cafe kacao

deliciously different.. we went there for a late breakfast/early lunch. my son wantedbreakfastand got an omelette served with black beans and fried plantains on the side--and homemade tortillas! i'm not abreakfastperson so i got the carne adobada--mariated pork loin, served with rice, homemade white corn tortillas and verde. since it wasn't quite lunch yet, they subbed black beans and a green salad instead of the soup and russian salad that would usually come with it--soup wasn't quite done; not sure why i didn't get the russian salad. it was all very good, and nicely different from the mexican fare i usually get. we will be back.

the waiter was very friendly and attentive considering how busy it was. the carne asada was great. well cooked and seasoned well. the sides were good and the salsa de verde was great. thebreakfastsandwich was great. definitely a fun place to try out. there is a reason why this place is always packed!

too much fat on stead and plantains dry. after reading all the great reviews, i expected a very positive experience at cafe kacao. i tried to take my family to dine here last sunday and called at 12pm - the male on the phone stated that they were out of food and would be closing at 1pm; this is understandable being mother's day and thus has no effect on this review. i went with a friend today at 3pm, 5/14/11 and there were two other groups in the restaurant. the interior was decorated nicely. we wanted to try the horchata, guatemalean hot chocolate, or atol de elote, but none of these were available.
my friend ordered the tikalbreakfastand i chose the carne asada. a soup with elbow macaroni and green onions was brought to us - it was lukewarm but was nice as a starter. our previous experiences with guatemalean food were our three visits to cocina guatelinda, thus comparison will be made with them. cafe kacao looks more upscale and appealing compared to guatelinda. our two entrees came out and was very elegant - the plating is done very well. the potato salad looks better than at guatelinda - as for taste , they were almost identical. my friend liked his eggs. i had his sausage and it was very good. when it came to the main item on our plates, the flank steaks, it was terrible. they look gorgeous on the plate and fancier than guatelinda, but after taking a bite, it's obvious that appearance alone will not guarantee a delicious steak. there wasn't much flavor in it and a ton of fat on it! my friend had to spit out his first bite as it was too difficult to chew and proceeded to cutting out much of the fat; half of his flank steak could not be eaten due to the amount of fat on it. my steak was also bland but had slightly less fat. still, this is much more fat than the flank steaks at guatelinda (i don't recall ever having to cut out fat on their steaks).the beans were decent, but the spanish rice tasted similar to packaged spanish rice. we finish what we could of the steak and proceeded to the plantains. they were fried but were not warm in temperature and very dry, as if they had been cooked in the morning and served hours later. we decided we better skip the dessert.
cafe kacao wins on interior looks and plating but it comes down to taste and unfortunately it's mediocre at best. i kept wishing i was at guatelinda instead. improvements could be made by using better cuts of steak and cooking the plantains once they're ordered.

fantastic and unique. went here forbreakfastand was very impressed. each aspect of the tikalbreakfastthat i ordered was amazing. the fried plantains brought a nice sweetness to the plate. the mango juice was a great way to wash everything down. the waiter was very friendly and helpful. easily one of the best breakfasts i have ever had!

**** second visit ****i returned for my second visit on a saturday morning with two men in my regularbreakfastcrew.  we were not disappointed.  i ordered the french toast this time.  it was hands-down the best french toast i have ever had.  they put some kind of crunchy coating on the french toast, the slices were thick and long, the fresh fruit complimented everything well, and their homemade whipped cream/cream cheese was also a good accompaniment.  i was cautious about that last item because the menu described it as made from cream cheese and i don't care for cream cheese.  however, this was simply delicious and a good contrast for the richness of the crunchy exterior of the french toast.  i would not have ever thought to make french toast like this, but it is delicious. 

next time, i'll have to try their specialty pancakes.
**** first visit ****
come early but it's worth it. we visited here with another couple that recommended it to us as a great breakfast/brunch spot. i also read dave cathey's reviews online before we came. he was right about thebreakfastofferings. my date and i both enjoyed our meals. i got the spicy tecpan breakfast. she got the french toast. the spicy tecpan was not as spicy as i thought it was going to be, but that's okay. i'll take chorizo with eggs any day. the flour tortillas had that earthy flavor that tells me that they were made just that day on the premises. you get two with this meal -- which is enough. they are also handy to help you eat the silky-textured refried black beans. the "house potatoes" were a disappointment. although they were cooked soft enough to enjoy, they were not seasoned much at all, and the thin green sauce that covered them did not add much extra flavor, only some spiciness.
my date enjoyed her french toast. i noted the excellent presentation. this included chocolate drippings on the outer edges of the shallow bowl/plate in which it was served and the pile of whipped cream topped with a sprig of mint leaves.

the prices are reasonable for the amount and quality of food that you get. the dining room is bright and inviting. i would like to return and try a few things off of the lunch/dinner menu.

bestbreakfastaround town hands down and the nutella latte is the greatest! pro tip- you can order their specialty pancakes as french toast instead of pancakes

have wonderful service and food. i had a nutella coffee and i was amazing!!! there beans were amazingly cooked and so was the chorizo! if you are looking for an amazingbreakfastspot this is the place!😍😍

this place is really amazing when they are on and can also be horrible. their current spot on rate is at 50% for me. i have been to this place since the doors opened and man their french toast and pancakes are fantastic when they are done to perfection. believe they have also served me burnt french toast too. my favoritebreakfastis the tikal. try their specials. those are always great. my only complaint is the inconsistency i experience due to the traffic that comes through. they are sooo busy i think they have trouble keeping their heads screwed on.

open at 8 am and by 8:45 the place was hopping. excellent service and thebreakfastwas luscious! so glad we waited the 30 mins for them to open. traveling in motor coach from nh to ca and wish we could have stayed to try lunch. hopefully another time! love the flavors!

food was definitely delicious and will be back to try theirbreakfastbut hopefully our service experience will be better... boyfriends food came out about 10 minutes before mine after an already 20 minute wait after ordering and then i had to get up and track down our waiter so we could get our ticket to pay...

great food forbreakfastcoffee hot warm plenty of flavor. so far i haven't had a badbreakfasthere or one i don't like. one of okc hidden little gems

i hadbreakfasthere with friends. the portions were huge, and nobody let unsatisfied. the french toast with homemade whipped cream. was amazing.

my favoritebreakfastplace! this is the izabalbreakfastwith a side of fried plantains. the plantains are amazing! chorizo, black beans, eggs over easy, with tortillas... my favorite! the coffee is so amazing... just absolutely love this place.

i've been here more times than i can count. i used to budget thisbreakfastplace into my finances for once a week.
the owners and employees are top notch- as much as with their food!
if you haven't eaten here, you must. if you decide to dine here forbreakfaston the weekend- be early!

great place, great food!

sooooo good!. my friend and i were looking for food at 10:15 a.m. (an odd food time)near penn and 23rd and found this place. i had the machaca, she had abreakfastburrito with chorizo. we both had the hibiscus tea. omg, it was all so good! the flavor profile was complex without being overwhelming. the meat for the machaca was slow cooked in red wine according to the description and it was so flovorful and tender. the eggs were also tender without the normal chewy texture of diner eggs. the potatoes and beans were just amazing. not sure what they do to them, but such a difference from standard papas and refried style black beans. her burrito was huge and the chorizo was extremely good with lots of flavor and just the right amount of spice to wake up your taste buds without numbing them. my dish also came with a side of seasonal, ripe fruit drizzled with a berry and cream sauce. the sauces just elevated the fruit. the tea was refreshing, slightly sweet and slightly tart. the tortillas were obviously fresh made and tender. will become a new standard brunch place!