This could be a really cool venue if the owners treated their customers with respect. I recently attended an open mic night in which the owner walked around telling customers (who were not being loud or disrespectful) to be silent--in a very rude way. The internet is free which is nice. But you can find better coffee nearly anywhere and their desserts/food are overpriced for what you get. Althought the customer service is pathetic, they do have decent live music. That's really the only thing that draws me back. It's a convenient place to meet a friend but there are so many better alternatives.

The Mandolin Cafe is back under original (New) ownership. This is a great Tacoma neighborhood community meeting spot. They brought in a new chef, Adam, and the food has jumped in taste and quality, while the pricing is still very reasonable. Their customer service is excellent; the staff greats you when you walk in the door with big happy smiles. They're offering table service now so you have a choice of being seated and served at your table or you can still use counter service and sit along the coffee bar by the big full length windows, (and plug in your laptop). When the place isn't busy (usually right after lunch) you can still grab a table with counter service. The coffee is excellent (Batorf & Bronson) locally roasted out of Olympia. They have an in-house pastry chef making yummy fresh desserts, cakes and treats, daily. Fantastic Live Music most nights (they have a new music program director) and a greatly improved wine and seasonal tap beer selections is available. Happy hour is 3pm to 6pm. And they're now serving big weekend breakfasts (Sat & Sun) 8 am to 2 pm. I have added the Mandolin Cafe to my daily routine, whether for morning coffee on my way to work or a quick fresh lunch, or a fun evening of live music and dinner. This is the Tacoma alternative.