A Review of BernBaum’s

Since coming to college my caffeine intake has skyrocketed. I practically run off of various caffeine drinks and since becoming a barista I have also become quite the coffee snob. Gone are the days of me going through the Starbucks drive thru, in place of a much more sophisticated taste. 

If you are anything like me, or hopefully are willing to change your ways, you have realized that the big coffee corporations just do not cut it when it comes to quality. In a quest to find quality coffee shops I have decided to take to the streets of Fargo. 

Over the next few weeks I will be examining local coffee shops and reviewing them based on taste, quality and atmosphere. 

Drinks

The Espresso and Chai were both served in beautiful unique mugs. I ordered a hot chai with oat milk and espresso as always. The espresso was hot, sweet and aromatic with a wonderful layer of sweet crema. This was one of the better tasting espressos I have had.

The Chai was slightly bland but consistency wise was spot on and had the perfect amount of foam. I loved the light dusting of cinnamon on top of the foam but I would have preferred for more of the spices to come through in the drink itself.

Overall I would give the drinks a 3/5. The espresso was quite good however I would probably try something else instead of the Chai next time.

Food

The brisket sandwich is amazing and I would highly recommend it. The sandwich is served on rye bread which was toasted to perfection and very buttery. 

The sandwich is made up of smoked brisket, brick cheese, sauerkraut and German mustard on rye. The cheese was beautifully melted and paired wonderfully with the dense layer of sauerkraut. I am a huge fan of sauerkraut so I appreciated the genuine flavor, as I have had very mild sauerkraut before at other restaurants. 

The combination of the brisket and German mustard was splendid and I will definitely be ordering this sandwich again. 

I would rate the food a 4/5. I wish the sandwich was served with chips, however the pickle that came with it was delicious.

Atmosphere and Overall

If you need a date spot for breakfast or lunch, come here. It is also a great place to stop in and work on the weekdays, however I have heard it gets quite busy on the weekends so I will stick to the weekdays. 

They have a unique and hip vibe with mix match chairs, bar seating at the espresso bar, vintage decorations and an amazingly friendly staff. My favorite treat was their table markers, which are children’s animal figures (mine was a shark). 

I will definitely be back here to show off the cool new spot I found to friends and family. I would rate BernBaum’s a 4/5 overall.