Pied Cow Coffeehouse

Very unique experience! We should have done more research but we were unaware that it was all outdoor so we were a little chilly. The decorations are fun and the tea is some of the tastiest loose leaf tea I have ever had. The customer service is a little off, but I would still recommend checking out!

nice! They had a decent tea selection and even better...a full pot for 2 is only $6! We had the marrionberry pie was so good! We also split the $10 brownie Sunday that was rather larger. Three people snacked on it. It was a decent size. We will definitely be back for more tea, coffee and sweets!! The best part about this place is hands down the outdoor seating. It feels like you're in Peter pan or something. The service is at a hippie speed, just getting by. Everytime I started to want something and would think "where is she?" B/c we hadn't seen get for a while she would magically appear like three second later.

Favorite place in Portland. Amazing eats and sweets as well as delicious drinks of all kinds in an awesome iconic portland setting. They also have traditionally served kava and hookah. A true Portland institution.

This place is truly a hidden gem. Serves delicious drinks (coffees, beers, wines, champagne cocktails ;), food and hookah. High recommend for a one stop shop.

Very unique coffeehouse, offering savoury food items, desserts, coffees, teas, hookah, kava, wine, and beer. Huge selection of teas and coffee. Really delicious desserts and food. Chill laid back atmosphere, with a heated patio option. I never feel rushed when I'm here! Servers are friendly and accomodating.

Another gem in Portland! A super funky, haunted house style joint with a side yard garden for smoking hookah and hanging out. Lovely experience

What happened? This used to a hidden gem - a weekly go to with a friend. We seat ourselves outside. A goth-esk person is playing gangster rap on her phone and smoking cigarettes in the corner. After a bit she comes over to tell us she has to put out candles first... (they all blow out within 3 minutes of being placed). The hooka has barley any substance according to my friend. As we go to pay my friend pays his $21 tab with a $100 bill and they say "we can't take that". What do you mean?- we inquire. Apparently there was no cash or manager at all. I go to pay my bill of $8 with a card and they say oh problem solved- I can just pay both bills. We are both dumbfounded at this point. The person just shrugs her shoulders and runs my card. There's Christmas lights and a statue of GuanYin (a diety of compassion) on the table outside. The music, bad wait staff (from everyone) and poor treatment of customers left us with a heavy heart. I'd recommend getting some people who can wait and generally do a basic job. RIP pied cow

Had a lovely Brownie Burnadette Sunday and two pear ciders for under $20! Lovey little spot.

I've been here about 4 times. Service isn't outstanding but it has not been nearly as bad as others have mentioned--for me at least. The outdoor setting with the snacks and drink menu make this place a go-to spot. Other hookah places I've been to don't have beer too so this place in my opinion is better than others because of that. Great place to chill and have a beer. The hookah quality is also far better than others. The flavor is strong and clean. I just wish this place was open later for those long nights but I can def understand that it probably can get crazy to deal with when late night partygoers stop in. Can't wait to bring friends here during the summer!

This place absolutely blows. We came here after my best friends wedding ceremony with some cupcakes and while we were halfway done eating the cupcakes, which the owner saw us walk in with, he mentioned there was a $13 plating fee for outside food. I have nothing against paying an extra fee especially since it was a special occasion but for him to wait until we are mid bite to tell us of the fee? He saw us walk in with them and start opening it up, he could've mentioned something sooner. As previous reviews have mentioned, the service here is absolutely awful. We heard the owner also talking about us to the other waitresses when we walked in to go to the bathroom. So unprofessional. Also, the hookah is awful. It barely hits and they gave us a hookah with a broken hose, we didn't even bother sending it back because we didn't want to deal with the owner again. Just steer clear of this place.

Looked forward to trying this place but wow- it's was horrible! We had 2 hookahs and both tasted like burning coal. The "hospitality" is non existent! Very rude staff and just not a good place. Will not be back.

I'm gonna be honest I love this place. They have cheap hookah and a slightly creepy albeit unique vibe with actually really good food. Although I'm vegetarian I had to try my friends pulled chicken with rice and tortilla chips because it looked so good- and it seriously was! She talked about it the rest of the day. It's just a great quiet place to chill with a group of friends and enjoy some hookah and a drink. I've never had any of their teas but they have an extensive menu of options. If you keep an open mind definitely check out this underdog!

During my many decades of dining out, I've experienced a range of service from negligent to stellar. This afternoon I encountered a first, a restaurant server (and order taker) who seemed intent on giving me an intensely negative experience! It was topped off by his explosive hissy fit just as I was leaving. The place has an obligatory 18% tip, so I could not express my unhappiness by not leaving one. Many years ago, I used to come here for dinner from time to time with a group of friends. (new owner now, I'm sure.) The outdoor setting was pleasant, the menu sufficiently lengthly and varied, and the place quiet enough to allow us to enjoy our conversations. Today, the setting was not much changed, and it was still quiet. Unfortunately, the menu was much diminished. Going forward, I would have "bit the bullet," but that was before today's inexcusable, deliberate rudeness of the staff. From now, I refuse to knowingly contribute so much a one penny to that server's income. We shall see how this is best accomplished.

The Pied Cow is my favorite hookah lounge I have ever been to. The outside patio is super chill and I love there beer and coffee menu and the small eats food menu is great too. Also some of the best flavored tobacco I've had in a while.

Hide cow has literally been a favorite go to spot since my 20s which was 30 years ago. They've been consistently a place to come for good eats, great environment, and the perfect Portland charm. Whether you sit inside or out the view is always unique and spectacular. You'll find all walks of life laughing and sharing around there variety of great options to eat and drink. my hubby and I call this place our "late night date night" option as it's always a great way to finish a day! Also, while we don't know the owner, he's been here forever and is always a great soul to interact with.

Meh. Subpar service would be all right if the food were good, but my hot chocolate mostly tasted like hot milk. Ambiance is pretty standard Portland quirky-weird - you know, mannequin parts and the like.

I really love this place. Its in a beautiful garden. Come here for tea, hookah and dessert.

Best coffee and sometimes you can see local musicians like Anne Ackerman and Taylor swift

My friend recommended Pied Cow before, but it took me way too long to finally visit this little gem. I had the impression that it serves basic chocolate cakes and banana splits, but nooo, this place was beyond my expectations! I came here to catch up with my friend, since we were looking for a dessert place that is open at 11pm. This is a cute little dessert house(literally a house). I loved the dark ambience, it felt very intimate and chill. The kind of vibe where you jst want to pull out a deck of tarot cards. But seriously, great place to gossip or chitchat with a friend for sure haha!(although it was fairly quiet/empty at the time we went) We tried the ginger cake and the Try if you Dare(pour a shot of espresso over the icecream+cake). They were both so so yummy!!!! Richh, moist, and full of flavor. Big whops of whipped cream too! The service was great as well! Our waiter constantly checked in on us to make sure we were doing fine. I will definitely be back to try their other desserts!!!!!

I used to adore this place. I was a regular patron and brought everyone I knew (including people visiting from out of town) to this formerly charming bungalo-turned-cafe. I hadn't been back since the pandemic hit, and I was given the worst treatment and service of my life by the owner himself. You'd think he'd want to keep the precious few customers he has, but instead treats them with outright hostility the moment he opens his mouth. I guess his business tanking has made him bitter. At least he's getting what he deserves. I'll be giving my business to Rimsky's and Lauretta Jean's from now on.

Worst first date in Portland. We arrived at 4 PM on a chilly February afternoon. The front door was locked and we were told there was no indoor seating. So we went to the outside window and ordered 2 coffees. We had to wait for it to be brewed and when they finally brought it, they gave me a small pitcher of curdled cream. It wouldn't mix into my coffee. I didn't complain because it was a first date, but when they came for refills, I asked for fresh cream. A coffeehouse that only offers seating outdoors, doesn't have their house coffee already brewed, and provides curdled cream. I would have had a better experience at a gas station!

Pied Cow is my new favorite restaurant and coffee house around town. The eclectic vibe is makes me feel like I'm in one of the most PDX feeling places ever. I love the thoughtfulness of the decorations and general atmosphere. Also, the last few times I've gone, I have received great service. Our serve, Jamie, was so nice. She makes an effort to have friendly conversation and left us with an extra menu Incase we wanted to add to our order. She wasn't rude at all when I had to make some annoying food preferences requests, and was willing to grab me the check early on even though she was busy helping other customers. Additionally... THE FOOD. Omg. It's SO GOOD. The Mezza platter is freaking bomb. It has warm pita bread and the most delicious hummus/tzasiki I've ever had. Plus you get massive portions for a great price. The dessert... I can't even. The menu has so many delicious options. So far my favorite has been the flaming Nutella crepe. Also, one thing that I love is the vegan creamy soup options they tend to have. Which they make in house! I'm in love with this place.

My friend and I met at Pied Cow to visit with each other. When we got there, they had us order from a side window. We each got drinks and my friend got pie and she paid for everything at that time. After a while, I reailzed I was hungry, so I went back to the window and asked the man working if I could order the Hummus and Pita. The man verfied where we were sitting and then told me that I should have ordered food when I first got there. I told him that I did not know I would want food until now and that I wanted to pay for it at that time and not be on my friend's tab. He told me again that I should have ordered earlier and again, I said "Well, I obviously did not know I wanted food yet." He grumbled again and then asked me what i wanted. At this point, I was over how rude he was being and simply said, "Nothing". At that point, I turned to walk away as he said "F*ck you!" I did not turn toward him or respond at all and then he said "These f*cking people!" I then went to my friend and told her what had happened and we left. I will not be returning to Pied Cow and I will spread this experience as much as I can. There is not justification for his behavior. I was not rude. I tried to work with whatever he had going on, but he refused to work with me. I believe the "gentleman's" name is Jimmie Chan. You, sir, should not work with people. ***Side note: I am also diabetic, so when I need to eat-I need to eat.

As everyone else on here has basically said, the man at the window (the owner i believe) is unbelievably hostile and nasty. I work in food/bar service as well. I genuinely can't comprehend why he is so mean to people. funky place, but not worth dealing with him.

My friends and I were refused service today at Pied Cow. The manager asked my friend if he wanted cream, sugar and honey with his tea, my friend said yes, the manager said "I have a hard time believing you will use all of that," then said he wouldn't be taking our order and told us to "never come back."

Took an out of town friend here last night to get an authentic feel of portland. The outdoor area is a really cool setting...it was crowded for a Wednesday night, with lots of hookahs out. We just ordered dessert... the brownie boat and "try this if you dare". We waited at least 15 min just to have our order taken and another 30 min waiting for our desserts that didn't need to be cooked. The cake was very dry and couldn't even finish it. Really disappointed in this experience and embarrassed I picked this place as a first-time-to-portland spot.

Waited outside for 15 minutes and the order window. Several employees ignored me but helped people around us. Finally when someone showed up to take my order he said they aren't doing hooks anymore tonight.... While they were setting up multiple hookahs for other people. I get people are short staffed but don't treat people like an inconvenience and expect them to be happy about it

Astonishingly hostile service from the owner. It was like he was trying to be as rude as possible. I dont get it.

Absolutely the worst server I have delt with. How are you going to yell at a 5'2 woman after we pay and pre bust the table AND give a 30% tip and scream that the tip wasn't good enough for a party of 4 people and one of them didn't eat because they have an allergy to the food.

This is an interesting spot. Quaint, alternative, wacky, hip, it defies definition. It kind of looks like a haunted house from the outside (and the inside for that matter), but having walked past several times and caught glimpses of the secretive back patio hookah area, I leapt at the opportunity to check it out with a friend. As expected, we had a wacky experience. We sat out back, and ordered hot drinks and desserts to split. This is where the hipster service reared its ugly head. We got our coffees after a reasonable wait but it took a good 25 minutes for our slices of cake to come out, by which time our drinks were cold and half gone. Not sure why it took 25 minutes to slice cake? Service in general was lackluster after that point as well, with no one checking in and my friend and I having to get up and track down a server to get our bill when it was time to go. Now, if this was a counter service spot this wouldn't be an issue. But if you make me order from a waiter, please provide some service! Adding to the wackiness was a friendly cat that came walking up to our table and proceeded to take a nap ON our table, between our dishes. It made a couple of moves towards our drinks, so we had to be on watch. It was pretty funny but I bet some folks would not be pleased. All of this aside, the drinks were fine and the chocolate cake and marionberry pie were good. The Pied Cow is a true Portland experience and as long as you come in expecting uninspired service, you'll have a grand old time. I'd be happy to come back to this neighborhood gem and let them earn back a star or two, and you should too. It's a great, funky alternative to bars as a place to catch up with a friend or go on a date. Just be on the lookout for hungry cats if you order cream with your coffee :)

As a visitor from out of state, this place was spookily fascinating and it definitely did not disappoint. We met up with a couple friends who recently moved to Portland and also wanted to check this place out for the first time. We nearly missed the building, as it appeared to blend in with other homes along the street (it was dark outside at this point). The indoor space felt slightly cramped, but there was plenty of seating and some eerie, ominous decor glowing red; however, after a long day full of touristy fun in the sun, we decided to sit outdoors to enjoy the evening breeze under the stars. Thanks to the recommendations of the staff, we chose to enjoy some mango hookah, baklava, and piping hot honey-ginger-lemon toddies. We spent a solid amount of time here catching up and playing card games that our friends brought along. Overall, this place is an awesome place to hang out. Menu was simple and the atmosphere felt very relaxed. If you want to end (or begin) your night someplace tucked away with a personality of its own, I hope you find yourself here.

Stopped in when recommended from a server down the street. This place is weird, in a good way. Kind of in an old house, but also the whole front lawn which has fire pits to keep you warm, tents for nice rain coverage and lots of seating options while being surrounded by colorful string lights. Things seem to be pretty casual here, but run just fine. Mulled wine was nice to sip on for the cool night and though the dessert menu looked tempting (though wished more GF options), we will have to wait til next time. Lovely quiet spot to enjoy a fall evening.

This place is truly a hidden gem. I can honestly say I've never been to a place quite like this one. The resturaunt has a vibe all of its one. It looks almost like a haunted house as you walk in. Creepy old historic paintings and a display that looks like a sacrifice with candles, a fake skull and much more. The offer foreign foods but it's mostly Greek. Their hummus plate is my absolute favorite. So yummy and the portions are huge. Definitely need to go to this place especially now with covid! Rumor has it they aren't doing to well so this place needs some love and support!

A friend from out of town came and she is staying only for a couple days. After dinner, I wanted to bring her to somewhere where she can experience Portland culture. This place was already on my bookmark, so I decided to come here. There are very few coffee/tea places that open until late. I have been to Rimsky, but this place seems to have more seats and better reviews with its desserts and drink selection. We finally arrived in front of this house, it was dark. My friend's reaction was "omg, really?" I guess we didn't know what to say looking at the dimlit lighting plus interesting decor. We came in to see the server and chose to sit outside. I think you should sit outside to do the hookah. They have few selection of beers and other alcoholic drinks, but I was there for dessert and tea, while my friends opted for coffee. The brownie cake is very tasty! Warm gooey brownie with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream can never go wrong. I wash it down with a pot of London Fog tea. I really don't know what to categorize this place as. Not exactly your normal coffee shop, not exactly a dessert place, not exactly a drinking place. I think I will just let it be as its own category, hipster hangout place. They have heater outside as well. The whole place might feel a little creepy at first, but after sometime I felt very cozy. The service was great, the waitresses made sure we were ok and checked up on us a couple times. I will definitely visit again, esp when I have out of towner friends. Portland at its finest.

Ive been here each time I visit Portland. It has a great outdoor area, great beer selection, and attentive staff for the hookahs!

We have been coming here for about a decade. We saw the latest reviews when we were checking to see if it made it through the pandemic and were really sad. We decided to give it a shot anyway. Service was great. Food and drinks were great and they even made us two items that weren't on the menu. Only difference is we couldn't eat inside.

KILLER ambience!! Especially on a cold dark rainy Friday night. I ordered a Lavemdar honey steamer and aat outside by the firepit...it was quite lovely! Wait staff is quite attentive and friendly. Love this place.

Finally returned to this local haunt for the first time in years. The patio was cute as always, but filled with a lot of really intoxicated people- 1 woman stumbled through to her seat, and a group of bros were being their loud bro selves. The inside is cramped with seating too close together in most areas. Service was friendly though on the slow side. Unlike many spots on the weekend, there was no waitress though which is a huge plus. Drinks were fine but the desserts unfortunately were both terrible. The fondue was too thick and too sweet and some of the fruit with it was still frozen. The cheesecake was an off texture and taste. Prices here have gone up a lot over the years but the quality of the food hasn't it appears- unlikely I'll return for anything besides coffee on the patio.

This place is delicious!! Beautiful and cozy outdoors seating, delicious dessert, addictively great coffee drinks, awesome and creative menu, and such a cozy and old-school atmosphere that is what I would conjure up when reading about 1930s Paris in undergrad. This place does a good job of coming close to that. It reminds me of Portland when it was still Portland, with the hippies and where young folks came to retire. It reminds me of Portland before the Tech people and the rich people ruined this town and turned it into a weird city with ugly condos, which it's not meant to be. Pier Cow is a place to go for a nostalgia fix. This place is well worth your money, and ask find that hard to say nowadays about PDX but this place is a staple.

Very irrational staff that wouldn't allow me to bring my bike into the huge backyard when there were literally 2 people out of 30-40 seats. He said "This place could be jam packed in an hour". Lol I was pretty surprised by such an extra effort to keep one guy and his bike out of the yard. I forgot to bring my lock and this jabroni gives me the full stop. Not going here again. I always thought this place was way overhyped.

Was recommended by a local to visit and it lived up to my expectations of what I believed PDX to be low. Eccentric but quaint. Service was slow but the odd selection on the menu and mix of people made for a really good time. Loved the rose hookah and cheese fondue! Will be back :)

I've never written a Yelp review before but need to express that this was an extraordinarily unpleasant experience. The man at the window was unkind and short-tempered with us and we came excited to order and experience the Pied Cow. Completely disappointing and ruined my good mood. 0/10.

Cute location with a nice patio, but the service left a lot to be desired. It took forever to get menus, and forever to order. The tumeric milk drink I got was mediocre. The peanut butter cup was above average, but nothing to write home about. It was really dense and sweet. The water jug was empty for most of our visit, even though I asked for it to be refilled twice. The waitress also wouldn't bring over water when I asked. We had to ask for our bill twice. The shoddy service really distracted from my evening, as I spent most of my meal thristy. I wouldn't come back unless I had plenty of time to kill.

I haven't been to Pied Cow in a while, but I miss it. I don't remember being too upset about the service, mostly your typical "don't really care" portland attitude, but not enough to annoy me. The food would take a while though. I remember employees wore almost costume like outfits and the house itself is so beautiful and haunted feeling. The outside is fun and I love getting the dessert fondue to share, good portion size and price! The hummus plate isn't too bad either. I can't wait to go back, I'll update once I do!

Pied Cow, I love you. Just the way you are. Are you the tidiest of establishments with stunning decor, super attentive service, and the best food on Belmont? Not quite but what you are is so unique and fun it doesn't matter. On a rainy afternoon, my friend and I stopped by to try the hookah and fondue. Over cheesy bread and veggies (with a STRONG taste of white wine) and a smooth, not ashy mint hookah that lasted a good amount of time, Pied Cow won me over. It's perfect for a casual afternoon hangout with a few glasses of wine, working session fueled by cava (as they describe it "refreshing dirt"), or giant gathering to try the $50 sundae. We decided this will be our new hangover spot for a chill morning of rehydrating and potentially more inebriating... The menu is extensive and a fair price. $14 for fondue seemed reasonable and less than $20 for hookah is wonderful. The hookah platter which pairs the hookah with a mezza plate, mint tea, and baklava sounded amazing and I know I'll be back for that. The hookah flavors were surprising too. They had the classics like mint and apple but I was surprised to also see a few unique flavors like Jasmine. Long story short, I came for the hookah and stayed for the interesting food and vibe. Will definitely be back for some more hookah and to sample more of the menu. This is definitely one of those places where unless you're SUPER hip you'll leave thinking "well, never really had something like that before."

I've been coming here for years, and it's gotten progressively worse each time. This time the server ignored me the first twenty minutes to half hour (the place was not full, and is not large enough to be that busy even if it were), even when called out to, until I finally locked eyes and stared him down. I ordered a macchiato. I got a little teacup, half full, with a weak dollop of foam. As an added bonus, the place I sat smelled like human feces. Not as bad as the other things, but this also is probably the only cafe I've been to in Portland that didn't have wifi.

nice! They had a decent tea selection and even better...a full pot for 2 is only $6! We had the marrionberry pie was so good! We also split the $10 brownie Sunday that was rather larger. Three people snacked on it. It was a decent size. We will definitely be back for more tea, coffee and sweets!! The best part about this place is hands down the outdoor seating. It feels like you're in Peter pan or something. The service is at a hippie speed, just getting by. Everytime I started to want something and would think "where is she?" B/c we hadn't seen get for a while she would magically appear like three second later.

Another great stop my friends and I made in our 3-day whirlwind tour of Portland, and I'm so glad I got to experience this place! ~~AMBIANCE~~ Quirky, fun, lots of random decorations and knick knacks. Overall it's got an antique-y dark victorian house kind of feel, but then you have the random shrine with all sorts of Asian pieces and decoration and the outdoor seating area with a stone fountain that has what seems like red Kool-Aid bubbling out of it. ~~SERVICE~~ Fine! No complaints. It was pretty slow there when I went, about 4pm on a Sunday. ~~COST~~ Not bad, about $30 total for two hot drinks, a platter, and a dessert. Afternoon snacks for three. ~~FOOD~~ * Cardamom-Honey steamer - 4.5 stars (hot steamed milk w/ cardamom & honey. $4) This was delicious! I love cardamom and have never had it in milk, which had a smooth frothy texture. This made us all feel warm and cozy inside. * Mezza platter - 3.5 stars pic: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pied-cow-coffeehouse-portland?select=v5nh3H92MZDYECuZcKtrrg#v5nh3H92MZDYECuZcKtrrg (hummus, tzatziki sauce, kalamata olives, feta cheese, fresh tomato & cucumber slices, hot chilies & pita bread. $11) A very large impressive plate of food! The bread was a little bit dry, but I liked that it was thick and fluffy. Both dips were delicious. And you get a LOT of feta! * Peanut Butter Truffle in a Teacup - 3.5 stars (a teacup full of dense truffle-like chocolate layered with peanut butter, topped w/ fresh whipped cream. $5.50) I just had to try this from all the reviews raving about it! It tasted like a giant Reese's in a fancy teacup. It's tasty, not necessarily really special/unique (except for just the intense amount of chocolate & peanut butter) - and just be ready to consume a lot!

This is a fun place to go late at night in the summer time. They have a backyard outdoor seating feel... Not even a feel, that's exactly what it is. It's a good place to go to just kick back and chill with some friends. Interior has a quirky Portland feel to it. I've only had the lavender steamer and hot cocoa here and I'm a fan! The desserts are pretty good. I've had the warm gingerbread cake (always get ice cream! Who doesn't enjoy ice cream?) and Bernadette's brownie boat. There isn't anything about them that will make you say "wow!" about them. Staff is friendly, food may be a tad slow.

I first came here about 15 years ago when I got int ok smoking hookah. To my surprise it is still as interesting as I remembered. Though, I quit smoking hookah about 11 years ago. We still swung by here for a late might dessert and chat. We came in back to back days on valentines weekend. On saturday i had the sangria and the lady had a turmeric creamer, we split a baked brie and warm brownie sundae. Last night after a concert we swung by here and I had a bowl of kava, she had a lavender creamer and we split the banana split. Nice and quiet atmosphere, its fun to listen on over peoples conversations due to the tight quarters. Very charming and interesting place.

Goth meets food service. Honestly this place is pretty cool. I don't do hookah but I did try a dessert and it was pretty good. (Baklava) I can see why people would say the servers were like ghosts, because they almost are like ghosts. I think my waiter was wearing Tripp pants. I enjoyed myself a lot.

This place intrigued me before we even walked in. The beautiful victorian home turned coffee house is just breathtaking. The inside area of the home was occupied by what looked like a seance group, so we were escorted by an employee out to the yard/garden area. It was a cold evening, but they had a heater that kept it toasty under a huge white tent. Under the tent was enough room for several patio sets. We browsed the menu and waited awhile for anyone to take our orders, but that wasn't an issue-there was enough to look at to keep us distracted. I ordered a Chai latte and an utterly delicious chocolate peanut butter dessert that tasted like a delectable PB cup on steroids (its that good!). Other people in my party had an assortment of teas and coffees, and hookah. Atmosphere is top notch, which cancels out the slow service. When approached by employees (however few and far between), they were friendly and helpful. This place is what warped, creative, quirky dreams are made of. A MUST GO.

I love this place with my whole heart. I moved to San Diego about a year ago and I'm upset I don't live in Portland anymore because of this place. While I was in college, I'd go to pied cow to do work. I went so much to the point where the workers knew me. I love the vibe, coffee, food, etc. I constantly talk about pied cow and even being in San Diego, I tell people here about it and how I wish San Diego had coffee shops like pied cow. If anyone from pied cow reads this, I love you all and this will forever be my favorite coffee shop.

For a residence that's been around since 1893, this place has aged flavorfully! There's a red-lit closet shrine with all sorts of weird idols, a ceiling with psychedelic curtains drooping down, and a menu that explains how the place got its name from a Nietzsche quote! Add to that an array of decadent deserts and tasty teas, and you've got a perfect date night with the conversation topics all around you!

From the moment I walked in I knew it would have something epic to try out. The decor and the service was perfect. Definitely a good place to chill with friends and get some coffee and desserts. Will be a repeat customer for sure.

I've loved the Pied Cow for many many years. It's been a date spot for my husband and I and a must-do when folks visit from out of town. We moved out of state last year and were back in town this week for a wedding. I was so excited to go back to one of my favorite spots. We took a friend who had never been before and had a really unfortunate experience-so disappointing as I'd really been looking forward to my visit. We arrived at 11pm, an hour before closing. There were lots of customers both inside and outside. When we sat down in the courtyard our server (J) made it pretty clear he wasn't happy to see us, including blowing out the citronella torch a couple inches from my head. One person in our party asked if they have dairy alternatives. He was so exasperated by this pretty normal question for a place that specializes in coffee drinks. We ordered our drinks and when he dropped them off he didn't give us time to order food, just ran off to keep blowing out torches and generally make it clear he'd like everyone to leave. He finally came back by around 11:30 and we ordered food as well as a hookah. The hookah came out pretty quick, but started dying out before our food arrived at 11:45. When he delivered the food I asked if we could have another coal. He said he "wasn't allowed to" because they close in 12 minutes. He then said "let me clean this up for you" and scraped what little was left of our coal off the bowl, effectively ending our use of the hookah after 15 minutes. The hookahs are very expensive ($17 for a bowl that might cost them $1) which is fine because it's part of the experience and every other time I've been there staff have been attentive and happy to add coals or even freshen the bowl. But-If he was going to stop taking care of us at 11:45 he should have said something when we ordered the hookah at 11:30. Not to mention he had just delivered our food, so we were going to be there a little while anyway. The courtyard is still full of patrons at this point and we saw him scrape several other folks coals off as well. We had planned to order a second round of drinks but he did not really give us a chance to do so and once he had given us the exact minutes til closing time more drinks did not seem like an option. He essentially did everything he could to make us feel unwelcome. As I mentioned, this is far from my first visit. Their kitchen and bar are open all the way til closing time, which means folks are ordering and eating until midnight. If they want everyone out by midnight they should close the kitchen at 11 and stop offering new hookahs at the same time. I've worked in restaurants/service industry my whole life. The basic customer service and communication that it would have taken to give us a positive experience is not difficult. There's really no excuse. It was just such a disappointing and off-putting experience. I have always sent folks there and don't really feel comfortable doing so anymore. The courtyard was still charming, the lattes were good, the food was good. Just really difficult to enjoy those elements when you're getting rushed through your meal and rushed out.

Great at night, awkward in morning/afternoons. It's a lovely house with a lovely aesthetic and delightful teas and food. At night it's as cozy as can be, especially when the warmer weather hits and there's the great outdoor seating area. Its Achilles heel is the morning/brunch times when it's comparatively dead and their service sucks (now more than ever). For example, when it was just my wife and I, the waiter started playing a Netflix Stand-up Comedy Special over the speakers they normally used for music-- it was just blasting through the cafe, loud as ever. Judging by the other negative reviews, this isn't the only time this has happened. The owners need to give their morning/b-crew a stern talking to about their conduct, as it sounds like there's a real when-the-cat's-away problem. Just to clarify, the FOOD and TEA were great. It's the service that was terrible. Sit outside if you can, and expect to wait ~30 minutes for service-- and staff, if you read this, don't expect 20% tips with these kinds of shenanigans.

The owner of this establishment had the worst customer service I have ever seen. As someone who manages a store myself, there is no excuse for such a poor experience. I used to love this place but have no intention of ever going back.