Notch 8 Cafe

Had a killer bartender on duty that didn’t let my beer go empty without s refill
The burger was amazing, goat cheese was added to the top as an option. CRAZY GOOD!
Bar was packed but server will still very attentive and remembered our drink orders each time we needed a refill.
Will definitely be back very soon!

I was so excited to try this new café in one of my favorite spots in Jamesville! However, it was not as advertised. Their Facebook stated a grand reopening with musical guest, for all ages, until 11pm tonight, Saturday ¹⁄₃₀. I got there with my daughter at nine and was very rudely told the kitchen was closed, we could not see a menu, and furthermore, were not welcome to see the music unless we stayed in the dining room or «doorway». What kind of welcome is this for a new establishment?

Great… Friendly service… Well made breakfast and atmosphere that works for little ones up to adults

We just went here today with a large party for breakfast. I was extremely impressed with the staff and the food. We loved the homemade corned beef hash. Honestly, it was the best breakfast food I’ve had in a long time. And the pricing was very reasonable. I wish we had a place like this in my city cause I’d be there all the time. Waitress handled the large party without breaking a sweat and all the food came out at once with no complaints. Great job. Were going to make this a new tradition when when we’re in town.

The food at notch 8 is pretty good. I suggest the smoked wings as an appetizer. The salmon is spot on. The beer and lager selection is pretty large, all bottle I do believe. It is a nice décor but might suffer from its location. I will be returning to try breakfast and gelato soon.

Sunday brunch, first people there (table of 6) good coffee nice and hot. Ordered crab Benedict, 3 omelette and homemade hash and poached eggs. 40 min after ordering the food arrived the 4 poached eggs were hard cooked (2 with hash sent back) everyone’s toast was cold and when asked for more butter it was stone cold. When the hash with poached eggs reappears the eggs were poached correctly but the hash was cold as if the changed plates but didn’t throw it under a heat lamp. Toast must be leftover from the day before since it could hardly be bitten into. Those who had an omelet said it had good flavor but the single slice of cold toast did take away from the meal. Overpriced for cold and overlooked eggs, hash browns and toast. Doubt we will return

Enjoyed Ana amazing brunch on Sunday. My lemon ricotta polenta pancakes were amazing– not too sweet just right and so flavorful. We also had an omelette– delish as was their toast. Oh and one of the best cappuccino I’ve ever enjoyed stateside. Will definitely be back.

Update: I just had one of the best breakfasts of my LIFE at this place. Finished a 5k, then had the fried pickle chips (paper thin, tempura like batter: life changing) and the smoked chicken flat bread with their dark roast coffee. Fully on par with the jook I had at the Thai breakfast place in LA. Go here, guys.

Mac and cheese with each noodle individually stuffed with cheese! Fabulous! I had a burger with pulled pork and an egg on it, great service, great food!

It’s not everyday that I go to brunch and order a plate of pancakes. I’m usually more of a scramble fan (with ham and cheddar please). Or I’ll order up a Belgain Waffle topped with whip cream. But pancakes… eh.
And then I walked into Notch 8 and something was pulling me towards the pancakes. Trust your gut, people! The gut isn’t usually wrong, amiright? I went with mine and ended up having two of the best pancakes I’ve ever had. They were the perfect balance of light and fluffy and cakey. I don’t know how they did it. my pancakes never turn out like that. Add the whipped butter and NY state maple syrup — ohmypancake — these were soooo good.
In addition to the delicious food the restaurant itself is adorable with a simple homey décor, and the staff was just the sweetest.
Notch 8 Café is one of those places that make you wish you lived in the neighborhood. I will definitely be visiting next time I’m in town.

When the simple tastes you grew up with are improved and magnified by an exceptional restaurant, it breaks your heart to see horrible reviews based on your Gelato melting on the way home or how much money was spent on the restaurant frontage. This is a wonderful dining experience at a fair price. The food is fresh, creative, and fairly priced. We could not be more pleased, oh wait, the napkins don’t match the plates. Does anyone know how I can take 4 stars off? Really, Gordon Ramsey would be so disappointed;-(p.s. The only reason anyone would complain about this gem in the heart of Jamesville, is to keep the lines short for a magnificent dining experience;-)

So awesome. .party of 4. Wine and beer… pickle chips to start… ABSOLUTELY OUT OF THIS WORLD… VEGETABLE RIGGIES. Meatloaf sliders… smoked chicken and biscuits. .blackened chicken sandwich. All of it was fantastic. Great service, smiles, attentive and accommodating…

Awful! So many things were wrong with our visit to get coffee and a pastry… old and weak (and expensive) coffee, dry, flavorless muffins, poor service, no paper towels in bathrooms, Staff also had difficulty finding the WIFI password. And, on the way out, I got some gelato to take home. The server overfilled the container and it dripped all the way home (she also seemed very inexperienced in so many ways). We had high hopes for a decent restaurant in Jamesville but this isn’t it (and this was our fourth time here — breakfast, lunch and coffee). Management… what the heck are you doing?

This location has great potential and was, at one time, a thriving breakfast diner (The Village Eatery). Unfortunately, Notch 8 is destined to be another in a string of failed restaurants at this location since that time. We came to Notch 8 for breakfast when it first opened — the food was OK and the service was inconsistent, but since they had just opened, we thought we’d give them another chance. A few weeks later, we came for dinner — again, the food was inconsistent (some good, some not) and the service was amateurish.
One final try today, for coffee and pastry in the morning (they have a semi-​separate coffee/​gelato bar on the lower level). Unfortunately, this experience just confirmed that this is a very poorly managed restaurant. Service was friendly but again amateurish — staff did not anticipate customer needs at all (had to ask for everything), did not know the WiFi password (we were told «it must be new» — a good reason for everyone to know about it!), etc. We got some gelato to go and the staff overfilled the container so that it dripped all over the car on the way home (which is not far).
Seating at the coffee bar was very uncomfortable (we moved to a table). Iced coffee was stale and bitter — it must have been sitting around for at least a week. No paper towels in two bathrooms (one was out of towels, and the dispenser was jammed in the other). Although relatively minor by themselves, these things are symptomatic of management that does not check the things that should be checked regularly, or hold staff accountable for doing the checks, especially when you’re paying $ 16 for two coffees and two blueberry muffins.
Since it’s close to our home, we really wish that Notch 8 was a great place to go with reasonable prices, but it isn’t: it’s pricey, uncomfortable, with mediocre food and inconsistent service. Too bad.

Heirloom tomato salad amazing… will definitely be vack, can’t wait to try the other menu items…

I’m baffled as to why Notch 8 is putting so much money into rebuilding the façade of a perfectly good casual restaurant in a rather shabby looking area. Not sure what return they expect on that investment.
Anyway, had a good reuben here. Above-​average house-​made corned beef. Seems a nice addition to Jamesville.
(Not a fan of the practice of leaving price information off the online menu, but I am impressed with the food.)

There’s such a mixed bag of reviews here, I don’t know what happened! The place was having some work done on the front entry way — embedding some wood around the door for a funky look. The lot was also being landscaped. We had to enter through the back door. Interior décor was eclectic but nice (wall sculptures, plants, unique ceiling fans, etc.). There is a river running right behind it. I would recommend some seating, it’s so nice! We sat on some boulders with our snacks. The only downside to the view is that it’s in the parking lot, right next to the dumpsters.
We only stopped in for some gelato, and it was amazing! Very fresh, very rich, and awesome flavor combinations. I tried 4 before settling for a peach cobbler, but I remember seeing lemon basil, strawberry thyme, baklava, vanilla, jalapeño grapefruit, and sorbets like cucumber (which tasted like agua fresca). A bit pricey for the sizes, but they were worth every penny.
Our server was also a delight. Very friendly, and she told us a bit of back ground about the name of the place. All in all, a great stop for a summer afternoon.

Everything is always top NOTCH. Be patient. Everything is made from scratch. No prepackaged frozen crap here. Come as you are.

I really don’t like to write bad things if I can help it but of course there are the odd exceptions. This unfortunately was such a one.
I went with some friends for lunch today. It’s under new management so we thought we’d give it a try.
The lunch menu said just that, lunch menu. No starters, no mains or entrees, everything under the same generic lunch caption. A normal person would expect a decent lunch, after all, it says «lunch.» I have a weakness for Crab Cakes so I thought «great, one of my faves. Every single restaurant I’ve ever been to will give you a couple of decent size cakes for around $ 10 – 12. These were $ 13 but I thought „what the hell“ and ordered them.
Meanwhile we were given water in really badly cracked tumblers and I mean dangerous big cracks extended 2/​3rds round the glass. When we asked to change them, instead of an apology, we got an interesting diatribe about hot dishwashers instead. A long 30 minutes wait for the food brought the real prize. The only way to do this is to actually describe my lunch as accurately as I can with no hyperbole.
I was given a small rectangular plate, maybe 6» by 2″, pretty bloody small, and on it, in all it’s magnificent and resplendent glory (right on the edge looking lonely and forlorn), was my $ 13 lunch. I promise you, I don’t exaggerate when I say that the circumference was less than my little finger (and I have smallish hands) and miniscule. Slightly bigger than say a silver ½ dollar coin. I thought it might be a joke it looked so ridiculous. Even my friends were in fits of laughter. When I mentioned it to the manager, all I got back was «wait until you taste it.» Subtle and witty repartee don’t you think? The customer is obviously always wrong!
Well, one mouthful later and the damn thing was gone, to fast to taste!!! They really pulled out the generosity stops though and gave me a WHOLE ROLL when I mentioned it. Such largesse cannot be overlooked.
So, 13 bucks for a mouthful. What a treat. Oh yes, I forgot. It was sitting on a bed of chopped cheap raw onion with more raw red onion on top in case your eyes weren’t already watering enough.
Don’t do it. Force yourself to go elsewhere.

I just stopped in for their Saturday– brunch, and it was a delightful change from what can be found at many a local eatery.
The steak was great, the ricotta pancakes were devourer by my child, and the crab cake was nicely done in the Benedict dish I ordered.
They have their own line of roasted coffee, roasted for them by Utica Coffee.
Notch2 was a darker roast, and excellent.
I could see myself showing up with some work to do, and dwelling in the coffeehouse side of Notch8, happily.