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Cafe Hon
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
1002 W 36th StBaltimore, MD 21211
Neighborhood: Hampden
(410) 243-1230
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 4 pm - 9 pm
Sun 4 pm - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dessert, Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Touristy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
116 reviews for Cafe Hon
Review Highlights
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"...place to go for top-notch comfort food and for a funnky/fun..." In 8 reviews -
"Brunch on the weekends is always hectic." In 16 reviews -
"...with crabmeat, of course), and gingerbread pancakes." In 3 reviews
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116 reviews in English
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Review from Samuel L.
Washington, DC
3/24/2012
I was actually born and raised in Hampden (up til the age of 5). I attended St. Thomas Aquinas for kindergarten and my parents owned a Chinese restaurant both nearby. I was pleasantly surprised how much the area had changed. Coming back here with some friends was a walk down memory lane.
Anyway, after 4-5 failed attempts for brunch at different restaurants (too long of a wait), we lucked out on this place. Yeah, I saw the KN show, whatever. I'm not big on "reality" shows, I just wanted something to eat. And this place delivered.
My 2 friends had burgers and were totally satisfied. I had the big breakfast platter which I cannot remember the name of. It had pancakes, potatoes, eggs and awesome pork products! Well to sum it up, I had a great meal. And I had a great time in my old "hood". -
Review from Joseph K.
5/4/2012
** Pre-gordon Ramsay and kitchen nightmares, this place was pretty bad
Bland, overpriced, overhyped.
A classic tourist trap. Can't believe the owner tried to copyright the word "hon" ...that area is home to that word..people used that endearing term to talk to others on a daily basis and she ruined that. i'm glad Gordon Ramsay talked some sense into her into letting it go.
I'm hesitant to go bad because of how bland and pricey the food was...still seems pricey ...but Need to go back to compare.
Hopefully it'll make me happy.
Update to come -
Review from Jessica E.
Philadelphia, PA
4/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
A group of us made our way to Cafe Hon while visiting Baltimore to eat at the "must-see" place. It is a classic diner with the additions of a bar and crazy pink/kitschy themed decor.
The food is perfectly described as "meh." I ate a regular old burger, not good, not awful. Fries were very bad. I enjoyed the cheap pitchers of Natty Bo. Service is pretty spotty - we were told after everyone received their meals that one of our friend's food turned out burned and it would be 30 minutes before she could get another one, or she could pick something else.
As far as an experience goes I wouldn't count this as a must-do in Baltimore but it's not the worst place either. Good for kids - plenty of burger/fries type food, and it's loud enough that nobody would mind them being around.
Probably won't be going back. -
Review from William S.
Gaithersburg, MD
3/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was fooled by the Kitchen Nightmares episode and decided to give this place a try. It is decent diner food but nothing tasting fresh. I had a burger with a stale bun and cold french fries. It is kind of what I expect from a diner but not what I expect from the high standards Ramsey always shouts.
So for a quick burger this place is ok. The staff is very friendly and nice. The decor is cheap and looks like a bad flipper job from the housing boom.
This is not place is not a destination and if you are close by I think I would try one of the higher caliber places in the area. -
Review from Liz C.
Baltimore, MD
3/19/2012
I went to Cafe Hon this weekend with a group of friends to see if Gordon Ramsay made the place decent or not. I hadn't been there before Kitchen Nightmares, but as far as I'm concerned, that place is still a nightmare.
The food was totally unremarkable or bad. Three of us got burgers, one of us got meatlof, and one got the crab sliders. The burger was, well, a burger. They did actually not give me a lump of overcooked beef when I asked for medium rare, so points to the cook for leaving pink in there. But they put way too much onion on the burger. Yes, I could have just taken it off, but who puts an inch thick onion disk in a burger? I wouldn't pay $8 for that again. Go to Burger Bros in Towson or any number of great burger joints in Baltimore instead.
The crab sliders were BAD. They caused my boyfriend to almost vomit for a couple hours after eating.
As others have remarked, the art on the back wall was done pretty cheaply, and you can see the sheets of contact paper starting to peel off or wrinkle. Once the humid summer hits, it will probably look terrible.
The service was good. Our waiter was quite friendly, but that hardly makes up for food that makes customers sick. That's an automatic one star. -
Review from Moshe M.
Columbia, MD
5/17/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Service was good, and timely. I had Fried Oysters that tasted very good, along with Ceasar Salad, and Grilled Chicken topping. The chicken was grilled to death...it was very dry, and tough.
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Review from Sam S.
3/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have only been here once and it was post Kitchen Nightmares. I thought that the food and service would be great as it is just coming off the high of that show. I was wrong. My date ordered the country fried pork chop and I got the Hampden Burger. The country fried pork chop was VERY bland. It came with a side of seemingly cardboard instant mashed potatoes and Sysco green beans. The entree was almost like they had tried to serve public school cafeteria food. If I had been him, I would have sent it back, but he suffered through it (eating half of my burger)! Now, the burger was another story. It was an amazing "big mac" inspired burger with caramelized onions and shredded lettuce with a "secret sauce" and the fries were not too shabby either.
All in all- I would go back for the burger, unless it was a fluke... Maybe I won't be back. -
Review from Kippy P.
3/9/2012
Been going to cafe hon for lunch for years and always enjoyed it- it has always been a good place to go for a simple lunch. Great egg salad, fish and chips, grilled cheese, Reuben, salads etc.
Went for dinner post kitchen nightmares- wanted to see what changes had been made. I got the fried pork chop and it was awesome! The mashed potatoes were great- the green beans were bland and needed seasoning. Everyone else didn't enjoy their meal quite as much unfortunately the meat loaf was disappointing. It was dry and didn't have much flavor and the shrimp and crab roll was bland and not great. The fries and homemade chips were fantastic!
The service was outstanding- our waiter was great and super attentive.
I would go back you just have to stick to the basics and take it for what it is. -
Review from Colleen B.
Glyndon, MD
2/24/2012
Went there post Kitchen Nightmare. We had tried to go somewhere else but the wait was too long so we called Hon and they got us in. Did I mention that it was restaurant week? At first, the waitress was promising. Cute, attentive with our order...but then promptly forgot us. My friend ordered the steak pre-fix meal which came with a salad. They brought out my other friends' dinner salads and never even gave my friend his side salad! We waited a really long time for the food - which turned out to be good.
I liked the decor before - and after. -
Review from Stacey B.
Parkville, MD
1/29/2012
I've been to Cafe Hon many times over the years. I stopped going after a few bad experiences (Incredibly slow service), and then stayed away because the owner was rude to a couple of my friends with businesses in the area, and as you know, enraged the community with her trademark of "Hon" that she's since rescinded.
I heard Gordon Ramsey was in town not too long ago, and that cafe Hon was getting some help. When I heard that the PR was the primary issue they were dealing with, I worried that the food and service was the bigger issue they were totally missing. The place was always cute (save for the awful "gift shop" in the front), so I was skeptical that a PR campaign and makeover would be enough to change my mind.
Today, I went to lunch at Cafe Hon. It was my first time back in about 2 years, and the last time I'll be going there.
We arrived at around 1:30 which was a little past a typical lunch rush (they have Sunday brunch now, too). We sat for quite some time before our waitress arrived, and when she finally did, we ordered THE EASIEST MEALS EVER. The kinds of meals that require NO cooking, and should have been assembled and turned around quickly. We got a late start on our day, and wanted to hit some shops, many of which close are 4 or 5 on Sunday, so we chose these menu items with that in mind.
For starters, I asked the waitress if I could substitute turkey for corned beef in the Reuben. She immediately responded that the kitchen was so backed up that she didn't think they could do that, but she'd ask. I told her that if they couldn't (which is a tad outrageous) I told her I'd have the chicken salad instead. In addition, I ordered a side salad with house dressing, and my friend ordered a bowl of chili and (later) a slice of pie. I didn't hear anything else about my request until the food arrived and was my second choice. No apology, no explanation, and I'm pretty sure she probably didn't even bother asking when I gave her a second choice.
It took over 30 minutes to get our food, which I have a hard time processing. My friend is a chef at a large hotel downtown and said that nothing we ordered would have been prepared at order time. They're all things that are made it batches and plated as ordered. Why on EARTH it would take 30 minutes for a table of 2 to get such I small order, I'll never know.
Our bill went in the system at 2:02, (we arrived at the restaurant 10 minutes prior to that). Our card was run at 3:00.... So, over an hour for 2 people to get 4 pre-made items. The chili was packed with caraway seeds which were crunchy, and totally bummed out my friend that ordered it. She picked at it, and got most of her meal out of the slice of pie she ordered later. My chicken salad came with chips, and the chicken salad itself was dry and boring. For $9.00, I expected MORE.
More so than the food, the service just really sucked. Our waitress was clearly overwhelmed, but you'd think for as long as this place has been around, they'd "GET" that Sundays are busy and they need to step it up. Basically, this place is a diner.... and diners are about good food delivered fast. Our drinks we brought over and she walked away before we noticed that there were no sugar packets, salt or pepper on the table. We actually got up and grabbed these things from another table when it became clear that our server was going to be slow, at best. Each time our drinks were refilled from a pitcher, we got hardly any ice and ended up requesting separate glasses of ice just to keep the drinks cold between refills.
The bill came to just over $32 bucks. I could get the same meal (better!) at any number of area diners for less money and in half the time. I'm not sure why people let Cafe Hon get away with poor service, but I for one, will not.
Bottom line, it's just NOT worth the money or time. There's lots of better places around that are more consistent and less novelty. This place is a tourist trap, plain and simple, but the rest of it just doesn't hold up. Sorry Gordon, your magic didn't work on inspiring our waitress to dazzle us.
On a side note, their dill dressing is OUTSTANDING. Luckily, you can get THAT to go. -
Review from Amanda C.
2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Diner style place with slightly off kilter service.
Adorable decor, think pink flamingos, lots of tchotchkes, and a hot pink theme running throughout the restaurant.
Restaurant had a few vegetarian and vegan specials on the menu including an black bean burger, a customizable alt(hold the bacon), and a pasta dish I believe.
Service was not great, we had a larger party(6) and we were informed twenty minutes after ordering that the kitchen was out of a bunch of menu items.
Do not miss out on the old bay chips but skip the fries, they were limp and gross. Get a sandwich and wash it down with some Natty Bo.Listed in: Bawlamar-Baltimore
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Review from Lee W.
Baltimore, MD
3/1/2012
I went there twice in the last couple years, both times the food and service were terrible. the staff seemed really stressed out. The food was bland and overcooked. I did like the interior. I have not been there since the renovation, but there's lots of other great options in Hampden, really no reason to go back to a place that's been so consistently poor in terms of food. There's been a lot of bad press about the owners, bullying people about things that don't seem to make any sense.
I suppose it would be fine just to get a drink here at the bar, and enjoy the nice interior. Just don't bother with the food or tables. -
Review from Rebecca G.
Baltimore City, MD
1/18/2012
We visited Cafe Hon a few weeks after the makeover, still curious as to what has changed - the new menu wasn't up online. From our experience, we're hoping that most of the episode does get dedicated to the discussion of the "hon" trademark, and redecorating.
The decor is definitely nice - a new mural (though don't look too closely or you'll see the many seams from the pasted paper), nice mirrors and wall decorations. It's also a welcome change that all servers are wearing similar shirts.
His plate: wings, burger
Her plate: pan-sauteed salmon with rice and green beans
The service is about the same as it was before - our waitress forgot to tell us what they were out of, so when we ordered I asked for the pot pie and was met with a glare of "we're out of that. I... told you?" and had to come up with another choice quickly. That probably wouldn't bother us as much if the food that we ended up ordering had been good.
The five wings ($9) were served piled on top of their accompanying bleu cheese (note to the wise, to ask for this on the side if you don't want everything combined). They were small, painfully overpriced, and unremarkable.
D's burger is best described as forgettable - boring, slightly stale bread and a mushy over-ground patty, cooked appropriately but not juicy.
My salmon could probably have injured someone if I'd been so inclined to throw it - it was cooked solid through, and looked as though it'd been deep fried. The rice was an interesting mix of overcooked and undercooked, with crunchy burned bits and mushy parts, and included an interesting amount (more than a dozen pieces) of random pasta. We're assuming they serve rice and pasta from steam tables, perhaps? The green beans tasted canned.
I'm still curious about their pot pie, and we do like their margaritas... but we won't be back for the food otherwise.
We'll update with another post once the episode airs. -
Review from Elizabeth P.
Baltimore, MD
3/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
The decor was cute, but the food was completely forgettable. They must make their sausage in-house because the sides of mine exploded, but it tasted pretty good. The cinnamon bun we got was a bit dry. My eggs were runny even though I asked for them over hard. The thing that really got to me, however, was that I made a reservation on Open Table before going and when I got there, they said there would be a 20 minute wait or we could eat at the bar. When I mentioned my reservation, the hostess just shrugged and said "bar or wait?" What is the point of taking reservations if you don't honor them? Then when I got home, I got an email from Open Table saying I missed my Cafe Hon reservation.... Unimpressed.
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Review from Rich M.
Washington, DC
3/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm a big fan of Kitchen Nightmares and have always thought it would be cool to check out a restaurant that had been "fixed" by Gordon Ramsay. So, we made the trip to Baltimore to check out Cafe Hon. Although I was a little disappointed that the lunch menu doesn't begin until 3 pm on Saturdays they did make a crab cake appetizer for us that was very tasty. We ordered burgers and can report that the burger that I ordered medium-well actually came out of the kitchen medium-well. Otherwise, it was a rather pedestrian patty but the special sauce they use on the bun was a nice addition. Good burger, great crab cake, decent service, but a little pricey considering what we ordered. A burger plate (burger with bacon, fries, pickle) $14. Crab cake was $11...and NOT presented 'as seen on TV'.
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Review from Lauren G.
Updated - 12/4/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Despite what some people think about how an owners/employees actions should not come into play when writing a review, I disagree. The actions of everyone involved in a place is still a part of said place. So, after the recent media fest of Ramsay fixing this place, I went back.
The insides are well, boring now. I really enjoyed the tacky decorations and the Elvis in the front. However, it's pretty muted. Not in a bad way, but it's not what it used to be. The menu has changed, and the prices have gone up (not a whole bunch to really make or break this place tho). Also don't expect brunch until after the New Year.
I ordered the grilled cheese with mushrooms and it was delicious. My fries were good. The crab dip was gooey and crabby. Yes, there are some noticable things that are not really Cafe Hon, but there's still some of it left. The waitress we had went to highschool with my sister so I've known her forever. It would be unfair of me to tell you she's fantastic since I know her, but still, she's fantastic.
The bar is mostly unchanged and they do have a good beer selection. The only bad things are the Ramsay touches, and by that I mean they are GLARINGLY obvious. Small lettuce garnish on a plate with a BLT? Hopefully within a year these small things can be "forgotten" as they add nothing to the table. Plus that little piece of lettuce could have been one more delicious french fry or chip.Listed in: OM NOM NOM
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/10/2010
How long ago was my first review of this place? Surely not that long ago. I went here last Friday,… Read more »
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Review from Andrew R.
Baldwin, MD
12/22/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've eaten here a few times and have found the food and service to be solid.
I stopped in this afternoon to catch up with an old friend for coffee.
Service was attentive and friendly. They were busy, but not so busy that our coffee mugs ever got less than 1/2 full.
Love how this place reflects old school Baltimore. -
Review from Dina B.
Baltimore, MD
3/20/2012
I recently watched Kitchen Nightmares and the refurbishing of Cafe Hon. I was excited to go, as I thought the food would be strong and the decor updated. Surprisingly, the decor still seemed tired and run down.
I ordered the Cobb Salad, which I did not like at all. The dark meat turkey, dried out eggs, and brown avocado made it all very unappetizing. My husband ordered the Thanksgiving dinner, which he did enjoy and seemed to be very tasty.
On the plus side, the kid's Mac and cheese was delicious, but it was made with gorgonzola cheese, I think, and therefore my five-year old didn't like it. I did, though, and finished it off.
Although I might have just ordered the wrong thing, we do not need to return, unfortunately. Too many other choices, even within a few block radius. -
Review from Juliana O.
Providence, RI
12/7/2011
Went here a couple of times way back before the Hon controversy, and was super underwhelmed by the food. But after Gordon Ramsay came and did his thing (and I stalked on the corner all weekend with all the neighborhood kids, waiting for Ramsay sightings), I knew I had to go back at least once to see what was up.
Post Ramsay-fication, the food seems much better! I had the egg salad sandwich and it was very nice, well-priced, came with homemade chips. Hurrah! It was good enough that (since I work right across the street), I went back the next week for ANOTHER egg salad sandwich. (They don't have much in the way of vegetarian options.) Again it was good, though they were pretty busy that time and the service was quite slow.
It is what it is - a diner - but the food is quite decent and much better value than it used to be. Worth giving it a second chance.Listed in: Bawlmer, Murland
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Review from Paul W.
Baltimore, MD
4/25/2012
I've been there before and after Chef Ramsey....I love the location and even the dining area. I don't care for the food. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad.... it was just fair. I think the menu was better before it was scaled back. Its to bad that even with a smaller menu that the food is just fair. I'll give it another shot in a few months to see if the food is more inspiring. For now I'll just go to the diner. I truly hope it works out for the place, Baltimore neighborhoods need small business sucess.
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Review from Eva W.
Laurel, MD
12/2/2011
I've eaten here several times and while the decor is fun and funky, the food is just average and overpriced for what it offers. Last New Year's Eve, I decided to give them another chance to prove they provided value and see if their service improved, but I couldn't as they were closed. It would have been handy if they had noted that on their website. Many people come to Hampden to watch the ball drop at midnight on 34th Street, and we saw lots of people turn away, disappointed, so others like this place. I don't hate it, and it's a fun place to bring out of towners.
I do have a sneaking fondness for their breakfasts, which are served all day. I share my birthday with a good friend who lives in Hampden, and for several years we celebrated our mutual birthdays here, even if they didn't offer cake for dessert. The pie is pretty good. I think if the owner if having financial problems, maybe she consider opening on New Year's Eve, a night a lot of people visit this neighborhood. -
Review from Marshall L.
Baltimore, MD
9/2/2011
Some die-hard supporters think that any negative review for Cafe Hon automatically has something to do with the 'Hon' controversy, but when it comes down to it, there's a lot to dislike about this place. I've lived in Baltimore for just over a year and I've given this place several chances and I'm just not willing to give it any more.
The first thing most people will notice is the slow service. I don't mind slower service when a restaurant is packed, but the service at Cafe Hon is just as slow when the place is not even half full. Just about every time I've been there, at every step of the way, the service took way longer than it should have. The last time I was there, my fiance and I had been done with our meals for about ten minutes before our server came over to ask if we needed our check. It was at least five before she brought us the check, and almost another ten minutes for her to bring it back. That was the worst of our experiences here, but other times it's not much better.
The other main issue is the price they charge versus the quality of the food. Cafe Hon's food isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it is EXTREMELY overpriced. Say for example, you stop in for lunch one day and order a turkey club sandwich. That'll be $11, plus another $3 if you want fries instead of chips. If you want a soda instead of water, that's another $2+. So when you figure in the tip, you're out nearly $20 for a turkey club, fries, and soda. I'm sorry, but there is no way that meal is worth $20. Flat out, it just isn't. That meal shouldn't cost more than $10 given the quality. Again, the food isn't bad, but the prices they charge for it is insane.
And that's why I'll never go back to Cafe Hon. If you're going to shell out as much money as a meal at Cafe Hon costs, they should be serving food of much higher quality and the service should be outstanding. That is sadly not the case on either count. -
Review from Sean H.
9/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Avenue Breakfast is the only thing I like about this place. It's sausage, eggs, potatoes, and pancakes close by my house so I tend to stop in from time to time to enjoy. But, otherwise, the place is very off-putting to me. I'm not a native Baltimorean, and do not claim any stake in any of the rhetoric about this place. I simply find the salesmanship to be novelty and the food matches it. It's expensive, mediocre, and the way they bash the Hon down your throat irks the hell out of me. It just tries way to hard.
-The staff are very nice though, and if you don't mind paying for diner food and don't mind an overabundance of Hon crap, try it out. -
Review from Dan A.
9/6/2011
Having attended college down the street from Hampden, I've visited many places in Hampden over the years. And while there are many stores and restaurants in the area, Cafe Hon definitely is one of the most visible and iconic thanks to the ginormous pink flamingo that graces (or not) its facade.
Clearly a building with a kitschy flamingo of massive proportions must look good inside as well... And while it's not fancy inside, it still has a nice vintage feel to it that pays homage to a Baltimore of a previous time and age.
Unfortunately, although the building itself is memorable and unique, the food here is pedestrian and forgettable. And while that may not be bad in and of itself, couple that with high prices and slow service and you'll find yourself leaving with a little sense of dissatisfaction. If you are in the area, I'd probably skip over Cafe Hon and try out some of the other restaurants in the area instead.
Just FYI: I'm judging this restaurant purely on the food, not on the controversial actions of the owner that happened in the past. Those two things should remain separate. -
Review from JERROLD T.
Baltimore, MD
8/20/2011
My partner and I waited an hour only to get a bloody (literally) burger and cold congealed fries, I got rancid tuna salad. DISGUSTING. We will NEVER ever go back. To add insult to injury, the manager obviously couldn't give a rat's arse, as he chuckled when he apologized. The couple next to us stood up as he came over and said for the record their food was terrible.
We love our waitress, and have eaten there many times. It isn't the first time the food was mediocre, but there is absolutely no apology that could ever make up for our experience here. I would LOVE to know exactly what was transpiring in the kitchen in the hour-plus we were here. They weren't busy. Cooking is OBVIOUSLY secondary (and that is perhaps more generous than I should be) to what happens in this kitchen.
As far as the filthy utensils, Jesus...someone should shut this mess down. Not only do I not recommend this dive, I am going to go out of my way to blog and post my experience here EVERYWHERE. This is the sorriest excuse for a restaurant I have EVER seen. -
Review from Alex F.
Updated - 7/29/2011 4 photos
As a Yelper, I have never gone back and updated my review of a restaurant, but after visiting Cafe Hon two more times after my previous post, I find it necessary. In my last review, I mentioned that I had always had mixed feelings about Cafe Hon and wasn't sure why-- my last two experiences there made me realize it fully.
The service here is incredibly slow, no matter how busy the restaurant is-- I've been there when it's packed and when it's relatively empty and my party can never seem to get the servers' attention. I'm really a patient person when it comes to service, as I've been in those shoes myself, but it's a little bit frustrating to watch the servers talk to one another rather than getting something someone in party asked for 10 minutes before (in this case, a refill on their soda).
One of my recent visits was on the Wednesday night lobster special I was so gung-ho about in my last review. It turned out to be a completely disappointing meal this time around, with dried out baked potatoes, melting ice cream desserts, and unremarkable lobster. Perhaps the oddest thing about the meal was that the lobsters presented to my party of three were very different sizes from one another-- although the menu promises 1.25 pounds. It was early in the evening with plenty of lobsters left, so I would assume the chefs would attempt to send similar-sized lobsters to the same table.
All in all, I now I understand the many reviews of previous Yelpers. I think my first review at Cafe Hon was from a fluke experience and now I know what it's really like there, which is disappointing since it's been such a big name in Hampden.Listed in: There Just Aren't Any Yelpers…, Rollin' in Roland Park
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/26/2011
I've always had mixed feelings about Cafe Hon and I can't quite put my finger on why that is. I've… Read more »
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Review from Ben D.
8/1/2011
In the meatloaf I tasted, nutmeg, garlic, and, hmm, is that farts?
They have bumper stickers, which taste better than the food. The breakfast tasted like sweat and fear. -
Review from Erica B.
10/24/2011
Looking for a place in Baltimore to get brunch and deterred by the crazy long waits at Miss Shirley's and Golden West, we turned to Cafe Hon.
My brother in law and his girlfriend were with us, visiting from Rhode Island. They were unfamiliar with Baltimore in general and were completely charmed by the over-the-top kitschy-ness of the decor.
My asparagus omelet was top notch - one of the best omelets that I've ever had, in fact! My husband quite enjoyed his southwestern breakfast grits and our guests were pleased with their meals too.
We all shared one of their homemade cinnamon rolls, which was delicious (not too sweet and topped with cream cheese icing... yum.)
The service here was friendly, but slow, and the prices were fair, especially given the very substantial portion sizes. -
Review from FoodChick F.
Upper Marlboro, MD
10/28/2011
Fun, kitschy ambiance. Very friendly staff. Interesting food items native to Bawlmer and Maryland. A great place to stop for pie and coffee. Pie is good, not fantastic, better than most and it is homemade. Apple pie is okay, blueberry cherry pie is better. Fries are to die for. I am addicted to the fresh dill vinaigrette dressing. That stuff is good on anything...don't leave without buying a bottle. Cream of crab soup is very tasty. Tried the crab cake sliders. The crab cake part was good, the cheap pasty buns not so good. They should serve a better bun. We ended up taking the little crab cake off the bun. The BLT on multi-grain was good. Of course any BLT made with smoked applewood bacon is delicious.
I would hangout at Cafe Hon more often but I live an hour away. I've dined there 3 times now. -
Review from Jonathan G.
Nottingham, MD
6/18/2011
I could buy a loaf of generic white bread from Wal-Mart, take two slices, wipe them on the floor, and have a better meal than I'd get at Cafe Hon.
Close this place down and bring in a real restaurant. -
Review from Mary M.
12/31/2011
I have eaten at Cafe Hon a hand full of times, and while the atmosphere is wacky and fun to look at, the food is just mediocre. Its a fun place to stop in if you are in Hampden, but if you are looking for a fun restaurant with lots of atmosphere AND good food, I'd recommend driving over to the Paper Moon Diner.
Listed in: B'more Hon!
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Review from Tricia P.
Towson, MD
4/15/2011
wow.. who did the owner pay off for people to write good reviews for this place? menu is small with not alot of selection. Food is horrible and nothing memorable. Service slow and rude. Last time i was there i was filmed eating the whole time until i asked them to stop (were they making a commercial? i have no idea...). Also, the owner is a bit wacko with the whole "hon" scandal. i wish i could give this zero stars.
Skip Cafe Hon, there are several other -better- options in that neighborhood. (hellllo Papermoon!) -
Review from Danielle W.
Indianapolis, IN
5/27/2011
I'm also surprised by all the bad reviews. Yes the owner has a bad reputation in Baltimore over the use of the word "hon" but that doesn't matter in terms of actually dining there.
I've been a few times now, whenever I find myself out there I stop in, it's my favorite Baltimore breakfast spot. My food has always been great, service has always been pleasant, restaurant has always been clean. I've never had the bad experience these others are describing, I love it here! -
Review from Joe K.
6/21/2011
Cafe Hon is like a step back in the 50's, with beautiful decor and time dressed staff makes the experience feel just about right.
Came on a week day and it was busy, even at 3pm. My food was decent and the bread pudding was okay.
As for the owner and her activities, they should not be included with the rating of the restaurant, how ever it's sub par food and slightly better than a diner experience; that's what I judged about Cafe Hon. -
Review from Emily T.
Parkville, MD
4/4/2011
I went here with a friend for lunch, basically because Golden West was closed.
This was before all of the hooplah with the owner (which would have probably deterred me...) so I had no bias.
But the place was just meh. There was nothing special on the menu. I guess I wanted a little more "hon-ness" but our waitress was meh, once the food came it was meh. All around, not even a diner I'd want to revisit, let alone a Baltimore staple worth a second trip. -
Review from Frank N.
1/13/2011
When I was in college in the 90's, Cafe Hon first appeared on the avenue (where Suzy's Soba is now) and I thought it was a great thing. It had a simple menu with good food, and a bit of fun...
I've visited many times over the years, and must say that the quality of the food has declined as the prices of the food increased.
My most recent visit was in October 2010. I sat down to a plate of "Much Better than Mom's" Meatloaf. Wow, it was really bad. It was bland and just didn't have the right texture. I would have sent it back if it weren't for the gravy, which mitigated the problem a bit. The side salad was quite wilted too. In the end, I felt that the meal was very overpriced for what I got.....
Most of the employees here are great. I had planned to return to give them another chance, but then the issue about their trademarking of Baltimore's word, Hon, appeared. I refunded the Groupons I had for this place, and made the choice to never return. See my other local reviews for better places to eat on the Avenue. -
Review from Ruth N.
Takoma Park, MD
12/13/2010
Unclean with poor food - stay away!
We decided to stop in for dinner before going to a workshop across the street at Sugar (a fantastic sex boutique). The decorations snagged us, inside and out, and so we squeezed into a table in the front window. There are a few vegetarian options here, and we all ended up ordering them: grilled cheese, cuban rice, and a veggie burger. We also split loaded fries with veg black beans instead of chili.
Service was poor (too busy to tend to us, combined with a pretentious attitude and a general sense of gloom) and the food tasted crappy. The veggie burger was mediocre and could have been made better at home with a frozen patty and an electric grill. My Cuban rice was bland and unappetizing and reminded me of what I used to eat back in my foodstamps days. The grilled cheese was so poor that he couldn't finish it - noting that it tasted of an unclean grill.
The most disgusting part was when TWO ROACHES wandered around the table mid-meal.
Really we should have screamed and left and I'm rather embarrassed that we didn't. We had a workshop to get to and just wanted it all over with. Do not eat here for any reason. Wander in to take a few photos in the neat atmosphere, if you must, and then quickly wander back out.
I would also note that the tables are too close together for anyone in a wheelchair or using other mobility devices. -
Review from Elsa M.
10/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cute and kitsche. A Bmore staple, so I was long overdue. I had a sweet server... no beehive, but a pretty little headband who treated me nicely and told me the specials. I opted for the bacon cheeseburger.
As I waited, I took in the decor with more flamingos than a Florida retirement community and an old red tricycle right above a crowned toddler Jesus and a minature Mary and Joseph holding another Jesus beneath.
Hand-drawn hons hung on the walls and an old time soda fountain counter reminded me an era I never knew firsthand, but new produced some awesome milkshakes.
By the time my burger came (which wasn't so long), the place was packed. I got there a little before noon and by 12:01 the lunch rush was in full swing. I was impressed with my waitress for still being attentive even though it became marketably more busy. My burger was pretty good, but the bread is what made it! It was perfect really. Fresh, sort of doughy and soft, but firm enough not to get soggy with a big hunk of meat on it. I got it with provolone and was happy with the bacon as well.
Not a bad lunch spot if you are in the area. -
Review from Judith Priest ..
Baltimore, MD
12/10/2010
I've eaten here a handful of times, each time worse than the one before. I hear people say it can be hit or miss, but for me it's been all miss.
If you go for breakfast, DO NOT get the French toast. I got three soggy, skinny, limp pieces of bread. It was the worst French toast I've ever had. My dog could throw up on the carpet and it would taste better and be more attractive on a plate. Just terrible.
I also had a grilled cheese there once. Man. How do you mess up grilled cheese? They found a way.
No need to ever go back again. -
Review from Howard W.
Dunwoody, GA
12/14/2010
Average-to-lousy food, with small portions and high prices. I really don't get what people see in the Hon. I've been for breakfast and dinner and save for an interesting waitress here and there, it's really a crappy restaurant. There are better diners (Papermoon, Towson, Nautilus, Double-T, Bel-Loc) with better Atmosphere all over town. There is better food right across the street at the Golden West Cafe. Frankly, it's great food priced right with a lot more atmosphere.
By Hon. Hola Gold.
