Everything was amazing on this visit. The cheese steak with Cajun tots was so delicious. Every component was perfect. The meat, peppers, cheese sauce and roll come together really nicely. The tots were so crunchy and had a great amount of Cajun seasoning. When I order tots at places I'm often disappointed because they're undercooked or very greasy or lack flavor, but these guys really nailed it. These tots were not greasy, as crunchy as they could have been and so tasty. Friendly service from the server with the cool short blonde hair and the rest of the team as well. read more

Before a show nearby we checked out the Spar Cafe. My husband and I are huge McMenamins fans and this was one we hadn't been to yet - perfect opportunity to get our McMenamin's passport stamped! The vibe here is identical to all of the other McMenamin's properties. Low lighting, eclectic, and lots of original components. So cool to see the pictures here from back in the day with little changed in the space! The barback here is super cool and you can tell it's original. Our waitress was great - she was nice and huge shoutout to her for recognizing we had our passports because we almost forgot to get them stamped (hate to say we do this pretty often). I always get their hazy IPA, it never disappoints. They also usually have good cider options for my husband which is always a relief since he can't do beer much anymore. The food at any of their properties is always pretty solid and that was true here as well. I went pretty basic and just got a cheeseburger, but it was delicious! Cooked perfectly and packed with flavor. Stoked that we finally checked out this location - we'd definitely return if we were in the area again. read more

Place is a time capsule! Felt like I was back in whatever year it was the place opened. Lots of wood covering everything. Pool tables in the back. We were seated quickly by our waitress. Very friendly! We all got our drinks and coffee promptly and they even had oat milk for my lactose free butt. I ordered their giant breakfast burrito. Friend next to me got the salmon dish which ended easily being the best tasting dish on the menu. Our other couple friends wanted to split a dish. What did they do? Split them and have them their own bowl. How nice! If you're thinking of eating here I would recommend it! read more

We had appetizers and happy hour drinks. It was pretty empty and it's got kind of a lodge/lounge vibe. Very chill and laid back. read more

Spar Café - Hogsheads Smoked Salmon Dip - Cafes Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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Cool atmosphere, dark with booths, pool table and shuttle board. We were stamping and redeemed for a free tshirt. Ghost rabbit pilsner was the drink today. The server with the pink hair was so kind and friendly! Quick to get beers but we kept on moving. read more

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Had a great breakfast at the Spar. We have been in many times for drinks and dinner after work, but this was a first time breakfast. On weekdays they stop breakfast at 11:00am so make sure to get there before. We had a great server. Service was good even though it was busy. I got the chicken friend steak which was crunchy and delicious. My husband got the northwest scramble. That was so good, I wanted to steal it from him. Smoked salmon, capers, deliciousness. Highly recommend! read more

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We love McMenamins! It took a few years and revamped menus to get there after years of mediocre food and good beer but they are in full stride now just hitting all of the feel goods with excellent food, great beer, and good vibes... especially in locations like this with a storied history and amazing atmosphere! What a fantastic location! read more

Spar Café - Crisp cold Ghost Rabbit Pilsner! - Cafes Near Me - Olympia, Washington

For more than eighty years I have been looking for the perfect hamburger. The Platonic hamburger. And here it was, all the time, in my old - not home but close-town! Good bread. Good meat. Fine tomatoes! Every thing, the best! Who would have thought? read more

Hands down, the best biscuits and gravy in all of Olympia. I am a huge biscuits and gravy connoisseur and I've tried them from northern Washington down to Oregon and these are the best around town! They use fresh hand sliced sausage and fresh crispy cooked bacon garnished on top. The gravy is creamy and delicious. The biscuit is fluffy and soft and all together melts in your mouth. Can't find this anywhere else! The angels French toast is to die for! It is crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. It comes with a side of raspberry jam which pairs amazing with the crunchy cinnamon oat outside. You can tell this food is made in house and not bought and heated up. You want a good genuine breakfast in Olympia? Come here! From the ambience to the food this place knocks everywhere else out of the park! Job well done. read more

This place is cool; vast amounts of seating. The staff are friendly. The menu selections are plenty, and the food was really good. I was so hungry, I went right into eating my salad and entree. But, they were delicious. I ordered the Harvest Moon salad, which was a seasonal selection full of sweet potatoes goat cheese, pecans, and dried cranberries. I also ordered the Red Eye Salmon fillet which was pan roasted and came with roasted broccolini and Yukon mash. The coffee-bacon jam was a nice addition. Our server was super attentive and really funny. I will definitely be putting this in my rotation. read more

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Wonderful food and service. Celiac husband enjoyed the spicy Carmela's chicken sandwich on a gluten free bun. I had the half fireside turkey sandwich with a salad. We sat street side and enjoyed the passerbys, but there were also lots of cozy booths further back in the restaurant. read more

Spar Café - Half fireside turkey sandwich & salad - Cafes Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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First time I've been to the Spar since McMennamins took over. They actually saved the 90 year old Olympia icon, so it was long overdue that I visit. It was beautiful inside, with original photos of the town and early patrons. I've been craving a good Eggs Benedict, so I ordered that, along with hash browns (extra brown!) The Hollandaise looked and tasted nothing like a real Hollandaise sauce, and the hashbrowns looked and tasted like they'd been deep-fried. The ham was absolutely tasteless, on my bnedict as well as in my husband's omelette. Everything they serve seems to have started frozen or canned. Our server even told us the cottage fries and hashbrowns start out frozen. When the food arrived, my husband asked for more coffee and some ketchup. It took over 20 minutes to get it. On the positive side, my Bloody Mary was good other than way too much ice and an up-charge of $4 for the slice of semi-uncooked bacon I asked to add to it. Very overpriced and subpar food. Won't be back. read more

Spar Café - Over-fried hash browns - Cafes Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Cold fries and not worth the price. I hate to complain, but how hard is it to make fries and serve them warm?

Not a good place for an informal group if you want to order food and drinks at your own pace and pay separately. When I called to reserve a table for 11, they asked whether we'd be paying separately and acted like that size of group wouldn't be a big deal. When we got there, though, the waitress seemed stressed and a little disorganized from the moment we arrived. She asked that everyone that wanted food order at the same time so that it was "convenient for the kitchen." As we were ordering food, I told her my husband and I were on the same check. She said no one told her we wanted separate checks (she hadn't asked). Some people's checks had extra items on them. The cod tacos and sliders on the happy hour menu were decent. They put groups of ten or more in the back by the shuffleboard table. It's pretty dark and you can't really hear the music playing in the main bar, but it was fine for visiting. read more

I used to love this place, would come once a week for years. Yesterday I went for brunch and ordered avocado toast for $16. That's a lot, but I figured it would be two pieces. It was one small piece, the size of a piece of sandwich bread. It didn't even taste very good. So incredibly disappointing. Prices have been going up here for a while but food was still good portions and delicious, but now I can't justify spending that much for so little. read more

The building itself is worth a visit. Historical buildings are a weakness of mine so when I saw this restaurant i was immediately convinced i had to come. I'm glad I did because the food was great, the bloody mary I had was good and the overall experience and feel of the place was perfect. Will definitely be back! read more

Spar Café - Bar seating area, with Sesame Seared Ahi - Cafes Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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Beautiful ambience and one of my favorite spots for breakfast. Great on less busy days to relax, sip a coffee, and read.

I could hardly taste the eggs in my scramble because the melted cheese was 4x more than necessary and caked on the top. My toast was not toasted. potatoes were cold. The food has gone downhill since last year. Our server was super nice and great. read more

Ordered from Uber Eats. What a terrible waste of money. Absolutely horrible burgers. Presentation looked worse than a $2 burger from a sh***y fast food joint. Don't waste your money here. Worst McMenamins I've eaten at. read more

Spar Café - Lets post actual photos of their food - Cafes Near Me - Olympia, Washington

I remember coming to this place 10 years ago and I remember the good ol prices. 14 bucks for the captain neon burger.. I know there's inflation and such since then but how do you justify a 23$ burger nowadays. Disappointing coming from one of my favorite places and it just seems they're trying to money grab. Shame on the spar for this. read more

Great beer, service is a bit slow sometimes but employees are all nice. Really cool vibes, best for if you have time to chill. If you're in a hurry maybe not the best place to go but it is an excellent spot to play some cards and chat. Food is yummy and they have a great happy hour! read more

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Old saloon tavern diner ambiance. Outstanding breakfast, and dinner was very good too. Reasonably priced steak diner. Really enjoy their cocktails and variety of beer selection. The serving team help each other nicely. read more

We were traveling back home from Centralia and decided to stop here and have some food. I am glad that we did. This McMenamins location - Spar Cafe is really delicious! We also appreciated the outdoor seating that allowed dogs. The staff were really friendly, quick, and very attentive to our needs. They were a little late switching over from breakfast to lunch, but they kept us posted when lunch would be ready. I had the cheese pizza and my wife had the Jamaican bowl and the Cajun fries. All of these dishes were absolutely delicious. They were full of flavor and served hot and fresh. The Cajun fries had just the right amount of Cajun seasoning. I definitely recommend this McMenamins location for pub food lovers. read more

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What you would expect from McMenamins, fun atmosphere, good service, excellent food and drink! Having the Sesame-Seared Ahi and a Terminator Stout. Slaw on the side is almost as good as the Ahi! Recommend a stop if you are in the area or even making a drive out if you are not. Can't go wrong. read more

Spar Café - Cafes Near Me - Olympia, Washington

We absolutely love this place! The ambiance is lovely - very old-school pub vibes. The servers are wonderful - kind and helpful. The food is outstanding, always good. My kids (and even my dad) love the cottage potatoes (diced and deep fried!), the buttermilk pancakes with blueberries are divine, and the Rainier Porridge (steel cut oats with cream and apple butter) is not to be missed. They also make good coffee and espresso drinks, and if you get tea it's served in a small pot with tea leaves (not a bag). We have a great experience every time we go! read more

The food wasn't great this time - French toast and fried chicken, but the ambiance and people are wonderful. It's a good place to go solo. The breakfasts are great, sandwiches too. They used to roast Turkeys every day. Don't know if that is still happening. Those of us who live in Olympia have been coming year for decades. Used to have poker games in the back! read more

The Spar is ideally located right in the heart of downtown. Their menu is small but everyone at my table raved about the food! I had the fish and chips which were very good. The server was friendly and didn't make us feel bad about all being on different checks. I'll definitely be back! read more

Great service! Had Sesame-Seared Ahi with wasabi sauce, marinated, sliced ginger, and a small salad with ginger dressing. If it wouldn't have been unsightly, I would have licked the plate. Been here many times and the food and service are impeccable. Love the old fashioned decor. Goes back to the days of quality. read more

Cottage potatoes seem to be deep fried .....like French fries ......in this area. They're hot and fresh but lack the deep flavors I crave for breakfast. read more

Spar Café - Jivin' spot in Olympia- nostalgia abounds . Love it! - Cafes Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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Great McMenamins hang out in a historic bld. They have shuffle board, pool table and pinball. Typical signature food and drink choices of McMenamins. We collected the stamps for our passport adventure on our way to a Seattle. read more

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Servers were not attentive. Took 15 minutes to get our first round of drinks. Had to flag down a server to get our check, after sitting with empty drinks for quite a while. When we asked for our check and to purchase cigars and she held her hands up and said "I'm off the clock." Luckily one of the servers was AMAZING! And got us taken care of in the end. She deserved 4 stars. Don't expect stellar service. Drinks were good though. read more

I can't imagine a better start to my day than breakfast at the (McMenamins) SPAR Cafe in downtown Olympia. Service is always top notch, It makes you feel like you're home. Tons of regulars tells you this place is solid everyday. The history of the place takes you back in time with preserved fixtures and photos to compare the yesteryear to current times. The Ambiance welcomes you. read more

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Ordered from Uber Eats. What a terrible waste of money. Absolutely horrible burgers. Presentation looked worse than a $2 burger from a sh***y fast food joint. Don't waste your money here. Worst McMenamins I've eaten at. read more

Spar Café - $20 Cheeseburger - Cafes Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Disappointing in every way. Sad to see this local treasure continue its slide in service and quality of food. We waited ten minutes, while three different people told us that "they would be right with us." We finally just sat down at an open table to help out and were rudely asked whether we were "already on the waiting list...". We explained that nobody had said anything about a list, as we waited. We were allowed to stay. The food was unremarkable and, after giving our local fav three tries for Sunday brunch (which they have reduced to just five menu choices), we won't be back. read more

I sent my rum and cola back. It was terrible. My wife had a vodka cran and they added $1.25 for the cran. $10 for a weak house drink. What a joke. read more

Everything, the service was wonderful and the food was excellent! The mocha coffee was delicious as was the food!! The atmosphere was great also! I will most definitely be going back!! read more

Spar Café - My sister got the bagel sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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McMenamins is always good. Quiet and quick. Loved the Cajun tots. Took and extra order to go.

We came into Spar at 4:30 on Saturday as a party of two for some beer and snacks. Who doesn't love Happy Hour? We got ourselves a pepperoni pizza, some Cajun tots and a flight of beer to enjoy while sitting in one of their curtained booths. The pictures say it all-we ate and drank well. Spar is great for whether you want a snack or a whole meal, and they have plenty of drinks to choose from. They are also the McMenamins with the best logo! read more

Spar Café - Cafes Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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Stopped by for breakfast. My husband ordered a scramble and said it was really good. I got the traditional eggs Benedict and I almost licked the plate. The sauce was very buttery, eggs cooked perfectly, ham lightly fried, English muffin toasted. We both got the cottage potatoes and other than needed a little more salt they were great. Will definitely go back for breakfast. read more

A friend and I were at the harbor for the Dragon Boat Races and we were hungry. A barista in a coffee shop mentioned Spar and said it was McMenamins. I said let's go there. We weren't disappointed. The decor/ambience was true to their style. We were seated promptly and cheerfully In a private booth with drapes (which were pulled back). Our waitress was cheerful and helpful. We had mimosas and split a breakfast burrito. We didn't want the potatoes in the burrito so the were presented in a bowl for us to share. Food was delicious and prices were reasonable. I'd go back in a heartbeat. read more