Okay, I came back as promised! And this time, I ordered a BYO grilled cheese. And, yes, it more than made up for my mediocre past experience! For less than $10, the BYO grilled cheese is a great deal. As part of this menu option, you get to choose your bread, up to 2 cheeses, and up to 3 veggies. You can also select add ons for a small charge. I customized my order with sourdough bread, pepper jack cheese, smoked gouda, red onion, spinach, and pepperoncinis. It also comes with a side of potato salad. My order came out pretty fast, and it was hot and freshly made! The bread was wonderfully toasted, and the cheese pull was insane. Perhaps my hunger contributed to a slight overreaction, but this sandwich was beautiful. And it tasted amazing, too! The extra veggies elevated it from a regular ol' grilled cheese, and I found it incredibly filling. Needless to say, Chapters Cafe has been redeemed in my eyes. I'll be back to try other sandwiches and BYO grilled cheese combos! read more

Chapters Cafe - grilled cheese - Cafes Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Here's the updated version with that added in naturally: Very disappointing experience at Chapters Cafe. I'm in the library three or four days a week and spend a lot of money here on lunches and their overpriced desserts, yet the one time I asked for a small cup of ice, they wanted to charge me $.75. What made it worse was both employees looked annoyed about it right after they had just given another customer a cup with her order. At that point I said never mind -- because that $.75 just cost this business every future dollar I would have spent here. Customer service and common courtesy still matter, especially toward regular customers, and this was a terrible way to treat someone who supports the business several days a week. I'm more than happy to walk the 100 yards across the street to businesses that actually appreciate their customers. This kind of petty policy and poor attitude is exactly what earns unsatisfactory reviews. read more

Staff were super nice but it was $5 for a greasy microwaved bagel with barely any cream cheese (that I paid $1.50 for)! I wouldn't get this again. I've heard good things about their sandwiches so I may come back and try these read more

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Been meaning to try this place after a while. Finally had the time to drop by. The breakfast sandwich was really good. I also got a matcha latte with it as well. Both food and drinks were good. Definitely worth stopping by if you're in the area. Service is quick. You'll get a text message when your order is ready. Pickup is on the side inside by the library entrance read more

Chapters Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Carlsbad, California

The iced americano was good. The staff was friendly. It's in the library (well, connected to it with pick up window inside library). Lots of seating outside. read more

Chapters Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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It's nice to be able to order a sandwich here and I had no idea you could eat food or have drinks in this library but if I want to be honest I got the Pandens Special Turkey and it was such a mediocre sandwich experience for $14 I thought to myself, I really could have just bought, put together, and brought my own there for that price and quality. I could have ordered Board and Brew for far less too. Love the library and also support local business but how do they get such high ratings other than maybe book clubs or coffee orders? Such a mediocre single sandwich experience for me, personally. read more

Popped into Chapters Cafe for an impromptu lunch. What a treat! The Big Tuna was delicious, as was my vanilla latte. Very friendly staff and great food in a beautiful setting at the library. I will be back! read more

Been going to this place periodically within the past few years since we go to this library often. It's located right outside the entrance of the library. We go for the convenience/location & mostly drinks. We usually go on weekdays but for the first time decided to go today (Saturday) since it's a beautiful day out and the patio area is a wonderful place to have coffee and chat. And there's ample seating. Our cheery mood was broken when an older lady with short, gray hair took our order. She wasn't friendly at all & answered a question I had with a curt, one-word answer. Then when my (adult) daughter asked about the blended drinks, she answered sarcastically as if my daughter should know the answer. Clearly we were inconveniencing her even though there was no one at all in line. I even tried to lighten the mood to try and get a smile from her but to no avail. It's pretty surprising because the young gals that usually work on the weekdays are friendly and nice. The coffee and teas are good, prices are fair. But now after this incident, if we see this lady again at the cash register we're skipping and will head across the way and go to La Costa Roasting Co. instead where it's consistently a good experience with both customer service & coffee. read more

I've been here twice and the food is so good. It's nice to have a café at the library. Lots of outdoor seating. They have boars head products which are delicious. And the tuna sandwich is incredible! They have Harney and sons teas which are excellent. We're lucky to have the sort of out door cafe ambience in Carlsbad. Service is great. read more

I can't say enough great things about this place! First, I'll start by saying the food is absolutely delectable. They have a solid variety and are always trying new, wonderful additions to the menu. The staff is always so incredibly warm and welcoming. The owner is one of the nicest ladies you will ever meet and she genuinely cares about her customers. I've spoken with her countless times after regularly purchasing food/beverages there, and I am so impressed at what an incredible edition this is to the library. I highly recommend if you're in the area to stop by and check out Chapters Café, you won't be disappointed. read more

Service - checked in because I like their cappuccinos. Three people started at me... no one offered to help me as I stood at register to order. Decided to take my business to Inglorious Bagels. 5 minutes was too long to wait. May never come back read more

I want to update to say the owner has been helpful recently and with the current job applicant pool it is not her fault so many employees are incompetent. read more

I, too, cannot praise Chapterts enough. My book Club went to hear a speaker at the library. Beforehand we ordered lunch from Chapters.. This was the first time I ate there, but not the last. Everyone ordered something different, and we tasted everything. Everything was absolutely delicious.. What a pleasant surprise1 They have a Senior Special of coffee and a pastry that I have ordered. Great service, and the staff is so kind, and patient with each client. Give them a try! Carolyn C. Robinson read more

It really helps to have a cafe built into your work! Especially a really good one. They have grab-n-go Boarhead sandwiches, different drinks, and a large variety of coffee options. It's tiny and cute but has a lot of charm/class. It's nice to sit in and do some work, you can also sit outside the cafe. That sandwich which is the ham and Swiss was so good and as you can see, there was no skimping on ingredients! The thing is jam packed with the good stuff. I've been in here a couple more times and have had their pastries. There's one that has like boysenberry and it's utter perfection! The other one I've had is like an apple danish and that was very good as well. I think it's the perfect little day-out trip to go to your local library, grab a few books and a movie, get lunch here, and you could finish with going to the beach or something. Also the owner Lisa is very very nice! read more

Chapters Cafe - Pre-made sandwich yum - Cafes Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Had my 70th birthday celebration at the Dove library courtyard after hours. Lovely evening venue! Chapters catered my event. Lisa made promises that did not come to fruition. The charcuterie was disappointing. The beers and beverages were not cold or refrigerated prior to serving. The food was adequate but not a $100 per person value. Lisa's laissez-faire attitude was puzzling. We still had a fun, memorable celebration but ... Victorya read more

The location and availability of this venue is a favorite since it adds a positive experience to my library visits. The young lady that works at this cafe, is very friendly and informed regarding this business... hope to find more venues like this one. read more

Lisa, the owner, is so kind and you can tell she absolutely loves what she does! My hubby and I are vegan and I love that there are yummy options for us! The latte is amazing and perfect for a pick me up! Also loved these vegan bars! read more

Chapters Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Ordered Paden's special turkey sandwich and it was amazing! Really good flavors and the bread and veggies are fresh. Have tried the Thai iced coffee and cold brew and both are delicious. Kind, friendly service from the employees even when they are about to close. The ambiance and atmosphere is actually what I love most because it is a library it is so wholesome. There are family's and people who love to learn and just good vibes all around. read more

This place might be overlooked because of its location, but it's got great coffee options and a nice selection of Boar's Head sándwiches and pastries. Spacious patio with tables and prices are very reasonable. Wish they were open a bit later! read more

I've been there a few times for a sandwich and a latte since Im at the library often and it's convenient. The lady that runs the place is rude, every time. The food is decent but overpriced. I ordered a croissant breakfast sandwich with only sausage and egg, avocado on the side, and it was $11.04. And let me just say I opened the sandwich to inspect the stuff gooping out that looked like cheese, to discover it was a huge glob of uncooked egg *yuck*. I took it up to the counter to show the rude lady and her response was "it's the grease from the sausage".... lol what? No it's not, it's a disgusting puddle of uncooked egg. She took the sandwich to the back (I'm pretty sure just scraped off the uncooked egg) and handed it back to me. This was the last time I'll be eating there. read more

Ordered the veggie sandwich, which was very fresh and good. Also ordered a slice of the quiche, which I thought was terrible and overpriced. Will likely give some of their other sandwiches a try. read more

I had the French onion soup and the Cuban panini sandwich. Both were off the charts phenomenal. This is now my go to spot for lunch/ dinner. You can order ahead in case you are pressed for time. read more

The library is awesome but then it comes to this Cafe. The customer service is bad. I ask for a Fork and the over weight white lady gave me some attitude. Saying " it's for customers only". I mean come on it's only a fork. So, I ask the coffee shop across the street. They where wayyyy nicer. read more

I stopped in for lunch at Chapter Cafe. Sat on a shady table and enjoyed a beautiful tasty Pretzel Crossiant Tuna Salad Sandwich and a cold Pomegranate and Orange San Pellegrino. What a fantastic lil spot! read more

Chapters Cafe - Chapter Cafe Pretzel.Tuna Salad Sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Great place to grab a coffee, nice floorplan and relaxing vibe. Not a lot of seating, but it also had plenty of space when I visited. They open earlier than the actual library on some days too! read more

This spot is adorable, has the best breakfast sandwich on a pretzel croissant, and a lovely environment.

Love this cozy cafe where you can grab a cup of coffee and a pastry or sandwich while visiting the library. I had a delicious egg salad sandwich. They have a special "coffee & pastry" deal for seniors. Friendly, cheerful service. It's nice to sit at the counter facing the floor-to-ceiling windows and enjoy a view of the peaceful library courtyard while watching people come and go. It's also a good place to grab a bite if you're anywhere in the Vons on Alga shopping center. Come summertime I'll probably be dropping in at least a couple times a week because then I can sit at the outside tables in the courtyard. Afterwards, be sure to drop into the free Cannon Art Gallery which is right next door. UPDATE: Nov., 2021: Wow -- just had the best grilled cheese ever. I ordered mine on sourdough with chedder cheese, tomato, and bacon -- lots of options. So happy to see them thriving. read more

I've here multiple times and this was a normal place for me to relax and work on my computer over a cup of coffee. I went in one morning and decided to get a little work done before ordering my cup. Within 2 minutes I got harassed by an employee for not being a patreon and was told to leave. read more

Super cute cafe!! Really good coffee and sandwiches!! Highly recommend! Try them out!

Nice environment -- the newly opened café is connected to the Dove Library in Carlsbad. Full coffee selection with various syrups available and with good fresh ground coffee, tea and snacks. Glass wall opens up to the front courtyard and is a lovely place to sit looking out on a sunny day. I had the sandwich of the day -- a Cobb salad wrap and it was really tasty. The snacks selection looked interesting and included pastries and high end chips and a few healthy snacks. I liked the signs and décor. Makes a nice addition to the library. read more

Great place with awesome sandwiches, tasty coffee, and mouth watering desserts! It's a shame the library is closed causing them to not get much foot traffic hopefully when things go back to normal people come visit this great spot x10 :) read more

Great place, great service, great food - What more could you ask for. I would recommend an Asiago Bagel with cream cheese or a Chicken Herb sandwich that is to die for. They also have a variety of delicious Italian sodas. Be sure to check it out. It just opened back up M-Sat 8 am-2pm. Highly Recommended. read more

A nice, quiet place to collect your thoughts over a biscotti and a cup of tea. Beautiful ambience, nice people

I've never actually been into the restaurant, but I order from them 1-2x per week on DoorDash and it's always soo fresh, packaged perfectly and incredibly delicious. Thank so much for the attention to detail and accuracy in all my orders! read more

I had the most delicious herbed tuna sandwich on a pretzel croissant at Chapters Cafe today. I also had iced chai tea. I recommend this cafe highly!! read more