B O Espresso

by Kathleen M.

Just wanted to let everyone know that I will be moving into B O and will be living in their dessert case. If you need to find me, that is where I will be from now on. Great, great atmosphere. Bartender served us in the lounge and she was amazing. Gave us some excellent dessert recommendations. I remember eating dinner here far over a year ago and loved it. Cannot for the life of me remember what it was, but I remember I loved it! I look forward to returning to B O and knocking down a few more items from their expansive dessert menu.

by jinny b.

I love this place. The atmosphere is so art deco and their shakes are to die for. Still the best eggs Benedict I have ever had, even better than Glo's and that's saying a lot. My only complaint is the breakfast potatoes. They are usually dry and everyone knows that hash browns are where it's at but I forgive the potatoes because everything else is great. Service is average. It's a great 1st date place if you can get a booth away from the rest of the crowd.

by Alanna M.Amy B.Nicki W.Kim N.J R.

This is so not the place to go if you are watching your waistline.  But definitely the place to take a shot.... A shot of espresso that is.  Don't forget to try one of their many exceptional desserts.  Pies, cakes, cremes, souffles... Oui.  Oui.Awesome spot to meet a friend for a nonalcoholic adult beverage with some sugar to go with.Oh, BO! Where have you been all my life?? I am in love!!Most delicious items in the whole wide world:BO mochachocolate souffleGawd. I love everything about this place. How can you not love coffee and dessert? You're right! It's impossible. Therefore! You cannot NOT love BO Espresso.Years ago I used to live right down the street from this Capital Hill landmark and spent countless hours enjoying the coffee, treats and atmosphere.  I absolutely love that this place has withstood the test of time and has even improved by adding a lounge/bar area!A friend and I made our way here and ducked out of the rain to find a cozy rustic and artsy atmosphere in which to warm up and embibe on a Sunday afternoon.  We parked ourselves at the bar and a very friendly and accomodating bar tender walked us through the menu.  Upon parousing the offerings and discussing their coffee cocktail options, this wonderful gentleman went about making me one of the best Spanish Coffees I've had in far too long!  Complete with fire side show and a smile!  This wasn't even on the menu but he had worked on a cruise ship so knew how to make one.  How is that for 5 star service?!We ended up staying caught up in conversation for a few hours, our bar tender's shift ended but he was sure to fix us some follow up cocktails before he left.  I ended up with a lovely, not too sweet, Chocolate Martini that was divine!  We had the whole lounge area to ourselves however they were sure to check on us regularly.  This was the perfect end to the weekend and you can be sure I'll be back soon.  I'm embarrassed that I have forgotten our wonderful bar host's name, Justin or Jason?  Must have been the booze but he was fabulous and I recommend you pay him a visit!When I first started coming here, I loved it. And I came a lot, at least once a week. But after a while I started noticing some of their many flaws. Firstly, their food, desserts, and coffee are all very expensive. When I went (usually during dinner), my bf and I would get two dinner entrees, two americano's, and a dessert to share and we would be looking at a good $40 (including tax and tip.) My biggest problem was that my bf's family has been coming here for over 20 years and so we have to tip well, even when the service is grossly unenthusiastic. The portions are also very small (once I got the waffle breakfast which comprised of a very thin waffle, a spoonful of jam and a thimble of fruit, and I mean THIMBLE.) Also, the wait can be horrendous at time.The food (not matter how ridiculously smalled portioned it is) is great, the desserts are even better (but even smaller portioned), and the coffee is pretty consistent (although I have had burnt tasting coffee here). FYI, don't come here without getting dessert, the chocolate raspberry torte is my fav., so good I've considering ordering it for my wedding.Best part? There's a guy who works here (or did, I haven't been back in a while) who has long black hair and is relatively young who cleans the tables and refills your water, I have never had my glass of water less than half full when he's around. Also, the setting and atmosphere is very romantice, think candles, fresh flowers and lace tablecloths. Oh, the bathroom is disgusting, and there's never a working toilet. Cheers.On Saturday night I came here with 3 other people for dessert. I ordered the red velvet cupcake, my friend ordered the chocolate pot and the two guys with us both ordered the bread pudding. Everything was just "ok". I've definitely had better desserts at other establishments. I was extremely disappointed with the red velvet cake because it was a tiny portion, the bread was dry, and did not have the cream cheese frosting as they do at most places.  The frosting here was more "buttery" in taste.   The chocolate pot was so so. My boyfriend's brother's homemade souffle is 10 times better. He even serves it with vanilla ice cream. At BO, the chocolate pot is served with a spoon full of cream here, similar to whip cream.  The bread pudding was partially cold, and not warm throughout. It was hard to taste the liquor sauce which is what one of the selling points for the guys' choice in dessert. The service was extremely slow and our waiter seemed a little spaced out. As an out of towner, I don't think I'll be recommending this place to any of my friends traveling to Seattle. Even if I lived close by, I wouldn't come back....

by Trance A.

ok, this review is really for the Bar 41 side. I've never sampled the B O side. My mates and I went to Bar 41 for happy hour the other week. I'm glad to try a new place, but won't be back here. Why...1) bartender overworked. they need more staff. he was trying to wait the bar, wait tables in the bar area and also service the waitstaff over at the BO side. There should have been at least 1 or 2 other warm bodies to do this work.2) Bartender was either really stoned or just disorganized. Ended up that it was super slow service, afraid he'd lose my card. Pretty much would have spent more money if the service would have been better/faster.3) got some happy hour food. I've made better when I'm drunk at 2 am and I only have what's remaining in the fridge after not shopping for a month. 4) two stars for ambiance and potential. I'd love to see them do better and make this a great place to go.

by R C.

Best desserts with coffee around.  Which is to say, if you want great coffee with a great dessert, this is the place.  Slightly more upscale than the other espresso shops around, so nicer for a date.  If you simply want the best coffee / espresso / latte, this is maybe in the top ten, but not the best.  Higher prices than the other places I get my espresso, but like I said, a little more upscale.  Parking a pain, but that's not their fault.  U District, ya know.

by Wendy K.

This place brings back some nice memories. My now fiancé and I dated long distance for awhile, and on one of my visits to Seattle several years ago, he picked me up from the airport around 11:00 PM and whisked me away to B O Espresso for a late night snack.When we arrived at B O this past weekend for brunch, again en route directly from the airport, it took me a minute to realize that I had been there before.I love the corner location and the red, funky interior.I ordered 2 eggs over medium, a side of BACON!, and a latte.That first bite of bacon was incredible. A thick, non-greasy, non-fatty bite of heaven. Wow, that was some good bacon. Good thing the side order came with 3 pieces!The eggs were just standard. The latte was flavorful and was served hot enough for me.Attentive, friendly, chatty, but not too chatty server.I do wish prices were a little less expensive, but when I'm in Seattle again, I'd return here just for that bacon.

by Maria S.

AMAZING deserts! Expensive but truly tasty.. Good for brunch! The menu for food is not extensive, the only thing I would be willing to eat was the eggs and bacon breakfast deal..small portion but perfect if you want a nice slice of cake afterwards. My recommendation: Try the FRUIT TART or the Raspberry chocolate torte!!!!

by Alanna M.

This is so not the place to go if you are watching your waistline.  But definitely the place to take a shot.... A shot of espresso that is.  Don't forget to try one of their many exceptional desserts.  Pies, cakes, cremes, souffles... Oui.  Oui.Awesome spot to meet a friend for a nonalcoholic adult beverage with some sugar to go with.

by Valentina V.

Hello, my name is Valentina V, and I'm addicted to desserts.  I'm also addicted to cakes.  My hands tremble at the sight of cookies and gelato.  Or Rumballs!  Rumballs in Seattle?  Yes, THEY HAVE RUMBALLS!*The reviewer has to take 30 minutes off because her Dude just put her straitjacket on, until the sugar fever attack passes*Hello, I'm back.Turkish coffee!  German Chocolate Cake!  Latte with Ghirardelli chocolate, house made caramel and whipped cream!  BO cocoa, made with chocolate ganache and topped with real whipped cream!   BO espresso mousse torte!  For the LOVE of God, Brioche Bread Pudding! Profiteroles au Chocolat!  LOUIS GATEAU cake (almond sponge torte layered with coffee butter cream)!They have Louis Gatêau cake...*tears of joy**Breathes-in, breathes-out, repeats, repeats*I think I'm going to faint.  The only think they need to put, in the middle of that delightful, French-inspired, quaint space, is a chocolate pool.  Then I'll be forever there, trying one dessert a day, and taking a morning plunge.Thank you Lord, for allowing dreaming to be free. And for BO good, good Turkish Coffee.¡Delicioso!

by Kenya C.

The coffee, dessert and ambience here are all lovely. The breakfast is stellar, too. This is a cozy place to be on a rainy day. It has a sort of crumbling elegance which is very "Seattle" to me. The only drawbacks are the lackluster staff and pretty awful lunch and dinner. You come here for coffee and dessert!!! As long as you stick to this rule, you will love this place as much as I do.