- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Big Bear Cafe
Category: Food Coffee & Tea Coffee & Tea [Edit]
1700 1st St NW(between N Florida Ave & N R St)
Washington, DC 20001
Neighborhood: Bloomingdale
(202) 470-5543
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 7 am - 11 pm
Fri 7 am - 12 am
Sat 7:30 am - 12 am
Sun 7:30 am - 11 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
brooke S. said: "in a sea of office buildings and starbucks, Capitol Grounds is a beacon of hope for those who like tasty coffee, fresh squeezed juice, delicious bagels and a convenient array of ready made salads, sandwiches, yogurt and other yummy…" read more »
180 reviews for Big Bear Cafe
Review Highlights
"Great french press coffee, fun community atmosphere."
(in 23 reviews)
"The farmers market that they helped organize is great."
(in 18 reviews)
"Did I mention the free wi-fi."
(in 11 reviews)
Loading...
180 reviews in English
-
Review from Anna S.
Washington, DC
1/17/2012
I love this place. While it's frequently too crowded and sometimes hard to move around, but I always always enjoy my time. I usually have delicious jasmine tea, granola, and friendly people sitting around me. I've been able to both go with friends and get work done. Every time I've been the atmosphere has been bustling with sunny windows.
I'm not sure why they don't open another location. Take that as a hint. -
Review from Kathleen S.
Washington, DC
1/22/2012
This place is a gem and a much needed hub in the neighborhood. While I can't speak for the food, the coffee and cappuccino are sufficient. The standards for decent, independently-owned coffee shops are abysmally low in this city, that the minimum one can ask for are serviceable coffee, serviceable atmosphere, serviceable food menu, and serviceable staff. This place has all these components, more or less, as well as the entertainment, such as jazz and improv, on the side--what used to be a novelty but is now a near-given for these places to stay competitive.
What I like most about this place is the young, hip (sometimes self-consciously so) clientele that make for excellent people-watching. The outdoor seating is nice. Working here can be less than desirable with its limited number of outlets, loud music, dim lighting, and miserably slow wi-fi Internet. The one aspect in its favor for those who like to work here is the late hours. As I write this review, I realize that I crave so much for this place to be more than it really is, crave for DC to offer more superior coffee shops. Sadly, one must do with what DC has - a real dearth of quality coffee shops with character and good vibes - and settle for third best. -
Review from Ashley W.
1/8/2012 1 photo
I always saw this place on my drive home from work and on a hot summer day couldn't help but stop for simple glass of wine on the rustic brick patio...
very simple .. with tiny tables and a few umbrellas...
kid and pet friendly --
my friend enjoyed a cold beer.. and I a glass of white..
the coffee selection seemed great as well as the food menu --
even though i didn't try any thing from either....
very fun local spot...
gorgeous tulips in the spring -- an added bonus for nature lovers! -
Review from Walter L.
Washington, DC
1/31/2012
Felt like I needed to post to counter some hate and some misinformation in other reviews. I'm only an occasional Big Bear customer (I live in Alexandria and work way across town and it's a haul to get there). But I have been there enough to know that:
1. They do have milk (though admittedly it's all whole milk);
2. The service is extremely friendly (if, yes, a bit hipsterish); and
3. The wifi (dc free wifi) has always worked very well.
Let me add a plug on top of that for the "Market Breakfast" they serve most days. Usually drawn from the Bloomingdale market, there's always an imaginative offering in multi-colored chalk on the blackboard - - personal faves are the ricotta omelet with arugula and the yogurt pancakes.
Big Bear is an oasis for otherwise-desk-bound working stiffs and deserves every bit of love it gets here. -
Review from Elisa V.
Washington, DC
1/4/2012
Big Bear needs to get over itself. Like a lot of other people have mentioned on here, the place does get points for simply existing in the neighborhood. However, the service is slow, the employees are rude and the music is too loud (which gives the place negative two points for making me sound like my mother). What really pushed me over the edge was the day I asked for an iced coffee and they said they only have iced Americanos. Seriously?! I can't get an iced drip coffee?
I can put up with a lot of the pretention this place exudes, but I can't deal with the decision that it's too good for iced coffee. C'mon. Regular people live in this neighborhood, too. -
Review from L L.
Washington, DC
1/24/2012
I wouldn't call myself a regular, but I do live in the neighborhood, so I gotta stop by from time to time. I enjoyed going to an improv night there. The people I've met there are really friendly. Nice place to chill with some neighbors. Oh, and they hosted mothertongue open mic, which was awesome. Can't pass up a decent open mic in my neighborhood! The reason I don't go there much to buy is that I am a vegan who doesn't drink coffee and has eaten enough bagels to last a lifetime, and I certainly don't need to spend $4 to get my daily cereal... if only they had vegan yoghurt.
I'm not really sure why this place is so popular outside of Bloomingdale... I guess it just stands out with its reputation for being a post-grad, hipster hangout in a mostly residential neighborhood. And I'm 22, so most of my acquaintances/friends are about the age of people who'd be there. Well, hey, that's my crowd. I like hipsters... better than a lot of other things I've seen in this city! -
Review from Margaret F.
Washington, DC
1/14/2012
Big Bear is pretty great!
They have recently started to host free improv comedy shows here on weekends. The cozy ambience coupled with delicious cocktails makes for the perfect evening out in the neighborhood. You can support local business and art at the same time!
I've always had friendly service and the hot chocolate (my favorite drink) is fab. They'll even make it for you cold in the summertime!
Overall: great vibe and hard-working staff - I hope to have this place in the neighborhood for years to come! -
Review from Beler B.
Washington, DC
11/14/2011
I so wanted to love this place but my visit was sooo annoying. I don't think I have the patience. I just wanted two mochas! I had no idea it would take 20 minutes *after* I ordered.
After paying $4.30 each for two tiny little mochas, I got to watch two hipster barristas (they'd probably do some serious eye rolls if they heard me calling them barristas) go in slow motion tag teaming one espresso drink at a time. And even with one girl giving her 100% attention to steaming milk, our mochas were still luke warm.
I'm all for sustainable, local food and paying a premium but $4.30 for about 6 oz of liquid is a bit high. And I'm totally committed to getting away from the corporate machine that is Starbucks and enjoying a local neighborhood coffee shop, but spare me your too-cool lazy hipster attitude and pick up the pace. -
Review from Charise V.
Washington, DC
1/1/2012
Sidamo serves up my favorite coffee. Big Bear is a close 2nd. Yum!
-
Review from Kenneth P.
New York, NY
1/3/2012
Its rare that I write bad reviews of a place but as someone that has visited this place numerous time (almost daily at one point), I must share my experiences with the world.
Before I state my issues, I must say that I love the location of this coffee shop; its something that is needed for its surrounding neighborhood. They have great coffee and not a bad area to lounge, relax, etc (when the music isnt blasting).
I find that the customer service there is severly lacking- employees are more concerned with chatting with their friends and sipping coctails than they are with helping customers. When they do finally help you, everything is slow. There are times I have waited 25 minutes for food and 10 minutes just to get the barista to make my vanilla latte.
Another issue that I have with this place is the limited options. They sell bagels but they either offer bagels that are plain or bagels with "everything"; for such a 'hip' place, you would think that there would be more options that would cater to a health conscious individual. They also "run out" of items a lot.
They also have a $5 minimum on all purchases made with a card. Now I totally understand that VISA and Mastercard charges fees but it is clearly listed in their merchant agreement with VISA and Mastercard that minimums arent allowed. If someone goes into the coffee shop to buy coffee, it would come to about $3.50 and the customer is either told that they cant be helped, suggesed to buy an item that they really dont want (or they would have ordered it in the first place), or they would offer a credit that can be used again for a future visit. Even though I feel that most items are overpriced here, I didnt mind supporting small businesses until that day I was turned away because all I wanted was a cup of coffee from the coffee shop and my form of payment wasnt good enough.
As much as I believe in supporting small businesses for small communities, places like this make me want to give my money to the larger companies because I know that they will have better customer service, a bit of consistency, my payment will be taken and not have to suffer through overly loud music.
If you want to avoid attitude, loud music, poor customer service, limited quanities of food, I would go somewhere else. -
Review from Helena B.
Washington, DC
9/18/2011
Walking into this place is like walking into something out of a movie...it made me think of a coffee place that you'd find in "Juno" (the movie...) and the pregnant Juno with her runner boyfriend would have been perfect baristas for this place. Maybe in between serving people their coffee, they could break for choreographed song and dance...and take calls from their sandwich phones. Awesome.
I really liked the setting. The place is really cool and "homey"...it feels like you've just walked into the very personalized apartment of a very cool person with diverse interests. I asked for iced latte. Boyfriend got regular latte with plain bagel and cream cheese. Wait was significant, but the place was PACKED. We went on a Sunday morning so the farmers market was out there as well.
My latte was scandalous. I felt like I had ordered a cup of iced milk. Barely any coffee in there; highly disappointed, didn't drink it, threw it out, wasted $5. Boyfriend complained that his bagel tasted stale. So I tried it; 1. where is the cream cheese????? Barely ANY on there, and 2. yes, it was stale.
Altogether, it was about $13-14 for 2 coffees and a bagel. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. I am not willing to spend that much money for milk and stale bread.
Loved the setting so much, but the service and food were very disappointing. I had been looking forward so much to having a little neighborhood coffee place, something like "Cafe Nervosa" from Frasier, that has the right mix of individuality and spark...and fabulous coffee. This is not it. -
Review from Bianca H.
Washington, DC
11/19/2011
Visited Big Bear Cafe for the first time today. The name kept popping up in dc blogs and on twitter, so I was happy to finally have the chance to try it out with a friend who lives in the neighborhood.
The cafe is absolutely über hipster, but with a funny family friendly vibe that makes it ok to stop in with your kids if you are, say, passing by on a bike ride.
Most tables were busy and I saw a lot of laptops in use- what I didn't see was a wifi network that would have belonged to the cafe- why would they not offer this to customers? I could see there being complaints about this.
The breakfast menu looked yummy enough for me to want to go back and try it another time. My visit at 4pm was timed to the start of happy hour, but I merely ordered a Pellegrino soda, so I can't comment on food or drink really. It must be pretty decent however judging by the huge line that was a constant during the 1.5hrs I spent there.
The outside seating is definitely an asset for the location. Everything about the cafe is hip but homey, edgy but fun. I will be back for more! -
Review from Ashley W.
Washington, DC
1/26/2012
This cafe has a great neighborhood feel, amazing food and drink, and just an overall lovely vibe. They make delightful little designs in the foamed milk in all of the drinks as well. This is also a great place to learn about what is happening in the neighborhood as far as shows, market days, and other local happenings. There is a lot of seating, but also a lot of customers - generally packed on the weekends!
-
Review from Lena N.
9/22/2011
This is hands down my favorite coffee shop in DC. It's a great neighborhood coffee shop and has a very homey feel to it. So homey that I'm always tempted to take off my shoes and walk around in boxers when I'm in there. I resist to spare my fellow coffee drinkers.
They sell delish coffee from Counter Culture. They also have a pretty good beer and wine selection for those days when I want an early/late morning/afternoon/night drink. Great outdoor seating to hang out on and enjoy the weather. I also love that they have this garden outside so I can slightly smell the lavender/herbs when the breeze blows by.
And to top it all off, the staff is very nice. And free wifi. Their food is great and they also BBQ in the summer on some weekends. I've met the coffee shop of my dreams. It honestly takes all my will power to not start moving into Big Bear. -
Review from Sergio E.
Washington, DC
7/29/2011
When I asked for a cup of coffee with non-fat milk, some over-the-top, trustafarian hipster scolded me with her eyes, like I had just sold my children into white slavery, and said, "We don't serve milk here."
?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? -
Review from Alex Z.
Somerville, MA
9/27/2011 1 photo
As a tourist to DC, I relied on my friend to show me around, and while there, I made him aware of my fascination with coffee. He said to me, "before you leave here, I'll take you to a great coffee shop."
Big Bear Cafe is that shop, and I have to agree with him on that. Every bit of the experience prior to ordering reminded me of other truly organic independent cafes across the country. The place feels warm and old fashioned. The casual, intellectual vibe existed both inside and outside, where we ended up enjoying our cups of direct trade brew. They know how to prepare a good cup of coffee, and they do it with a smile.
The coffee was great - strong, well balanced, a perfect pick-me-up after a morning at the farmer's market. They get their beans from Counter Culture Coffee, a well-known distributor in the area that prides itself on all things coffee. I take that as a promising sign, and the staff at Big Bear agree.
I felt like a regular sitting outside, drinking and chatting with my friend the day before I took off to continue my cross-country trip. I took a button from them that had they're adorable "Big Bear" logo on it, a memory distilled, even after several future experiences of coffee consumption.
Next time I visit DC, I plan to revisit this place. -
Review from Nathaniel T.
Washington D.C., DC
12/8/2011
Big Bear gets points for being here and providing a service and bringing vibrancy to the neighborhood. The farmers market that they helped organize is great. The food they serve is often strange, overpriced, or small in size. Sometimes all three.
Plus, a simple cup of coffee is $2.75 and they dont even fill up your cup... "to allow room for milk". The amount of milk that it would take to fill up the cup would cost more than the coffee!
The staff are usually aloof or rude. There is a certain subtle snobbery that permeates the place.
Additionally, as an outside observer, they seemed to start, or at least perpetuate, a gigantic neighborhood fight over their liquor license. Rustik and Boundary Stone were able to get licenses without so much negativity among neighbors.
I'm glad its here and I know its done a bunch of good things, but I just cant get over the negatives here. I want to like it, but its really not a welcoming or good experience. I dont know why so many people love this place. -
Review from nathan j.
Washington, DC
9/30/2011
NO WIFI. there are wifi networks, but they rarely work.
if you do not need wifi, this is the best coffee shop in DC as far as great atmosphere, interesting people, decent music and good vibes.
if you think you'll need wifi, suggest heading to Qualia or Sova. sova if you prefer ambiance, qualia if you prefer better coffee (easily the best cup in DC). -
Review from Ashley L.
Washington D.C., DC
Updated - 9/4/2011
I'm going to update my review and give a higher rating. Since my old review, Big Bear has gotten an alcohol license and has been open progressively later. It's very nice to have it open late.
I would again underscore that not everyone is judging you because you aren't dressed a certain way. As much as anywhere, the staff is very friendly, especially if it's not so busy and they're not having to rush around. It's a shame that people feel that if someone is wearing oversized glasses or cut off shorts, s/he must be judging everyone around them. Not always the case.
The outdoor seating is simply lovely, and I have only nice things to say about the tea and coffee. Really, my biggest complaint is that it can be hard to find a seat, especially if you want to go there on the weekend. People really do just camp out. But I guess I'm at a point where if I needed a meet-up spot with another person or group, I would go here even though I no longer live in Bloomingdale.
Buses, if it's useful to anyone: G2, G8, P6, X3, 80, 90, 92 All of those bring you within a few blocks.
and a $5 minimum on your credit card1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
11/28/2010
I want to like Big Bear more than I do. I enjoy having a nice coffeehouse in which to sip a beverage… Read more »
-
-
Review from Lennie S.
Chevy Chase, MD
8/16/2011
Very cool hip neighborhood cafe. Ambiance is nice and not too crowded when I went in to get a cup of coffee. Coffee tasted simiar to Perrigrine's probably b/c they're both gourmet, which has tastes different from what most people are used to, i.e. Starbucks, Majorga, etc.
Very nice cafe otherwise and really enjoyed people watching. It's not metro accessible. You can get off Shaw/Howard Univ metro and it's about a 15-20 min walk. Or you can take the the G2 bus that runs on P St. (of course it depends on your location.) -
Review from Jennifer T.
Washington, DC
11/15/2011
I really, really want to love this place- the owners of Big Bear are engaged with the neighborhood, support a Sunday farmers market, and offer food/drinks that are locally and/or sustainably sourced. *However* there are some major flaws keeping me from a four or five star rating. When you visit, expect super loud music that prevents you from getting work (and sometimes simple conversation) accomplished, spotty wifi, and stiff competition for table space. The line is often long, which wouldn't be such a problem if Big Bear had better inventory control, staff efficiency, and pricing- everything bagels are often gone before 10am, and the staff absolutely refuses to serve them after noon (my sister, visiting from out of town, clearly made the mistake of asking for one at 12:30). Also, be prepared to pay a high price for your purchases...a tea + bagel with cream cheese will run you about $6.
-
Review from Julian V.
5/7/2011 16 Check-ins Here
Friendliest BEARistas in town!
$4 Dale's Pale Ale is a plus. I LOVE their patio, and they make a mean cappuccino. They also do a decent Cortado. I've not tried the food, but coffeewise, it's decent. More than anything else, just a really cool neighborhood spot. Probably one of the better (but not best) places for coffee. Also, they are now open until 11:00 pm on certain nights. -
Review from Arturo Z.
Washington, DC
11/17/2011
The location and ambiance are great, but when your pretentious practices affect the quality of your service, that's a problem.
-
Review from Sarah C.
Washington, DC
6/13/2011
Can't say enough good things! They pour the best lattes I've had in the district. Some of the staff are better than others, but they're all up to par. I don't know where they get their milk from, but it is superfresh (yes, one word) and makes all of the difference. Once or twice I have gotten a drink thats more akin to a cappuccino than a latte, but I don't mind the foam. The only bad reviews I hear about this place seem to complain about the staff & service so let me say that this is NOT a Starbucks. If you are looking for over-steamed milk and weak, flavorless espresso in 90 seconds flat, don't bother. I don't want you in here harshing my mellow anyways.Don't come here. Leave more for us.
Yeah, the staff is stoney and slow, but you'll end up with an amazing, well-balanced and masterfully executed beverage. Also, the cookies they carry are great. Seems like a kind of trivial thing to mention, but its refreshing to pick up a cookie with your cup of coffee to find it actually tastes good, and you didn't just pay $3 for a cookie from Costco. -
Review from Jeremy S.
Reston, VA
10/27/2011
Only my 2nd time here...they do a good French press coffee, pastries were questionable. If I lives in the neighborhood i would be there regularly.
-
Review from Victoria R.
Washington, DC
7/4/2011
First things first, haters: "hipster" is not a genre of music. Calling it so is insulting to those of us who like independent music but aren't douchebags.
Having seen some of Big Bear's older reviews before my first trip, I prepared myself for sneers, t-shirts of bands I've never heard of, and IDGAF looks from staff. When I arrived, though, I got none of that. I was treated with kindness and no one cared that my glasses weren't as ridiculously large as theirs and my pants, not as tight. I got a delicious cup of coffee and a bagel, enjoyed both on the couch, and walked home. Exactly what I want out of a neighborhood cafe.
I also think the prices are perfectly reasonable. I've paid more for coffee house fare in Austin (which has a much lower cost of living than DC) - it just comes with the territory. -
Review from Ileana s.
Washington, DC
10/21/2011
Great food. Friendly atmosphere and good prices. Big bear is the perfect neighborhood magnet!
-
Review from Kim D.
10/5/2011
I've been here several times during my trip in DC since my friend lives a couple blocks down and needs her coffee in the morning. Coffee here I must admit is pretty damn good. And I love that they actually give individual french presses when you're drinking at their place. If you're a big coffee person this is the place to go. I did notice they serve wine and beer here too but didn't get a chance to come back to try any of that.
-
Review from Corbo E.
3/5/2011 12 photos
What is a café?
Certainly, it is a place to acquire good food and drink, a place where one may sit with friends to discuss a myriad of topics.
It may also be a place where one simply sits alone, unadorned and uncompromised, to people watch, to stare away blankly, or smile pensively at what may be either lofty or mundane.
At Big Bear Café, along with all of the other patrons who are either sitting with a friend or alone tapping away at their laptops, I sit too (incidentally eating and drinking).
However, there is no need to sit with any agenda, to come with a problem to solve, or a path to set, for the thoughts, as the minutes and moments pass, will come of their own accord and scratch whatever mental itch that should suddenly arise.
As I listen to the surrounding music (with its brittle and metallic notes), I hear my heart.
As I take a bite of my food (which I cannot taste), I hear a voice.
As I take a delicate sip of my coffee (which I enjoy), I laugh at a joke.
As I take a lingering stare out of the window, (which is embraced by a passing cloud), I find a moment of peace.
I acknowledge my strengths and weaknesses.
I answer a question with a question.
And, then, I leave. -
Review from Kathleen K.
Washington, DC
5/9/2011
Go for the coffee, not the food or the atmosphere. The coffee is terrific, and props for using Trickling Springs milk, which is delicious. They even put it out on the sideboard for the regular coffee.
The food is very expensive and just OK, but without a full kitchen to work out of I don't expect much. It also gets really crowded on Sundays, and it takes them a while to work through the backlog of orders - I often end up having to wait outside for my drink. I find the staff to be perfectly friendly, even when they're slammed, which is nice.
I don't go out of my way to come over here during the week, but it's definitely my breakfast spot of choice on market days. -
Review from P.J. R.
Washington, DC
11/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great atmosphere, food, and service. Would be 5 stars if the WiFi was reliable.
-
Review from Rob P.
Washington, DC
4/7/2011
A limited menu of fare, but what I had I enjoyed and it was better than I anticipated in a coffee house. The atmosphere is very DC art trendy with plenty of laptops and people to watch.
I'll be back for the french roast and I cant wait to try the espresso.
I'd give it 5 stars if it were a bit cleaner. -
Review from Josh B.
Washington, DC
4/7/2011
Big Bear Cafe is one of two neighborhood coffee shops that my "cave of an English basement" is situated in between, and to be honest it took me far far too long to give it a shot.
I had lived in the neighborhood for about six months, avoiding Big Bear at every opportunity. I had convinced myself that nearly all of the patrons of a place with such a cool reputation MUST be baby-toting-dog-walking-pompous-hipster-yuppies, who would at every turn judge me for either being too much of a young urbanite, or for not being big enough of a d**che about it.
Finally, one of my neighbors convinced me that the coffee was more than enough reason to make the 150 foot trek over there, and I'm terribly glad I finally did.
Let's get this out of the way, if you're impatient, prone to getting butthurt over service, or just in a plain old rush, this isn't the place to make a pit stop, the staff are slow, but they're making an effort to do things correctly, not quickly. The laid-back pace of the staff sets the atmosphere of the shop, if you're here, you're in Bloomingdale, not Dupont, and this neighborhood is a little bit removed from the daily DC grind, so you have to slow your tempo down.
Their espresso is delicious, really light and fruity. And the MILK, ohhhhhhh, the milk, it's so good, micro-foamed with skill to accentuate the sweetness of the lactose, and surprisingly perfect consistency. I've seen a few people complaining on Yelp that they need more options beyond whole or soy, but if you're already getting served high quality organic milk from a regional producer, and you're only drinking an 8-12oz beverage, I see no reason to complain. If you were drinking an enormous 24oz pour from Starbucks, I'd be more understanding about the lack of skim milk.
Prices are on par with quality, and though I've never tried the food, I hear good things as far as coffee shop food goes.
Overall, wonderful coffee, superb atmosphere, expect a short wait at the counter, but it's worth it, this place has become a DC institution. -
Review from Ella L.
Washington, DC
9/15/2011
Big Bear Cafe isn't perfect, but they've always managed to provide me coffee, internet and hipster snobbery until the wee hours, which made doing work in the evenings much easier (there's nothing else around in the neighborhood.)
But nope PSYCHE, big bear has decided it wants to stretch its pretentiousness to new heights, and has turned off the internet after 6 pm in hopes of becoming some sort of restaurant/cafe/disneyland.
Don't you understand?? I don't come to you Big Bear because I want to eat way-overpriced froo froo sandwiches that take an hour to appear because your ten aimless employees went outside to pick the arugula from the backyard but got distracted licking each others artsy tattoos and fixed gear bikes.
I just want some coffee and internet in my wasteland of a neighborhood. arghhhhhh. rant over. -
Review from Gertrude G.
College Park, MD
10/21/2011
Pros: The food and coffee are really tasty. It really has a nice vibe and fun decorations. It's a local shop, and I would prefer to send my money to a local joint.
Unfortunately, the pros are outweighed by the cons. I used to come here a lot, and the negative aspects of this location have only gotten worse, not better, with time.
Cons: The food is EXPENSIVE. I just spent $10.40 today for a cup of coffee and a sandwich. The sandwich was $8.50. The sandwich, while tasty, was small. Two slices of bread and a little bit of filling. No salad, no sides, nothing extra (They at least used to have a good side salad). $8.50 for that sandwich is absolutely criminal. I was glad I had a snack in my car because I needed it after my "lunch."
The service is TERRIBLE. I spent nearly half an hour waiting for said sandwich. I've had a pizza delivered to my house more quickly.
I've been here many times, but I just can't take it anymore. Big Bear will no longer get my business. -
Review from Vera A.
Washington, DC
6/30/2011
I had to give four stars because of the grumpy cook.
I loooooooove this place and actually venture out from Logan circle, the atmosphere is great and I love the organic feel of the place and relaxed vibe. It's Always packed but you come to expect that from a place this good.
Two negative things: I came in the other day to get pastries for a work party and could not get enough
1 -there were probably 20 in their little box and I bought 10 but had to go out to Giant of all places to supplement making my Big Bear trip not as useful as I had hoped
2 - while I was getting checked out the girl helping me couldn't find the paper bags or something and the cook tried to give her instructions and was just plain mean to her when she didn't see them (that's just a bad helping of "mean" to hand out that early in the AM.... there is just no need for that - I guess he may have needed his healthy helping of some Big Bear coffee)
Anyway - love the place but don't go for big orders and definitely don't ask the cook for any kind of instructions ;-) -
Review from David S.
Washington, DC
Updated - 1/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm updating this because I feel like my previous review was unnecessarily snarky. I love Big Bear. I live in the neighborhood, I'm glad it's here. The coffee is as good as you'll get anywhere in DC and the espresso drinks are made deliciously and correctly. I am honestly not that crazy about any of the regular items on the menu but the vegetarian chili I had the other day was to DIE for, TO DIE! The bottom line is, this is a good neighborhood establishment, the coffee is rock solid and the food can be good.
A note about all the "hipsters hurt my feelings reviews": This is a typical urban cafe environment. Go read the reviews about Ritual Roasters in San Francisco and you'll see the same type of thing. Look, no one is judging you based on your laptop and so called "hipsters" aren't paying attention to you, so stop being self conscious about it and either like the coffee or don't I'm sorry you can't get a table but you can hardly fault an establishment for being successful.Listed in: My Neighborhood
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/22/2008
The best cafe in DC, which isn't saying much, I realize. The brewed coffee is fantastic. If you get… Read more »
-
-
Review from Jeremy Q.
Washington D.C., DC
11/16/2010
Wedged in the heart of black neighborhoods, a giant slice of gentrification. This place is a haven for neighborhood hipsters and gentrifiers. The service is terrible. The employees act like they're doing you a favor by selling you overpriced coffee.
Half of the people here aren't even consuming anything. They're sitting mindlessly on their laptops, taking seats that consumers could be using.
How is that this place can exist in between so many traditionally black neighborhoods and yet, is overwhelmingly a white-frequented establishment?
The music selection lacks color, literally.
There's really nothing good I can say about this place. -
Review from Tarik O.
Washington, DC
4/24/2011 53 Check-ins Here
Saturday morning, Sunday morning: two lattes and an everything breakfast bagel to share. sometimes a croissant.
The breakfast bagel can be hit or miss depending on who is making it. 80% of the time it is excellent. but sometimes the bagel is not toasted or the cheese is off or they are out of everything bagels.
We generally get there early, but it can be packed as the morning wears on. -
Review from Stephanie G.
Brookline, MA
12/20/2010 2 Check-ins Here
This is the quintessential spot if you are looking for a quality coffee shop with the neighborhood feel. The hot chocolate is excellent, and I also enjoyed the lox bagel. I don't drink coffee, but those people that do drink it tend to rave about how good it is. The only thing on the menu they seem to be lacking is a nice chai tea, although they do have some other types of tea available.
The line to order isn't usually that long, and while it is crowded, it doesn't ever seem to be uncomfortably so (I usually go on Sunday late mornings). Unfortunately this lovely business is in jeopardy of being shut down by DC for zoning reasons... so hopefully the petition they are having customers sign will do some good!
