of Seattle. $24. and an hour and a half = depression about the state of breakfast in this town.

Pros: You get to sit down for a few hours.

Cons: Food, Service, Prices

07/10/2007 Posted by gringitaec

If you are like the out of the way independent type coffee and dessert place the B & O is a sure bet. You can't go wrong with the Valencia latte.

Pros: good people watching

Cons: slow service, parking

02/18/2007 Posted by kimberlic

I remember LOVING B&O ten years ago when my friends and I used to come here for dessert and coffee. Nowadays I walk by and get the impression that it's a pricey place, by the look of the customers. That was proven on my first trip back about 3 months ago when we stopped by for dessert and coffee. The bitchy wait staff pretty much just pointed us out of the way, to a table in the tiny, empty bar off to the side. The drip coffee sucked but the dessert was good. Then there was that holiday review about the B&O having the best hot cocoa in town, and we thought about going again, so we did - on Valentine's Day at 10:30pm. The service was decent, the food a decent price for the quality and quantity. I had a milky way espresso which was small but yummy. My boyfriend had some awesome lamb kabobs. Did B&O always offer Mediterranean fare? Seems like such a weird mix - french decor with a focus on desserts, and a Mediterranean menu. Oh well. It was pretty good but nothing so special that would make me go back for more than picking up a dessert or espresso drink to go. I'll be the first to admit that any kind of even slightly pretentious atmosphere turns me off a bit.

Pros: Dessert & Espresso drinks

Cons: moody staff

01/21/2007 Posted by joestump

I've lived on Capitol Hill now for just over two years and I've been to B&O probably no less than a dozen times or more. The short of it is that the desserts are great, the food is merely good and the service moves like they're in slow motion. Set aside at least an hour for dinner or breakfast and half an hour for dessert. If you're in the area and looking for good food you'll want to check out Julia's or Broadway Grill, which are both nearby and offer excellent service. Unfortunately, I don't have a place to offer up that serves better desserts. Obviously, as far as coffee/espresso goes you can find better just about anywhere in Seattle.

Pros: desserts

Cons: slow/bad service

01/16/2007 Posted by bubblet

We went here on Saturday night. I had made advance reservations for 12 people and arrived with my party early (8pm for 8:15 reservation). They had us sit in the bar area to wait a bit. We waited until 8:35. I got up and asked what was going on with our table. The waiter tells me he'll help me in a moment and then disappears never to return. I got up from the bar a few minutes later to ask the manager. The manager tells us the table *was* ready but no one ever came to get us seated. No apology, nothing. After we got seated and they took our orders, the food took almost an hour to arrive. We didn't start eating until 9:30. Food was tasty especially the lasagna and the chicken schwarma but it really wasn't worth the wait. Definitely not a place to go if you're in a hurry. They really need to get their act together.

Pros: good chicken schwarmas and lasagna

Cons: very slow and disorganized service

11/06/2006 Posted by laurencovey

It is open late! The dessert in the best in the city! For a late night sugar craving this is the place to be! There were three of us and one had the white chocalte cake which was the best and then there was the brule and the lemon cake which were all phenomenal! I would say it is a must do!