A bit pretentious but a very cool vibe. I met my partner here after a morning of rock climbing and it was so cool. Their space is huge and open with beautiful plants and fairy lights all around. I got a coffee and it was very classic and reasonably priced for DC. They have a lot of seating and are highly invested in minimizing waste. They have bins for different kinds of waste and encourage visitors to use their ceramic mugs and bowls. You order at the counter from their vast food and drink menu and can either pick it up at the counter or the staff will bring it to your table. My biggest critique is they have wifi during the day, but normally turn it off in the afternoon to keep people from working in their space to have higher turn over of the tables. This isn't very accessible and sort of defeats the purpose of a "local coffee shop" to me. The staff is helpful and friendly enough, although some of them do give a bit of a cold shoulder, coming off a bit pretentious. read more

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Great coffees and breakfast items, an awesome neighborhood spot, and generally enough seating to find a place to hang and linger. Staff is friendly, service is good, but on many mornings there will be a line of varying degrees. I've been meaning to try lunch, evenings (trivia! Open mike! Pizza!) and take-home dinners but have not yet. Sundays have farmers market, which is fun and relaxing. Wonderful spot for the neighborhood. read more

I love to come here on Sundays, browse the farmers market outside, and then enjoy breakfast. Solid breakfast sammies and good coffee. Good service too, and they are always slammed on Sundays so it's impressive how they manage the volume. I love the patio seating, but upstairs is a fine fallback read more

Attended a Sofar Sounds event here and can I just tell you the ambience is beyond what I expected! Twinkle lights and natural ivy give the building such character! I understand that this venue is also used for weddings. It's stunning and such a hidden gem in Bloomington area of DC. I highly recommend if you need a rustic yet romantic venue/space to check this place out! I'll have to circle back around during normal hours to try out the menu items! read more

Big Bear Cafe - Stage set up for the sofar sounds show - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The service was great, and some of the other items on the menu were amazing. I will say if you want something simple and easy, this is the place to go to. However, the seasoning was lacking on the breakfast sandwich. read more

Big Bear Cafe - Breakfast sandwich and a ice latte - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Listen I'm no coffee yuppie but Ive drink coffee every morning for the last 22 years. I'm not a syrup in my coffee kind of person though and so it's a little disappointing that they don't have artificial sweeteners. Now I understand some of the regulars would frown upon artificial sweeteners but they don't even have Stevia which is all natural. So, if you are type one or two or you just don't want to sweeten your coffee with syrup or regular sugar packets, then please BYOP. Bring your own packets. read more

food was very good and serve by wait staff was excellent, but the management lied. we attended a wedding reception for ny nephew who was personally assured there would be a ramp for special need access and it was not provided and when contacted the day of the event were told it wasn't possible. Totally unacceptable for a place that advertises as a wedding/special event venue. Do not go here if anyone in your party has special needs. They don't want you. read more

Super cute place with mediocre coffee and hit or miss breakfasts sammies/wraps. I've never been for lunch or dinner but what to check it out. We've tried the bagel w cream cheese, breakfast sandwich, fajita burrito, and breakfast burrito, and assorted baked goods. The best out of those is the fajita burrito. Coffee never tastes strong and espresso feels watered down BUT the service is always fast and friendly and like I said above the spot is super cute and a nice place to hangout. Also very convenient location. read more

gorgeous indoor/outdoor space with plenty of seating. solid prices and solid lattes -- can't complain!!

my favorite cafe in dc! coffee, vibes, and food are all 10/10! Greta upstairs to work from home and outside patio

Came here for a quick lunch break so can only speak to the daytime vibe but this is really all I need to say: got the lox bagel. Finished it. Got another one to go. Still dreaming about that lox bagel. read more

Big Bear Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Wife and I met a friend of hers in DC and she recommended meeting here. Loved the vibe of the place, plenty of seating inside and out and lots of people coming and going or just working. Had a cinnamon roll while trying their Lavender ice teas (free refills). Wife had the Dragonfly iced tea and also enjoyed it. Never got a chance to try the food menu but it all looked delicious and made from scratch. Great suggestion and would definitely come back. read more

I got an iced coffee from Big Bear Cafe that was extremely bitter. The taste was adjacent to piped tobacco. Not good. However I like coming here because it has a lot of seating options and a nice vibe. I just wish they'd pay closer attention to the quality of coffee they're serving, especially for the premium price they're charging. read more

WOW! What a cute cafe. Such a great earthy ambiance to it. Good seating indoors and outdoors. Good for a few hours of remote work during the week. I ordered an iced coffee and the breakfast burrito. Iced coffee was yummy and served in a cute mason jar. They have both regular and oat milk out to add to your coffee which is always nice to see. Breakfast burrito was the star of the show. Super big and super yummy. If the salsa was a tiny bit spicier that would have sealed the deal, but that's a minor detail. Not much to say on the service side of things. Speedy! read more

Big bear is a great neighborhood coffee shop but I would maybe stay away from the foods on the menu that you wouldn't normally find in a coffee shop. I tried their chicken sandwich because I think their coffee is great, so I wanted to venture out. The sandwich was probably the worst chicken salad I've ever had. It was dry, hard, and incredibly difficult to chew. For almost $20 I was expecting something prepared with a little more care. Definitely stay away from the hot food items but their pastries are always a decent choice. I really wanted to like their food more but was severely disappointed read more

Best pizza I've had in DC -- and the only one worth $20 (why is all DC pizza $20??). Perfect crust--chewy and flavorful. The Fresno had a great blend of mozzarella and ricotta, just a hint of spice, and nice greens on top. It's the type of pizza you have to finish in one sitting because allowing it to languish in a refrigerator would be criminal. My one qualm is that I've been here three times for various meals, ordered ahead each time, and never had an order ready any sooner than 10 minutes after my pickup time--sometimes longer. But I guess that's just what to expect here. If you have time to wait a bit, great. If not, skip Big Bear and come back when you're not in a rush. read more

Big Bear Cafe - Everything bagels - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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A perfect place in Bloomingdale to have breakfast. It looks like a place tucked into Greenwich Village in New York. You walk inside and there are wood tables and chairs all over. You go up and order coffee, tea, breakfast, pastries, etc. My girlfriend and i had the bagel sandwich and the breakfast burrito. My bagel was plain with bacon, scrambled egg, cheddar cheese, and arugula. The burrito was with ham, scrambled egg and a mix of peppers that you'd find in a Denver omelet. We split both of them and while I liked both, I was set on bacon all morning and it hit the spot. This was a short walk from where we were staying in Bloomingdale so I suggest making it a place to go in the morning. If its a nice day, do yourself a favor and sit outside, it's lovely out there with the green growing all around the trees with an immense amount of flowers. read more

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If you're just itching to have yourself the classic Sunday morning - coffee in one hand, breakfast burrito in the other, cloth tote bag full of fresh produce from the farmer's market, butt firmly planted in front of a beautiful ivy-covered backdrop - Big Bear is the cafe for you! A photo cannot do their breakfast burrito justice! It is (A) absolutely stuffed with eggs and veggies and cheese, (B) extremely tasty, and (C) addictive. On the pricier side, sure, but it's the perfect place to treat yourself before the Sunday scaries kick in...on second thought, it's the perfect place to treat yourself any day of the week read more

Big Bear Cafe - Breakfast burrito - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I decided to give Big Bear Cafe another try this weekend. This restaurant is truly a neighborhood gem, but I stopped patronizing them a while back because the service went downhill and I felt that the outdoor area wasn't being cleaned as often as it should have been. Well, I am updating my review to reflect my most recent experience at the new and improved Big Bear Cafe! Everyone I encountered was extremely pleasant and the outdoor space was well maintained. I ordered the breakfast burrito with ham and a blueberry scone. The breakfast burrito I had was GREAT and the scone looked like a work of art!! It was beautiful, but I have to say it wasn't my favorite because it was not very sweet. Although the scone wasn't my favorite, every other item I've had there has been delicious, especially their burger with the aged cheddar cheese!!! Also, they are now serving up pizzas!!! In a nutshell, my food was DELICIOUS, the service was great, the patio was clean, and everyone was practicing social distancing!! I will definitely be back!!!! read more

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Cute cafe but very pricey. Iced coffee and a burrito ran me $26. For some reason they have an added 12% service fee...yes you read that correctly. On top of the service fee, they have a sign that says to bust your own table. Food tastes good, but definitely cheaper breakfast options. read more

I got a latte and an English muffin. The latte was good but the sandwich was absolutely disgusting. The English muffin had a weird flavor and also no flavor. The egg was watery and flavorless not even salt or pepper. So expensive for such a nasty tasting sandwich. The cafe looks cool but there are better places with better food and not as expensive. read more

I love Big Bear Cafe, as a local to the neighborhood I come here quite frequently. Literally probably every weekend or so. It's a very cute coffee shop with super chill vibes. Here are some of the highlights: - tea: you get a whole teapot's worth of tea for about $3 - $5, it's a large quantity for a great price - the hot cocoa: smooth, creamy, delicious, foamy. it's like love in a cup - coffee: is on point The food is decently priced plus its pretty good and clean eating. I'm also a fan of the baked goods, frequently picking up a biscuit or some foccacia. There are a couple downsides to this place though. They turn WiFi off on the weekends, understandable but I think it excludes people who work full-time during the weekdays to participate in the coffee house culture. Also, the kitchen staff can make you uncomfortable. My roommate and I both agreed that if you sit inside, the kitchen staff will stand at the door of the kitchen and stare you down. It makes me very uncomfortable as a woman alone. Sometimes the other staff notices and block their view, but I shouldn't have to be worried about that at any place I go to eat at. The seating is also super duper limited, if you're coming after 11:00am for brunch on a weekend, be prepared to have trouble finding a place to sit. read more

Big Bear Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Great place for breakfast Nice breakfast sandwich, great coffee options. Friendly service

Ambiance is great, cute outside patio and upstairs seating. Hot latte was good. Breakfast burrito was mediocre- not bad but would not order it again. Service was standard! Wifi access ends at 2, which is a bummer. read more

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% of the pastry offerings were gone... I guess I still enjoyed my time at Big Bear because they have some decent outdoor seating space? I ask this both sarcastically and seriously. In all seriousness, I really hope someone else takes over this space and tries 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 otherwise and the other reviews back this up. read more

I live in the neighborhood and am loath to leave anything other than a strong review but this place often underwhelms. The atmosphere is great but it falls short on service and food quality, especially relative to the prices they charge. I would recommend it for coffee and a pleasant space for reading the newspaper or having a conversation. I wouldn't recommend it highly for food. Service quality is uneven - not to belabor the point, but it's basic stuff like the servers bringing food, no utensils, not being able to differentiate between food orders (one burrito with bacon, one without), etc. On the one hand, you could excuse that as part and parcel of a hipster coffee house, but I expect better service for the prices they charge. read more

Average food . No wifi. So so coffee. No cash counter. Why bother, when they don't? read more

Elizabeth was amazing and super helpful. It was a very nice and spacious cafe! The pictures upstairs were epic

This place is so hot and cold that it's impossible to predict what will be good and what will be bad. It mostly survives on being the only game in the area with decent coffee. There have been days where I've literally ordered two of the same item and had each one taste completely different. Sandwiches made with their bread are often borderline inedible (though not the stuff they buy from Seylou). Today I had a good bagel sandwich and good coffee, but the eight other items we tried were decidedly meh - this is the experience we have frequently. We live in the neighborhood so I desperately want this place to improve, but for crying out loud they seem content to be the only game in town that services the farmer's market. The service is also glacial, almost without exception. read more

Very cute place and love the outdoor patio area! Inside was also pretty nice. I enjoyed my iced honey cinnamon latte a lot!! However, I did not like the iced london fog. It was basically watery milk.. read more

Wonderful cafe and venue in the Bloomingdale neighborhood with great food, drinks, and service! We came here on a Friday afternoon for a late lunch and some drinks. The cafe is located in the heart of DC and has a beautiful outdoor patio area with lots of greenery and seating. The location was moderately busy but we were able to get to the walk up counter to order without a long wait. The waitress was very pleasant in kind and introduced us to all the food options. We ordered a burrito bowl and a Burger with Bacon and some drinks. The inside and outside of the place was very lively and vibrant, with many different artists and local activists that come and go. They also have an event space upstairs that hosts Art shows and music. The food came promptly and were both very delicious like they were made with fresh quality ingredients. We enjoyed the food and the vibe within the restaurant very much and would definitely recommend coming here for food, drinks, events or coffee! read more

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Great place to hang out with friends, colleagues or all by yourself. I love the ambiance because it reminds me of my college days. I have been here a few times and have always had a difficult time ordering their food or drinks because everything looks so good on their menu. I have had their roasted chicken (perfectly cooked and flavored half portion of chicken) with sweet potatoes and seasonal veggies (brussel sprouts last time), their fries are to die for. You will often see lots of other customers munching on fries while they continue to work on their laptops. Also, they have free customer wifi that you can connect to. Their happy hour is from 4 pm - 7 pm (Monday - Friday, not sure if they have happy hours on the weekends as well). They also have good brunch on the weekends. They have a decent choice of drinks during their happy hours. Oh wait! If you plan to visit, try their wings and lamb as well. It's yum! If you ask me the best time to visit Big Bear Cafe, I would say all year long but you will have an amazing experience in the summer when their outdoor patio is open. It's on the corner, with lots of plants and you will have a unique experience in the crowded city of DC. read more

Big Bear Cafe - Roasted Chicken with Sweet potatoes and seasonal veggies - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Nice neighborhood find for walk in DC. Short menu but with all you'd need with great coffee choices. Great food, quick service. Obviously good neighborhood vibe read more

Service and ambiance was amazing. The food and pastries were underwhelming. Sort of nasty.

Big Bear is a great neighborhood cafe. Nice space, large patio, good coffee (from Ceremony roasters in Baltimore). Food is a touch overpriced for what you get, but it's a great place to stop for a quick bite and the patio is awesome. They have good drip with a free refill, the espresso I had was decent (latte with oat milk). For breakfast, we tried a scone which was tasty, the bagel sandwich which hit the spot (the cheese and bacon are amazing), and the breakfast burrito I probably wouldn't get again (kinda small size, not a lot of chorizo for a $2 upcharge). Will need to come back to try some of the dinner options sometime. read more

Excellent food, lovely ambiance, friendly staff, in a great location. What more could one ask for?

My friends and I decided to meet here for lunch on a Saturday. It just so happened to be the Saturday of a marathon and also a bike meetup right outside the cafe. Even though there was a line out the door and the weather was a bit chilly, everyone seemed in a good mood. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get a table but by the time I placed my order the stars aligned and I got a nice table in the corner. I got the everything bagel breakfast sandwich and an americano with non-dairy milk. When my coffee was poured I had to remind them I ordered the non-dairy milk which they got out of the fridge and handed me to pour in an already full cup. I wanted to get my money's worth so I topped off the already full mug and carefully navigated back to my table without spilling too much. (Thrilling story right?) Soon my friend joined me with her cup of refreshing looking iced tea. The music playing didn't quite seem to fit the Saturday morning mood but it wasn't too loud or distracting for us. The bagel sandwich was really delicious with plenty of eggs, cheese, and onions. I almost finished the whole thing before our third friend got her food. I imagine this is a really cool neighborhood spot and much calmer to visit during the week. I like the aesthetic and service was friendly even though it was bustling and crowded. read more

Big Bear Cafe - Busy brunch - Cafes Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The vibes here are good and so are their pastries. It's kind of unnecessarily expensive and the food is not great. I've had the farro bowl and the falafel wrap. read more

I love Big Bear, particularly their great outdoor seating. During the pandemic, I've come here often for coffee, breakfast, and pizza night and always had good food and good customer service. Why only four stars then? Big Bear is a neighborhood restaurant (with lots of families) but their bathroom doesn't have a changing table or a place to change a baby besides the floor! Let's be welcoming to everyone! read more

Grabbed breakfast here on a Sunday. We were there on the earlier side so there wasn't really a line and finding a table outside was easy. Right now they are doing only outside seating (with a bit of a garden-like atmosphere) so you order at a window. Service was friendly. Loved the generous large size to-go cups for coffee and tea. We got the cinnamon rolls (3 rolls come in the pan) and the Butterscotch Scone. The Cinnamon Rolls were just ok. They come together in a circular tin container. Not crispy on the surface so just a doughy texture throughout. The frosting was also more of a tangy cream cheese vs. sweet/sugary. My preference is for the latter. The Butterscotch Scone was amazing. First of all, it was huge. Looked more like a loaf! Textures and taste were perfect. Delicious. There is also a terrific Farmers Market out front on Sundays. read more