Happy Badger

Sadly, the Happy Badger is no more in Bowling Green. Time to find a new better place.

Came here for lunch during my short visit to BGSU. I checked in on Unilocal and was pleased to see a buy 1 get 1 free sandwich deal. So I ordered the chicken salad sandwich and grilled cheese, plus a maple latte.
I sat down and was brought some water in an old glass bottle with a mason jar to drink from. A little strange, but interesting. I was brought my sandwich with chips & salsa and my latte. The latte was SO GOOD. The sandwich was SO GOOD.
The man working was very nice, not overly friendly. Laid-​back, but not lackadaisical. I was there a little while, used their free wifi and catching up on emails. I felt comfortable there and as though it was definitely a place I would return.
I only ate half my sandwich and wrapped up the second half, plus my free grilled cheese to-​go. The sandwiches were sitting for about 2 hours before I could actually refrigerate them at my hotel. I ate the second half of the grilled cheese cold… and it was surprisingly still good! I am looking forward to actually tasting it fresh! The bread WAS NOT soggy at all. Shows this place knows what they are doing. I hate when places use soggy bread that gets gross after sitting around. This was not the case at all here.
The two halves of my sandwiches sat in my fridge for two days, then joined me on an 8-​hour journey through Toledo, to Detroit, and flying to Charlotte. I was hesitant to eat the rest, knowing how long they had been sitting, but my college budget convinced me. The bread was STILL NOT SOGGY. And it still tasted awesome (of course, not as good as fresh, but way better than expected). I am a sucker for good bread, and was impressed with how sturdy and fresh the bread here was!
I hope to have the chance to dine here again! Wonderful place.

Organic, tasty, quiet, relaxed atmosphere. Definitely try a fresh juice. My Greek chicken wrap was pretty good! My soup not so much. Will be back again to try more things off the menu!

If you are in a hurry to eat don’t stop here although it will be soooo worth the wait. On our way back to Columbus I looked on Unilocal to find someplace to eat brunch and decided on Happy Badger. I ordered the Pan Fried Goat Cheese Ravioli Salad — oh so good the raviolis were cooked just right and the greens were so fresh. My husband ordered the Funky Father’s French Toast and fresh squeezed orange juice. The peanut butter tasted creamy and fresh, the maple syrup tasted like the real thing and the grilled banana was icing on the cake (I mean French toast). Everyone is very friendly. Glad we stopped and if we pass this way again we will eat here.

If you are looking for an eclectic, vegetarian friendly local coffee shop/​bistro with plenty of diverse options then the Happy Badger may be just the spot for you.
This makes our second visit to the humble little shop and we have yet to leave disappointed. The atmosphere is warm and rustic, with an artistic flair surrounding the décor. Inside their are plenty of tables located around the corner from where you place your order, and located just outside the front of the building is a patio with a few chairs (which is where we decided to sit given the nice weather this morning.) It was unfortunate that the Happy Badger no longer has a side shopping area (they offered a lot of unique items to purchase), but instead made room for more seating; however, I am sure this is ideal to accommodate a large crowd. The ambience is very quiet and relaxed on a normal day, but if you are lucky enough to visit when they have a live music venue then you will be able to enjoy your meal while swaying to some type of indie song.
The Happy Badger is definitely more of a relaxed/​laid back style of coffee shop. You may not be greeted at the counter when coming inside if the workers are busy in the back, so I wouldn’t recommend this as an in-​and-​out quick stop for coffee. Also, ordering can be a little difficult, considering there is a lot of options and some of the chalk signs are a little difficult to read. However, do not hesitate to ask the workers for suggestions, they are very helpful and friendly and the food is worth the wait you may encounter.
The food was excellent and reasonably priced. For less than $ 20 he ordered a barbecue tofu sandwich on wheat bread with an iced coffee, and I ordered a hot coffee with a Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin bagel w/​cream cheese, honey, and sliced pears (at the suggestion of one of the workers.) The food arrived at our table around 15 minutes after ordering with a chilled pitcher of ice water. Everything tasted great. I have never had the combination of cream cheese, pear, and honey until today, but I will certainly have it again. The coffee was also very well made and easily a step-​up from your typical coffee vendors.
Overall, the Happy Badger is an ideal spot to take some time to relax with a nice cup of coffee, a good meal, and have a chat with friends. Don’t expect to leave quickly, but on a nice relaxing day like this, you really wouldn’t want to.
4 out of 5 stars.

The food was incredible. I had the Famers Market wrap. Great spot for a Sunday brunch. The price is a little steep but the quality of the food more than makes up for it.

We love local places and as we were passing through this place looked promising. Atmosphere was very eclectic and hippie. The fresh squeezed OJ started our brunch off right and we chatted while waiting for our food to arrive. The service started off a little slow as the employees aren’t very engaging; however, the food made up for their lack of conversation. We enjoyed a lovely brunch of strawberry crepes, bacon, and grilled sausage with eggs over cornbread. Our food was gone moments after it arrived. Mission accomplished. The employees were a little more engaging after we paid our bill and used our Unilocal deal. I guess if you have amazing dishes you can afford to skimp on the chit chat.

Watch out for the platform when you walk in. easy to trip over. Dusty windows that looked like they need cleaning. The Avocado Cucumber with Sesame dressing was very good and the chicken with hummus was tasty. The service was poor. We had to check on our food after a 30 minute wait. There were 6 people in the restaurant including us.

My friend and I stopped in for a quick lunch today. We gave our order to an apathetic employee with sleepy eyes. I ordered a grilled portabello sandwich (with chips and a pickle) along with a rootbeer. We sat down at a table and chatted for a while, and wondering where the food was, I glanced at my watch and saw that we’d been waiting for almost 25 minutes. I thought about going up to the counter to check on the status of our food, considering we had an appointment in half an hour. I decided against this in case something unfortunate would happen to our food in the kitchen. Protip: Never annoy people who make your food!
Finally, sleepy eyes came over and dropped off our food. I assessed my $ 9 sandwich and $ 2.55 rootbeer, which was missing. Where was my drink? I approached the counter where one employee ignored me and walked away, and sleepy eyed girl asked me what I needed. I asked for my drink and she said, «Oh, it’s around the corner.» Well, that would’ve been great if you told me that when I ordered.
The pickle that came with our meals was about the size of my middle finger, but shriveled and much less appetizing looking. The chips were not potato, but were tortila. Were they good though? Nah, nothing you couldn’t get from Costco. My friend’s hummus dish was sad with vegetables that were hardly fresh, dipped in Kroger-​quality hummus. We left disappointed and $ 25 poorer. We really should’ve just gone to Panera Bread!
Consensus: This place is highly overrated. Yes, the décor and atmosphere is cute and hippie, blah blah, but the food isn’t anything to rave about, and the prices are wayyy too expensive for the value. Thanks, but no thanks Happy Badger.

We went here a couple of Sundays ago for brunch and a couple of things. One-it’s a total hipster place which may irritate some, and while the girl who served us was friendly enough the guy behind the counter wasn’t exactly welcoming, particularly with us being first timers. Two-​That being said, the food was FANTASTIC. The brunch menu seems to change with each week, but from the looks of their menu on quaintly placed upon the wall, creativity and fresh flavors seem to rule the menu which is always a plus in my book!

Two weeks later, popped in again to check out their new offerings. I love that they change the menu every week or so.
Two of us at the table today very much enjoyed our brunch-​BLTs, the truffled eggs with scones & sausage were delectable and the elvis style waffles with cocoa, PB & bananas looked awesome and were loved by all.
This place is really terrific, and being able to pick up another loaf of ZIngerman’s bread was a super bonus. Totally worth the 20 minute drive from Toledo!!!

Like, this is seriously probably my favorite restaurant I’ve ever been to. My family was in Bowling Green because my dad had something for work, so I looked just googled stuff to find a locally owned café and came up with this place. So glad I did!
It’s like stepping into the house of a hippie farmer. Coolest atmosphere ever, with a nice porch as well. And their menu was so expansive, it took me forever to decide. I ended up loving what I got, as well as what the rest of my family did…
They give you drinks in jam jars. I mean, that in itself is just awesome.
If I lived here I’d totally be a here on the reg.

Everything from the delicious soups to the salad dressings are made inhouse which is quite amazing to me. The sandwiches are giant and some of the best I have had. It’s a great place to hangout off campus during the week after classes. If I am not eating, I’ll get a pot of tea and do some work with their free wifi. Very comfy and cozy environment. If you want to get away from campus and explore what BG has to offer, the Badger is a wonderful place to start.

The best thing about this interesting establishment is they serve breads from a local Bowling Green artisan that are awesome!
I’d rate the place 5 stars if I was rating the bread alone…
Taken in concert though with the atmosphere and other prodcuts and it rounds out to a 3 star rating.

I would have LOVED this place when I was 19– I had a nose ring, Birkenstocks, Lisa Loeb glasses and some poorly-​informed but nonetheless passionate Marxist-​feminist convictions. My heart would have sung at the smell of patchouli soap wafting over from the little shop attached to the restaurant, and I would have stood outside smoking clove cigarettes between sets when the singer-​songwriter du jour was doing her thing. Those days are well behind me now, but thankfully, Happy Badger has plenty to offer even if you’re not a neo-​hippie undergrad.
I met a friend there today for brunch and got the bacon chocolate french toast on Zingerman’s bread and a good cup of coffee. The food came out pretty quickly and it was really delicious; it was served with real maple syrup, cinnamon apples and sliced bananas. The service was initially a little slow and standoffish, but ultimately I thought it was fine– I got what I wanted without too much of a wait, and even if there wasn’t a whole lot of smiling going on, everyone I dealt with was polite and friendly. I knocked off one star because despite the menu’s description, they were out of bacon for my bacon chocolate french toast, and like I said, the service was a little chilly at first. Overall, though, a very good experience; even though it’s a little bit of a drive for me, I’m pretty sure I’ll be back.

The Happy Badger is a family owned and operated Café, Coffee shop & retailer all in one. Housed in a converted home with apartments above it, the sitting areas are cozy and warm, with wood paneled walls, wood tables, unmatched chairs and mural painted walls. A small stage occupies one wall, but not in a corner, for regular shows and spoken word events. there are plenty of outlets available along the walls and free wi-​fi.
There are organic fruits and vegetables. Non-​Hormone and non steroid fed meat options, terrific vegetarian options, teas, coffee, smoothies and dessert. They serve Zingerman’s bread & pastries, which is from Ann Arbor; another family owned business.
I’m pretty sure you always have to order at the counter here. Later the waitstaff brings out your order. the wait from ordering to receiving your food is generally under 15 minutes. I’ve been there when it’s been both packed with no available seating and when i have my choice of either the main dining area or the backroom by the backdoor.
I find myself thinking about the happy badger’s Berwin Special with some frequency. It’s difficult to find great vegetarian food in the midwest with flare. I don’t mind the price, as I see it as a treat to eat there once a month or more. I do have to drive 25 minutes south to Bowling Green to visit it. It’s nice to get out of town!
Today, I had the Berwin Special. the stiff bread is drizzled with olive oil and the sandwich, served cold, stood 5″ tall. I believe it came with guacamole, hommous (although I ate it so quickly, I might be wrong about this ingredient), sprouts, shredded carrots, cucumber slices and veggie shredded cheese. Accompanying the sandwich were corn chips and homemade tomato, green pepper, cilantro and lime juice salsa, which was mostly chunked vegetables and very little liquid. YUM.
My friend had the BBQ Tofu Fabulous. the sandwich was another 5″ stack which had strips of stiff tofu smothered in spicy barbeque sauce, sprouts, creamy avocado, sliced tomatos and a white creamy cheese on stiff zingerman’s bread again drizzled with olive oil. This sandwich was served hot. It was heaven. We were smitten.
I ordered a Mint Lemonade which has menthol dried mint, lemon juice, honey and ice thrown into a blender. So addictive.
My friend had a cup of coffee. After our meals came out the server brought us a jug of water, which was appreciated.
The bill came to $ 24 something. Not bad for two people who were completely satisfied.

Happy Badger is a case of really wanting to write a glowing review but not being able to ignore its shortcomings. That upsets me a little, as it has a wonderful atmosphere. It’s cozy and funky and hippyesque. I love that part. It even has a stage for the sensitive singer-​songwriter to strum an acoustic guitar.
Having a $ 11.40 (plus tip, of course) price tag for a half sandwich/​half salad combo with a coffee is too much though. You’re local; you use Zingerman’s products. I get that, but I am not enchanted enough with the place to pony up that kind of money. I would simply farm this meal out to Panera’s. It pains me to say that, but it’s the truth.
I am thankful I got the only outgoing employee in the place to serve me. The other two I observed had a strong air of indifference about them. It really puts me on the fence on whether I want to come back or not.

There is no where like the Happy Badger. It’s hard to find a good LOCAL coffee shop around these parts. I often drive from Toledo to visit the Happy Badger. This place radiates comfort and serves healthy delicious food. The food is creative and full of flavor leaving you beyond satisfied. I saw a review that complained about the monies, but here-​you get what you pay for. The service, food, and atmosphere are well worth it. I left full for the remaining portion of the day. Great folks, great food and local! It doesn’t get any better than that.

There’s nothing I can say that will do the Happy Badger justice! Family-​owned and operated, clean and organic ingredients… simply perfect and original menu!
A perfect ambiance of comfy décor, bewildering yet calming scents and amazing food give this quaint shop and it’s customers a memorable experience time and again! While only my second visit, it was even better than the first! The staff can almost sense what your mood is and can cater to that and leave you salivating for more.
But that’s not all! There’s also a unique little shop attached that offers a wide variety of handmade jewelry and clothing, personal beauty and relaxation goods… and Indian/​Zen Buddhist trinkets!
I’ll keep coming back over and over again! If not for everything mentioned above, just to see if I can find another pair of mucklucks for my feet (cause they feel Sooooo Gooooood)!
And if it’s in season, the Hot Carmel Apple Cider, milled with cinnamon and nutmeg and fresh Culver’s whipped cream on top, is the closest thing to heaven in a mug I can possibly think of:)

I was torn on my Stars here. Flavor and décor deserves four maybe even five, but value & service deserves two at most. Split the difference.
The ultimate in Retro Hippy. Whenever I think of the name I think Angry Beavers, which is not the same thing. Perfect menu for a health conscious vegetarian with disposable income.
Vegetable Stew with a biscuit. It was really good but I have two complaints. The meal with the addition of a small cup of coffee (plus $ 0.50 for a refill) was $ 9.00. I don’t mind paying for good food, but for that much you have to appear to give value. The coffee refills should be free with a meal, and of all things to cut costs on, they give you a half of a ridiculously good biscuit. We all know how much coffee costs, and this was really expensive for coffee, I think they may have even charged me for cream for the coffee.
Complaint #2, The «stew» was not a stew, it was soup. Good soup, but still a soup and not hot. .
I do not think they should lower their prices, but I do think they should up their game. It was a really really good dinner, but not worth $ 9.50 plus the $ 1.00 I threw into the tip jar, sorry.
The little shop attached was fun, and the very friendly and nice girl working it (Friday night, 7:00 pm, ⁰⁹⁄₁₆) made me feel comfortable. I spent more money there than the restaurant. I wish she had been working the restaurant portion.