Capital View Cafe & Catering 637 Smith Avenue North, Saint Paul, MN 55107

"This is a tough review to write but it needed to be written. I am a small business owner and know how hard it can be but something had to be done. This place was opened originally by the best friends of my parents years and years ago. It was my late dad’s favorite spot where he would meet all his Vietnam friends once a month. His picture is even up in the restaurant. Today, for my sister’s birthday, she wanted to go there. I moved out of the area a while back so I thought it would be fun to go back. It wasn’t! The lady working today, I assume a manager, in a pink and black workout outfit was so unbelievably rude to my mom. My mom is in a wheelchair with oxygen. There was no where to park her while we waited for a table since it is so small, so I tried to move her in a corner. This manager came up and said we needed to move so her waitstaff wouldn’t trip. So she moved us in the middle of the dining area. Then she came over and sighed and said we needed to move again! She looked so annoyed that we were waiting for a table like it was our fault. It felt like everyone was staring at us, instead of trying to make it comfortable. Finally after 30 minutes we got a table, the same lady then ran her leg into my mom’s wheelchair as we sat for another 30 min waiting food. The server was great and took our order right away. But then the food came.. I have eat here a ton in the past but not since it’s been sold to the new owners. The pancake tasted like a bisquick pancake and the refried beans were watery and metallic tasting. The potatoes were ice cold while everything else was hot. I ate about half and left it all on the plate. It was some of the worst food I have ever had. Nick Ramirez would be unbelievably disappointed to see what has happened to his restaurant along with my dad. Like I said, this was hard to write as it is my old community but the lady was so rude that she left me no choice:("

"The service itself could have been rated as a 5+. We had a nearly perfect experience based on a recommendation from a friend who had grown up in this neighborhood. Excellent spicy Mexican/New Mexican entrees even on the breakfast menu. Very exhaustive and creative breakfast menu in general. From the time we entered the door to the team staff concept this was pretty much as good as a place could do. Food was delicious served extremely efficiently and the crew helped me find a missing phone with utter diligence as I was wrapping up to leave. I planned on going over for a good experience based on a suggestion; I instead had a great one. Love this place and it’s vibe and will certainly return!"

"Wish I went here sooner! Awesome breakfast spot located on Smith. Being true to its' name, it's on the hill with a framed view of the capital. Got there early before the breakfast crowd, quickly fills up. The cafe has a nice neighborhood vibe and plenty of art to look at. I enjoyed the coffee and the server did me a solid by letting me sub in a churro waffle for my chicken & waffles (inner child couldn't be tamed). My girlfriend ordered the Fritterwich Sandwich - 2 fried eggs, American cheese, sausage, in-between blueberry french toast (served with a side of hash browns). That thing was hefty! She was only able to conquer half of it but said it was the perfect sweet/savory she was looking for. As was my chicken & waffles! If you're willing to pay a couple more bucks and are looking for breakfast with a little more umph, check this place out. They also had some wicked Tex-Mex options. I can't wait to stop back again and try some other plates."

"Breakfast food is one of my favorites, and I was stoked to get to try this place. Its high reviews have been reflected well. The service was tip notch. We were seated quickly and served water and beverages quickly. The cups were refilled very quickly when needed. Our waitress came as soon as the rest of our group arrived. I ordered the breakfast combo #6, which comes with 2 eggs, hashbrowns, a choice of meat, and a pancake. I also ordered a side of Hollandaise. The best part was the pancake, homemade, and cooked to perfection. I've wanted to learn how to make these kinds of pancakes but have yet to learn the secret. The hashbrowns are a great portion and were so golden and crisp. The bacon was a bit overcooked, but I don't mind crunchy bacon. My friend ordered the south of the border omelet and was content. Another friend ordered the traditional eggs Benedict. She was happy except the underside of the English muffins were burnt. My child ordered off the kid's menu. The waffle was a but overcooked and had burnt marks, and the bacon was a bit charred. So she didn't want to eat much of it. The waffle tasted pretty good. One disclaimer is that the small business only takes cash. Credit and debit cards are not accepted due to the rates. There's an ATM on site. It would have been appreciated if this was stated at any point of our outing, whether upon being seated, when ordering, or when the check was delivered. Not once was it stated. I later saw a sign post on the wall stating this information. I wanted to cover the entire bill, but don't carry that much cash or ATM card. That was an inconvenience, but I'm glad I had enough cash to cover my portion. Also, it would be nice if they could offer credit card services for those willing to pay a service fee as I've seen at other businesses. I would return to this fine establishment and great experience overall. Thanks for a delicious breakfast!!"

"This cafe is a wonderful, cozy spot we stumbled on while in St. Paul. We travel a lot for tournaments and the breakfast along with the service at The Capital View was by far some of the best we’ve had! The food was full of flavor, generous portion sizes and our cups of coffee were never empty before the next refill. We left full and caffeinated! Highly recommended stopping in!"