Bittersweet Catering Cafe Bakery

Used Bittersweet for a catering order for 400 finger/​tea sandwiches for an event at my house. The sandwiches were yummy, well priced and the customer service was good.

I come to Bittersweet for lunch frequently because it’s one of the closest places to my office. It’s a small café that offers soups, sandwiches, a hot food buffet, cupcakes/​cookies, and coffee drinks. I typically get a sandwich to-​go. My favorite is the Bittersweet BLT. Sometimes the cashiers don’t ask all the questions they should (for here or to go, pickle or no pickle, chips or a drink? etc.) I come here enough to know the drill but if it’s your first time going you might forget something. Also the sandwiches are a little pricey. The Bittersweet BLT is a big sandwich so I feel like it’s a good value but some of the others are not as big and I feel like $ 10 is a lot for a small sandwich. I can’t speak to the desserts but they always look very yummy! The «big» drinks are great — iced tea, lemonade, etc in super large containers — a good value for sure!

They made my graduation cake and it was AMAZING! Tika was great to work with and they arrived on time and set up the cakes for me. Orange Almond cake is the way to go and BitterSweet is a great bakery to do business with!

Stopped by for breakfast on a Saturday morning. Counter service was quick, and you can seat yourself inside or at a handful of seats along the building outside.
I ordered a sausage and egg sandwich on a sesame bagel. The bagel was fine — nothing spectacular. A little on the dry side and crumbly, but it held up well for the sandwich. Real egg, but I don’t think it was fried (possibly microwaved?). The sausage was a link instead of a patty, which was unexpected. It was on the small side, but very flavorful. Overall the bagel could have used more of all of the ingredients — sometimes I felt like I was just eating a plain bagel.
I also got an iced coffee, which was a little on the bitter side but still nice and refreshing on a warm morning.

Need something sweet COME HERE the number one thing to get is the Mini chocolate cupcake with Buttercream its to good to be a mini cupcake I had it and I almost died because I wanted another one

I have known this place over 5 years and it seems like downhill so far. First I have to mention the staffs really need to some training. Most of the people there seem like they have been so bored out of their job. They do not seem to have any professionalism on their job. It is pretty sad to say this, but I really want this place to be a unique place in the old town community.
I would vote for brunch menu there (which the reason why I wold still go). They used to have giant muffin I loved, I don’t see it any more. I don’t know about their catering service, but I really wish they had much better cookie/​cake selection. I have not seen any improvements or innovation on those sweet stuff there.
It is still an important café in the old town, but I hope they can put much more effort in customer service/​staffs and innovation with their food.

Worst. Service. Ever. While we were in there 10 customers complained about the service. The owners really need to retrain their people. The girl at the front looked so annoyed to be at work. Two people on the registers and they had a line of customers but weren’t helping anyone because they were having a very loud conversation. Then when some lady was asking if they could not add a certain thing to her sandwich pink hair rolled her eyes so hard at this lady. Just so rude and unnecessary. You don’t have to smile and be fake but just try to be pleasant for the 2 minutes you interact with this person. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

A great place if you want to enjoy a leisurely breakfast or lunch. Food and coffee is delicious. I’ve had both lunch and now breakfast here. Everything is fresh! Have to love that
WARNING– If you are in a hurry this is not the place for you. You will wind up waiting 10 – 15 mins

I’ve never come away with bad food or drinks, but the service and ordering experience is awful. It’s like wandering into the Apple store, knowing what you want, agreeing to the listed price, and then standing around like a tool waiting for someone to take your order and then ring you up. Their «system» is convoluted and made worse by crowding the exit so you’re always in someone’s way. If you don’t know the process you’re left to flounder until someone at the register deigns to ask you what you want.
I made the mistake once of going in for a lemonade: found the cashier, placed my order and paid. Then I stood there waiting for my drink. I moved to the side to let others order and after several minutes I asked where my drink was. The cashier pointed at the case and told me to go get it myself. This would have been fine, but why did I have to ask?

Visiting the city… stopped in for quick lunch delecious
Soups, a mini Buffett w flounder, cauliflower masterpieces, different salad items… Simple, flavorful and reasonable price.

Placed a to-​go order for brunch. They were busy when I came in, however after about 10 minutes they had slowed down. At 20 minutes (and after all the orders after mine had long sense been filled) I asked for a refund. Their reason for the wait was that one of the two items I ordered came from the kitchen and would be brought to my table (ignoring that my order was to go and offered no apology).
The kicker was when they tried to give me another person’s sandwich as a consolation (whose number they had already called).

You come in thinking, «this is a cute café, they should know what they’re doing». It kind of reminded me of Meryl’s restaurant in ‘Its Complicated’ Unfortunately they don’t deliver. Not in service, nor food.
I got a lox bagel that was just okay. No capers but they gave a decent amount of salmon and the bagel was okay. For a bakery, it was poor. Then, I got a latte. Don’t get their lattes.
The wait was also a little too long for how quiet the restaurant was. Missed opportunity and I’m a little bitter about my experience… Not sweet.

My friends and I stopped in for a bit of shelter from the heat and we each got a lemonade and a cupcake. The lemonade was the perfect level of sweet and tart. I can’t remember the exact cupcakes we all got, but they were a bit disappointing. They looked cute, but weren’t that tasty. The cakes themselves were super dense and a bit dry. The frosting tasted fake and had an oily consistency. The cupcake quality is just a bit better than what you’d find at a grocery store in pre-​packaged boxes, so I wouldn’t waste your time getting one. If I was rating them solely on cupcakes it would be a 2 star review, but their lemonade and air conditioning saved them.

I stopped going to Bittersweet for lunch two or three years ago for lunch when they re-​did their lunch menu and got rid of some of their more unique sandwiches (they had the best Cuban sandwich in Old Town for a few years). Now their offerings aren’t much different than the other run-​of-​the mill-​office delis up and down King Street.
Yet, I would still go for a breakfast sandwich from time to time. Today’s experience reminded me why I was no longer a regular. First, the staff has never been all that pleasant, and today was no difference. When I asked for a to go bag for my sandwich, the employee seemed annoyed at my request. The biscuit was good, but for a $ 5 sandwich, it needed more than just a sliver of sausage. I’ll be sticking to the run-​of-​the-​mill office delis when I need a breakfast sandwich kick — just as decent and at nearly half the cost.

«choozwpohmpEtf choozwuyuypopE» was inscribed on my large strawberry lemonade.
In the land of Old town, the Dark Lord, or someone working at Bittersweet forged the one drink that would rule them all.
When I took the one drink from the hand of Dark Lord, AKA Bittersweet employee, it was ice cold. So cold that the words Bittersweet were emblazoned upon my mind.
Seeking further sustenance I send my servants to fetch a sandwich that I’d devour later. Having my provisions and not being severely encumbered, ventured South from Old town, past the dregs of the forgotten waist land that lay below the beltway.
Hey…waist…belt.teehee.
Eh hem…
I rode up… drove up. Eh, rode, drove, same thing. I rode up and summoned first of my name to raise the gates. He did so knowing that I had returned with gifts from Bittersweet.
Looking at me with eyes like limpid pools of amber he spoke. «Father, did you bring back my sandwich.»
I gazed upon him. Seeing his chiseled face, as if the softest of winds had carved him from solid alabaster, yet he smiled.
«Yes, my son. I have brought back your roasted vegetable and hummus sandwich.» His eyes light up. Quickly he clamored through the Bittersweet bag, seizing the sandwich.
Then, he looked to my hand and he saw the drink.
«Father…what is that you have there?» he asked, as if he clearly knew what my response would be yet still hoped he had a chance to drink from my plastic chalice.
I looked at him sternly. I know him not anymore. My face twisted like a rotting pumpkin in the long days after a warm Halloween.
«It is my strawberry lemonade. MINE!»
He reached for it, but not before I spun like a marionette in the hands of a master puppeteer.
I ran for the door beyond the garage and that is when that sound left me frozen in my tracks.
It was the sound of a single tear, hitting the concrete floor of the garage. The impact of the tear sent a small tuft of dust away from its point of impact.
His face turned red as he looked at me with sense of betrayal. The only kind of betrayal that can be known from a son whose father has chosen something before them.
But just as Abraham was tested in the sacrifice of Isaac, I was being tested.
Suddenly images of how clean Bittersweet was ran through my mind.
I remembered how diligently the employees worked to build my sandwich as well as others.
I saw people seated inside and outside, enjoying just being in Old Town and having a rather trendy spot available to them.
I would like to take my son there one day, just he and I and show him the varieties of foods as well as their dessert display full of cupcakes and such.
I looked at him and saw myself in him. His lips still curled in a frown… then one corner of his lip rose, revealing a half smile. He is just like me.
I drank the strawberry lemonade there on the spot. Take that you sneaky little version 2.0!
My son cried, I felt horrible. But oh my goodness did that hit the spot.
I also ate half of the sandwich.
It was… precious.

Their cupcakes are good but getting anything else there is sub-​par. I ordered a caramel macchiato (for here) and it came out made 100% incorrectly and in a to go cup. Probably because she knew it was done really badly and didn’t want me to see it – I’m a barista not just some coffee snob.
The food was not hot, very sloppy, and they don’t make the bacon when you order it they just take it off of a buffet tray they have sitting in the back. A huge waste of money; I am very disappointed.

Had the peanut butter and jelly cake and brewed coffee. The cake was extremely dry and definitely not supple, the frosting was a little better. The coffee came out of some self serve dispenser on the table next to napkins and utensils, coffee was terrible and tasted burnt.

Bakery located on King Street in Old Town Alexandria. Nothing to blow your mind, but a decent selection of Sandwiches and soups as well as a full hot bar. I went with the tuna melt, comes with a pickle on the side. I have also tried their catering — very easy for large groups. We went with the deli meat, build your own sandwiches, salad, and pasta salad order.
This place is normally decently busy during lunch hours. Great spot to stop in old town. They have large containers of ice-​tea and lemonade, which to me was a little odd, but I went for it! I probably could’ve made the same tuna sandwich at home, but is not something to complain about. Prices are a little high for what you are getting.
Fair amount of seating inside as well as a few tables outside when the weather permits. Cute dessert and pastry selection, would try their coffee too!

Five star baked goods and hot drinks, but the service here is ill-​mannered at best.
My girlfriend and I went here on a food tour a while ago and had some of Bittersweet’s Jelly Cake, which I would highly recommend if they still have it. After spending a cold day in Old Town recently, and remembering that pleasant experience, we stopped into Bittersweet 15 minutes before closing (at 5PM… a little early for a Saturday?) to grab a hot drink. While we were standing by the coffee sign, the guy behind the counter snarkily said «You do know we close in 15 minutes?»
Oh really? Thank you for letting me know! I am unable to read time and had been inside less than two minutes deciding how much of my money to give you. Forgetting the fact the place was still pretty full and people were coming in, it was a little unreasonable to be so rude to paying customers 15 minutes before closing. If not for the cold, we would’ve walked out.
Instead, we ordered two Chai Lattes and a mini Red Velvet cupcake (my new best friend behind the counter wasn’t pleased to say the least). I love the baked goods here, and the cupcake did not disappoint. They also make a mean Chai Latte and the coffee was pretty good. And, yes, at least half a dozen people still came in after us and ordered before the place closed at 5 pm. No word if they also received passive aggressive remarks from the cashier.
Overall, it’s a nice hip spot to spend some time. If the service was nicer, they would be getting five stars.

2.5 stars. Average. Needed a place to rest & grab a water after traipsing all over Old Town all day. Tried 2 of their mini cupcakes, carrot cake & a red velvet ($ 1.50 each).
They were nothing special. I didn’t like the red velvet at all, even though I typically do. The carrot cake was okay.
There was a constant smell of a cleaning substance, which was fairly unpleasant. I don’t think I would return with some of the other options available in the area.