We almost didn't stop by based on reviews... I'm so glad we did!
My husband, daughter and I stopped for dinner here on a Saturday. Â It was 'prom night' and extremely busy.... yet our server Carmen managed to provide us and a 4-top plus a 12-top of high school students with stellar service. Â I'm an industry employee myself and was very impressed with how well she served people and kept smiling through it all.
We started our meal with fresh sweet potato and regular fries. Â I'm rarely tempted by fried food, but the perfectly light and crisp fries with just the right amount of salt continued to tempt me long after we finished our dinner.
My husband had the meatloaf dinner with horseradish mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts and a side salad. Â I had a caesar salad with chicken, fresh shaved parmesan and extra anchovies. Our daughter a grilled cheese sandwich with a side of carrots. Â We were thoroughly impressed with the quality of the ingredients and preparation of the food. Â The meatloaf dinner had a hint of spicy curry to it, the little brussel sprouts hot and crisp, not overcooked or soggy. Â My caesar salad dressing had just a bite of fresh garlic to it, not too much - the salad was perfectly dressed, not gloppy. Â The extra anchovies I ordered were the large ones (my favorite) and a generous serving. Â The roasted chicken tasty, not dry. Â Even the carrots which accompanied our daughters sandwhich weren't the awful 'baby carrots' you usually find with a kids meal - but long, fresh cut slices from regular carrots.
The manager was watching the room and service, she stopped by our table at least once to ensure that we were enjoying our meal.
Too full for dessert, I opted for a double espresso with a little cream - Bellingham Bay Roasters coffee was served. Â Another plus and a perfect finish to a great meal.
We will be back!!
Four of us went to for a brunch, staff seemed a bit rushed dealing with the drive thru, not unpleasant, but not warm and welcoming. Â The food was less than stellar, egg dishes cooked in the microwave, expensive for the quality. Â Sorry but this place just does not work for a brunch, possible great if you want a coffee and muffin.
Review Source:Okay. Â I had a less than stellar experience at The Fountain and wrote a review. Â The owner sent me a gracious apology and offered a gift certificate. Â That seemed like a nice gesture. Â I was impressed. Â
Not any longer. Â That was July 30. Â I never did receive anything. Â So my friends and I took our breakfast business out to The Fork.
I've been here before and thought I remembered good food and decent service. Â Not this time, the biscuits in the biscuits and gravy were tough, seemingly old and clearly from a can. Cook messed up my over easy eggs, came over well. My brother ordered a medium rare burger and was assured by the waiter that it would be cooked to order, it came out medium well. Our waiter seemed completely disinterested in us, with no personality. We even had to serve ourselves more water at one point.
Beautiful patio and good sweet potato fries.
Whenever I visit my friends in Bellingham, I also visit the Fountain. I go because there's nothing else like it in town.
A few weeks ago I dropped in for lunch and sat at the bar for a great steak sandwich and sweet potato fries that lived up to their reputation. Dining solo often can be be a drag but my server gave me the option of sitting at the bar or at a table in the main dining area. I sat at the bar because I hadn't before, but was happy to have been given a choice. The service was attentive, friendly, and present. Plus, there was no attitude, something I often find in San Fran's busier restaurants.
I chose to go back a few nights later, on a Friday, Â because I wanted a place with great food and a lively atmosphere. The Fountain delivered and my second meal was as good as my first. I had a reuben sandwich, a salad, and a draught beer, all delicious.
Dining is an experience, where people, atmosphere, and great food intersect. The Fountain understands this. That is why I'm giving them five stars. I can't find anything similar in Bellingham.
Looking forward to my next visit.
I'm not normally one to write such a negative review, but after "Happy Hour" at The Fountain, I didn't feel like they wanted my business. If it wasn't for the beautiful atmosphere, I would have kept another star.
Although our server was fairly pleasent, we were ignored repeatedly as she made her rounds (there were maybe 3 other tables at the time). After we ordered, it took at least 20 minutes for our first drink to arrive, and another 20 for a refill. To be fair, the appetizer did come in a timely manner.
The Happy Hour prices posted on their website are no longer in effect, and they (I believe this was the bartender's decision) refused to honor them when asked. I'm not really sure if the $2 they saved on the 2 well drinks I ordered was worth risking the loss of my repeat business.
Finally, I couldn't help but overhear the table next to us returning their fries because they found multiple hairs...I guess we got out lucky!
The Fountain's atmosphere is casual but elegant with stepped-up versions of the usual comfort fare - burgers on brioche, hand-cut fries etc. The fries were definitely notable. I also hear their fish and chips are great. Prices were fair. However, I recently went through the drive-through while looking for a different place to order a Ceasar salad with chicken than my usual Trader Joe's refuge. I have to say it was decent, albeit a little underwhelming given the other menu items I've tried there (I'd add more garlic, parmesan and lemon), and fast. The salad only took about three minutes from order to car window. The price ($8 plus an extra $3 for chicken) was also a little more than I wanted to spend for a lunchtime salad but a lot of restaurants are charging those prices now. I think I'll still stick with the $3.50 chicken Ceasar salad from the to-go section at Trader Joe's for lunch because I'm on a budget. Overall, a nice place to have dinner without spending tons of money.
Review Source:OK, so I'm not the best to write a food review, but I had to rave about the drinks! Went with friends for an after work drink & tried the infused lemon vodka basil martini. Â Yummy! Dan the bartender was the best, funny & great ideas. The appys were good, we had bruchetta & calamari, and both were really good. Only giving 4 stars for now since I really haven't had a full meal, but the atmosphere was really fun & there were lot's of raving fans sitting at the bar with us having dinner. Maybe the poor prior reviews were from awhile ago, but I'll be going back in the near future!
Review Source:A friend and I went there for breakfast recently for the first time. I had the eggs benedict with smoked salmon - delish! Loved the home fries as well.
The atmosphere is very nice and has its own unique style to it, plus an awesome outdoors seating area.
Great service, too! Next time, I'll try their lunch and dinner menus - hopefully as good as their breakfast!
I ordered the steak salad and the dressing was wonderful and the lettuce was fresh and crisp.  However, it was not worth the $12 I paid for it.  The steak was  cut in a cube size that was a little too big to eat in one bite, especially because it was so chewy and tough.  It was like chewing (and chewing) a cud.  I tried cutting the next piece and it was too tough to cut with the knife provided.  There was only 3 pieces of steak in the salad and no bread was included.  The coffee was very good but I probably won't go back.
Review Source:Went to have some dessert this evening, I probably should have gone to Denny's.  My brother had the brownie which was horrible - it  was dry and kinda crunchy, not what any of expected out of a brownie.  I ordered the bread pudding and wasn't impressed with that either.  The only thing that was good (possibly because it's hard to screw up) were the sweet potato fries.  My brother had to go ask to get coffee refilled, even though there were only 2 other tables at that time.  I won't be returning her again.
Review Source:wow....i can not believe it, but it has been over 8 months since I was last here, and once again it is as if this is the restaurant that time has forgot....nothing has changed...worse i would have to say....i get friends who have never been here, and get attracted to the pretty setting, so I say "ok, i will go with you, but you have to pay..." Â Boy, did they pay - in more ways than one...this place is terribly managed, inconsistent, unconditionally one of the worst places to eat and be served with ignored stares....YIKES....you are on your own when you come here....
Review Source:I LOVE this place! I stop here almost every time I'm on this side of town. Their coffee is to die for but my absolute favorite thing is their Italian sodas. What makes them so special is the whipped cream. I have no idea what's in it, but it has tasted like everything from vanilla to maple syrup. So good. :D
Review Source:Once the site of a Kentucky Fried Chicken, The Fountain Bistro & Drive-thru shows no trace of the building's previous tenant, except for a framed painting of Colonel Sanders hanging in the dining room. Thankfully it shows no culinary resemblance, with the Fountain offering a selection of sophisticated bistro-style dishes like the grilled BATC (bacon, arugula, tomato and white cheddar on Breadfarm focaccia), steak salad and chicken picatta.
Arriving for dinner on a Monday night, my friends and I were seated outside within the walls of the attractive, secluded and partially-covered patio. The ambiance outside is nice with vegetation surrounding the tables, forcing you to forget about the parking lot just beyond the walls. Quality outdoor dining is rare in this town, so make sure to take advantage of this spot while the weather is nice. If you don't have time to stop, they have a large to-go menu and a drive-up window for your convenience.
Since we sat outside, we didn't see much of the interior. From what I made out, the small bar at the entrance looked inviting and intimate. We were impressed by the beer list (Ninkasi Total Domination IPA always on tap? Yes please! They also sell bottles at retail price and do growler fill-ups), but we decided to stick to water and spend more on the food.
Service throughout the meal was friendly and attentive; earning bonus points for the carafe of water that was left at the table, though we wished it was bigger. I started the meal off with the Toasted Four Cheese Truffle Oil Bites. When they arrived, it appeared that she brought us cheese bread from a mainstream pizza joint. To my surprise, the fontina, parmesan, asiago and provolone cheeses, along with the truffle oil on Breadfarm focaccia, created somewhat of a cheesy, oily orgasm in my mouth, leaving me craving more the moment we finished them. You can't go wrong with truffle oil.
Luckily the side salad that came with my main dish arrived right after we finished the bread, refreshing my tastebuds with the mixed greens, croutons and vinaigrette. For a side salad, it was a generous serving, though I couldn't quite place what made the dressing stand out so much from other vinaigrettes I've had.
For my main dish, I ordered the only vegetarian entree on the dinner menu: the Chef Ott's Spring Pasta. I wasn't necessarily in a pasta mood, but didn't have any other choices since I don't eat meat (everything else was centered around chicken, steak or seafood). Fortunately, it was delicious! The alfredo sauce that covered the penne pasta was addictively rich, but not overwhelming, and the generous helpings of vegetables like arugula, broccolini, mushrooms and grilled onions, along with balsamic vinegar, gave this dish a ton of different flavors that complimented one another well.
My friend went with the fish and chips. The fish was cooked to perfection, leaving the meat moist but the crust crispy and not overdone. House-made tartar sauce accompanied the fish, and the waitress thoughtfully brought vinegar to the table as well (more bonus points). Everyone at the table munched on the crispy, salty fries, and my friend said they might have been his favorite part of the meal. It didn't hurt that he also ordered a side of Tabasco aioli to give them a kick if he desired it.
Overall, everyone was extremely happy with the food, service and atmosphere of the Fountain. As a few broke 20-somethings though, we agreed this was probably going to be a place for special occasions, with an exception of the happy hour. Happening daily from 3-6 PM, and again at 9 PM close, the happy hour offers sliders with fries, pints of beer, cocktails and glasses of wine, at only $3 each. We spent $12 for each of the two entrees, and $6.50 on the appetizer.
Disclaimer: This review also appeared in July's issue of What's Up Magazine.
I would have to agree with the other reviewers and go with the word "inconsistent". I have had some fantastic meals and service at The Fountain but I have also had bad experiences there as well and I haven't been back since the last one (the bad started to outweigh the good). The bad experiences did not have anything to do with the food itself, it is a little spendy but I have no compliants about the food. The only reason I'm giving this review 2 stars is because of the service. I have had one of the servers on numerous occasions treat me like I'm an annoyance. The rolling of the eyes, the sigh, etc. This puts a bad taste in my mouth. It's too bad because I really liked their coconut curry soup. :/
Review Source:I want to love you, I really do.
Your atmosphere and ambiance are super cute and our waitress was great...but the food is just not what I expected. The sweet potato fries are delish, I will give you that. But my salad was made with old lettuce and the carrot shreds were dried out.
But I'm rooting for you! I see a lot of potential...Just get the consistency down and make the food the star.
I met 'the girls' here on Friday night for drinks and food. Â It was my first visit.
I ordered a latte which took a long time to arrive. When it did I had to ask for napkins. No one at our table got napkins with our drinks, and no one got their drinks in order. Â I was one of the first to order a drink, yet other people at my table that ordered similar drinks after me got theirs a while before me. Â
My latte was delicious. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I also ordered the 4 cheese bread with truffle oil. Â It was a nice side to the latte.
Later, I ordered a Lemon Drop, which was also wonderful. I noticed that another table ordered the same thing, but their waitress put lemon wedges on their glass. Â About half of my friends also ordered Lemon Drops. I noticed there were large discrepancies in the size of the drinks. Some of the glasses were almost full. Some were 2 inches lower in the glass. I thought that was weird, since I watched the same person make them, and deliver them.
Our waitress was odd. She seemed spacey and unapologetic, although polite. Â She needed to be reminded of simple things, and seemed to have a tough time keeping track of what people needed.
All in all, I enjoyed The Fountain. I'd like to go back and try some of their other menu items. Â I haven't written them off, but for the price, they better deliver consistently or I won't return.
One other thing I'd recommend - if you're part of a group of more than 6, I'd definitely call ahead. We had to sit outside for over an hour before a table opened up that would seat all 9 of us.
This place is...fine. Â The food is overpriced for the quality, and the staff is nice, but sloooowwww. Â My sister-in-law and I split the grilled cheese with truffle oil, sweet potato fries, and quiche. Â The sweet potato fries were great, and everything else was good - not spectacular, but solid. Â
We were all set to order dessert, and waited for the waitress - who had never come by to even refill our water - to come back. We waited. And waited. And waited. Â
FINALLY she came back. Â We ordered the fudge chocolate cake and dutch apple pie. Â 5-10 minutes later she comes back to say they don't actually have dutch apple pie - it was written up wrong on the board. Â So we ordered the spiced pear crisp. Â The desserts were good. Â Again, solid, not amazing. Â She gave us separate checks. Â We told her we just wanted one, and she said she would bring us another.
So we waited. Â Yep, this is the theme.
Finally we just went up to the front and paid.
I might go through the drive-thru if I'm right there. Â I won't eat in the restaurant again.
This review is for the $12 Reuben sandwich I got there yesterday. A Reuben is supposed to be big and juicy, not flat dry and  empty. This was the most pathetic attempt at a Reuben ever. Hardly any meat or kraut, and I am not sure if there was even any sauce or cheese on it, sad, just a sad sandwich. The fries were good.
Review Source:I just came back from lunch at the Fountain and haven't been there since my last review.  I was really hoping for something great and was kind of looking  forward to their lunch menu.  I ended up having the driest chicken breast sandwich and side of sweet potato fries ever.  The portion was small for the price.  That didn't help. Â
On top of that, I ordered an americano and a chocolate chip cookie to go. Â The americano was fine, still nothing special. Â But the cookie was recommended by the barista. Â She said all pastries were made in house and that it was "so good." On the first bite, it tasted like the packaged cookies in the bakery section of Costco. Â If I could return it, I would. Â I want to throw it out, except I hate wasting money. Â I'll just eat my Costco cookie and be sad about the money I just wasted at the Fountain.
My wife and I had our rehearsal dinner at the fountain and had scheduled the dining section of the restaurant out to capacity.
When the inevitable occurred and we had a plethora of extra guests show up the staff was incredibly accommodating especially James who was always there to make sure that there were seats available and plates and glasses full.
The prime rib was succulent, and the Barista Ashley prepared some festive adornments at the door.
I have since returned twice and been equally as impressed with the coffee and lunch service currently enjoying a chicken French train sandwich an espresso.
I have been to The Fountain twice in the last couple of weeks and have decided it might be "one" of the places I will be proud to call my own.
My partner and I took his son to breakfast a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed the laid-back and comfortable accommodations. Â The menu had a number of choices, though I will admit, for a breakfast place, there was a distinct shortage of typical American breakfast fair (pancakes, waffles, and "grand slam"ish combos. Â
I also had lunch there on a Saturday and the same menu (for breakfast) was offered, in addition to one with lunch selections.
The decor and seating are quite nice and comfortable. Â It took a few minutes to get seated, even though there were plenty of seats available...the drive-thru (selling mostly coffee and pastries) was keeping the light staff, busy.
I am more a fan of traditional breakfasts, and The Fountain is pretty light on tradition. Â Pancakes were the special (re: they're not on the regular menu) but this is no IHOP. Â I will have to come back to try the other menu items. Â My Fountain Scramble was ordinary, but the hash browns were excellent. Â As was the strawberry preserves.
For lunch, I and a friend each enjoyed one of The Fountain's "French Train Sandwich" (a sandwich made on a French Baguette). Â We had ham and brie...it was awesome! Â The warmed brie on toasted bread was excellent, I highly recommend it.
I look forward to many more visits toThe Fountain. Â Give it a try, I think you'll enjoy it, too!
I like this place quite a bit and have been coming here often since it opened in the winter of 2009-2010. I think the service and menu selections have improved a lot in the Fountain's first year. Lately they've been adding weekend specials and interesting new menu items that are great. p.s the sweet potato fries are OHHH SO GOOD.
Review Source:I had been wanting to check this place out for a while and recently stopped in for lunch with a friend. Â I am not entirely sure if The Fountain will be able to continue this jack-of-all-trades eatery idea. Â I mean when you really think about the concept of a wine bar, coffee house, breakfast lunch and dinner restaurant, AND drive through all in one, it seems like a bit much, and when I dined there it seemed like it too.
I had the BATC sandwich with sweet potato fries, which was great, and my friend had savory crepes which I tried and were also delicious (although she was expecting them to come with chicken, which we couldn't see or taste). Â Our server was very nice and attentive, but when the place got a bit busier, we didn't see her again (and it is not a big place). Â We eventually had to ask a different server for our check, which was a bummer. Â
It seemed like there are only a few people staffed to cover a lot of positions here which really doesn't allow them to concentrate on high quality of service, even though, like I said the employees were all very polite. Â If I eat here again I'll probably just call in an order for pick up so I don't have to worry about the service.
I agree with a previous reviewer who suggested that the Fountain was more style over substance. Having been a few times for different meals I think the general consensus among my friends is that it simply tries to do too much. Indeed, in their website they say, it is "A coffeehouse, a cafe, a grand cafe, a wine bar, a village pub, a bottle shop, a French bistro, and an American diner."
It may be all of these things, but none of them are fantastic. My breakfast experience was poor - the food was overpriced and while it tasted fine it was nothing to write home about. My dinner experience was fine. Nice wait staff, good food, but again, nothing to write home about and slightly overpriced.
I did have a very nice late-evening snack/drink once at that was the highlight. The Fountain excels with its appetizers, especially the fries and the cheese place. Both were fantastic! The wine was good, and the Stout Flout we got to finish off was surprisingly good as well.
In short, everything is fine, but nothing is too special. I think the Fountain tries a little too hard to be too much and in doing so becomes something it's not, or shouldn't be. That said, if you want to go out with your girlfriend and get a nice drink and some snacks it's pretty nice.
Service here is atrocious.
This review is based on THREE visits in one week, so the things mentioned here are not isolated incidents. Â To keep it simple, however, I will give you insight to my latest visit only.
Upon arrival, my guest and I stood in the doorway, awkwardly, for almost 10 minutes. Â Several of the waitstaff looked at us, but none smiled, acknowledged or approached us. Â I commented to my guest, "Perhaps we are invisisble?"...and waited another several minutes until the waitperson who would soon become the downfall to the whole experience greeted us by saying, "How are you girls today?"...clearly thinking she was cute. Â I'm referring to the early 20's Asian female hostess/server/whatever who acts like she is too good for her job when she can't even execute the basic requirements of it. Â First of all, I'm in my thirties, my guest is in her 60's...more deserving of "ladies" or nothing at all. Â
The waitstaff here is timid and inexperienced. Â The same "girl" who greeted us, picked the worst possible table to seat us at - in a dark corner right next to the only other couple in the place. Â When I asked to sit elsewhere, she rolled her eyes and shrugged, like I had just asked for the moon from the sky. Â After ordering our food, we were less than halfway through our sandwiches when I asked "the girl" for more water. Â Again, annoyed, she took our water container only to never return, although she made eye contact with me two more times from behind the counter. Â After several more minutes, I left my seat and walked up to the counter and asked a different server if we could have more water. Â Total buzzkill.
Sandwich prices are steep but they are well made and tasty. Â I can't seem to understand why hot sandwiches come with salad and cold ones do not. Â I added a salad for $3 and it arrived as a small serving of mixed greens with some sort of vinaigrette. Â It wasn't bad, but certainly not worth an additional $3. Â Coffee here is hit and miss. Â Ambiance is nice although it struggles for an identity. Â Outdoor seating under an arbor is lovely.
It's unfortunate that the service here just kills the potential this place has. Â We had to ask for everything, and then wait...and wait....and wait. Â I had high hopes for this place and excitedly anticipated its opening, but was left with a feeling of enough disappointment that I likely won't return soon, if ever.
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