Reviews for Big Bear Cafe in 1700 1st St NW, WA
I never write reviews, but after today I thought I should. I’ve been going to Big Bear Cafe for 6+ years, the quality of the... food and drinks are great, but the service is always subpar. They are a hip cafe that is always busy, but for some reason theycan’t get a well organized assembly line created. Never order for take out because they will never call your name, and ifyou’re standing at the take out window don’t expect to be acknowledged. Today I waited at the window for 25 minutes, thestaff looked at me multiple times but never came over to ask my name or to see if I needed help. It wasn’t until I spoke upand asked them to check on my order did they help me. Long behold my food was ready for about 15 minutes and my drink was nevermade. This has happened to me on multiple occasions and always with an online order. Something needs to change with theircustomer service process. I previously worked in the customer service and food industry for 10 years and always came up withmore efficient processes to better the customers experience. It’s just sad to see the service industry decline especially atsuch a great cafe. Read more
Beautiful place to grab a bite or cup of coffee. Not to ADA friendly if you're using a wheelchair or knee scooter as it is... uneven and coble stone path. Very cute outside dinning area, friendly staff and yummy food. Read more
Coffee and atmosphere are great food was delicious and reasonably priced. All the employees were very nice and everyone was... smiling which seems to be rare in DC Read more
I’ve gone back and forth on Big Bear. First time I ate hear years ago I was not a fan. I didn’t think the breakfast was that... good and certainly not worth the price. But having recently frequented BBC quite often, trying both the breakfast burrito andtheir morning pastries, I can say definitively that I’ve changed my mind. It is a little pricey, but their pastries arefantastic. Sure, they don’t make a ton of them, but they are trying to be a neighborhood coffee shop, not necessarily adestination for people from DuPont. The coffee as well is very good, much better from what I remember on my first visit. I havenot had lunch or dinner yet, but will update if/when that happens. Only thing keeping it from five stars is the speed of service(when it’s very busy, 10-12 on weekends) and price. Read more
Dang that was one of the best lattes I've had in a while. Their granola/yogurt menu item is perfectly lemony and bright. The... staff are really kind and communicative. The space definitely leans more towards brunch spot than study-cafe, but that's not abad thing. It's a great place to people-watch while getting some work done. Read more
Tldr; good spot with "ok" food, which is over priced. Come for the coffee and environment. Don't expect to be impressed.
Can a place with subpar food and drinks exist if its setting is enticing enough? Apparently at Big Bear Cafe it can! So while... the chocolate bear paw pastry I had was a 2/5... and the cafe au lait was a 1/5... and despite it being 11am on a Sunday 90% ofthe pastry offerings were gone... I guess I still enjoyed my time at Big Bear because they have some decent outdoor seatingspace? I ask this both sarcastically and seriously. In all seriousness, I really hope someone else takes over this space andtries to actually make quality food and drinks. I don't say that to be mean, it just is a waste of a really nice space otherwiseand the other reviews back this up. Read more
Best coffee chop in DC! The vibes are immaculate, dope foliage, Amazing rustic interior decor and staff is so kind. Food is... solid, drinks (both coffee and alcoholic) are made with care and the outdoors is dog friendly. It's a great place to stop by orspend an entire afternoon. Read more