Breve Espresso

Excellent paninis. Great, friendly service. All of the food I’ve had is good, but I’m definitely in a panini rut. I average 1 a week for the past 5 months!

I can’t think of the last time that I felt the need to set the scene while reviewing a coffee shop (especially one located on the ground floor of a large but comparatively boring office building).
This one warrants it.
You can smell the coffee aromas faintly while passing by the credit union a few steps away in the ATT Building’s publicly accessible lobby, but the mix of hot water and roasted beans is not uncommon in the morning at an office, even without a dedicated shop. The decoration of the place offers little to write about too: there’s a large sign with the shop’s name on one wall, plain two– and four-​tops for guests, and a friendly but unremarkable palate of color on the walls that aren’t glass. Because of the orientation, the shop mostly faces into the building with some, but not much, natural light exposure.
Imagine walking up to such a place for your morning coffee as a heroic, cinematic score plays though…
While not particularly loud, I could clearly hear a member of Hans Zimmer, John Williams and Danny Elfman’s musical fraternity plying his or her trade coyly, adding unintentional drama to the whole affair (or maybe someone at Breve thought that this would be a memorable way to get ready for meetings/​finish reports/​read the paper?). This odd choice continued for at least an hour, completely bucking the normal coffeehouse vibe of acoustic/jazz/“edgy electronic cool”. I liked it!
The seasonally flavored mocha was good and quickly prepared, as was a breakfast panini. The sandwich seemed small at first, but was portioned well for breakfast and had some herbs subtly grilled into it (if you’re picking a breakfast meat, I might suggest the bacon over the sausage). Though not a regular myself, the service was quick and warm. Regulars got the same elevated level of courtesy, they just didn’t have to give their names when placing orders.

Maybe I just didn’t order the right thing but I got their Greek salad and while it was good, I found it to be a little over priced considering it came without any sort of protein. Staff was friendly and service was quick though. It was fairly busy too, so they must be pretty popular with the locals.

Fast service and good food. The people who work here are super friendly too. A good place to grab a quick lunch.

I love that they have online ordering! This works out great on a busy work day– I can order ahead and pick up my food in no time flat. I’ve had several of their wraps and they are good. If you are looking for something exotic for lunch, this isn’t your place. But if you are looking for a solid lunch to carry you through the rest of your work day, Café Breve fits the bill! Price-​wise, they are the same price or slightly less expensive than what you can pick up at Culinaria– and you can avoid the lunchtime rush line by ordering ahead!

Chicken Panini was delicious. coffee was great. the soup i believe was red pepper it was good too.

Excellent coffee and panini sandwiches. Staff is quite friendly. Holly who makes the fancy coffees early in the morning is a hoot!

It is located inside the AT&T building.
The coffee was ok. I didn’t order anything to eat.
There was a slight smell of old/​burnt food in the place.
I was not feeling it.

I’ve been coming here for quite a bit and have never doubted their service. From day one, Breve has always laughed in the face of hordes of tourists, loft-​dwellers, and cranky corporate drones, all jonesing for their cup of joe. I’ve always gotten my order on time and with great service.
There’s not a whole lot of things to say about this place, other than the fact that they tend to have more coffee flavors to offer than, say, Starbucks and Bread Co. They also have a very relaxing atmosphere, where you can spend your breakfast (or lunch) time reading one of the many papers set out for your reading pleasure.
The sandwiches here are reasonably priced and are very filling. It’s nice to grab a bite here if you’re on the go, since it beats waiting for your beeper to go off at one of the bigger coffee sources.
However, I suggest making sure your parking meter is sufficiently loaded. I’ve seen the meter maids hover around like vultures to carrion.

Breve Espresso ha great coffee and their sandwiches are wonderful as well! I miss working downtown because I can’t go there anymore!