Bongo Java

I love Bongo Java, it’s my favorite place for coffee in Nashville. I like the East side location better than this one (different atmosphere, seems more laid back), but I stopped in to this location because I was on that side of town. The only thing that weirds me out about Bongo (my one and only complaint) is they only offer cappuccinos in one size. REALLY SMALL. Any other coffee shop has 3 sizes to offer. What gives? Anyhow, great coffee, great place.

This seems to be a wildly popular place for breakfast. There was actually a line out the door. I was a little worried that my drink might not be prepared well given the long line, but it was actually done quite well. My latte was smooth and at the right temperature. There was even some nice art drawn. Overall I would recommend trying this place if you have time enough to wait.

Art Gallery Coffee vibe with good coffee, so-​so acoustics and potentially very long waits. Wouldn’t recommend, but the area options seem limited.

Great bagels and burgers! I have been here a couple times and the food never disappointed. However, the coffee mugs are small and you do not get a refill. The staff is definitely snobby and not welcoming. This does not bother me generally, but rolling eyes and not asking before grabbing the extra chair is way too much. They need take down the attitude a notch!

Food is good but the staff seems stuck up. The guy at the counter did not seem happy to see me (like, no «Welcome to Bongo» attitude) OR take my order. Honestly, they need to fix this, as I see many others have experienced rudeness as well.

Cute and cozy with plenty of seating!
Great food and coffee. Plenty of vegan options too. This is a spot I go to at least 3 times a week.

Love the Mochahontas! I’m not local, so whenever I am in Nashville on business, I travel out of my way to get a cup. Coffee has a unique freshness you can’t get at Starbucks. I have one request for change: I wish they’d offer their specialty drinks in more sizes (not just medium)!

Get their chai drink, it gave me food envy.
I decided to get a hot chocolate and my friend got what I think was a chai latte. I had such drink envy. The hot chocolate was good, don’t get me wrong, but I thought it would be more chocolatey. I tried his chai drink and it was amazing. It was rich with milk and had a strong chai flavor. Our other friend got a mochahantous, which was one of their specials. Although I usually don’t like mocha drinks, I was pleasantly surprised. It was good!
Their selections of drinks is what sold me on this place. When I can’t choose what I want to drink, I know a place is good. Prices aren’t bad either. It was worth stopping by and getting a warm drink to heat ourselves up.

Love this place! It can get crowded sometimes due to Belmont being right there (tons of college students) but it’s a great spot. One thing that makes it unique is their amazing menu because it changes regularly, their drinks are so unique! They have such interesting flavor combinations and the don’t rely on sugar to make their drinks taste good. Great balance. Also they have a lovely space upstairs for theatre/​live shows. Check it out, and if you’re in East Nashville, they have a location there too! Parking is sometimes a challenge in the area, but they have a lot in the back. Sometimes you can find street parking, it may just take a bit of time to walk there.

Stopped in to pick up two coffee’s one extra hot. The staff was snotty and rude. I tried several times to ask questions and was just ignored and walked by. I felt like an inconvenience to their day. The mocha wasn’t very good either. Not $ 6 worth in my opinion I’ve had better gas station coffee from the convenience store next door. Over rated and over priced.
Even though this coffee house near where I live and work I would rather drive out to East Nashville to Sip where they are friendly and are happy you are there.

Relaxing spot. Enjoyed a delicious Chai with Almond milk! Be sure to also check out the beautiful mural in the bathroom.

Nice spot to do work over some decent coffee. Never crazy crowded which is nice. In a cool area of town. Nothing to write home about.

A comfy little coffee joint with good food as well. pretty quiet and I saw several people working. I sat indoors since it was rainy and cold but the outdoor seating looked really nice and could definitely be a place you spend hours at with a book and a cuppa. Also, I noticed they had a couple of vegan options too and those looked really nice as well.

One of my new favorite spots! This place has a really cool atmosphere and seems to attract really friendly people. We sat outside on a perfect Fall day and enjoyed lunch and some coffee (obviously). I had a great cappuccino made with almond milk along with a bagel sandwich. Everything tasted fresh and my coffee was made perfectly! My friend had a latte and grilled cheese sandwich which looked delicious, too. I will definitely be back, and I bought some coffee beans to take home with me too!

So in need of this it was great services were friendly and helpful. It’s very busy. Sunday morning everyone brings their little family. I ordered the French toast and couldn’t set my fork down it was delicious.

Great looking alternative to Starbucks but their service is really really slow. Nice outside sitting area though, so still three stars.

Before I begin I’d like to note that the coffee is very good here. Now that being said, it isn’t mind blowing good. The real issue is the line, it moves so ridiculously slow that it quickly becomes frustrating. I realize people are ordering food and it takes time, but the wait is just too long.

Rude and unprofessional employees .also the place is dirty and smells weird. The cappuccino that they served me was a disgrace. The worst cappuccino I ever tried. I’ve been to coffee shops all over USA but that coffee shop is a disgrace. The only reason that I gave them 2 stars it’s because they have nice outside sitting area.

Bongo Java is so disappointing, every time. — mostly because of how their staff behaves. Everyone who works there seems generally uninterested in you being there to spend money and they are a bit snooty (which is a quality trait I just love getting from a 22 year old schmuck). The owner is definitely not unaware of how his staff behaves, by the way. the staff has had that same reputation for almost TEN YEARS! The difference now in 2015 is that we have way more options in terms of local coffeehouses.
Today at Bongo I paid $ 12 ($ 2 tip) on a small bagel sandwich and an iced coffee.
The food runner didn’t bring me napkins.
They expect patrons to bus their own tables.
Trust me — I know Nashville coffee. And these days there are SO MANY other better options to get a great coffee experience.
Try Crema, Barista Parlor, Portland Brew, Edgehill Café, Frothy Monkey, The Well, The Jam, Ugly Mugs, Eighth & Roast, or Red Bicycle.

Bongo Java has good coffee but the customer service is something is that of something that is left to be desired. I stop in every now and then the cashiers and baristas all seem miserable and un-​inviting. I now make it a point to go to Fido to get coffee instead when I’m in the area.

I love this place. The OG independent coffee house in Nashville never disappoints. This coffee place is one of the main reasons why I consider relocating to Nash on the daily. Check out my Instagram post about this place @mosouthblog and follow for more fun food adventures and recipes

The coffee is good and strong, and the treats and pastries are great, but I admire this place more for the atmosphere and location. This is a great spot to settle in on the patio with a book, or establish a temporary office inside for a couple of hours. The crowd is diverse, can be eccentric and interesting; making it a great place to people-​watch! The service was great and the staff was laid back and welcoming.

I’m only giving this place one star because simply there isn’t an option for zero stars.
I’m very surprised this place even has more than 2 stars on their page! Worst customer service ever, wasn’t even a greeting when we walked in, just walked up to the counter and said «do you want to order?» My friend orders, he gives her straight up attitude, slides the receipt to her, she ask «do I need to sign this?», he points to a pen that’s basically hidden, and slaps a little sign thing on the counter. He never says «your order will be right out» or «we’ll take your order to you» or anything! He was the one to bring her, her drink, but at least I had a friendly guy in glasses to serve me mine.
So, if you happen to go… watch out for the bad attitude bald guy with the hard a** look on his face.
Coffee was okay, nothing remarkable and the food looked decent. Basically something you can make at home.
There’s so many different coffee shops in Nashville that this one will be last on my list.

the atmosphere in this spot is dope. Trendy folks & college kids making super strong coffee. Free wifi. Relatively chill staff. Malcolm Gladwell might understand why, but every time I eat here (not drink) I finish my food and exclaim «ah bongo! You never fail to disappoint.» Good bagels. Strong coffee (sometimes confused with great coffee). Pure hype. But yes. Sure. Come here. Spend money.

Barista asked me what I wanted. I said «To know whether it’s possible to live a truly authentic life.» They handed me a mocha.

If you don’t mind waiting 25 minutes for a mediocre cup of joe, this is the place for you. Stopped in for what I thought would be a quick cup of coffee before I met someone down the street for lunch. If I went to Belmont and/​or smoked a lot of weed, I might appreciate the place more. Just not a draw for me.

I can sum it up as such: standard coffee shop worth checking out at least once.