Hi-Fi Cafe

"Great coffee, great food, great jukebox" in Bay View

When I told my Bay-View-loving (and living) coworkers that I'd never been to Hi-Fi Cafe on KK, they quickly sought to fix that particular shortcoming of mine. And what a great thing! Hi-Fi is a colorful, quirky coffee shop with a retro vibe — right up my alley.

The coffee is supposed to be good, though I didn't try it this time. My coworker Jenny said Hi-Fi made a mean Chai Tea — and she was right. It was spicy (like wonderfully clear-your-sinuses spicy), creamy, and delicious. I also spied a Chai Shake on the menu: Chai tea blended with ice cream, honey, and spices. Can you say YUM? 

The place was pretty empty when we went for lunch on Friday afternoon. I asked Jenny (clearly the resident Hi-Fi expert) if it ever got super busy — not really, she said. But that's certainly not indicative of the quality of the food, which I'll get to in a sec. 

Waiting in the uber-colorful room for our eats was like waiting in a kitschy museum. There's so much to take in: the painted walls, the seriously weird dioramas, and posters advertising local gigs. You can also ogle the baked goods and make a mental note of things to try next time you go to Hi-Fi (the blueberry muffins looked insane!).

When our food came out, no one was disappointed. There was a heaping bagel sandwich with a side of spiced tortilla chips, a super-stuffed veggie pita, and a couple of pancakes with a plate o' bacon. I went for a mile-high tuna salad sandwich on wheat with a side of house-made pasta salad. The pasta salad wasn't my fave, but to each his own. The sandwich on the other hand was so, so tasty. I wish I had another one right now! The ingredients tasted really fresh, too.

Moral of the story: I can't believe I'd never been to Hi-Fi Cafe. Never even heard of it, to be honest. Friends, I beseech you: Don't suffer in ignorance like me. Get yourself to Bay View for some local deliciousness and crazy-cool cafe atmosphere. A special shout out to my awesome coworkers for helping me see the light — thanks guys!