Boheme Café

I'd been going to this amazing little sandwich shop ever since I started coming down to Baltimore about 7 or 8 years ago. Much to my dismay, I walked by the other day wanting to stop in for my once-a-week flatbread turkey sandwich and saw that they had permanently closed. Apparently, the renovations taking place in the Examiner building forced Boheme to shut its doors, as the building is filling the space with new tenants and would not renew Boheme's lease. Why, Baltimore... why?!

The Inner Harbor work crowd has officially lost one of the best lunch spots around. No other place within walking distance has a comparable variety of pastries and sandwiches made of fresh, local ingredients, bold flavorful coffee, spicy warm soups, and service with a genuine smile.

Sad times :(

Fyi ... this will be work in progress review, so keep checking back as I make my way through the menu. One item at a time.

If your options are either bland big box, chain restaurants or good local deliciously prepared meals prepared with love ... go to Boheme Cafe. Here you will find people that enjoy feeding you good food, just like your mom used to. Except they might be wearing panda hats or resembling ex-hippies (jk, Martha is far from one or so she claims). Otherwise, so to Panera Bread.


SANDWICHES
Fried chicken salad (daily special): pretty good with honey mustard. nice balance and was loaded up with super crispy bacon

BANDITO BURGER: You've got to be kidding me. If this is what all vegetarian food looked and tasted like, sign me up! Great texture that was flavorful and affordable. why not?

TRIBECA: not bad ... wasn't my favorite

MALIBU: thick slices of turkey with a good amount of avocado. good choice. would get it again.

BLEU MONSTER: my goodness! roast beef + bleu cheese dressing on rye is delicious. too bad it's not on the main menu. Get it if you see the special.



SOUP / SALAD
Albuquerque Turkey Chili: look ma ... No beans! this will mean that all my coworkers should personally thank Martha for saving the ozone. Delicious bowl of soup that hit the spot. Even the corn was proportionally sized for the spoon. I wonder if she actually thought about that when putting the recipe together.

Italian Wedding: was a little salty ... I probably wont try again

Chicken & Dumplings: taste like a thicker chicken noodle soup

Superfood Salad: exactly what i expected, would suggest you trying it at least once. I think they forgot my dressing (not on purpose). Full of


SNACKS / DESSERT
House made granola: tasty and delicious treat that is sweat AND healthy!

Snickerdoodle cookie: not too sweet, great texture, wow.

Hippie cookie: pretty good

Chocolate covered espresso beans: good pick me up / afternoon kick in the pants

In preparation for a corporate relocation to the normally touristy inner harbor, my co-workers' and my mission has lately been to scout suitable lunch spots in the area (or at least go for a nice walk in the weather and have some good nosh...)

Today's experiment was the Boheme Cafe, and it was well worth a visit. Located right across the street from the Aquarium, Boheme is a sandwich and coffee shop offering both breakfast and lunch, as well as catering for the party crowd.

The sandwich selection is extensive, offering everything from your traditionally favorites (chicken caesar in a wrap), to foreign-inspired fare (roast beef, pickle, and mustard on rye, hello London), and they also offer salads and soups to go along with the meal.

I opted for a curried chicken salad wrap (the Maharaja) and a cup of their Albuquerque turkey chili, and was pleasantly surprised. The chili was very flavorful, with just enough spice to make it complex, but not so bad as to burn your mouth, while the sandwich was very good, the curried chicken tasting fresh, as did the other items in the wrap. The only criticism was that the tortilla was a bit thick, but that's a common wrap issue.

The staff are very friendly and the ordering process (once you figure out where to order) very straight forward. Prices are reasonable given the location and quality of the food.

A good place for a quick bite while downtown.

While working in the Inner Harbor, it can be difficult to find a healthy place to eat that isn't going to take hours or break the bank (this is, after all, tourist land). Boheme Cafe provides the right mix of neighborhood joint with quick takeout. What's great is that they get a lot of their produce from One Straw Farm, a local organic farm (where I participate in a CSA!) and everything is super fresh. All of their sandwiches and salads are filled with vegetables (healthy!) and are super tasty. They also have a daily sandwich special which includes a special sandwich, chips or a cookie, and a drink for $7.99. Pretty great deal. They also have two fresh soups every day. They also have a mailing list that will email you daily to let you know what the special is. Sometimes, if it looks especially appealing, I'll ditch my bagged lunch and head on over.

Another bonus (for us vegetarians out there), they have a whole slew of vegetarian sandwiches, as well as frequent vegetarian soups. There is a very big variety of options which makes going there exciting. They also have some baked goods, serve breakfast all day, and have pretty decent coffee as well. I recommend checking out their Chillers (juice and tea combo), and the Cairo wrap and Healthy Bite sandwich.
They also have some great outdoor seating space with umbrellas and picnic tables.

Boheme Cafe has been a savior for me on the days that I forget or don't feel like bringing lunch from home. Plus, everyone who works there (especially Martha, the owner) is super nice. It makes every visit such a pleasure.

I can't say enough about this place. It is an EXCELLENT place for people working or visiting downtown to grab lunch Monday through Friday!

The staff is welcoming, the prices are right, and the food is creative and delicious!!!

Yes, it's true, there is no parking; but if you're looking to enjoy a respite from the drudgery of chain restaurants, and a little fresh air to and from cubicle-world, it's perfect.

Additionally, they do all that stuff that is good for humanity, so if you're into that, this is your place.

Oh! They also do catering for 10+; their executive lunches are outstanding!

Last thing, try ditching the mayo on any sandwich and opting instead for the avocado, it might just change your life!

Boheme Cafe is one of just a handful of independent lunch spots for folks who work around the inner harbor. I love the local feel of the place. They even get their produce locally; in fact, a lot of it comes through their participation in a Community-Supported Agriculture program with One Straw Farm, an organic farm in Baltimore County. All that is just fine, but it wouldn't amount to much if the food wasn't any good. Don't worry - IT'S GREAT! The sandwiches are packed with flavor, and the soups are just right. I usually get the Cairo Vegetarian sandwich - roasted red peppers, hummus, cucumber, lettuce, and onion. Out of this world! Check out their site for a full menu.

The coffee is great too. Flavorful, organic, and fair trade.

Visited Baltimore and this place immediately caught our eye on Yelp. We were trying to eat local for our whole trip and we're certainly glad we did! My sandwich and my brothers wrap were awesome. I got the cowboy - hot and melty and delicious, and my brother got the Malibu - fresh, green and also very yummy.
The staff was extremely nice and the vibe was funky and happy. Very cool place to eat!

I just started working downtown and was delighted to find this cafe and sandwich place. In the land of chains, Boheme offers delicious and strong brewed coffee and expresso drinks, freshly made breakfast and lunch sandwiches, bagels. baked goods, yogurts and more for the downtown worker and visitor alike. Even better, this small business gets produce from a local farm.
I like to stop by on my way to work for my coffee and an occaisional treat of one of their freshly made breakfast sandwiches. The staff and Martha, the owner, are always super friendly and helpful.
Sorry Panera, you're no competition for this local prize.

The only café in a business building is bound to be somewhat pricey. This café is OK if you want something kinda unique to eat and you do not feel like going far. In my case, I had a 4 day training in the building. When you walk in, you will be impressed with the design, the menu selections and the organic choices. On day 1, I ordered a Cairo wrap (hummus, tomato, sprouts and something else). It lacked general flavor and had too much hummus. And I love hummus. On day 4, I came from breakfast and order the Sacramento (egg, cheese, tomato, and avocado on honey wheat bread). It was okay. Here is where they lose stars:

1. There was only 1 woman working. She was nice and fast but why is there 1 person at 8:45am?

2. At 8:55am, her twin sister (?) walks in with booty shorts on. Don't get me wrong. I love booty shorts but I don't like being served in them. I like that the manager gives the employees freedom of choice on dress but there is a line. This does not take away the fact that she was also friendly and pleasant.

3. The manager comes in shortly after the twin. A vendor walks in about 5 minutes later with his trolley full of product and he is on his phone quietly. I moved towards the window to get out of his way but there was another lady in the way. He says 'Excuse me'. She does not move, he says a bit louder 'Excuse me' and she moves. This apparently gets the managers attention and she says loudly "Get off your phone in front of my customers". I was shocked. The vendor proceeded to walk towards the back and realizes everyone is staring at him. He says "I didn't hear you". The manager says "that's the problem, get off the phone" rather rudely. The vendor then says "I don't recall working for you" and proceeds to the back still on his phone. She snatches the delivery papers, he unloads the trolley and she stomps to the other door to show him out. Okay, there are many things wrong but the first, as a business manager, never ever scold the vendor in front of customers. It just looks bad. Yes, he should not have been on the phone but scolding him in a small café in front of 5 customers makes the situation worst. Also, as a customer, I did not mind since he wasn't loud. I minded the booty shorts girl serving me.

Would I come back. A big maybe. I love that the food is organic and they offer great cold beverages that are healthy. I would skip the microwaved egg sandwiches though and opt for vanilla chai with a pasty.

Besides parking, this place is amazing. The Homemade granola is to die for and the red velvet cupcakes are amazing. Also had the chai latte, delicious. And the staff is SO nice it's almost unreal. You must go here if you're near the inner harbor