Bongo Java – The Salted Table

The Ambiance. The West End Cafe warranted a visit while looking for a light lunch snack . We saw the Grand Opening sign and said, Why not? You walk into the establishment which is vaguely reminiscent of a cafeteria but with trendy decor. The Cafe is fitted with earthy tones and wood beams to provide that contemporary rustic feel that is so popular at the moment. You can enjoy the news or sports while dining because there are several flat screen t.v.s and a small bar tucked in the corner. You can also enjoy the view of West End traffic on their patio space.

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The Food. The Cafe offers breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. They are moderately priced and offer soups, sandwiches and appetizers. We haven’t tried their breakfast so if you know anything about it let us know.

You won’t be writing home about the cuisine at The West End Cafe. It is simplistic food made for it’s business professional, college student demographic. The first time we visited the cafe they forgot the andouille on our pepperoni and andouille flatbread, bummer, because that probably would have elevated the uninspired pizzetta in front of us. We ordered the turkey & cranberry sandwich, which had hickory smoked turkey, havarti, mesclun greens, red onions & cranberry rosemary chutney on cracked wheat bread. It was good, but I recommend asking them to toast the bread. That would make the sandwich better. The Chipotle Chicken sandwich with white cheddar, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes & chipotle mayonnaise on toasted jalapeno cheddar bread which was actually better than I had intended. I’d reccomend trying the chipotle chicken sandwich and the hummus plate. They were the items I’d order if I ever crossed paths again.

They also serve Bongo Java so we grabbed an ice coffee to go. In all honesty, the West End Cafe is in a great location for the grab and go crowd of the busy West End area but it’s not something you’d go out of the way for. If you enjoy the run of the mill sandwich shop. The West End Cafe will be your joint.

No one’s telling you to STOP supporting your local McDonald’s (eeewww!, but I too are a guilty patron). The true questions at the heart of the matter are Why not eat local? Why not buy here? These establishments are the back-bone of our economy. And they are the ones who took the initiative to bring their dreams into fruition. (slow clap…)

Not only that but there is something undeniably awesome about having neighborhood knick knacks that one can call their own. I mean, think about it. How heart-broken would you be to awake one morn and discover Hillsboro Village was a memory of yester-year. OMG! Where are you gonna get your Bongo Java, indie hits & art fix in one stop. And “Dear God” who’s gonna make your ‘Cookie Dough Eggrolls’ at home. (Yeah, exactly). You can’t stand in the freezing cold with snot glued to your face waiting to get in The Pancake Pantry if it doesn’t exist. This doesn’t exclude farmers. When was the last time you scooped cow patties or pulled a veggie from the earth.

And the list goes on….but we won’t, you get it. Don’t You?!

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Also, supporting local businesses means that you are supporting other local businesses (tongue-twister). There are tons of statistics and numbers I could share with you but why bother? Just take my word for it. These pie charts, graphs, dots and lines all show the domino effect when keeping your money local. Not too mention, when cities have cozy mom & pops to frequent. It makes tourist feel like they’ve been somewhere worth visiting or might even remind them of home. And everybody knows you need tourists to like you despite the bad rap they get. They drop big $’s when traveling.

Oh!, wait. Let us not forget the topic of the year. JOBS. Mom & pops create the most jobs in the nation. Somebody’s gotta cook that food, do that inventory, purchase the orders, clean the floors, take long lunch breaks, the no call- no shows, and all of those who clock-in late (I was saving a kitten from being hit by a car…no…it really happened), but anyways someone has to employ these people. And a pat on the back to you mom & pops for dealing with us.

Now, to sum this all up before your head droops again! Eat here! Buy Local! and tell your friends and their friends. We must stick together with our local business owners to ensure longevity and support their success in our community. They know you and can better provide what you like and what you need because, guess what?. They live here too. Thanks for tuning in…. you may go back to your non-fat machiato or McNuggets.