Mama Bear's

Great Sandwiches!  The service may be a little slow at times, and you may pay a dollar or two more for a sandwich, but it is worth it.  One of the only coffee shops in the area that takes a stab at being authentic and original.  Coffee is good (beans come from a roaster in St. Louis I believe), baked goodies are sinfully delicious, and the lunch menu is fantastic.  I get the club sandwich every time and I am never disappointed.  Friends have had the chicken salad and enjoy it.  The staff is friendly and always accommodate my lunch dates with my two year old.  Overall, a great place.  I love that it is locally owned and operated - I am tired of chains!

Decided to check out Mama Bear's for an iced coffee beverage of some sort following a hot yoga class next door at Flourish Yoga.  

I walked in and was greeted with some odd bear-themed decorations and a nearly empty case of pastries and sweets. While the few stragglers that were still in the case looked tasty, the fact that only a few were left was fairly off putting

I requested a large Iced Latte.  The woman taking my order looked at me like I was insane. "You mean you want your coffee on ice?" She asked me.  Well, yes, I said, it is hot outside and I would like a refreshing drink.  She scowled and started punching on the cash register.

I then asked if I could have a flavor in my drink.  "You want a FLAVOR in your ICED drink?!?" I was asked incredulously.  Yes, ma'am, I enjoy vanilla syrups in my lattes, have you heard of such a thing?

She actually had to go and ask her manager whether they could flavor my drink....He said yes, but I was informed they would have to re-enter my order into the cash register.

Overall, the entire experience was bizarre. I have never had an order for an iced vanilla latte be so complicated, nor be questioned for ordering such an "odd" beverage.  It took about 15 minutes to order and receive my beverage despite being the only customer in line.

The drink itself? Decent, but not worth four bucks - definitely not worth the effort to order something so complicated. Not the best espresso I have ever had, and the proportions of milk and syrup were a little off.  They served my iced drink in an insulated styrofoam cup, which was slightly off putting as well.

Would consider trying the place for sweets or a quick bite to eat, but definitely wouldn't go back just for a coffee again.

I pretty much go to Mama Bear's for one thing: the oriental chicken wrap.

Though Mama Bear's is really a coffeehouse/bakery - or at least it used to be - I like the place for lunch. Let's talk about the chicken wrap - take a spinach tortilla and fill it with chicken salad, crunchy chinese noodles, baby greens and poppyseed dressing, then side it with homemade cranberry relish...delicious, I tell you!  Honestly, I've tried to make this exact sandwich at home and it never tastes the same - it's gotta' be that poppyseed dressing....haven't been able to find the kind they use at Mama Bear's.

On our visit, hubby had the BLT, which he raved over because it had a light smear of cream cheese along with the usual suspects. He said this made the sandwich really pop. We both had a cup of the Asiago cheese bisque, which had just the right amount of cheesiness and was not too heavy for a midday lunch.

Sadly, we did not have room - or the calorie budget - for any of Mama Bear's pies or other goodies. However, I have had them in the past and they are wonderful. Flavors to try: Buttermilk, Burgundy Berry and Carmel Dutch Apple :-)