Sleepy Bee Cafe

Great brunch at Sleepy Bee Café this afternoon! We were immediately seated which was surprising because I was expecting a wait during lunch time. The server was extremely friendly and helpful. I loved how the restaurant is set up. It was open, cozy and simple. There was plenty of room between tables so it didn’t feel like I was on top of another guests conversation.
I ordered the Bee Cakes with blueberries and they were fantastic. The pancakes were light and fluffy and just what I was craving. The server suggested I get two pancakes instead of the three because three would be too much. He was right, I ordered two and was stuffed afterwards.
My friend ordered the quinoa bowl with sweet potato, avocado, mushroom and an egg. She thought it was excellent.
The menu was huge and there were so many other options I wanted to try. I’ll definitely be back in the future to try more!

This bee is certainly not sleeping, this little local café has a modern approach to breakfast and lunch. Their menu offers a variety of healthy options and naturally made ingredients. The pancakes are fantastic, I had the Nutty bee and it was topped with a homemade peanut butter (YUM) and freshly sliced bananas. I’ve also tried the Broakley previously and really enjoyed the sandwich and sweet potatoes. This place uses Open Table which is nice so you can plan ahead before you show up at the door. They do get busy so i suggest using the app if you can. Make this a must stop for breakfast!

Delightful breakfast café! Food was delicious and staff, excellent! I was able to adjust menu items to fit my dietary restrictions. Restrooms were clean. Customers were treated well and happy to be there! Prices were a little high for a breakfast, but there seemed to be enough business to justify them. Next time I’m in Cincy, I want to return! Will definitely recommend this to others!

BEST PANCAKES I HAVE EVER EATEN. Seriously, they were so amazing! I’ve been to the Blue Ash location and ordered off the lunch menu, so I was excited to come to the Oakley location to try the breakfast. I came on a Saturday afternoon and wasn’t surprised to see a ton of people waiting. Not a problem at all for me, I sat myself at the bar immediately. I ordered the Nutty Bee pancakes, which were packed with chocolate chips, smothered in creamy peanut butter, and piled high with bananas… so yum! I actually chuckled to myself when my server gave me some syrup, knowing that I wouldn’t need it since the pancakes were already so sweet! I haven’t stopped thinking about those pancakes and I can’t wait to come back to either location!

This place opens at 8a which made it the perfect place to catch an early breakfast with friends before my drive back home to St. Louis.
My friend Ms. S and I both ordered the Nutty Pancakes — pancakes covered with all-​natural PB, chocolate and banana slices! She went with the classic buttermilk and I went with the «gluten-​free» batter. I could really taste the favor of the buckwheat flour and the texture of the almond flour. I also came to the realization that I prefer slutty, deliciously bad for you PB instead of the all-​natural stuff. This had a grittier texture and wasn’t quite salty enough. So this particular dish was only so-​so for me personally.
Maybe I’ll have the opportunity to try something else on a future visit.

We love this place — but be prepared to wait! It is packed every Saturday and Sunday with everyone hungry for brunch. Everything I have had here has been amazing. You won’t be disappointed. A great Cincinnati place to try if you have never been or even for the out of towners visiting. Fun tip — if you have the No wait App and live nearby you can put your name in early and then walk or drive over. That will cut your wait time in half if not fully. Just make sure you are there as your name is called.

Always such a busy breakfast and brunch place but they are quick to get you seated. They have the perfect little waiting area as well. The roasted sweet potatoes steal the show! It’s was a little chilly the day I went with a few friends but they also have a patio to enjoy a sunny brunch with friends or family. I honestly forget the omelette name that I got but it’s was a veggie omelet with avocado on top. So delicious. The close at 3:00pm and I would definitely suggest going earlier would be the best to avoid the wait.

Came here for lunch around noon and there was no wait. It was pretty busy. The hostess was very friendly, got a seat right away and while I was waiting for the server to take my order, they gave me a glass of ice water.
I love how the restaurant is set up… open, cozy, has simple décor (not cluttered and overwhelming), there is also a small bar area and very clean.
My server was very helpful and patient with answering my questions. I ended up getting The Beekeeper– n-​house roasted Amish turkey, bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, muenster cheese, sprouts, quick-​pickled onion, nectar
sauce on Shadeau toasted multigrain bread for $ 10.50 and as my side I got the breakfast potatoes.
My food came out less than 12 minutes. I was really pleased with the presentation of my food and size of the sandwich (pretty big and fresh). The sandwich was very delicious and love the seasoning of the potatoes.
As I was looking at the breakfast/​brunch menu, I wish I could have came for that, but it gives me something to look forward to next time because I really enjoyed dining in and my experience at Sleep Bee Café.
I got fast and friendly service and meal prices as reasonable.
There is no private parking. Either meter or street parking.

We’ve been here a number of times and often take out of town guests here. It’s a hit with the kids and whenever we’ve had a wait, it hasn’t been too long. The food is good and I always enjoy a good breakfast! A little on the pricey side and service is sometimes slow.
I like that they offer gluten free options that aren’t just salads and meat, especially important for someone who has to eat gluten free (celiac here). That said, I’ve eaten here a few times safely and without reaction, but I’ve also eaten here and not felt well after, so I don’t know how careful their kitchen staff is when it comes to gluten free. If that’s a concern for you, definitely bring it up and stress the importance. I got a little lax since I’d eaten there fine before, however diligence is important because you never know who’s in the kitchen that day. It does effect how I score since I think that if you’re offering gluten free items on the menu, precautions are taken no matter if the person is avoiding it due to intolerance or because it’s a medically required diet.
That aside, the gluten free pancakes are quite good and come in a huge stack! I enjoy their breakfast plates with eggs, potatoes (so good!), gluten free Udi’s multigrain bread, and Eckerline goetta, which is my absolute favorite and I’m so thrilled they offer it (few places do). This place is a nice treat for those times we want to dine out for breakfast or brunch.

Okay, I’m going to say right off the back that I semi-​apologize for probably sounding like a bag of dicks with this review. But I’m annoyed. We just left from eating here and dropped $ 44 on food that we didn’t even finish eating. This easily has to be one of the most overrated places in the Cincinnati area, maybe even all of Ohio.
We ordered a Large Cranberry Juice ($ 4), Iced Green Tea ($ 2), The Queen City Bee ($ 11), Bumble Bee’s Breakfast ($ 8.50), And Two Blue Bee Pancakes, Add Bananas ($ 4.50 EACH).
The Queen City Bee was alright. Bumble Bee’s Breakfast was alright. But the greek yogurt they use I wasn’t a fan of. I didn’t think it was possible for me to not be fond of greek yogurt since it all pretty much tastes the same. The pancakes were horrible. We ordered the Blue Bee pancakes, added bananas and had them made with Bee Cakes style. Just because something is gluten-​free doesn’t mean it has to taste like butt. And as $ 4.50 per pancake, they better taste amazing. They were the driest pancakes I have ever eaten. I don’t even like syrup on my pancakes but yet I attempted to drown my pancakes in syrup to attempt to make them edible.
It’s cool and great that they use locally sourced ingredients but they are not even close to being the only ones in the area to do so. However, Sleepy Bee seems to be milking this whole thing, price wise.
A «Large» Cranberry Juice for $ 4 and it’s in a glass that’s small. They better be making and growing the cranberry’s in the back of the store and it better be made out of the blood of a god that gives me the looks of eternal youth. Because to me, it tasted like the $ 3 (For a whole bottle) of Cranberry juice I buy at Whole Foods.
I know Oakley (And now Blue Ash) and the majority of yuppy-​ish people that live there will throw all their money at a place like this for food that isn’t worth it but I’m not willing to waste money here. You can go to Pipers in Covington, all of their food is locally sourced too. They can make your gluten free pancakes as well. That actually taste awesome. All you can eat for $ 9.75 if you want.
This place has decent food, a really cute interior, design wise. Our server was awesome. He was super nice, helpful, really great about checking in on us and refilling our water.
But at the end of the day that isn’t enough for a place that costs this much. If you want a good place for breakfast or brunch or lunch… It’s a good thing you’re in Cincinnati. Because there are plenty of other amazing options.

This has taken over as my boyfriend and I’s favorite breakfast spot. The food is absolutely fantastic, the service is stupendous, and the menu is honorable. I was full after, but didn’t feel gross over overwhelmed.
They pride themselves on being seasonal and buying from local farmers and businesses, which I love. They carry Snowville Milk, which is to do for. My boyfriend said the coffee was wonderful. He had an omelet, which he loved with sweet potato hash. I tasted them, both were SO delicious! I had the Broakley breakfast sandwich with breakfast potatoes that had a honey sauce in them. Let’s just say, I licked my plate! It was well seasoned, fresh, fulfilling without being over the top. Simplicity wins here.
Our server was helpful and informative.
I can’t wait to try out the Blue Ash location!

Great little breakfast place. A bit pricey but you pay for quality and everything they serve here is of the highest quality. Highly recommend the smoothies. probably the best smoothy in Cincinnati. Expect long waits on the weekend because of how popular this place is. Really great atmosphere inside. Very laid back and relaxing. Great staff too!

I’m not sure how I first heard about the Sleepy Bee, but from the reviews on Unilocal,I knew it was my kind of brunch spot. I was so right! The menu has something for all ages and dietary needs which with my circle of friends helps as we often have kiddos as well as gluten-​free and vegan folks to consider.
We knew there’d be a wait as the restaurant is bustling, but not too large — we were told 45 min. They use this text/​app system that went terribly awry and cancelled our name after a 45 min wait. Thankfully, I caught the mistake and we quickly got our table (with an apology). Technology, sheesh!
Everything on the menu looked amazing, so we decided to share a breakfast and a lunch dish. I went with the Nuts & Seeds Burger with smoked mozzarella added (can be made vegan) and the breakfast potatoes for the side. She ordered the Avi Omelette with roasted sweet potatoes and an added side of veggie sausage.
I’d asked the server about the texture of the burger as I’m not a fan of squishy patties. She told me this was a dense consistency. That’s not quite right. The patty is fairly moist, but has a good flavor. The cheese helped hold it together and the bun was phenomenal. Really, best bun I’ve ever had, no kidding.
The Avi Omelette, which we were told is a best seller, contains cheddar cheese, avocado and a variety of veggies. We both thought the vegetables, especially the tomato and onion, were cut too large and overpowered the omelette. They also made it watery. The roasted sweet potatoes were fine. The toast and the veggie sausage were the stars of the plate. Both had great texture and flavor.
I couldn’t help but get one of their amazing cookies before we left. It’s chocked full of pretzels, potato chips, chocolate & butterscotch chips, and coffee grounds (kinda weird that one). Decadently good! Looking forward to coming back and trying more items off this menu as the restaurant is both creative and environmentally conscious.

Unilocal helped steer me toward the Sleepy Bee Café while I was searching for a really great breakfast spot in Cincinnati.
After waking up and heading southeast far too early from Indianapolis, we arrived on Saturday before 9a, effectively beating the breakfast rush AND snagging the parking spot immediately in front of the entrance. My first thoughts after stepping inside were what a charming place this was (bee-​themed artwork lines the walls) and the heavy curtains in front of the door were a thoughtful touch to keep the cold air out.
We were seated promptly, and our server, Dylan, wasted no time in supplying us with water and much-​needed caffeine. Dylan, by the way, was about one of the friendliest waiters I’ve ever had and gave us probably the most thorough walk-​through of a menu ever. He explained that all of Sleepy Bee’s ingredients are locally-​sourced, and even gave us the history of goetta (a Cincinnati meat-​and-​grain sausage patty). He asked about food allergies without prompting, and explained that everything on the menu could be made gluten-​free.
I ordered the melted leek and sausage omelet and my mom ordered the avi omelet (the café’s most popular menu item), and both were delicious. I can’t say enough how excited I was to see that roasted sweet potatoes could be ordered in lieu of the standard potato option and found those, as well, to really hit the spot. We topped this off with a shared order of bacon, which had good flavor but was a bit chewy for my taste.
The service was excellent, the meal was delicious and we came in at just over $ 30 for our total meal. I would absolutely recommend Sleepy Bee Café to anyone looking to spend a day or two in Cincy!

Love Sleepy Bee. I live just down the street and this is a place that I try to visit often.
Went here for an early breakfast on Saturday (8 AM) and did not have to wait. If you arrive closer to 9/​10, the people start piling in… and rightfully so.
Sleepy Bee is a great breakfast spot with awesome coffee. I’m a big fan of a lot of items on their menu, but I would say that their «Broakley» breakfast sandwich is probably my favorite. The pancakes are delicious and they have a lot of healthy options.
Sleepy Bee has recently opened another location in Blue Ash that I have visited and they also do a very nice job. If you are in either the Blue Ash or Oakley area, I would highly recommend it for breakfast!
Keep up the good work.

Came here for brunch on a Friday around 11am. Had to wait about 10−15mins. Impressive time for wait, because it was super busy. Customer service here is great!
When we were seated it did take them awhile to get to our table, and that was okay and understandable. They apologized to us sincerely. We had a gluten-​intolerant group, in which our server was super kind, and explained all the options we had, Which were a lot! They have gluten free bread and gluten free pancakes! Which made it easy for us to order, and not feel like a burden.
The Bee Cake pancake was delicious and couldn’t even tell that there wasn’t flour in it! We also got the sandwich called «The Broakley» which had options of breakfast meat, I chose sausage, sprouts, egg, cheese, avocado, and tomatoes — on a Udi’s Gluten-​Free bread. It was delicious! Ate half and was super filling! My mom got the «Local Pasture Raised Beef Burger» on a gluten-​free bread, which was just okay. But, I think burger on the regular sandwich Udi’s bread wasn’t fulfilling because it wasn’t the bun. But the meat had no taste, and just wasn’t impressive. Other than that, everything was super good. Especially their hot chocolate! I had a sip of my sister’s cup and it was the world!!! Super creamy, and delicious.
I applaud Sleepy Bee Café for their food-​intolerant friendly menu and their kindness. My family would love to come back again!

The atmosphere at sleep bee is one of the highlights. Its bright and lively. The staff is kind and energetic. Even when you have to wait (which you often do for brunch) there is space in the back and they have a text message system so you can always adventure to other spots in Oakley.
The food can be 5 stars if you order the right things but I would say most of it is 4 stars (never less). Going against the general vibe of the place, usually the more unhealthy the dish, the better but their healthy pancakes and salads are great too. By far the best thing I’ve had is the pancakes. They are fluffy and so flavorful even without the heap of fresh toppings you can have added on. The breakfast sandwiches are also delicious, however the ratio of bread to fillings can be high. The bread is great quality so that’s not the worst thing but it’s more of a dry sandwich.

A much delayed review. I’ve been here at least 5 times over the last two years.
The biggest thing to consider is timing. You could easily wait for over an hour. So, try to avoid peak hours or plan to wander around Oakley (and don’t arrive starving!).
The popularity is understandable. The atmosphere is very bright, cheery and soothing at the same time.
You can please everyone in your group for brunch here, from the meat eaters to the vegans, and even people who are gluten free.
They will tell you that they can’t effectively foam the almond milk for your cappuccino, but I’ve never found that to be the case. They really should carry coconut milk though as an alternative.
I’ve never had the breakfast food, so I can’t really comment on the pancakes. I’ve had a variety of vegetarian selections, and found them all to be filling and tasty.
The breakfast potatoes are yummy. They are whole potatoes, lightly smashed and drizzled with a tasty dressing.
The energy is high and there are always children. The service is good, but with everything going on, it’s best to order when you see them as it might be a little bit before they can swing by again. I’m sure if you need something urgently, you can easily flag down any server.

Worth a stop. I had brunch on a weekend morning and it was packed. Most of the menu seemed standard and unoriginal. I sat at the bar and had the Broakley which was very good; I enjoyed the sprouts. The Hive Fries were very good too.
By way of improvements, it’s a hard recommendation, but I wish they had more restrooms because there was always a line.

It’s hard to believe I haven’t reviewed this place yet as it’s one of my favorite brunches in Cincinnati. It’s not a «let’s drink bottomless mimosas» type of brunch where the focus is on the drinks, but a place that just does food the way food should be. Their menu is what I’d call perfection, as I’m so indecisive here because it all sounds delicious. Everything is made from local ingredients and its simple food done well; it’s not too greasy and things seem to be prepared pretty darn perfectly if you ask me (and I tend to be critical and picky).
I just got back from yet another incredible meal at Sleepy Bee and I must say the best time to go here is for brunch on random week day mornings as there is NO WAIT. I understand this isn’t realistic for those of you have jobs with more traditional schedules but I definitely can get frustrated waiting close to an hour for a table on Saturday or Sunday morning.
I’m a huge fan of the egg dishes on the menu. I haven’t met an omelet here I dislike. My favorite is probably the one with melted leaks, sausage and goat cheese – It’s perfectly creamy, salty, and savory. They’ve recently updated their menu too so I’d highly suggest trying their newest omelet, the Forager, which is prepared with seasonal herbs and veggies. It sounds incredible and I cannot wait to try it. As far as sides go, I am obsessed with the roasted root veg. Its unique and different than the typical hash brown side and I crave it so much I’ve recreated this side dish at home with numerous breakfasts. It’s an incredible idea.
I also highly recommend the Queen City Bee sandwich. It’s a perfectly toasted ciabatta roll with apples, homemade goetta and a runny egg. For those of you who have been Queen City residents your whole lives and have always been a bit skeptical about goetta, this sandwich is your gateway drug to becoming goetta obsessed. I wish all goetta was this tasty – Sleepy Bee does it right!
As far as the rest of the experience goes, their coffee is good (not great) and they are always offering refills (which is perfect because I am always in need of caffeine). Service is as attentive as they can be on a busy morning, however, sometimes it seems they can get a bit overwhelmed. Regardless, this has never tarnished my dining experience. The price is a little high for brunch or breakfast, HOWEVER, I do get that fresher, more local ingredients tend to cost more. I’m happy to support the local economy in this way but at the same time, $ 15 dollars on breakfast /​brunch can get to be expensive. For a fun treat every now and then, I look forward to my delicious visits to Sleepy Bee.