Dots Café, 3819 E Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107, Score: 41/50
I don’t usually drive this far east on Colorado Blvd., so it took me a few months to spot Dots Café. It’s beautiful, feminine, and adorable though, so I knew I had to go as soon as I saw it. Dots Café is from the same owner as Dots Cupcakes.
Score: 41/50
Food: 4/5 – I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the tuna melt and side salad. The sandwich had thick slices of good bread, toasted and buttered nicely, thick slices of ripe tomato, 2 slices of jack cheese, and a very good albacore tuna salad with mayo, mustard seeds, and celery. It came with a nice side salad w/ a great mustard vinaigrette and a pickle. They have sandwiches, salads, soup, a kid’s menu, baked goods and cupcakes. The vanilla hazelnut cupcake was pretty good though the chocolate hazelnut made it heavy and sweet and the vanilla flavor could have been stronger.
Coffee: 4/5 – They use a local roaster, Jones. They have espresso drinks, Bird Pick tea (also local), juices, and bottled drinks. I didn’t get a drink.
Wi-fi: 5/5 – Free, unlimited, fast, ask for the password
Ambiance: 5/5 – It feels like a place that I’d like to stay all day. It’s clean, spacious, bright and has all kinds of cute touches, including painted flowers on one wall, flowers at each table, copper/rose gold chairs and lamps.
Noise: 5/5 – Very quiet! There is music but it is quiet and unobstrusive.
Plugs: 0/5 – I didn’t see any
Parking: 5/5 – They have their own lot and you can park as long as you want.
Comfort: 4/5 – The chairs are not padded but otherwise it’s comfortable. The stools are padded but I’d rather sit in a chair. The tables aren’t too close together.
Bathroom: 5/5 – Two of them, clean and nice.
Art: 4/5 – There are some framed pieces of art and the wall with painted flowers.
Tips: Get the bento box which comes with your choice of sandwich, green salad, pickle & your choice of a mini cupcake ($13.50). It’s cheaper to eat it there than to take it to go (they charge for the bento box). Help yourself to water. Order at the counter and they’ll bring your food to you. Lunch is served from 11 AM – 6:30 PM. They have doggie cupcakes ($1.50).
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