No Sweat Cafe

We had the opportunity/honor to visit the Montana State in JUN_FY2024 and it was an amazing experience, a great opportunity to learn more about Montana's history and legacy. We swing by at No Sweat Cafe, and for sure it's a remarkable place. Definitely, it's a place that deserves my respect. It was a privilege enjoy the amazing food and outstanding atmosphere.

It's a little cramped but the food and portions are spot-on and reasonably priced.

A funky breakfast and brunch Cafe that is well known to Helena locals. Cash only and cell phones are discouraged. Food was fantastic, a little slow but phenomenal service and excellent tasting food.

Today, our ROMEO Club of Helena visited a restaurant with a terrible name for a place that serves food. In fact, the name is what has kept us from visiting this prior to today. The name is the “No Sweat Cafe” and I just don’t want to be thinking about bodily fluids when I’m eating out. The No Sweat Cafe is located in a quaint old building on Last Chance Gulch in the downtown Helena area. Eclectic artwork by a local artist is displayed for sale on the walls. The seating is comprised of wooden chairs and booths. This restaurant accepts cash or checks only, but they have an ATM conveniently located on site, which charges a couple bucks to use. Coffee is average cafe coffee. Our server started out a little slow on refills. But improved after a couple promptings. The background music is a little loud causing Otto to not be able to hear normal conversation. On the tables next to the salt and pepper shakers is another shaker with an orange substance. I discovered through tasting that it was a chili powder mixture. I tasted it so that you won’t have to. I somewhat regret it. After I tried it Otto also tried it and, by the look on his face, I could tell that he also regretted it. Our ROMEO Club had a few extra guys along as we enjoy a family reunion. I ordered a burger with hash browns instead of chips, while everyone else ordered some form of breakfast. My burger didn’t come out with everyone else’s breakfasts. In fact, they didn’t put my burger on the grill until after they delivered everyone else’s meals and wondered why I didn’t have anything. She even asked me, “What was your order?” While waiting on my meal, I figured that I might as well ask everyone how their food was. Steven’s dish was covered in fresh cilantro, which he set aside, as he remarked, “The salsa is good.” Jay stated, “The food was ok. The eggs were cooked a little short of how I ordered them. The sausage was spicy, and the bacon was salty. Overall the food tasted good, but the coffee was just average. “ Luke said, “It was good. I liked it. I’d give it a C+.” Rocco, “It was just a standard breakfast, nothing special.” “Food was average.“ Otto. Once my burger was finally delivered, I found the flavor to be delicious, a nicely cooked burger with the standard toppings and some kind of savory sauce on a ciabatta bun. Everyone at the table got to watch me enjoy it as they finished their meals as mine was being delivered. I can’t speak for the flavor of the hash browns, because I forgot to add them when I reordered. Our server offered no apologies for the order malfunction, however, as compensation they deducted 10% off the total bill and didn’t charge me for the hash browns (which they hadn’t delivered.) They also didn’t charge us for the three coffees. We ordered separately, which our server acknowledged, but still put all the charges on one ticket making it difficult to figure out who owed what. That whole business with the single ticket seemed like fuzzy math. Mistakes happen, but of course I was disappointed in the fact that they forgot my order. There are much worse places to eat in Helena, but there are also much better places to eat within a few blocks of this location.

Cash only cafe with tons of organic and tasty options. No frills local cafe that’s super welcoming and has great vibes. The staff is super attentive and nice. The coffee is great and organic which is a nice perk. The food is a smaller portion but not small if that makes sense. It taste great and I’m excited to come back and try other options in the menu. The pricing is fair for the food.

Very small old-style sit-down cafe. Cash only. Great food and environment but tends to be very busy. Be prepared for a wait to get a seat if you are not there when the door opens, but well-worth it .

It was delicious! I was given a meal ticket by family to eat here, and it was fantastic! I will say, I waited a bit longer than I liked for my food, but the place was packed. It's a small intimate Cafe, they serve fresh food, not fast food. So if you have time to kill, why not give it a shot?

Cute little hole in the wall cafe. Food is amazing - the Tibetan Toad is 5 stars and do yourself the favor and get the orange juice!

I am not a breakfast connoisseur by any means and yet, I always think of the No Sweat when I do have the hankering. There's nothing like pork sausage they get from some local hog farmer, it's best kept secret in. All of the entries are named after someone.their eggs are a huge treat. The Potatoes have been cooked and then cut up to fry crisp but not burned. Sausage is mixed up with potatoes and scallion and great cheddar cheese.great homemade orange juice. Coffee is a bit intense for me. How about 4.75 stars?? .

We waited an hour for a cup of chili and a side salad. Since they were busy we deliberately ordered something quick. Very frustrating experience. We will not be returning. The food is just OK - love that the ingredients are local

Sorry to say the food isn't as good as it used to be. I like this little cafe and was disappointed when I brought family and no one really liked their food. Big bummer.

Awesome funky little breakfast spot. The food was delicious, service excellent, and the coffee was hot and kept topped up. Important to point out they don't take cash (it's 2024... get with the times!) but they do have an ATM machine on site if you aren't prepared. They also do warn you before you order. Would still recommend despite this questionable business decision.

NO Sweat.... As in, the cook is NOT in a hurry / stressed. He takes each order as he received, and cooks it to perfection. And that takes time. All the negative reviews are clearly coming from complete morons. If you are here on Yelp... Read the damn reviews. I found the restaurant this morning by reading reviews...and I learned and expected the following: Expect to WAIT a bit at this restaurant. Up to an hour or more. Bring CASH, they don't except cards. Seating is small, and Tight...... Pretty basic. Smarter folks can obligee. The weak minded and entitled adult children complain. Weird. FOOD: The food was delicious. Not the best in the world, but super good. Great portion sizes. I'm 6'3" 245# and when I'm hungover I want a BIG breakfast. I received that today. SERVICE: Happy with smiles and there when I needed. SEATING: Small and tight. As explained in several other reviews.. PRICE: On par with everyone else in town. I hope you took the time to read the entire review. Now you know what to expect!!

Very good, reasonably priced slow food. I mean that as a compliment. We love their scrambles and omelets, and we'd probably like the rest of the menu if we 3ver strayed from our usual preferences. I just wish they offered some sort of cola for the unusual folks like me who like that with breakfast, but this place checks all the boxes. Great, friendly service and I give them kudos for the sign asking people not to take phone calls inside. I Just wish they were open more.

So. Don't don't come here without cash and a little extra time in your hands. But the scrambles are so worth it. Delicious. The half portion was a little lighter than I expected but delicious. Coffee was excellent but I could've used a quicker refill but it's one server covering the whole (small but darn cute) place. A perfect downtown treat!

I really liked this place. Everything was homemade and the staff was super nice. Great place to get some bottomless coffee and enjoy a breakfast or lunch. The only thing is that it isn't very big so it may be hard to find a table on a busy morning and not recommended at all for large groups. If youre solo, go for it!

Well they don't take credit cards, The food is great, the server is fantastic, Nicely portioned. One of those places you feel good about returning to.

every time i'm in helena i make sure i go to the No Sweat to get my Baker Lady's Special!

I used to be a big fan of the No Sweat Café, but my recent visits have been a huge letdown. The portion sizes have gotten significantly smaller that I'm left hungry even after paying $25, before tip for a Bakery Lady Potato adding extra cheese, two eggs and a coffee. Service has always been casual/slow but today, I only got a half cup of coffee and never got offered a refill or warm up. I miss the good old days when the No Sweat Café was my go-to spot: kinda expensive, but I always left full and satisfied and happy to support local business. But for the past couple years, things just haven't been the same. I can't recommend this place like I used to. I hope the No Sweat Café takes some feedback and makes some changes. I'd love to see this place get back to its former glory.

Holy fuck. Pretty fucking good food. Organic shit and all that. Prices not too bad. Not sure why it's called no sweat -- I sweat my ass off in here. My balls were stuck to the side of my leg when I stood up. Other than that, this place was pretty fucking good.

Nice little alternative place to eat breakfast and a very quiet atmosphere very simple and relaxing

This is a fantastic gem in the heart of downtown Helena. The raspberry pancake is a gastronomic experience. Be sure to add the no sweat pork patty along with the real maple syrup. The wait staff is charming. Overalls a five star experience.

Hands down amazing! The food was crazy ridiculous good. The service was high class top notch. I wanna eat here everyday. Loved the vibe, the people, the food. Hard to know which one was the best part. So good. Can't wait to come back!

Delicious, quaint, kind staff. I stopped in alone for a leisurely breakfast and was not disappointed. My server was kind enough to help me get the French Toast I wanted AND the eggs/hashbrowns without having too much food to handle. I sat in their little single booth "the confessional," it was so relaxing to just sip my coffee and munch my food. I'll be back for sure! Ps: they're still cash or check only, as other reviews have mentioned.

I'm starting this review before my food even arrives.... Which I ordered 45 minutes ago. The wait here is ridiculous. I don't care how good it is once it arrives, I'll never come back.

Stopped in for Lunch on a road trip. Food was really good. Homey and comforting, but with a little twist on the usual ingredients. All ages were comfortable there. Staff so friendly. Loved it!

I had high hopes for this place. Looks amazing. Highly recommended by friends. It's a very small place and we were fortunate to get a seat right away. Hours are very limited. Service was friendly. Food was good. However, the wait for food after the order was taken was over an hour! I understand short staffing (if that was the issue-not known). If this was the normal wait for food that is just not realistic based on the very limited hours this place is open. No apologies for the wait were given by the waitress so maybe this wait is normal??? If not, then the waitress should have advised there would be a wait or apologized for it. Truly disappointed. I wanted this place to be great and make it one of my go-to places. It has potential, lots of it.

No Sweat Cafe is an eclectic diner, which is a part of what makes Helena so unique. The food is phenomenal here, everything is fresh and local when possible. You can tell the hash browns are grated in house, and aren't some frozen junk. The sausage is the star of the show for me. It packs a garlic punch, and holds just the right amount of fat that makes it savory, and not a greasy mess. I had the Ole Miss, which is a perfect mix of egg, feta, greens, and of course, I added sausage. It feels a bit lighter because it comes with short grain brown rice, delish!! My boyfriend had the Baker Lady's Special (BLS). Hash browns are incredibly crispy and topped with cheddar, sausage, green onion, and he added an egg over easy on top. The food here is everything you want for breakfast!! Because of the great quality, and the cozy size, No Sweat is a place to come to relax, as service moves at a leisurely pace. I would say the average wait is around 30-45 minutes, but trust me, it's worth the wait!! One more thing, there is limited space, so it might be hard to accommodate a group over four or five. Enjoy!! This place is a hidden treasure!!

If you enjoy waiting an hour for your breakfast and waiting for refills of OK coffee, this is your place. Oh, and cash only just for convenience.

Great food for a reasonable price but not worth waiting over an hour for. There was 2 of us and we ordered 2 very light plates. We were told when we ordered that it would take about 45 minutes for our food to be prepared, we wanted to go with the flow because it looked busy and there's only one cook. It actually took an hour and a half to get our food. The waitress told us for about 20 minutes straight that our food was up next. Come to find out that that was also not true. A lady came and sat at the bar a half an hour after we got there and she got her food before we did. Then when we got the check we put our card out because we missed the small hand-written note posted below waist level on the window outside that they only accept check or cash. I had to navigate to a bank to get cash out of the ATM. Overall time spent at the restaurant was 2 hours for hashbrowns and an egg scramble. Moral of the story, do not come here if you're looking for a quick and easy meal. Thankfully the food was delicious.

My wife and I really enjoyed the food & service during our first visit tonight . We also really enjoyed the one on one conversation with the owner Eli after eating. Please go and support this local business and enjoy some great local food !

Pretty good food, service is decent. Just don't go here if you're in a rush, and note that it's cash/check only... my husband got a hash and I got the breakfast burrito, and we both really enjoyed it! Coffee was also pretty good!

Breakfast food comes in many shapes and sizes. Here in Helena, it took the form a Tibetan toad sprinkled lightly with green Tabasco sauce and washed down with multiple cups of organic black coffee. Tibetan toad, you say? It's a portion of scrambled eggs tossed with sausage bits, green onion, and garlic, with hashed brown potatoes and wheat toast on the side. Admittedly, it could be called something else, but No Sweat Cafe has a global vibe, and casual Bohemian sort of feel where visiting toads from Tibet would not at all feel out of place. Nor will you, if you happen to be passing through. The interior is warm, intimate, inviting, nothing fawning about the service, but not off-putting, either. The locals won't mind your presence, and the cooks in the kitchen will accommodate your order without undue hassle. A friend and I stayed for a longish hour, slowly working through our breakfast fare and sipping coffee until we had talked ourselves into exhaustion and needed some fresh air. We paid, said our goodbyes, and moved on. No sweat. Just a good wholesome breakfast and wide-ranging conversation. And no toads were harmed in the making of the meal, or or the lingering memory.

This place seems to have a following which is almost cult like. I've never understood why folks would stand in line for mediocre food, awful coffee and indifferent (and I'm being kind) service. Ive been here 4 times over the years to see if there's been any changes. I must say it's been consistently unpleasant. I avoided the weekends when the wait is interminable. So my breakfasts arrived in around 20 minutes in an almost empty restaurant. The coffee has always been burnt, and I wonder if that's a tradition like the 'don't give a hoot' service.

Great variety of breakfast items on the menu!! Good coffee (in great, old-fashioned mugs. We went on a Tuesday morning, so no wait nor any issues w service.

Waited over and hour for food. Its confusing there is no sense of urgency in the kitchen. Food did finally come after an hour and fifteen minutes. It was ok but not worth the wait.

We were looking at a different restaurant for breakfast, but they were closed that day, so we went back to Yelp to see what was our plan B. We saw the No Sweat Cafe and it looked quaint from the pictures and menu items looked to be good so there we headed. The Server was a wonderful young lady with an extremely pleasant manner with all of the customers who were in the shop. The food was wonderful and went away with a smile on our faces. I am glad the first place was closed.

This place has amazing food for a great price but be aware, only take cash or check as payment, so be prepared. The menu has a great variety and they are very flexible with accommodating any modifications to their menu items. Beware, their full serving pancake is the size of a serving platter and so great you will try to eat the whole thing but probably won't be able to do so!! The service is fabulous, the food is outstanding and the overall an awesome place to eat!!

This place gets 4 stars because of everything I experienced. If you're looking for fine dining.. go elsewhere. If your looking for a good meal at a good price (better than any chain restaurants) than look no further. The food much was better then expected & the coffee was also top shelf! Overall, the place worthy of coming back to... so I did! Better hurry they close at 2pm!!

Food is good; it's homey and made fresh. They have a following in Helena and have been around for over 30 years. If they know you, and you bring cash or checks, and you do not use your cell phone, and you are happy and pleasant after waiting an hour to an hour and a half, you will have a good experience. If you inquire about when your meal will be ready, or send a text while waiting, or break another rule, you will hear about it. This is a place you either vibe or you don't.

Wonderful, family run (two gens), the best of the Hippie ethic! Service great! Food tasty. Great atmosphere. Old down town.

Just to start, we like to support small local businesses when we can. But AVOID this place if you can help it. First to start, simple notepad to write your info on and that is it, the wait when we finally pinged someone we were told 15-30 minutes on a Sunday, which is fine, it is a VERY small place. Turns out that it was an 1 hour plus wait just to get seated. A lot of folks we viewed sitting in there just talking while we stood outside we thought were taking up booth time when there was a line of folks outside, turns out, they were waiting for their food. So one table we viewed during our extended wait, as we finally got a bench seat (that will be next up in explanation) to sit down had just gotten their food (so think 1 hour plus just to get seated, get some waters, look at the menu for a few, the other table finally got their food). The hostess who finally sat us, not apologetic or any verbal communication really to help us (or anyone standing in line outside) understand the crazy wait times put us in the this unbelievably small, single person, micro bench to fit two Adults and then asked "can you make this work"??. I had to bend my elbows and keep them bent once I squeezed in there (not kidding here). This place only takes cash/check (which is fine), so be aware of that IF you are attempting to eat here. Times are tough for small places, but really suggest you find some other place to eat. There were several of people who left right after us when we shared the experience we had inside....go to the WindBag Saloon & Grill right up the street instead (they were hopping, food was good and we saw many others who had been standing outside the Cafe eating here instead) and best of all, had a hostess who talked to us and we got a table right away.

Pretty good food. Have been here numerous times over the years...they still take a damn hour to cook your food though. Seriously...scrambles and what not shouldn't take that long. Hire some cooks that actually work with a sense of urgency!

Zero stars if I could. Waited 45 minutes after we ordered for our food. It never came. We left $20 on the table and walked out. Never done that before. HORRIBLY slow. Dirty kitchen. I watched the chef give numerous hugs and kisses to people in the kitchen. She never washed her hands, never had on gloves, and then after touching other people, reached into some containers with her bare hands, grabbed cheese and kept on her way. GROSS! Helena, I get that you don't have many places to eat, and I'm sure the chef is the nicest lady (she did look friendly), but your servers are ridiculous and you are not running a business. My husband was a career chef and we both had never seen something like this before. I can't. Oh, and you're not supposed to use your cell phones, it only takes cash and has super challenging hours to try to actually try it out. And their coffee is burnt. Why is this place still open and why does it get good reviews? You can do better making breakfast at home.

I have enjoyed this spot for the past twenty plus years. The food is excellent and very consistent over this period. This is a rich local cultural experience. I would be devastated if this establishment led Last Chance Gulch.

Now this is breakfast. It is simply fantastic. You can tell by how many people line up before they open! On that note, seating is scarce and they have many loyal customers! Make sure to come early. Aside from that, coffee is spot on, and their breakfast burrito is stuffed with delicious ingredients!

Total hippy breakfast/lunch place. One of the signs on the door says "No Guns or Cell Phones." They're serious about the cell phone thing - I've seen people be asked to leave. The place is cozy, with an L-shaped counter in the back that seats around 6, 3 big booths along the right wall, plus a tiny one-sided booth that is maybe 3' across. There's two table/booths in the front windows on both sides of the door, as well as maybe four more tables, that seat two to four. Some people around town joke that when they say "no sweat" they mean they're not going to sweat for you - wait times on Saturday and Sunday mornings can be upwards of an hour. You just have to relax and get into the hippy mentality; patrons are friendly, and you can meet some great people while waiting. You can see into the kitchen, where Deb will usually be cooking, an older woman is usually doing dishes, and there'll be one or two people working the counter and the floor. When you do get to sit down, the first thing you'll be asked is "coffee?" Being earth-friendly, they have a water jug on the counter with juice cups. If you want a big glass and they don't know you, they'll only give the big cup after they explain to you that water is a valuable resource, and you have to finish all your water. The menu is fantastic, with almost everything being made of locally grown organic goods. Lots of scrambled egg or potato based dishes, a fantastic burger (and no you won't get any fries - too unhealthy), great enchiladas, and even nice simple brown rice and veggie bowls. The Tibetan Toad is one of my favorites - a great combination of eggs, sprouts, sausage, and garlic along with hash browns and toast. Average check with tip is probably $10. Note that everything is cooked to order, and Deb or the other cooks will basically work on one dish at a time, so be prepared to wait. It's the kind of place you wander into on a Sunday morning and it's a gathering spot, with people reading their papers with family and friends, maybe sticking around for a few hours while chatting over coffee, and talking to friends and neighbors at other tables . . . Definitely not for everyone, but I love it, and it's great to see a restaurant that lives by it's own beat, eschewing the idea of pushing people through as fast as they can, and not comprising their beliefs to draw in more patrons . . .

When I go to a place like No Sweat I think... I could open a place like this! The idea seems so simple- tasty food sourced locally when possible. When I went, only three ladies were running the show- cooking, taking orders, filling up coffee, singing and dancing to David Bowie, and washing dishes... maybe I CAN'T do this. Anyway- they've got a great menu- nothing too fancy- with lots of tasty options. I got a scramble with potatoes, eggs, sausage and tons of cheese. My coffee cup stayed full and so did my belly- even though I got the half order. My total was $8. Totally worth it! CASH ONLY.

I absolutely love The No Sweat Cafe. i've gone there a few times, and i will definitely come back again. The atmosphere is amazing, and the food is great. I love the Huevos Rancheros! The prices are good, and the service is amazing. It's a great place for breakfast / lunch, and they get your food out fast. Definitely recommend.

My favorite place to get breakfast! Everything is very delicious. It may be tiny and you may have to wait a while to get a table or booth, but it is worth It! The atmosphere is homey and comfortable and the staff are always friendly. My favorite things to eat there are the Rocky Montana, bakery ladies special, the Tibetan toad, breakfast burrito and pancakes. Oh and the coffee is very tasty also! Remember please don't talk on your cellphones while in there, step outside and be polite. No credit cards.

September 30, 2012. Breakfast. Crowded at 8:30 am but we were fortunate that no one ahead of us wanted to sit at the counter. There are maybe 8 seats at an L-shaped counter and so we sat right down. Interesting set of choices on the menu. Not typical breakfast like ham and eggs or omelets, but a lot of scrambles with really nicely composed combinations. The service was good. The coffee was very good. The owner is visible cooking everyone's meals. Tight kitchen but she does a very nice job juggling it all. We hear she's been at it for 35 years, so no wonder she's got it down. Music is chef's choice and when the CD ended she came out to change discs. The wait staff and chef hum and sing along quietly. They really enjoy themselves. That lends to a very nice atmosphere. I had a scramble with chiles and cheese. My wife ordered the scramble called Tibetan Toad. Beats me where the name comes from. It was sausage and cheese with some other fillers, but I forget what they were. Love the hash browns. They cut the potatoes into very nice fine shreds with a food processor. The shreds look like angel hair pasta and they crisp up wonderfully. Very fair prices. We'll come back next fishing trip to Montana.

Looking for that local breakfast spot? This is it. A Helena staple for as many years as I can remember, the No Sweat features organically prepare breakfast treats, and a "no cellphone" rule. A perfect start to your day.

LOVE this place. Wonderful people service tasty, healthy food. We have been twice and have enjoyed our meals there and will definitely go back regularly. The food didn't take as long for us as some reviews are claiming, but I also don't expect fast food in a place like this. It is very relaxed and a great atmosphere - just enjoy and your delicious food will be there soon! Cash and checks only.

super cute little place. when we got there we found a seat in a tiny booth, and service was quick & friendly. I chose the enchiladas (veggie) and they were pretty good...but...remember that time your grade 10 boyfriend wanted to cook for you cuz his parents were out of town, so you went over, and he made you dinner, and you were impressed and told all your friends what a great chef he was? but when you think back to that meal it was just a bunch of basic stuff with a shitload of melted cheese on top. like, sooo much melted cheese, because that's just how teenage boys cook?My enchilada looked/tasted like that. ( I peeked around the corner to see if maybe it WAS my old grade 10 boyfriend in the kitchen, but sadly no.) It tasted good though, but just LOOKED insane and the portion size didn't seem right, and the amount of sauce on top drowned out the food underneath?!? you know what I mean? I'd definitely go back to this place to try something else though....great value for the huge portions. oh, and they seem to hate cell phones being used in the restaurant which I think is awesome. I did pull it out to take a few photos, though.

This is almost the best diner in the world. That I've been to so far. The one problem-- the name speaks the truth: The staff will expend no sweat in getting you your food. When I was there: Often fifteen or so people, two waitresses, and one cook who made every plate quite de-li-ber-ate-ly. But each time (I was there a month and went a lot) it was worth the wait. Buckwheat pancakes the size of my face, fluffy eggs cooked to perfection, and the always awesome "Rocky Mountain": potatoes, cheese, onions, and jalapenos--and everything was grown or produced in Montana! I took a friend here once, and she was impressed. No one rushed us through our meal, even though we took our time, which was nice. I wish they had a branch in Boston and one in Chicago.

Another slightly eccentric spot in Helena. The staff were super friendly and quick about and the food was quite reasonable. I had a plate of hashed potatoes with cheese and sausage which were really solid (as well as way more food than I needed.) Keep in mind that they don't accept cards as I learned a little late on!

I love spending a lazy weekend morning here! Best made to order breakfast around! Fresh ingredients and a creative menu. It is not your normal dining experience. It is not to be missed! Worth the wait. Also the price is amazing. Favorite place to go with my son when we have time.