No :-( Jennifer's review (Feb 12th 2008)

I’m cringing. Three poor experiences at this Browne’s Addition restaurant over the past month or so have me worried. Cafe Marron was for an extremely long time my favorite Spokane restaurant. It was a space that felt wonderfully un-Spokane, an oasis for diners looking for something simple and unpretentious but wonderful at the same time. I could take friends from out of town to Cafe Marron, my parents from up the street, or my regular pals on Sunday morning. Now, even with a new menu, I’m afraid Cafe Marron is just no longer my go-to reservation.

I’ll spare the gory, adjective-filled descriptions, but over the past few weeks I’ve endured an unseared rib eye steak so gray and full of fat I would have been embarrassed to serve it to my own guests, severely undercooked roasted potatoes and broccolini, dripping wet scrabbled eggs, charred bacon, extremely overcooked roasted potatoes, and eggs smothered by so many fresh herbs I wondered if there was something subpar about them I wasn’t suppose to notice. Add much longer than normal wait times for breakfast and dinner, and I haven’t been overly pleased.

I hope it is just a fluke and that Cafe Marron comes back. I felt a new review, however short and unprofessional, was probably in order.

My original review from August 9, 2006:

Sunday morning we walked to Cafe Marron for late morning brunch. Even though the Browne’s Addition hot spot was full of cozy couples sharing Bouzies bread in the sunshine, we were still able to grab a street side corner table. The giant glass garage doors at Cafe Marron were completely open, allowing the morning breeze to waft through the restaurant while servers effortlessly buzzed from table to table refilling water glasses with tiny carafes. The sun was warm and the vehicle traffic was relatively muted. A serene spot for al fresco dining. Cafe Marron serves breakfast every morning at 7am, but it’s difficult to beat Sunday morning brunch.

Choosing just one dish at Cafe Marron is always an arduous task. So many entrees, simply yet lovingly prepared, dot both the morning and evening menus. On this visit I choose a small, barely seared, tenderloin steak, tender scrambled eggs, and delicate roasted red potatoes with thick slices of warm fresh bread. Remi made quick work of his open faced avocado and bacon sandwich with poached eggs.

Everything was perfect. At Cafe Marron everything always is. I love having this little gem in the neighborhood. Especially when the weather is warm enough to open the doors. Nothing, not even August, beats Cafe Marron in the fall. I can hardly wait.

Yes :-) Remi's review (Oct 30th 2005)

“Marron” apparently means “brown” in Portuguese, something which is a superbly clever pun on Cafe Marron’s Browne’s Addition location. Owned by the same people who run Luna, the restaurant can be found in the building Cannon St. Grill used to occupy.

Cafe Marron has a lot going for it, and one of its strengths that you will immediately notice is the complete lack of pretentiousness. The decor, for example, all looks to have been purchased from IKEA, something which gives the place a very European cafe look. Judging by the name, I’m thinking that was exactly what they were going for.

The menu is similarly low key. For dinner I went with an Italian sausage on ciabatta bread, topped with peppers. Fancy? Not really. Tasty? Totally.

When I went back for “brunch,” I decided to try an open face sandwich topped with eggs, bacon, roasted tomatoes, and avocado. Like the ciabatta dish, it was very flavorful and completely the type of meal I would expect from a European style cafe.

Bonus points are given to the servers, all of who seem to actually consider their job a profession. I’m getting tired of people who think working the front of a restaurant is just means to an end to get through college. The Cafe Marron staff was refreshingly professional, being anonymous while still having a presence when they should be seen.

Giving us a $20 gift certificate after moving our table three feet shows that they really want to make a good impression too. Or maybe they were afraid they would get a scolding review by the Remster? Who knows!

Cafe Marron is a worthy replacement of old honorable Cannon St. Grill.

Yes :-) Stefan's review (Jun 25th 2006)

People almost always ask me: Stefan where should I go for a great breakfast? and I always say: Cafe Marron in Browne’s Addition.

Just down Cannon Street past the Elk, Cafe Marron balances quality with a fun, casual atmosphere. It is also home to one of the nicest restaurant bathrooms outside the Davenport Hotel. Now I’m not sure what Browne was adding to when s/he built up her/his addition but it is now home to some of Spokane’s nicer condos as well as the diverse Coeur d’Alene Park.

I digress. Cafe Marron not only has the best French Toast for 100 miles they also have some terrific breakfast specials. Their dinner menu is not quite as strong but definitely worth checking out.

Not too long ago when my family was in town visiting we stopped by Cafe Marron for a late breakfast on a Friday. The only hitch was that Cafe Marron doesn’t serve breakfast on Friday but they opened their doors and served us graciously. I was amazed that they were willing to open early just to feed little ol’ us. So needless to say the service is really great.

So what’s the dish?: For whatever reason Cafe Marron hasn’t taken off. When I go there they seem to be relatively busy but I haven’t quite seen business on the level that I think they deserve. So you should go.

Yes :-) Paul's review (May 18th 2006)

As the manager noted as we dined on our lunch last Monday, we had sucessfully completed a tour of each of Marron’s courses: Dinner, Happy Hour, Breakfast and Lunch. The news is good. The staff is attentive and casual, the food consistent and tasty. There have been some recent shake-ups at both Luna and Marron involving both Chefs and managers. The changes appear to be good ones, as our food was excellent. Happy hour is a bargain and the fried artichoke hearts are a particularly good deal, crispy fresh and generously portioned, there is enough to feed several as an apetizer. Wines have been changed up a bit since November, probably a good thing, but the menu is still somewhat limited, no doubt in part due to space limitation. Still, I would like to see some more adventure and a plurality of bargains from Spain and Chile. Breakfast offered one of the better Benedicts I have had in recent memory, the potatoes were particularly good, not the dried out fried cubes with paprika found at Luna, but larger fresh chunks with some skin and very little oil. Hearty and simple wins the day. Lunch was good if a bit pedestrian. I sampled a salmon sandwich, only to discover after delivery that it was composed of canned salmon with mayo. If I wanted a tuna sandwich that would have been fine. Despite this minor complaint the flavor was good and I would repeat, if for no other reason than the menu rarely changes at the Elk, and variety is the spice. My dinner review was lost in the transfer to this site for whatever reason, so suffice to say my steak was very good and I think the staff is superb.

Yes :-) Darla's review (Jun 13th 2006)

Loved this place! Wanted to bottle it up and bring it back to Iowa with me. I had the grilled—- dang! the name escapes me! You know, that cured ham from Italy. . . starts with a ‘P.’ I had that. It was tasty. A little salty, but tasty. I loved the decor and the cute bowls of salt and pepper with their little scoop. Halfway through our meal the waitress opened the “window” (two glass garage doors) and suddenly fresh air was a welcomed side.

I was curious about all the records and the turn table in the back but was too busy to ask. Also noticed they have a mean espresso machine but I was also coffeed out for the day. Anyone know how their cappuccinos are? I went with a girlfriend but am already anticipating visiting family at Christmas and bringing my husband along to the cafe. Too bad the garage doors won’t be opened.

Yes :-) Julie Coburn's review (Jul 21st 2006)

We just keep going back to Cafe Marron for more. We’d eaten luscious dinners many times with fantastic service and a nice wine selection. Finally we tried lunch and had a BLT chicken wrap with those garlic pomme frittes. Yum. People need to try it out to see that it’s reasonable but very classy with simply wonderful food. Don’t be intimidated by the great decor and elegant appearance from the outside. Enjoy.