Volunteer Park Cafe

Insane atmosphere! My friend told me their pastries are great too. I think you come for the vibe, not so much for the food. They mostly serve sandwiches. They are simple and original at the same time somehow. I don't think they are big enough for a full breakfast, yet alone brunch, but made-to-order food is rare and I appreciate places like this.

I have been here a couple of times, and the atmosphere is just great. Lovely little place to go and meet for coffee and a pastry. I do recommend sticking to the coffee and pastries, they offer a pretty decent value for the price. Their carrot cake is very good :) The other food is a tad expensive, and the breakfast sandwich I had was tasty but not worth $14+tip/tax. Homemade bread is a plus but it was a little too heavy and rich. Street parking is easy to find.

We decided to stop here while in the area and got an avocado toast, an eggplant and feta toast, and a slice of multilayer chocolate cake. We also got a couple of coffee drinks. Inside was comforting and homey and it really had a strong neighborhood vibe to the place. The workers there all seemed busy and were friendly. They originally got one of our orders wrong, but they were quick to fix it and very nice about it. It's always great to see how businesses handle things like this. Honestly the food was outstanding. I didn't expect the avocado toast to be so delicious, but the avocado was perfect and the toast was big and crunchy. It was perfectly positioned between being strong enough to support the toppings, but soft enough to be delicate to chew easily. The eggplant and feta toast was just as good. The multilayer chocolate cake was sinfully divine. Everything you want in a chocolate cake -- moist, gooey with frosting, and deep dark chocolatey taste. YUM.

Consistently tasty, great atmosphere, and conveniently located! I've been visiting this cafe for quite a while, and it's always packed. This time, I went right at open on a Saturday, and there was no wait. There is street parking. I ordered the Egg and Cheese Sandwich Poppy Seed Roll with Bacon and a Peach Galette for later. Both were delicious, but the poppy seed roll was a little burnt. I was craving the sandwich so it was just what I wanted. The galette was nice and flaky. The hot food and pastries are great, but I can't recommend the coffee. I'm not a fan of the espresso they use because it tastes bland, but their non-coffee beverages are OK. They also have quite a bit of lighter beverages/grocery items and kitchen decor for sale as well.

(This is under new owners, so this is a valid change for my review) It still holds the essence of the old owners, pastries and coffee - plus the quick items in the fridge such as sodas, juices and alcohol. If you came here in its prior iteration, it'll have a similar feel. The pastries are all good and you won't be dissatisfied with any exploration of food at the cafe. If you're new, then it'll be a cute neighborhood coffee shop where you can eat outside and meet with friends before going to Volunteer Park.