About
As you step into the Cafe Brio, you will immediately catch the mouth-watering aroma of coffee and freshly-baked pastries. A delicious breakfast and a quick pick-me-up await!
The restaurant is European-inspired and offers coffee, breakfast, brunch, and the most authentic European style baked-goods you'll find in Arcata. They serve breakfast from 8AM-11:30AM and lunch from 11:30AM til close at 3PM.
The wrap-around patio that surrounds the front entrance has multiple tables, some with large umbrellas for shade. Inside, there are a few small tables. Though they do offer dining in, this location is primarily quick-service. Aside from the pastries in the displays, they have ready-to-go sandwiches as well. Cafe Brio is an especially popular spot for a beverage during the Saturday morning Farmer's Market in the plaza. So beware that the line may be longer than usual at that time.
What's good at Cafe Brio?
Pastries
Of course, they're known for their baked goods. Not only do they have a large selection of sweet treats, they also have fresh bread. You can't go wrong with one of their croissants - literally, any of them! Our personal favorites are the chocolate croissant and the almond croissant. They pair wonderfully with coffee. You can even order a couple extra to take home and enjoy the next morning. If you want a more hearty croissant, go for the ham & cheese.
Some other varieties of pastries include danishes, sticky buns, macarons, cookies, and slices of cake!
Breakfast & Lunch
The breakfast offerings are pretty basic. This is partly because Cafe Brio does not allow substitutions, additions, or deletions from their items. They like to keep it simple and make it easy on the cooks - this in turn makes the process go faster so they can serve you more quickly. Therefore, many of their breakfast items come without meat. You can always order a side of ham, bacon, or anything else you may want to add-on.
The croque madame sandwich is a popular choice! It comes with Niman Ranch ham, gruyere cheese, and emmental cheese. It's also grilled and served open-face with a poached egg on top.
For lunch, any of the sandwiches are sure to satisfy. They come on their freshly-baked croissants, brio bread, or other house-made bread. Some popular choices include the avocado grove, ham & swiss, and the lunch omelette!
Beverages
Cafe Brio has over a dozen styles of coffee from cappuccinos to lattes and espressos. You can order a 2, 7, 10, or 16 oz. Further, you can elect to add syrups and substitute your milk for soy, oat, or almond.
Though coffee is the most popular type of beverage at Cafe Brio, they have plenty more to offer! They have hot chocolate, teas, matcha lattes, soft drinks, and juices. In addition, they also offer a pretty wide variety of alcoholic beverages. From sparkling wine, red wine to IPs and hard kombucha, you can definitely get your drink on at Cafe Brio!
Local Tips
- Brunch takes place all day on Sundays.
- Located in the Arcata Plaza. Waits may be longer on Saturday mornings during the Arcata Farmer's Market.
- Breakfast is served from 8AM-11:30AM while lunch is served from 11:30AM-3PM.
- No substitutions, deletions, or additions allowed on food items.