Swede Hollow Cafe

725 E 7th St
Saint Paul, MN
(651) 776-8810
http://www.swedehollowcafe.com/

Category: Café/Breakfast

Rating (Scale 1-10, with 10 being the highest):
Food: 8
Service: 7
Ambience: 7

Recommendation: Very Good. A hidden gem – the people in the neighborhood are familiar with and frequent this cafe…as should you.

This hidden gem is located atop a hill on the east side of St. Paul. We didn’t know it existed and I can guarantee that most people outside of the neighborhood don’t either. Well, you’re missing out. A cute neighborhood café with beautiful summer gardens offers great views of St. Paul. The café, with no more than 10 tables offers a very rustic charm reminiscent of older establishments in Boston and New York. The large windows on two sides of the building give this place a light and airy feel. We just hoped that they would add sofas and couches, which would make the seating a lot more comfortable and relaxed.

The fare is standard café, although executed to a higher than standard level. They have soups and sandwiches, and a nice selection of breakfast options prepared fresh daily. We opted for the Potato Cheddar Pie and the Oven Baked Hashbrowns. These were baked fresh in the morning, but by the late morning they didn’t look their best. The girl behind the counter warmed them up for us and the aromas beckoned. The potato pie has a quiche crust and a hearty potato filling while the hashbrowns are topped with a layer of cheese – both are quite good, especially with some ketchup. Our favorite on the menu however was the Caramel Pecan Roll (something this establishment is known for). It was warm, gooey, not overly sweet and the pecans just put it over the top. It matched perfectly with the Caramel Latte, which was made to perfection (not too sweet once again).

The norm here is counter service, although the staff will bring out your coffee. This is a great place to enjoy a light breakfast while reading a newspaper or book.

$. Open Mon-Fri until 3pm and Sat until 2pm.