Cafe Brio

I’d like to give it a 2.5 because it was really nothing I’d recommend or advise against. Just so-​so. I stopped a couple people near the plaza asking if there was a café they’d recommend, and they both recommended this place. Maybe chai lattes are just not their specialty though, because mine was not that good and I’m really not THAT picky about them. The service was average, not real friendly or anything, just did their job I guess and took my money and made my drink and kept chatting behind the counter. I did enjoy the patio though! Also, I came here to do homework and the Internet said there was wifi there, and there apparently is not. Oh well!

Pour over coffee is great.
coffee orders take a while but good.
the cream scoone is my favorite thing here and it always seems to sell out.
lunches, breakfast, ear;y dinners, all good here
quality is excellent here,
they are slow and long lines but dishes are made to order from what I can tell.
I always go back here but just wish the atmosphere was a little friendlier.
its not that they are angry or rude it is more like they are non existence.

Great place for sitting with someone you love and enjoying the richness of life. Bad place to get some work done while visiting from out of town.
Most expensive latte breve of my life: $ 6 before tip. No internet. No cell phone signs posted around.
Gorgeous pastries, I hear they’re great.

My husband and I stopped in on our way to the book store. He didn’t want anything, I thought I’d get a coffee. I ordered an iced caramel vanilla breve latte (for those who don’t know, a breve is simply a latte made with half and half instead of milk).
I had never been there and expected it to be in a plastic cup that I could take along with me. I paid $ 5.25 and waited for my drink, thinking that since I paid the same amount I pay at Starbucks, it was going to be awesome. When the girl behind the counter handed me my drink, I was confused.
It was in a glass about the size of the one my White Russian was served in at The Pearl, and I drank the entire thing in two sips. Even my cocktail had taken a good minute or two longer to finish. And to be honest, it didn’t taste very good either.

Perfect stop on a motorcycle trip. Got cold and they have the best pastries and hot chocolate.

Its as if pretentiousness and rudeness had a child that grew up and opened a restaurant. I hope the redhead barista gets her hair caught in a coffee grinder.

You must try the fire roasted salad. I was hesitant at first, but it’s excellent. The lemon lava cake is wonderful! I had a great time there and the staff is very nice.

So it’s been several months of me coming here, ordering usually the same coupled treats, and the consistency is pretty reliable. The quality of latte The quality of banana bread Their cinnamon twists are a great value The only time I have to ask for something more is syrup, but thats because there is no syrup pump head so the syrup is poured by «eye.» Usually though, it’s prrrrrfect, and I trot away back to my vehicle, happy.

I came in with my boyfriend and ordered 2 ham and cheese croissants for «here». I recieved my order in a bag and took a couple of steps away from the counter to sit down when I noticed the crossiants (I payed $ 15 plus tip) were cold. I asked the lady if she could please heat them up for me and they refused to heat them up. She said it was against policy and said «how would you like it if someone came to your house and asked if they could heat something up?» My boyfriend and I were shocked. I didn’t leave the store nor took the croissants out from the bag for them to say something like that to me. TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Had a turkey & cheese croissant and a pour-​over coffee. The croissant was hot, crispy and flaky. The coffee was really good too, which I rarely find in breakfast diners.
The place was also packed, yet their service was still very quick.

Probably one of the better brunch/​grab a pastry spots in town. Everything I’ve tried here has been so tasty and fresh! Their croissant bread pudding is literally like crack! It’s very sweet and almost tastes like cake! I want to try every pastry here!
Their egg breakfasts look great, I will be trying the croissant Benedict next (on available on Saturday and Sunday’s folks)

Went the morning after raging on Halloween the night before and it was good. Had coffee and an omelet and both were good– I was happy. Lauren on the register was super cool and was talking about all the «trimmigrants» in town and whatnot, it was interesting.
Cool lil’ NorCal town and lil’ café deal right there in the town square… I’d go back, for sure. At least for the carfee and pastries– my Ol lady had something (I forget what!) and it was good as well.

This place has great breakfast, pastries, and such. They do Blue Bottle coffee and had Peet’s teas, but since Peet’s discontinued their teas, I am not sure what they have now. They are located on the beautiful Arcata plaza. They can be busy, especially during a Saturday Farmer’s Market, and people even line up for their opening at 7am. I am guilty of that.

Loved this place. Had fantastic coffee (I’m just a plain old coffee drinker, but theirs was very rich and flavorful.) Also shared the market quiche and found it to be delicious, rich and savory.
The baked goods looked beautifully crafted and will likely be tried on my next trip to Arcata.
Also, the heaters they had on the patio were super warm, so even if it’s cool, you will be warm under them!

Totally missed on this one! We visited Arcata a couple of years ago. Can’t resist French bakeries and this looked like a good one so we bought several pastries to go. Wish we had gone for some of the beautiful bread instead. The pastries were good but not a standout. The one I was really looking forward to was the almond croissant and it had hardly any almond filling to it. Pretty disappointing.

I was here the afternoon of ⁹⁄₁₁ and was looking forward to giving this place a try. First the food. We ordered the mac and cheese and the chicken pot pastry. The mac and cheese was good, typical of the upscale mac and cheese you find just about anywhere these days. The pastry part of the chicken pot pastry was PERFECT, absolutely scrumptious, but the filling was bland.
The experience went south when I went in to get silverware. It was my first time and I missed the fact you get your own. Upon getting to the counter I found the receptacles empty and since the register clerks were busy I asked the barista if there was more available. She informed me the silverware was currently being washed. Issue one: How the hell does a restaurant run out of silverware? I asked how long she thought before there would be some to use and she informed me that I could check back… No shit Sherlock. It’s not as though she was busy at that moment, she was leaning on the espresso machine when I initially asked her. Will give it one more try one of these days. My co-​worker said that she’s had hit and miss service experiences there as well. Too bad, no need for it.

Came here for breakfast. The line gets long fast so get there ASAP! Seating inside is very limited but there is outside seating all around and some of them sit under heaters. Very good for you and there is a walk up coffee window on the outside so if that’s all you want then it’s perfect for you!
We had the classic brio breakfast, herb and cheese omlete with toast, and potato and eggs. First off the potato and eggs are good but not very filling. Second the omlete, while delicous, has very little cheese and the jam they give you is pretty terrible. It’s so thick it’s like eating a thick liquid fruit leather. Toast was great it was a NY rye bread.
The winner is classic brio breakfast on a croissant. AMAZING!!! Ignore the rest and eat this. This was by the best thing we ate there breakfast wise.
We also had two croissants, a morning bun, and a cinnamon twist (all very good) with FRESH made OJ and black iced tea (amazimg!!!) and iced hibiscus tea (gross!). Now the bill here is horrible just for breakfast — it was over $ 50 for 4 people. Recommend just going for there amazing bakery and brio breakfast sandwich.

Although we live in Sonoma County, we have family in Arcata, so we get to Brio several times a year. It’s consistently outstanding in it’s quality and service. My husband is a coffee snob, and he dreams of Brio macchiato shots on the day before we know we are going to stop in. The hot chocolate (my favorite) is also excellent, because it is not too sweet or so rich that it gives me a stomachache. It’s just right. :) The tea is high quality also (I particularly like the sencha). The pastries are to die for: croissants, quiche, cupcakes, giant cookies, tarts, macaroons… whatever you get will be delicious. Their breakfast and lunch menus are wonderful also. My husband digs the muesli. I recently tried their «Eggs and Greens» (two poached eggs over perfectly cooked kale) and it was tasty and filling. Yes, the prices reflect the quality of the food, but are more than fair and we are always happy to pay. The service has always been excellent, with the cashiers friendly and helpful. The vibe of the restaurant is laid back– a perfect reflection of the best of Arcata, which is what this place is.

Really enjoyed our dinner here tonight! The chicken in puff pastry was divine and decadent and holy, huge! The rock fish was also a delight and beautifully presented. Super cute bistro with a super friendly staff… We dined Friday night and there was live music outside (jazz flowing into the plaza). Will definitely be back, hopefully try out their brunch menu. Oh, do make room for their desert and oh, don’t forget the artichoke hearts! Merci, Café Brio!

Came to town to visit friends and tried their dinner — which apparently is new, so they have time to improve.
Pros:
Did you know you can park in Arcata? It’s amazing! We parked across the street from the restaurant. I was blown away.
They let us try all the wines that were available by glass before we chose a bottle. Well done.
Very attentive and kind service.
Cons:
The food, although presented nicely, was just very blah. i ate it but not impressed. And for the price — small portions.
Trying to be fancy but not really succeeding.