Black Cat Bakery & Cafe

Black Cat Bakery has closed its doors, so I thought it would be appropriate to send them off with a Unilocal review.
First, they had big selection of baked goods. As is my usual habit, I love looking through the glass pane, poring and imagining the taste of each sugary morsel. Unfortunately, I was not tempted by anything I saw.
I placed an order for the French toast (with crème fraîche, julienned granny smith apples & cinnamon) and a breakfast special that was listed as «#2.» They ended up serving up two of the breakfast specials (not a problem, since I am a big eater).
The French toast was delicious! Soft, creamy, a little sour and richly sweet from the maple syrup made it a great choice.
The «special» was not so special :(
I wish I had the time to try their famous pancakes, but never got around to visiting a second time.

I’ve been driving past this place ever since it changed over to Black Cat. I enjoyed the café that it was before and I was curious to give this place a shot as well.
The wife and I headed over here for lunch today and decided to split a BLT and a side salad. The wife also got a coffee and a Cinnamon roll for desert.
The whole place was a nice surprise! They have little seats in the window if you dont want to sit on the street, a surprisingly diverse sandwich menu (Ban Mi yes please!) and of course a sweet counter.
The BLT wasnt too small, but wasn’t ridiculously big either… just about right. and the side salt was huge, which was awesome because I was definitely in the mood for some greens.
The service was also very nice, all in all this place was a nice surprise!

I had the tuna melt and Jerm had the egg salad sandwich both with potato salad, we shared a single shot cappuccino w/​soy.
Tuna melt: sooo damn good, bread toasted perfectly
Egg salad: good, but bland compared to the tuna, although the bread was delicious
Potato salad: too dry
Cappaccino (soy): so bloody good, we got a double cappuccino for the road!!!
The counter location is too close to the door, makes it awkward when there’s a rush of customers. I really like the window seats, although again, a little awkward if there is someone sitting at the outside table on the other side of the window. :)
Overall, a really cute restaurant, the food is good, and the customer service is pretty good too.
I wish I had a place like this walking distance from my house, I’d be a regular!

I love this place! I have driven past this place so many times that one weekend I walked over to find out why there is always a crowd.
Black Cat Bakery is a great neighborhood café for people who are interested in a good local quaint bakery. They have pastries as well as a full breakfast menu. I’ve gotten the fajita omelet and its great. They also have a nice variety of teas and speciality coffees.
This place can get a little crowded on the weekends. But, the food comes out fast and there is pleanty of it. Since Black Cat is a local resturant there is parking in the front of the building. I would guess that a lot people who frequent this place walk so there is always street parkng.

I usually come here after 4pm to get 50% off pastries. Good deal. Yummy pastries. They also have sugar free and gluten free pastries. I liked every single pastries I’ve had. Their Sua Da coffee was delicious too. Also the service is always good.

Not too bad, not too great either. I ordered a Tuna Sandwich and besides it being just a bit too sweet, it was enjoyable. It came with a potato salad, which was okay.
The service was good, but no one offered any extra coffee or anything extra, really. Just come in, order at the bar, get number and eat your food. I am not a number!!! At least I’d like to be more.
I guess if I had to describe this place, okay would be the perfect word.

The good: yummy pumpkin muffin! Decent latte.
The bad: terrible service (they are slow and told me the carrot loaf didn’t have walnuts when IT DOES). Hello, allergy issues!
The verdict: If you’re already in the area, it’s an ok place to go, but don’t go out of your way.

We came here for a nice Saturday brunch. There was plenty of parking on the street and it was easy to find.
I like how there was plenty of seating outside as well as little nooks by the windows… It gave it a very homey feel.
So you order first then grab a seat and then they bring you the food. I ordered the bimbimbap farro, and OMG it is soooo good! I think I’m just a sucker for anything with a runny egg now… It had a good variety of mushrooms in it and even though the portion was a little on the small side, it still filled me up. I think they’re more known for their pancakes, but I didn’t get a chance to try it. They also have an espresso machine so if you like coffee, def get something!
The service is really friendly and I saw that they were dog friendly too!

A beautiful LA day for a late late breakfast (read: noon). There is seating in a mini booth in the window, tables outside for those with pets, and more tables available inside the shop. It’s a… grab a menu, order at the cashier, put your number at the table and wait for food to be brought over kind of place. I tasted both the plain pancakes (don’t discount them cause they were plain) — which were light and fluffy and sweet, with a side (extra $) of real maple syrup. Also had the breakfast sandwich, which was simply made and came with a side of potatoes, but was plenty of food and nicely crafted.
The pastries in the case looked wonderful, so next time, I’m snagging some of those on the way out.
Has meters out front and the side streets are either metered or 2 hours during the day (permitted in the evenings). Parking was ample at noon on the weekday holiday.

I come here more to relax with coffee, and sometimes a light something from their bakery. Love the scones, the occasional muffin and when I’m feeling particularly bold, the sea salt chocolate chip cookie. All are fresh and not slippery sweet.
Today I tried the blueberry pancakes and they were fabulous. I asked for no extra butter or powdered sugar. Sprung for the Maple Syrup ($ 1.25) — cause hey, sometimes I’m worth it. Loved this. And maybe because I kept it simple, but the over-​rich feel I felt from the breakfast a year ago was much nicer now. The moist flavor of the pancake really shines, and the big fat blueberries crowd nicely inside.
My friend got the French Toast but asked them lose most of the frills — not to stuff it with whip cream and bananas. Swiped that for strawberries. He liked it, and he’s very much a French Toast guy. Not like his favorite ever, he said, but he thought it was very good.
The room itself seems less noisy than before. Maybe sitting in the window booth you get shielded from the bounce of ceilings etc. Even so, I thought the room was so much more inviting now. Love the warmth of the simple vintage road billboards.
The people who work here are always very friendly and relaxed. After 4pm I think, the bakery stuff goes for half price. A nice neighborhood place.

Not a ton of breakfast options, but you can build your own OMELETTE. The basic is $ 8 and then it’s $ 1 per ingredient. I chose mushrooms, spinach and bacon. Sadly, the bacon in my omelette were super-​tiny bits. It came with potatoes (alright) and toast.
If I’m near a Whole Foods with a build your own omelette station, I’d much rather do that. Bigger pieces of bacon, plus it’s cheaper.
Free parking in the back, which I failed to realize until I fed a meter… d’oh!

Went to this place solely ‘cos of it’s name — I have a black cat ;-)
Before going, we looked at the menu. I was SUPER excited about it, as everything looked to be wonderful. I knew it was going to be tough to decide.
Anyway — yes — self-​seating, order at a counter and are given a number where your food is brought to you.
It’s a bit on the pricey side, for what it is. Our lunch was $ 27 and we only had tap water to drink.
As for the food…
— Chinese Chicken Salad. Well, they forgot the chicken the first time. I’m not holding that against them in this review though. The lady behind the counter was super nice about it and brought some out. The salad tasted like a bagged salad from Costco. The same type of ‘chunk chicken’ (not even grilled chicken breast or anything). Lettuce. Some peppers. For $ 12 — $ 13, I was expecting something… more. At least give me some COMPLIMENTARY bread. Really. I did ate all of it — so if you are SUPER hungry — I can see you potentially still having hunger pains at the end of your meal. I will say though — the honey seasme dressing is FABULOUS. I ordered it on the side, but man, I could have slathered my salad in it. And I’m not usually a dressing person.
— Breakfast Sandwich. My husband ordered this. It was OK. He said it tasted like the breakfast at Denny’s.
As for the place overall, I’m a total cat lover so I loved the corkboard in the back tha thad pictures of cats (black and tuxedos), as well as infomation on cat adoption. Too cute and really loved that.
Would I come back here again? No. Better food to be found elsewhere. The concept isn’t enough to drag me back.

Ambiance: cute and cozy — love the indoor window seats that are nestled in the corner. They also have tables outside. A casual little café where you order at the counter then take a seat and they serve you.
The menu offers a nice selection of typical breakfast (french toast, egg dishes, etc.) and several vegetarian options including a bad-​ass tofu scramble accompanied by homefries with a kick. For the health nuts, they also offer some very good healthy options like housemade granola and something called Farro, which sounds pretty good — its described as an ancient wheat-​like grain and prepared with swiss chard, tomatoes, and asparagus. I also love the freshly baked breads that line the back counter and their lattes are perfectly prepared.
I had been craving french toast so I was very happy to see they offered it on their specials board, even though it wasn’t on the everyday menu. It was awesome!!! They prepared it with bananas and challah bread. And served it with real maple syrup. We will definitely be back here for breakfast.

Came in here just for a cup of coffee before seeing the Tim Burton exhibit at LACMA. Saw the reviews on Unilocal so wanted to give it a shot. Waiters were rude and we waited up to 20 minutes for our iced coffees. No apologies came, even after my boyfriend had to remind them, and even after the two old ladies that had arrived five minutes after us had been brought their coffee and cakes before us.
If the place had been really busy I would at least give them a break. But there were three waiters behind the coffee bar and only 4 tables with customers. The food looked appealing, though we didn’t actually order any of it. The coffee was very flavorful, but the overall experience was negative. Maybe it was an off day. I would give it another shot if I’m in the area because of the quality of the coffee, the appearance of the food and the quaint cuteness of the place; hopefully next time the service will be better!

I heart breakfast! And if a restaurant serves breakfast with extended hours or all-​day, I’m there!
I haven’t had a great breakfast since my visit to Joan’s on Third a few weeks ago and was craving an egg white omelette. The inner struggle of going back to Joan’s or trying a new place was rather fierce! Ultimately, I settled upon Black Cat Bakery.
I parked in Black Cat’s private lot, located behind the restaurant. My noon time arrival was ideal because there were only a few patrons dining at that time. As 12:30 rolled around, the place was packed!
I knew I wanted an egg white omelette and the Grafton Cheddar & Apple Omelette caught my eye. I asked the gentleman working the register how that omelette was and he said it was phenomenal. Uncertain of the size, I asked how big it was, and he said it was pretty large because it was a four egg omelette. Okay, I won’t have to order another item then… I’ll take that made with egg whites and Rye toast! For the caffeine fix, I ordered a Nonfat Double Caffe Latte.
Of note, service was super friendly, but incredibly slow, considering there were only a few patrons.
Grafton Cheddar Cheese & Apple Omelette: ³⁄₅
After a long wait, my omelette arrives As I cast my eyes upon the plate set before me, one word came to mind: Small!!! Digging into the omelette (after snapping a few photos), I found it a bit sour from the buttery diced sautéed apples and aged cheddar cheese. About the apples, the apple skin was just too tough and added a strange texture dimension. Loads of bacon bits infused in the egg whites making it a slightly salty. Since this omelette had such a unique flavor, I would recommend they use a different apple and peel the skin off the apples. *Sidebar: For your information, there is a $ 2.00 additional charge for egg whites.
Potatoes: 3.5÷5
A little spicy, but some bites were bland. Some bites were cooked perfectly, some bites were not cooked thoroughly. I thought Black Cat’s potatoes were very oily. It almost seems as if they cook their potatoes with chorizo grease, but I cannot confirm that.
Rye Toast: ⁴⁄₅
Great black licorice flavor from the well use of anise seeds. Very tasty. Toasted just right. Butter was not hard and applied easily.
Nonfat Double Caffe Latte: ³⁄₅
A tad on the weak side and a slight bitterness almost tasted like a Starbucks latte. Latte art was not well distinguishable. Just okay.
Lemon Blueberry Muffin: ³⁄₅
Apparently, The gentleman who assisted me claimed that this was their best selling muffin. With such a claim, how could I not try this muffin. Although the crumble accented muffin top was super sweet, the entire muffin, stump included was not as moist as I had anticipated. I expected something a little tart and with a real lemon flavor and loaded with blueberries. The only areas of moistness were where the sparse use of blueberries were. Yes, there were not enough blueberries in the muffin!
I also purchase their signature Black Cat Muffin but have yet to try it.
I really want to like Black Cat and want to say I’ll be making another visit, but I don’t think that will be the case. I’d much rather try new places or just go back to Joan’s for an awesome egg white omelette. All in all, Black Cat Bakery is just okay.

Along for the ride with my BFF, she had an appointment two blocks away. So while waiting, I decide to walk on in here and see what’s the deal. The deal is the White Chocolate Raspberry Pistachio muffin for $ 2.50. It’s LOADED with raspberries. Had a cup of tea with it and man oh man, I was in heaven. My BFF came by after and had lunch, which was really good though on the pricey side. You can tell they use fresh ingredients and home made everything. Right on!!!
P. S. I do love cats!

I’m not a cat person. They weird me out and I don’t trust them (kittens excluded). And I’m pretty sure the black ones are bad luck. Thankfully this cute café didn’t give me an anxiety attack.
Black Cat sits on Fairfax and there’s free parking in back. Or do what I did and pay for metered parking like a chump (off Maryland Dr). The former Mani’s space has been transformed into a chic, 1920’s-inspired café with vintage touches. As soon as you step inside, you’re literally breathing on the cashier. It’s claustrophobic and a little awkward. Place your order, get a number, then choose from the cozy window bay seats (which are a hot commodity) and a few tables inside and out front.
I came for the multigrain pancakes, but later found out are only available on weekends. Boo. So, I got:
Mushroom Omelet ($ 9) w/​side of garlic sage potatoes and choice of toast, plus a foamy latte. Eggs were overcooked and tough, but I liked the gooey Swiss cheese, shitake mushrooms and fresh herbs. Potatoes were spot on good. Bread was nothin special.
Breakfast is served til 3pm and the other menu offerings and pastries look pretty tasty. Overall it’s cute place, with ok food. I’d like to think that if this was called the Black Dog Bakery, it would be even better… but then again, I’m more of a dog person.

I enjoyed a nice Saturday morning here recently and the bay window seating made me feel like I was in my own world. I loved that I could escape for that moment in time.
It was a little frustrating at first because I skipped out on my favorite coffee shop to try out my laptop at a new location but they only have a couple outlets and one of them (the most accessible) didn’t work. With the help of the owner I was able to secure the bay window seat and outlet but then my wireless card wouldn’t work, so my ability to be productive was severely impaired.
My frustration was quickly put to rest with one bite of the lemon blueberry muffin. It had a hard top with sprinkles of something that gave it a nice, not overbearing spice and then the cake part was fluffy and moist, which is a hard texture to pull off. The soy vanilla latte wasn’t anything memorable, as I think they put the majority of their love and passion in their pastries and savory menu items.
I will be making another appearance at Black Cat, but next time with a good book and a bigger appetite!

Minus the parking ticket I got that day in the pouring rain, I was so glad they opened up a new bakery to replace Mani’s.
I’ve always like the space there but they redesigned it with a much more cleaner, modern look with all black chairs and black framed mirrors.
That day they were giving out sample mini muffins so we tried the blueberry and chocolate one. Yummy-​I wish they sold them in that size too.
Ordered the bibimap farro which came with asparagus, mushrooms, burrata, and an egg on top. I thought this was a new spin off a traditional Korean dish. Really enjoyed the farro.
Also the banana muffin was really moist and the iced coffee was strong too which I liked.

I decided to come back for brunch today as I had seen someone eating blueberry pancakes Tuesday when I stopped by for lunch. The manager recognized me with a nice smile and greeting and my companion and I ordered the pancakes, of course, and an order of omelette with spicy italian sausage, veggies and provolone.
We took our # card and sat down. Even in the pouring rain the restaurant was filled to capacity, with nobody of course sitting outside under the awning. Soon enough our orders arrived and we dug in. The pancakes, I could tell, were made with buttermilk, as they had that nice, tangy flavor. Topped with real maple syrup, I think they might be the best I’ve had in LA, rivaling without a doubt my hands down favorites up to now, those at BLD. Since these are $ 4 cheaper, I’ll have to give them 1^st prize.
The omelette was good too, with nicely flavored provencal sauce over it. A good amont of well seasoned potatoes on the side. My espresso was ample and strong. For a brand new restaurant, they seem to have the system down already. We were happy. Judging by the crowd and the other delicious looking items ordered, this place is going to be a hit.
I’ll be back.
PS I parked on the street but there is a sign for parking in the back on the register.