City Cafe

About a year ago I went here after a matinée at Baxter Ave and had a delicious sandwich with a Granny Smith apple chopped up in between two slices of sourdough and some meat and cheese. The Granny Smith was really the important part. Details make a sandwich.
When I remembered this place existed, I was pumped and really wanted to love it. In fact, I went twice in two days because I had such a great memory of my first experience there. On Friday I needed a quick lunch on route to a festival. Got my chicken, ham and cheese sandwich of the week to go and it was ok, but it just tasted like the kind of sandwiches I slapped together really quickly for lunch in high school. And those tortilla chips on the side certainly didn’t win me over either.
The next day after a canoeing expedition, me and few friends needed a quick late lunch and stopped in here. Hoping that maybe I just ordered something blah the previous day, I sold everyone on the price point and convenience factor and didn’t mention the dull sandwich from the day before (sorry guys I wanted to see if it was just me). After hemming and hawing at the counter for what seemed like 15 minutes, only one and a half orders were placed. I got a cup of soup because I felt bad.
A big part of me (my stomach, namely) feels that City Café should actually be two stars, but in addition to the year old great sandwich memory that still holds strong, the service was just so stellar that I’ll probably go back.
Not that this review needs to go on any longer, but two things City Café is doing right:
1. Counter service is friendly and chatty and very accommodating. Order a coffee at 2 pm and they’ll brew a fresh pot of java (literally, they get their beans from Java Brewing)
2. They show off actual sample plates of their daily specials at the counter. I like the idea of transparency, but I think this actually makes the food seem less appetizing because you’re looking at something that was cooked hours ago in Saran Wrap.

I ate here after seeing a movie with a friend.
I’d stopped in a few times before, but had never eaten anything. I got the sandwich of the month: buffalo chicken, bacon, blue cheese, shallots and… something else, on wheat. It was delicious. Better than I anticipated. And it was just as good the next day as leftovers.
The reason this is only a 3 star review is the sandwich came with what looked like from-​a-​bag tortilla or corn chips. Which just seemed… incongruous. And a few times that I had been in just for a drink to go, they had been unable to make it because they were out of seltzer water (for an italian soda, which is on their menu).

This place is registering in as a 3 star right now, so I think that’s what I will give them. They deserve it. Nothing too special about the food, but they do have some healthy options. It’s relatively fresh and it can be convenient if you have other business to attend to in the Mid-​City Mall (library, movie, grocery shopping, thrifting, jazzercising, etc). They sometimes play jazz inside the place; that is always a good thing in my book. It’s not very expensive. Oh, they have Wifi courtesy of the Louisville Free Public Library. Nothing to write home about here folks, and nothing to complain about either. They put their specials on display for all to see. If you see them and you’re not feeling it, you’re in an area with lots of other options. If it is below average dining for you, probably nobody to blame but yourself. If you have an average to pleasant dining experience here than this café is for you!

I like the salads here and the Italian sodas. Specials are usually quite good. This place is handy if you’re attending a movie as well. I’d give this 3.5 if Unilocal permitted it.

I keep going back for their Big Salad; must have had 50 or more over the years. Haven’t found another salad in the ‘ville as filling and satisfying. Romaine & other greens & veggies with a few edamames & nuts, usually pumpkin seeds.
Occasionally will also order a chai latte, but Starbucks is better.

We ordered 3 sandwiches. The hot chicken was just that, hot chicken with cheese on white sandwich bread. Blah. Portobello sand was full of vinegar marinade and made the white sandwich bread smushy, and not in a good way. Turkey on wheat was ok. Cheap ingredients. Salty soggy meat. All served with stale corn chips. The up sides were the other patron’s salads looked ok, the place is nice and open, and it is cheap. Don’t know if I will return.

For the price, this is the best healthy lunch you can get. The big salad with miso dressing (sprouts, edamame, almonds, pumpkin seeds, giant amount of salad) is great; the garden burger is better than an industrial one for sure. There’s always a vegetarian entrée: it might be something like white bean tagine with couscous with a respectable slow-​cooked pork version. And tons of good sandwiches and soups. I used to get a side of Greek pasta salad when I was in a hurry — it’s bigger than you’d think.