Hot Brew

Hot Brew has one of the best breakfasts you’ll find anywhere. The food does take a little time, but as everything is scratch made, it’s understandable. The portions are generous as well. They make fabulous biscuits and gravy… hands down one of my favorites. There is a self-​serve coffee bar with a variety of different roasts and flavors. The staff is friendly and efficient, too. They are my pick for top breakfast in Fortuna.

Best food EVER!!! service was great got are food fast the chicken fried stake was to perfection there coffee bar was great

Good place for breakfast or lunch in Fortuna. Their food is tasty and the service is friendly. For breakfast I would recommend the breakfast burrito or the chicken fried streak (note — the steak is thicker than I have had elsewhere). For lunch I would recommend their Chinese chicken salad.

Food was most dank, good service, and our Waitress was very cute! Totally 5 stars.
I ordered the biscuits and gravy & hashborwns and it did not disappoint.

Stopped here on our way home from a wedding in Ferndale, CA and loved it! They were busy but seated us right away and food came out in a timely fashion. I ordered the mexi potatoes and my boyfriend ordered some sort of skillet dish with eggs, potatoes and sausage. Both were great! We also ordered the most delicious pancake and an awesome smoothie to share. Everything was great. I’d love to go again when we’re in the area.

Great burger I had bbq bacon with loaded garlic fries. Fantastic food. Nice place service was good. One of the best buegers ive ever had. A little pricey for lunch but soooo worth it.

In a word? Inedible. Super slow service, super slow to get our meals and when they came out they were horrible. Not coming back.
We ordered chicken fried steak. It was kind of like someone coated this thing in batter and then deep fried it. The coating was tough and hard to chew and about a centimeter thick all around. Very greasy. I felt nauseated and couldn’t eat much of mine. It was also incredibly slow — like, entire tables came in, were seated, got their orders and finished while we were still waiting for our food.
I liked their wall o’ coffee and the gravy was good. On the previous occasion we’d eaten here, about a year before, it was not bad we both liked it. I’m upgrading my review to 2 stars, based on that experience. I was feeling pretty irritated at spending almost $ 30 on an inedible meal when I left the one star.
Will I come back? Probably not. I’m feeling pretty burned by this place and disappointed. I was really looking forward to having a tasty breakfast here, while traveling. I’ve never actually been to a restaurant where they actually ruined a chicken fried steak. I’ve had them done not to my taste, I’ve had them be not the best, but ruined to the point of not being able to eat it is a new one.
First world problems.

Great food! Large portions! Great prices!
It’s extremely delicious, great atmosphere, and the staff is all incredibly friendly. I did have issues eating the delicious food though, my panini was far too greasy for my sensitive stomach to tolerate. I ordered it expecting it to be non-greasy…Though I was instantly sick, I will go back and try something less greasy, maybe try some of the salads or breakfast. I would definitely recommend it to a friend, but if you suffer from any digestive problems, just keep that in mind when ordering. The staff is so friendly, I’ll probably just ask them next time whether it’s on the greasy side or not. :P

I loved loved it here! The service was fantastic! I had a little clumsy moment to where I spilled my water all over the table and they were very sweet about it unlike other places I had gone to. The food had also came out fast and was delicious! For the side I had fries which were wedges and they were perfect… also my husband had onion rings for his side which were to die for! They have definitely made it to my list of favorite spots in Humboldt which is very small. And we shall be back in the near future!!! :)

This place has the best smoothies, and portions are pretty good size. When I lived here I used to eat here and come here for the smoothies once a month or more if possible. This place was great for office meetings as well. Wood recommend it to anyone.

Great food great service great atmosphere. We sat outside on their patio and had a great meal. Shaun was a great server, very attentive and on the ball. I ordered the 2egg meat breakfast and it was phenomenal. My friend ordered a HUGE portion of the eggs Benedict with their homemade hollandaise sauce. Also, our sides of fruit were stacked super high, great portions. Great fresh squeezed OJ too. My new go to spot.

Just a yummy locally owned restaurant at the south end of Fortuna. Build your own omelettes. Great salads. Coffee bar. Vegetarian choices. Super sandwiches. Sweet potato fries. Great soups. Clean indoor/​outdoor service. Plenty of parking. You’ll see your friends there. Great place to take out-​of-​towners when they come to visit.

Hot Brew is a MUST when I am in the area. Their food is fantastic and their portions are generous. Their chicken fried steak is TO DIE FOR!!! The steak is hand battered and fried to perfection and if that wasn’t enough it is topped with the BEST gravy I have tasted at a restaurant. I get it with biscuit and country potatoes. WARNING this is quite a meal. The steak will dwarf any you may have experienced elsewhere in both size and quality. The potatoes are plenty and are cooked to perfection with a little crisp to them. the biscuit is flakey, yummy, big and topped with their awesome gravy. Lastly the eggs are never over or under done, they are just right.
If you like coffee you will certainly enjoy their coffee bar. there is a wide selection of coffees to choose from.
Top this off with great service and I don’t think you could ask for anything more.

Four different breakfast meals were ordered. All four were great. Coffee is good, food was hot. Would eat here again for sure. The hollandaise sauce was amazing on my omelette, and the chocolate macadamia coffee blend was yummy.

I’m writing this solely in the hopes that the owners read it and consider making some adjustments to the way they run their very «cliquey» dining establishment.
I’ve eaten at Hot Brew only a handful of times — however, every time I’ve dined here it’s been with the same person, who also happens to be a local.
I can confidently say/​write, that every single time I’ve come across the same exact scenario where service, food, and cleanliness are concerned. Very disheartening to say the least.
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1^st, The Service:
The young female waitstaff is consistently loud and inattentive.
They had absolutely no consideration for the diners (inside), and spoke VERY loudly, often yelling back and fourth at each other about a bevy of random topics.
I had a difficult time hearing my own conversation because of this.
Also, I was very rudely directed to the bathroom by another employee who acted annoyed when I knocked on the door (it’s a single unisex stall) to see if it was vacant, saying very curtly to me «Yeah, Ma’am, somebody IS in there. You’re gonna have to wait!»
Rude and/​or hostile attitudes all around.
It seems VERY apparent that the more familiar you are with the waitstaff/​owners the better service you receive. If you’re not a regular then you’re in for a shit show.
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2^nd, The Food:
Mediocre. If the service wasn’t so horrible then I’d be willing to give it another try, since I’ve only had their salad. Their menu seemed to have a lot of potential though. Especially for vegetarians.
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3^rd, The Cleanliness:
The bathroom was disgusting.
Every corner had a thick layer of dust and dirt, stains on the walls, and two separate soap dispensers that were both empty.
There was also a HOLE at the bottom of the wall across from the toilet that someone had stuffed a wad of paper into — maybe as an attempt to disguise it?
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If you’re looking for an example of Fortuna’s «The Friendly City» motto, and you’re not a regular, then I highly recommend avoiding this place.

First off we get a redhead waitress addressing me as «dude».At over 53 years old I haven’t been referred to as dude for longer than I can remember.
Second, there was a table next to us that had their silverware placed, fresh glasses of water and condiments prior to placing their order. When our food came I had to ask for napkins, utensils, water, etc.
Third, we had burgers which were dry, cold and tasteless with a burnt bun, rotten avocado and wilted lettuce. Also a big glob of mayo, which I didn’t want on the burger.
I informed the one of the owners and she took the burger off the bill but had a lot of attitude
Sometimes I wonder if there is any health inspectors in Humboldt County and how some of these restaurants are allowed to serve people food like this.

Great service and the food is excellent, especially for this area. They also serve Blue Moon coffee, which is one of the best. It is close to the hospital and across from the Safeway shopping center. Check it out next time you are in sunny, not today, Fortuna

Awesome, fresh menu with a really friendly staff. It IS busy though, so bring your patience (it’s worth it!)

I can’t say enough about this place. When I travel, I tend to try different restaurants every day so that I get a feel for the places in the area. Um… yeah, this place was too good to go anywhere else for breakfast!
Where do I start? Insane home fries. Heavenly crepes! The pancakes are just the right mix of substance and fluffiness. The sourdough toast… is it from homemade sourdough bread?!? OMG.
My son had a burger the first day and grilled cheese the second. They let us substitute fruit instead of fries and it wasn’t some lame cup of grapes — watermelon, pineapple, kiwi, strawberries… FRESH. Yummy…
I only wish I’d been in town another day — that french toast looked incredible.

Service was excellent! Food was amazing! Best breakfast menu in Fortuna. The eggs Benedict were chosen by my coworker. A little twist it was served on a bagel! She still loved it.
I chose the 3 crepes served with my choice of meat and cheese. I chose apple sausage and jack cheese. The crepes were some of the best I’ve ever had!
The drinks were served on 32oz mugs. Huge portions for drinks; but at least the tea I had chosen didn’t have to be refilled as much as usual. The attentiveness of the wait staff was wonderful. I will be returning and would recommend the hot brew to anyone traveling through town!
Well done Hot Brew!