Café 458

Gaby and I both loved the concept behind Cafe 458. During the week, Café 458 provides nutritious meals to homeless men and women. On the weekends, Café 458 is staffed with volunteers, and the same space is used to serve up brunch to paying customers. All the proceeds, including tips, support Samaritan House of Atlanta’s services.

Located at 458 Edgewood Avenue, next to the Samaritan Shelter, Café 458 is in a transitional neighborhood, but one that’s up-and-coming; the Thumbs Up Diner and Javaology are both close by. The décor was simple with small cafeteria-style tables and chairs, yellow walls, and a few pictures.

The menu was full of old-fashioned comfort food. Gaby ordered the veggie hash. She said it was “very good” and had a “nice flavor.” I ordered scrambled eggs and hash-browns, and we both ordered biscuits. My eggs were hot and nicely cooked, but the hashbrowns were cool and underdone. I would not recommend the biscuits; they were cold, heavy, and barely edible. Overall, don’t expect 5-star dining, but do expect to leave with a full stomach and feeling good because you’ve supported an important cause in your own community.

Here’s a rundown of the rest of our brunch rating criteria:
OJ? Didn’t ask about fresh-squeezed, but didn’t see it on the menu.
Coffee? Average taste, bottomless (but I had to ask for a refill, and it arrived cold).
Loud? Amenable to conversation… was a little too quiet when we arrived at 10:30 or so, but got lively after 11:30 AM with the after-church crowd.
Service? The all-volunteer staff was super-friendly and helpful.
Parking? Limited parallel parking; but staff at Café 458 said it would be okay to park in the Thumbs Up Diner lot. We experienced aggressive panhandling when we parked, but Gaby has been here before and not experienced any.
Restrooms? Needs some work/repair, and a really good cleaning.
Bring kids? Yes, if you want to teach them about homelessness, no, if you want a kid-friendly place with a children’s menu and toys.
Reservations? No, but there was no wait when we got there.
Bonus?You can sign up to be a volunteer for Café 458 while you’re there.

Rating: 2 Out of 3 Pancakes. What a great cause! However, there is room for improvement in some areas.