Cafe Hon

Overpriced food, terrible management. It's a gift shop that happens to sell (bad) food. Not a true representation of Baltimore. more

I can't believe I waited for years and finally drove the two hours from my house to get there...what a disappointment! The wait staff acted like we were an intrusion (a small party of four, during a very slow Labor Day post-lunch). The food was adequate--although being served my egg salad on cinnamon bread (instead of cheese bread) was certainly an experience! My son's hamburger was nothing out of the ordinary and the bread pudding was too sweet. We did end up buying some souvenirs from the gift shop; but apparently only one person could ring us up and she had to be dragged out of the backroom while several other employees stood around talking. I have enjoyed reading the owner's blog; however, the ambience in actuality does not match what is depicted on the website. Will never go back. more

First read about the Cafe in a Delta Magazine. Months later I was surfing the web for ""news"" and a ""flamingo protest"" on Baltimore court house lawn popped up. The cafe sounded like a FUN place and it was. Our granddaughter loved it and the food was great. It was impossible to find parking on the street (because of the snow storms) but there was a plowed parking lot out back! My family said, ""Let's go again!"" We loved it! Pros: Drinks, Food, Dessert...delicious. Friendly service :) Cons: Wish we could have finished our desserts... more

Overpriced and not that great of food. I got an omelet and it came out as if they skipped skillet - they were raw. I would recommend City Cafe for much better food at a similar price. Plus the owner Denise has an annoying fake Hon accent and made a huge deal about paying a very reasonable city fee for her now gone Flamingo. more

I eat a minimum of 4 dinners each week in a different restaurant, either in B-more or somewhere in the USA. My first visit to the Hon was 8 years ago and it was awful. Went again this evening and it was even worse! The food was fresh but impossibly bland. It was as if the chef was cooking for the nursing home residents! No butter, no salt, no flavor, no bread, no cheese... I ordered a house salad which means a dinner plate of lettuce, 4 small slices of cucumber and 2 cherry tomatos. Oh yes, and the dill dressing that my niece wore home on her dress, without a single word of apology from the waitress! I won't go on...but if you are in Hampden and the The Dogwood is closed for the month of August, go north on Falls Rd, to Cold Spring Lane, take a right and eat at Alonso's or Loco Hombre. Pros: decor and menu selection Cons: the food and the service more

\r I have been going to Cafe Hon for years, however due to a recent family illness I have been away from Baltimore for several months. Upon Returning to Baltimore, I was looking forward to going to ""the Hon"" to enjoy some great food. To my suprise, the Hon had a few tricks up their sleeves. Known for its home style cooking. I was impressed to see a new Specialty Salad selection that had over 8 Gourmet Salads and several new items added to the regular menu including a sandwich called the BIG BAY CLUB which is a non traditional club sandwich changing out the ham and turkey for crabcake and shrimp salad.\r \r There were so many new things to try, I couldnt decide on just one. Luckly I was with friends and we all decided to order and share everything. I ordered the BIG BAY CLUB and was very happy to see the extra large Sandwhich that was presented to me. The Hon may have created a new classic here. The blending of crabcake, bacon and shrip salad was incerdible. \r \r Among the Favorites of my friends.. the Southern Belle Salad with its lemon poppyseed dressing, House made fried chicken tenders. cranberries and toasted almonds was a winner. We also sampled one of the weekly blue plate specials the Roasted Half Chicken. I have always loved this Hon Classic and I was glad to see that they had not changed the preperation while I was away.\r \r As usual for the HON, my Service was fantastic and our table was checked on by not only our waitress, but also by the Manager, who just wanted to make sure we were enjoying our meal.\r \r All and all, my return to the HON after several months was a suprise and I really enjoyed that. Im actually planning on stoping in quite a bit more to try all of the new items. Pros: great new menu items Cons: not living in Hampden more

Cafe Hon is really cutely decorated, but the food is horrible. I go there simply for the nostalgia of the place. \r The food is pricey and not that tastey. The best tasting item, that I have found to order are the burgers (not great, but fair). \r Saturday, when I went I ordered a burger and a side of fries (with drinks this will cost you about $16.00). The fries were greasy and undercooked, which made them limp and yucky. The location at night isn't the nicest area either. Pros: Cute atmosphere, nostalgic Cons: The over-priced food is awful! more

I was in Baltimore two weeks ago, and having heard about Cafe Hon on T.V., decided to go there for lunch. Although it was very busy (weekend of Hampden Fest), we were seated promptly; and considering the food is ""cooked to order"", the wait was not exceptionally long. Although the servings were generous, the food itself was nothing to rave about. The crab cakes were dry, the fries nothing special, and the steak had little flavor. The dill vinaigrette, however, was fabulous and the apple pie and coffee were very good. I had planned on buying vinaigrette (which they sell), but suffered an attach of SPSS -- Sticker Price Shock Syndrome. $134 for two adults and three children. Too expensive for this type of eatery and food. I honestly could not recommend this place to anyone if they want more than pie and coffee. Pros: Generous serving of apple pie Cons: Too expensive for mediocore food more

I have been going to Cafe Hon for many years, and have watched the prices go up, while the quality goes down. I ate there last night and my meal was awful. I had the fried chicken breast....it was raw in the middle, the mashed potatoes were instant, and the vegetables had no flavor. It also came with a piece of corn bread the size of Texas. Really.....was that necessary?!? The cornbread should be a side item, not the main course. I won't be going back. There are too many great places to eat in Baltimore, than waste your time and taste buds on mediocre (and that's being generous) food. more

I do not think I have ever been in a dirtier restaurant. The wood floors had a black layer of dirt and god knows what else. We were seated at a corner table and were visited throughout the meal by two flies. Our server was very amiable but the ,unfortunately ,was nothing great. My hubby's poached eggs were undercooked and my creamed beef dish was bland and starchy. I cannot see what people like about this place. Pros: Good service Cons: food, lack of hygiene more

I used to eat at Cafe Hon quite a bit and the food and service used to be good. However, the last time I ate there made me decide to never go back. Myself and my dining partner were the 2nd people on the waiting list. 17 people entered the restaurant after us. The owner of the place stepped in to manage the crowd and sat all 17 people ahead of us. She quite obviously ignored us and proceeded to rearrange chairs and tables to seat the larger parties who arrived after us. We would have been OK with having to wait if she had only acknowledged us and offered a free drink or dessert as compensation. She did neither and refused to even look at us though she could see we were clearly not pleased. We complained to the Hostess after the owner disappeared and she basically said too bad. To add insult to injury, when we were finally seated and our order taken, it took over an hour to get our food and the food was not very good. We were not the only disgruntled diners. A large party next to us were quite unhappy and had several meals removed from their bill. I would not necessarily discourage people from going here but would suggest getting there before the dinner crowd and if you arrive and the place is crowded, leave and go to another restaurant. Pros: Some good comfort food and decent veggie alternatives Cons: Service bad, atmosphere loud & crowded more

Food was good, but way too expensive. We each had a hamburger with french fries and two beers. The total came to $38. A little ridiculous for Hampden. But there is nowhere else down there to eat so people line up every night willing to pay high prices for good home style food and average portions. I was there on a sunday night and they had to turn people away. If you are hungry and in Hampden for some reason then it's your best bet. Otherwise, not worth the effort. more

Outstanding comfort food! We took a group of out-of-towners to Cafe Hon- they all loved it. Great selection for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert (their pies are outstanding). The bar usually has decent happy hour specials (last time they had $1.00 Natty Boh), and the staff is nothing short of great. Pros: Great food, wonderful dessert, Great people, hon! Cons: Parking, It's rather small, Tourists won't get it more

Trying TOO hard to be kitschy and for what you get, I would consider this not a good value. It's a tourist trap! Pros: Interesting Decor Cons: expensive more

Gingerbread pancakes, fresh muffins, friendly waitresses, great service. It's perfect for Sunday brunch with friends or the in-laws. Pros: inexpensive more

A fantastic remnant of old Baltimore- with a cool modern twist. Old-fashioned favorites (creamed chipped beef, anyone?) and hummus on the same menu! Excellent brunches- mimosas and Old Bay bloody marys rule! Some of the friendliest waitstaff in the greater Baltimore area. Pros: Trendy, Diverse, Fun more