Big Bear Cafe
| Address: | 1700 1st St NW, Washington, DC 20001, USA |
| Phone: | +1 202-643-9222 |
| Site: | bigbearcafe-dc.com |
| Rating: | 4 |
| Working: | 7AM–8PM 7AM–8PM 7AM–8PM 7AM–8PM 7AM–8PM 7:30AM–8PM 7:30AM–8PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
DE
Derek Gildea
A great place. Big Bear is a bright and cozy locale in the North East corner of D.C. There is a loveable disorder to the place; the menu sprawls off the official chalk board onto the wall beside it, the hardwood tables, floors, and counters are all well worn, the couches are old and clearly much used. No highbrow, apron wearing baristas here; just a comfortable, relaxed crew operating a comfortable, relaxed coffee house. There are plenty of big windows looking out on a park across the street, and the paintings of local artists line the walls not dominated by windows. A collection of tables big and small fill the floor space, and there are plenty of outdoor seats as well. Big Bear is run on green energy - the first venue Ive seen in D.C. to do so. I particularly like the music. An eastern playlist was finishing up as I entered, and the bartender immediately transitioned to some kooky French rock (a passion of his, I gather). Currently were on a blues mix. This is definitely a place where you dont need to bring headphones with you. Theres plenty of variety in coffee and tea to choose from. They give a fair quantity for the standard $2 cup - not the best coffee Ive ever tasted, but it certainly good enough. If you order tea, theyll give you a pot to brew it in - $5 buys you enough for two people to drink several cups worth. I like the atmosphere here! Ill spend the rest of the day reading here, and Ill definitely be coming back.
NI
Nilbor Sofia
Cest un lieu malheureusement unique en son genre, qui baigne dans la bienveillance et une atmosphère bucolique (tonnelle et herbes aromatiques multiples plantées tout autour). Tout est simple et de bonne qualité (de provenances les plus naturelles possible. Les cafés sont remarquables). Cest un endroit de respect et de bien être où lon vit et lon se trouve en confiance. La nourriture y est saine et la fréquentation, majoritairement jeune, avec des bancs gratuits pour les vieux du coin qui viennent sy reposer. On y sent un respect profond de lautre, ne serait-ce que par la solidarité de quartier à laquelle il sassocie. Jy viens tous les jours, pas seulement par plaisir mais avec joie.
TO
Todd Belok
The food is acceptable and the coffee isnt bad. My problem is that youre overpaying for white bread grilled cheese sandwiches, yogurt (8$?), and other foodstuffs for the bohemian/hipster "decor" which in my opinion, they try just a little too hard at. All the staff are incredibly nice, though a bit forgetful at times. 4 out of the last 5 times I ordered a small coffee-to-go they forgot about my order. They are always very sorry about it, but please, find a system which works (maybe writing down orders?). If you can afford it, Big Bear Cafe is definitely a fun place to go. In the evening they have dinner which also is on the pricey side. Another downside is that as of the last time I went, there were no happy hour drink prices...maybe happy hour is too "mainstream" for them? They have a nice farmers market outside on Sundays though. Only market in the area Ive been able to find gooseberries. Anything else I missed? Oh yeah, they dont (as of the last time I went) serve whole wheat bread for the sandwiches. Which results in your colon as well as your wallet hating you for the ~7$ you just spent on a grilled cheese sandwich. To be fair though, if youre worried about your colon you probably shouldnt be eating grilled cheeses in the first place...maybe theyre just trying to be ironic?
MA
Marketing Leader
I would NOT recommend this place. It LOOKS like it would b a cute little spot but theres TOO many things that desperately need improvement! #1) the entire restaurant needs a professional cleaning (inside & out)!!! (Spiderwebs all over inside & out! Debris on patio floors & in corners, buckets under seating, dirty/overgrown grape vines need pruning & insecticidal treatment 4 spiders) #2) Youre CONSTANTLY shooing flies, knats & mosquitoes (inside & out)... which automatically makes me question the cleanliness of the kitchen & food! #3) Biz operations SUCKS!!! Some staff is new & doesnt know menu. Kitchen doesnt produce order as requested (ex. Burger had cheese & pickles even though I specifically requested none!!! Counter asked how I wanted burger cooked but kitchen prepared COMPLETELY different. When I brought order back 2 counter 2 b redone, cook (white apron so head cook??) rolled his eyes as his fellow employee explained how 2 prepare it. Unprofessional staff: in quiet restaurant, a lady started yelling orders from dining room n2 kitchen. Later, music turned on but too loud. #4) Food is "ok". (Ordered 5 menu items & sent back 3. Burger meat poor quality w/lots of inedible muscle tissue.) #5) SOOOOO many flies!!!
KE
Kevin M Packard
Ridiculous experience. Looked at their menu online briefly and decided Id give it a try despite not feeling the menu was especially appealing. Got to the store and noted that their in-store menu did not match the online menu for some items and what I had selected online wasnt on the menu. Additionally, most everything was overpriced, for some items so egregiously that its laughable - $15 for a cheeseburger with potatoes, something I can get for much cheaper at almost any real restaurant. I waited in line for at least 20 minutes with 6-7 people in front of me. During that time I settled on something else while growing irritated with the general slowness and the price points. When I finally got to the counter and attempted to order I was blankly told they were out of what I wanted, which there was no memo for anywhere that I saw. So I immediately walked out and went elsewhere. While I cant rate the taste of the food, the initial experience was atrocious. Im giving it two stars only because its kind of cute and because I didnt try the food. Not only am I unlikely to return, but it also permanently notched up my indignation and contempt for such hipster-style places.
LI
Liz Miller
Big Bear hosted my family for dinner here the night of my wedding on 12/28 (10 people total), and it couldnt have gone any better. Big Bear was extremely easy to work with in getting everything set up, they were great at communicating options and working with me to ensure everything went as planned. We essentially rented out the entire cafe for the night (which wasnt cheap, but it was totally worth it). It was a simple set up, just one long table with a few candles, custom printed menus (nice touch!), but it was perfect. We wanted quality and something "special," but not too fancy. This fit the bill exactly. The food was AMAZING, very high quality, family-style, and I have never heard so many people rave about skillet mac-n-cheese (my personal favorite). Everything went super smoothly and the service was excellent. The servers did a good job at being attentive but not overly so which made the experience with my family intimate and lovely. I really loved having my wedding dinner here and would 100% choose Big Bear Cafe again for any other special event!
JO
Joey Hunziker
My relationship with Big Bear is complicated and tenuous (like most modern relationships). I go in, am struck by the ambiance and the beautiful outdoor patio and the menu of promised delights. And then Im met with adequate service and a coffee quality that is just not good. Big Bear feels like the low end coffee shops in Seattle that close quickly because they couldnt cut it, but here in DC it passes as acceptable because people drink literal sewage as coffee. I want Big Bear to be better. There are no other coffee shops in this area, and they have the makings of something that could be good. They need a manager who focuses on training, improves the coffee selection and preparation, and works to ensure consistency is service and product.
