Mike L.
Yelp
When I came across Camellia on Yelp, there was little doubt that I was going to head straight here. Firstly, all of their awesome reviews and the photos of their breakfast sandwich were too good to resist. Secondly, they were the closest place to me that was open at 7:30am on a Sunday. However, if you had simply told me that they have a crane game here where you can possibly win free food and coffee, I would have come here simply for that! What can I say? I'm just a grown man who's just a big kid at heart (that likes to gamble for food, apparently...).
Now, while I didn't have any expectations for what Camellia looked like, I've got to admit it's far bigger than I thought it would've been. Even after setting aside space for their coffee roasting equipment, they've still got plenty of seating inside, in addition to the handful of tables outside. More importantly, the menu here is solid, albeit modest. Their half dozen or so varieties of coffees, cold brews, teas, and "non-coffees" may be fairly standard (save for their horchata cold brew), but their breakfast bagels (from Boichik!) and sandwiches all look and sound so good!
Since I had the hankering for something meaty, I (reluctantly) decided to skip their Hooked-Up Bagel (Bagel with Scallion-Dill Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon) in favor of the SAUSAGE BREAKFAST SANDWICH ($10.25) and added Avocado (+$2.25). Made up of a two-egg omelet with Cheese, Scallions, and Cholula Aioli (along with the avocado) on a Brioche Bun, this was one hefty and delicious sandwich! The eggs were soft and slightly gooey thanks to the cheese, the sausage was super juicy, there was a good amount of avocado, and they sure didn't skimp on the scallions! The one thing I wasn't as big of a fan of was their brioche bun, which tasted great and was nicely toasted, but tons of flakes/crumbs fell off with every bite I took (you've been warned!).
To drink, the COLD BREW ($4.50) was solid - moderately strong, flavorful, and not the least bit bitter. Given how hot the weather ended up getting when I was here, this ended up being rather refreshing too as the ice melted. That said, I'm curious as to how the Horchata Cold Brew tasted, as I've seen several folks mention it in their reviews, but I was perfectly happy with this, especially considering how it was the prize that I won on my very first try from their crane game (apparently, I'm also quite good at gambling for food).
Thanks to my coming here so early in the morning, I was here well before any of the seemingly typical weekend crowds showed up. However, even if I did, Camellia's sandwich (and the chance to win more freebies from their crane game) would still make it all worthwhile. In fact, even if I didn't win anything again, I'd still be happy to come back to try the Horchata Cold Brew and their Hooked-Up Bagel!
FOUR AND A HALF STARS rounded up.