Sputnik

this place is dark, a little gritty, and completely awesome. the food is SO good and you wouldn't expect it in a place like this. though it is bar food, someone in the kitchen seriously cares about flavors. and it's great for vegetarian options too.

i do second the comment about it getting crowded and territorial. if you're there for sunday brunch $5 carafes of mimosas, get there early or prepare to stand around. people who get seats are there for hours.

Pros: Yummy food. Seriously. I recommend the mac 'n cheese, the Vietnamese sandwich, and the sweet potato fries. The kitchen is open late, so it's great when you're starving at midnight. Cheap specials for Happy Hour too. $1 fries & $2 sweet potato fries + 1 dipping sauce. I recommend the vegan wasabi mayo. Also, there's always inexpensive beer on tap + creative tails.

Super friendly staff. Always cheerful. They never leave you for long, so you'll always have coffee refills or another beer on the way.

Cons: As for fellow customers, beware that Sputnik's gets busy on Friday nights. I've been carelessly pushed out of the way by people with drinks in hand accompanied by pompous attitudes. Oh and folks are pretty adamant on keeping their spot at the bar. I've had people make eye contact with me, then push their elbows over to prevent me from having enough space to order. After 20 minutes of waiting, I left. So basically, don't expect it to be easy to get a drink on a busy night. -One last note, I've been charged a higher price for my drink than what it said on the menu on more than one occasion.

More Cons: Be aware that this is much more a bar than a coffee shop, even during the day. (Though they do have nice coffee and great brunch on the weekends.) It's just a bit too dark and loud (from the music as well as fellow patrons) to get much work done let alone talk with the person next to you. The darkness does mean low glare, however. Lastly, there's free WiFi, but good luck finding an an outlet for your laptop.

Overall review: I live quite close to Sputnik, so I'll certainly be back... but only for the food. I like them... a LOT. I just realized that I've had more negative experiences than positive ones.