Soup Caffe is one of the North Bay's hidden gems. The Kim family serves up fresh soup and sandwiches at very low prices, all in a warm and friendly atmosphere. I tried the tomato basil and Italian sausage soups, and ordered a BLTA sandwich. Both soups tasted flavorful without being overpowering (slight edge to the tomato basil) and the BLTA sandwich's lean bacon was cooked to a crispy perfection, well balanced against the fresh sourdough bread and avocado. My eyes must have been bigger than my stomach as I picked up some fresh chocolate chip cookies and Thanksgiving coffee for the road. The cookies were fresh, and the coffee hot. What's not to like?
Well, if you are expecting a place with rude patrons with Bluetooth earpieces who converse with an invisible person while in line, this isn't your place. Instead, Soup Caffe is refreshingly down-to-earth. Customers converse with each other and with the Kims. The Kims' regular customers often swing by to pick up soup to go for out-of-town guests or for their kids returning home from college. You can sit at one of the small tables inside, or if the weather's nice (like today), you can sit outside on the lawn underneath the tree.
I'll be back!
Pros: Phenomenal soup, great value, and wonderful owners
Cons: The antithesis of a see-and-be-seen place
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