Ballesteri's Cafe

Excellent little hidden gem in Yakima! This little boutique restaurant has great service and a great breakfast and lunch menu. The atmosphere is quite nice and relaxed, while service is expedited for those on a lunch break. Delicious sandwiches, soup, salad and burgers are served with chips and a pickle. Soup and sandwich are this writer's favorite, but their Cobb Salad is divine.

In the past I have had delightful gatherings & food at Ballesteris. It has a homey atmosphere, nicely located. Yesterday I took three friends out to lunch. I was shocked. The French dip had 1/2 of a normal roast beef serving. My chicken noodle soup was luke warm & had a rancid taste. The waitress seemed quite irritated when I walked up to her sitting station (unable to catch her eye) to ask for more ice tea. I did have a good visit in spite of this all. I do hope Ballesteris Cafe can delete such experiences and again become an enjoyed place to have conversation and GOOD food.

Busy, little place that's always good in a pinch. Orders are ready fairly fast for takeout but the food is just "ok". I have ordered the Chicken Pesto Club (very messy), Grilled Cheese Margarita Sandwich (very wimpy), the Oriental Chicken Salad & Southwest Salad (must ask for extra dressing!!!) and each time, I'm never impressed. And the little bag of plain chips....I could definitely do without that. Cute little cafe though and even when they're busy, it may be slower service but it's not for lack of staff hustling. They're always moving! We'll keep ordering for convenience but not necessarily for their stellar food.

The coffee and staff were good. But I was very upset with the food and pricing. I paid $12 (full price) for modified BLT (no bread and no sauce). What I got was 1 piece of lettuce, the butt-end of a tomato (1 slice) and 6 small pieces of bacon. They did throw in a pickle wedge and a small bag of chips. I ordered the same at Mel's Diner,, got 3x the amount of food and only paid $7.50. I will never eat at this establishment again.