Bows & Arrows

I’ve never been to Bows & Arrows but I constantly see my friends check into it on Facebook. The activity is confusing because I see one friend checking in to eat, one to see a band, one to shop, one for beers and Magic the Gathering night… I’m like, what the heck IS this place? So finally I walk into B&A the other day and realize two things: «Oh, it’s a mixed use venue.» and «Oh, THIS is where hipsters get their clothes!» Haha
The front of the shop is clothing, accessories, jewelry and shoes, and seems to be that electic purposefully-​random upscale look that midtown digs so much: loud colorful polyester shirts from the 1970s, «Cosby» print sweaters from the 1980s, neon pieces and highschool throwbacks from the 1990s, cowboy boots, velvet dresses, doubleknit bowling pants, and all the vintage epherema inbetween. I was beginning to think that a place this hipster wouldn’t have something up my alley when I spotted a Princess Leia print tank dress… oh alright, Bows & Arrows, guess you’ll get this nerd girl’s dollars after all!
I hear B&A is closing at the end of this month. Sad. I’m hoping to come back before then and try some of their edibles and drinkables. That sun-​lit back patio looks awfully nice on a chilly winter morning.

2.5, really, but it’s more «meh» than «a-​ok».
I really want to like this place, because I like the space itself. In my experience, however, the food is pretty boring and bland, and the service is mediocre at best. Additionally, you’ll pay more for the same beer you can get at other cool local places for less.
I’ve only been here three times, so I am certainly not an expert… but all you get is three strikes.

This place gets props for being a unique place. It’s a clothing consignment store, plus, a café serving beer and wine. Also live events, combination of music and poetry reading, blog sharing. They have a great patio too.
Food:
The café serves soups, salads, sandwiches and they do have vegetarian choices. Bows & Arrows is not a boring soup/​salad/​sandwich place! You’ll find gourmet versions of traditional café food, with prices ranging from $ 6 – 8. You can expect smaller portion sizes but you’ll get lots of flavor.
Beer choices:
You’ll find several microbreweries on a rotating tap. Excellent taps from breweries like Lagunitas, Track 7, Berryessa. Pints range from $ 4.50-$ 8.
Service:
It’s been consistently good and friendly. You order at the register and they’ll bring it out to you. The food has come out fairly fast in my experience.
Ambience:
It’s a quaint place with an ‘at home’ kind of feel. Their dining area has couches and chairs for a more relaxed feel.
Extra:
They have a calendar packed with events and if you come for one of these events, there is a nominal entrance fee.

Not being much of a shopper, I’d always thought of Bows & Arrows as «that store I walk through to get to the food and drinks at Fat Face.» That is until recently, when I actually took some time to peruse and see what they really have to offer.
They have some great stuff on their racks and shelves, especially for the ladies. The men’s clothing selection is pretty limited, and even more so since I’m an XL and everything in the vintage world seems to be from a time when people were on average a foot shorter and twenty pounds skinner. I have noticed some things I like though. Like many places, it’s just a matter of matching your own personal style and body size with what they have to offer.
Tip: One cool aspect is that the shared space between them and Fat Face does have live music on a regular basis.

An odd concept: clothing (some new, some consignment) for sale up front, the a large empty space (for performances), local artist endeavors on the walls, a lounge/​café selling some alcohol, soups, salads, sandwiches, and then an adorable patio out back. It all seems oddly disjointed, and I never feel quite comfortable enough when I go there.
I’ve attended a couple of events there over the past few months, most recently to watch a friend’s husband’s trio perform. It seems to be a popular space for local writing groups or performance artists to use for their events, and I look forward to attending more events there in the future.

This place is wayyy cool! It’s part hipster attire store and part upscale café (with beer). If that’s not enough, space is provided for local musicians! Live musiccc! Winning.
The store is in the front and café is in the back. There is also a patio which was where I spent the majority of my time during my one (won’t be my last) visit.
Inside, there are cool paintings, which I didn’t appreciate enough and makes for a nice lounge area. The back patio is the place 2 be. It’s like a goddamn sensory pleasing oasis. With a fountain… flora all around… cute-​ass chairs and tables… Just sit back and enjoy whatever is on Pandora (that’s what the café ladies were blasting).
In any case, I had a Pale Ale beer and a grilled cheese sandwich. The beer tasted like ale… and the grilled cheese was nothing to write home about, but 1) you wouldn’t write home about grilled cheese and 2) it’s a grilled cheese…
All in all, perfect place to enjoy the company you are there with and the patio is definitely worth a visit.

This place reminds us of a hip coffee shop that just happens to serve great beer!
Very comfy to spend an afternoon. Nice outdoor seating. Half the space sells clothing, jewelry and accessories, fund to browse and nice staff as well.
We like to sit on the vintage furniture and just read and talk and drink a beer. A def stop for us when in the neighborhood.

Wow.
The Place: is a clothing store, a stage for local musicians and an upscale café! You would NOT be able to tell from the outside, but wow.. . What a place! There are gorgeous, local paintings on the walls as well– and whatever pandora radio they had on when I went was TERRIFIC.
The back patio is a MUST SEE. It’s like a little paradise smack dab in the middle of downtown. Birds, bees, fountains, flowers and sangria! Ha. I absolutely enjoyed the hell right out of myself. What a beautiful oasis to eat and drink in. Your worries just seem to fade away when you’re back there. It also helps that the surround sound system they have plays just as clear and loud on the patio as it does inside.
The Service: was a bit slow at first, but the slim staff and the great quality of food (not rushed at all) more than made up for it. The staff did seem a little tired.. . Or perhaps just void of a sense of humor. Probably the only reason I didn’t give this little gem 5 stars.
The Food: OHMYGOD! Wow! I mentioned above that it’s like an upscale café, and this food is even more upscale than the place looks! I ordered a bacon, arugala and cheddar sandwich that came on grilled sourdough with a side salad of mixed greens and a mellow lemon dressing. I ate.. . the entire thing. FAST. The bacon was thick, the cheddar totally melted, the bread hot and crispy, the salad fresh and the dressing probably homemade! The sangria was also a prize! They serve it to you in chilled jars. Happy Kasie. I mean it. This sandwich was an angel. She graced me with her bacon, cheddar goodness. Bless her.
I can’t wait to go back.

Out for a walk downtown and stopped for popsicles with some friends. One of the girls saw a shirt she immediately had to have, so good on them for having some fun things for people to pick up.
Two of us headed back and my friend ordered four popsicles for our friends waiting outside (she was treating them) and I pulled out my $ 5 bill to order mine. The woman behind me immediately moved in front of me before I could order. Okay, whatever, you thought I was with the other girl, I can wait, no biggie. The woman gets her beer and starts to make small talk with the girl working the counter, both are making lots of eye contact, smiling, and asking some background info on each other. Not the ideal situation to interrupt… awkward… so I just sort of stand there sheepishly with my money until the girl at the counter looks at me. «Sorry, can I get a Strawberry Coconut?» The female customer walks away with her beer and the employee goes to get the popsicle. She comes back, takes my $ 5, and without looking at me puts the two dollars change in her tip jar and walks quickly away.
I stood there stunned. I didn’t want to believe what just happened, but it did. I was shocked, embarrassed, and completely caught off guard. I looked up for her to look back at me so I could say something – nothing – and I will never be that person to reach into someone’s tip jar.
I walked outside, still bewildered by what had happened, and told my friends what happened. All shocked. One of my friends insisted I go back inside and say something, offering to go back in with me. I didn’t want to. The guys outside smoking noticed and looked sort of concerned as well. I grew more embarrassed and insisted we leave. My friend (who frequents the location and suggested going) said they could sometimes be sort of snobby like that and she was sorry.
I’m a great guest, an excellent tipper, really friendly and considerate of people’s situations. I served coffee and food for years and know exactly what life is like behind the counter. This was not okay. I will not be back.

It’s weird that this place is in the back of a clothing store, but the food is tasty and the beer is good. Their garden patio in the back is a pleasure to sit on during times of good weather.
Their menu changes every time i go in there, but i always find something good. Examples of meals I enjoyed: Pulled pork sandwich, chicken & bacon sandwich, a strange chocolate dessert combo that my wife LOVED…

I’ve been in to browse clothes and accessories, I’m even hooked on the popsicles, but I didn’t expect to be so impressed with the food!
My friend and I shared a chicken sandwich and the brothy mushroom soup. Both were DEEE-​LISH-​OUS!!!
I didn’t pay too much attention to the beverage selection, but from I saw it appears they have a decent selection of beers. It’s a chill little café and the patio looks quite enjoyable, especially when the weather is warm.
It’s a cold day, but we finished our lunch with a Kaffir Lime & Avocado Popsicle and a Coconut+Horchata.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place and I’m so happy I work but a block from there!

Bows and Arrows is a cross between a swanky coffee shop/​vintage clothing store/​mini bistro??? The concept is interesting. Very «Towny» and different. But we loved the look and the vibe! Hubby and I walked in, a bit confused at 1^st but then we started browsing the clothing and eventually headed to the bistro in the back.
Ordering/​paying was easy enough, you pay for your food at the counter and provide a tip in the tip jar if you so choose too. There were only a few options available, 4 brunch dishes: Breakfast Sandwich, Breakfast Burrito, Breakfast Salad and Eggs Benedict. As I stood there contemplating what I wanted, a waiter brought out one of the breakfast burritos to another patron. It was huge! But I was determined to try something different, and settle on the breakfast salad: poached eggs, a bed of lettuce/​mixed greens, asparagus and tomatoes. Hubby decided on the breakfast sandwich; fried eggs, cheese and bacon. He also added a side of potatoes. We also ordered unlimited mimosas, of course!
Our journey took us onto the patio area. With a water foundation trickling, mis-​matched bistro sets and an abundance of potted plants, we felt cozy, at peace and like we were at home. We did get a bit warm, the direct sun peaking through the shades was beaming on Hubby’s head, so we switched seats when another couple left.
Hungry and sipping on our mason jars full of mimosas, our food arrived. After viewing the burrito I ASSUMED the other meals would reflect the size and beauty??? What do they say when you ASSUME? To our major disappointment the meals were tiny in size and lacked flavor. My salad was in a shallow dish, only had ONE egg on top and was just plain pitiful. Hubby’s sandwich was made with Micro Bread, maybe they bought the bread from the Smurfs and his side of potatoes was laughable! We were done in seconds!
Frustrated and still hungry, we left and moved on to Streets of London, where we are sure the portions are for humans and not Smurfs!
Zero Stars for the Food, Five Stars for the Swanky venue: Total — 2.5

I came here specifically for the Fat Face popsicles that I had tried at the Davis Farmer’s Market. I had originally thought this was only a boutique, but found it to be a boutique in the front, a reading happening in the middle, a coffee bar/​restaurant in the rear, and patio in the back. I quietly snuck behind all the people listening to the reading and bought my espresso fudge popsicle at the coffee bar (strawberry lemonade is also awesome). Then, I went to the back patio to find it dark, almost silent, but completely full with people not attending the reading.
My only complaint is that the back patio needs some lights. We were in utter darkness. Perhaps some white Christmas lights strung across the top or something… ANYTHING to illuminate the patio. Other than that, it’s a pretty cool place and is open later than most places in Sac on a weekday.

I am not quite sure what this place is called? Is it Fat Face or Bows and Arrows? Whatever it is called, I was fascinated enough by the great reviews it has received to stop in and try one of their sandwiches for lunch.
I was expecting a cramped little restaurant wedged between racks of clothing. To my surprise it is actually quite spacious. A large aisle leads from the entry doors past the boutique occupying the front of the building to an eclectic but tasteful array of outdoor furniture that is generously scattered at the rear of the building and extends to a quaint little patio littered with large ceramic vessels filled with flowering plants and an awesome display of bamboo.
I was immediately greeted by women whom waited on me from behind a small bar at one of the rear corners of the building. She was friendly and quite helpful during our brief discussion about the extremely limited menu which led to me ordering a chicken sandwich and some tomatillo soup along with an IPA.
I wandered out to the patio after ordering and chose a nice table next to that large pot of awesome looking bamboo and luxuriously sipped on my jar mug of ale while I waited for my soup and sandwich. The soup was pretty good but I was not that fond of the sandwich. The bun sort of reminded me of a cheap hot dog bun lacking any kind of quality and the chicken was a little on the stringy fatty side and I was rather shocked by the laughably small size of the sandwich.
Bows and Arrows is really nice but it seemed more like a place for women to get together and talk over a glass of wine than a place a man would want to go for lunch. Maybe I have just been spoiled by places like Mangia, Roxie, and Sampino’s.
Bows and Arrows? Where’s Cupid? I doubt if I will be back.

I don’t give many five star reviews, but when I do they are for places like Bows and Arrows.
Best small venue in town. Unexpected amazing small shows several nights each week. Excellent food for $. Beers are top notch. Can’t comment on the clothes but the patio is a very cool space.

If you’re ever troubled by the thought that the early 90s will come back, enter Bows & Arrows, and rest assured knowing, yes, yes they will return and are in fact are back.
Don’t let the prospect of jewel tones and bowl cuts stop you from enjoy the fantastic rotating art exhibits Bows and Arrows display monthly on the walls.
There are cute vintage and not so vintage items for sale, clothes, shoes, bags. They offer nifty classes and fantastic live shows.
Fat Face rocks your thin, dressy socks with a wide selection of savory food and awesome popsicles. Is there booze here? I don’t even know, I’m too jazzed about the grilled cheese options.
Overall, a great space.

One of the best patios in town. Across the street from Safeway, delightfully disquised by the boutique in front, lies a sweet little bar with some amazing food, and a great place to sit and hang out whether it’s in the mid century modern furniture around the bar, or out on the hippy chic patio.
Warm weather begs for icy sangria at happy hour, and whether its white or red, the sangria here rivals my other top spot (Ernestos) and you can’t beat the happy hour prices. Now that it’s cold out, we were happy to find a wood burning fire place on the patio, and to discover that sangria tastes good in cold weather too!
I’ve eaten here numerous times and I think it’s the cola braised pork sandwich that keeps bringing me back. Soups are phenomenal, and thinking back to warm weather delights– the basil popsicle I had last summer was out of this world!

The perfect hangout place. I’ve always wanted to look for one of these, where you can sit in a comfy chair with a girlfriend and not feel obligated to flirt or look overly scandalous.
Everything is hipster-​chic from the glass jars of wine/​beers to its boutique clothing. The patio is interesting too, with a tiered fountain that looks like it got lost and wandered into the back. All in all, it’s a fantastic spot and I almost don’t want to be raving about it on Unilocal because I don’t want it to be overcrowded =) the only reason it stays hipster is because not everyone knows about it right?
Love Bows and Arrows, it’s like a little scene from the hipster show Portlandia.

What to call this place … a mash-​up of art gallery, restaurant, coffee house, beer/​wine bar, vintage/​used clothing store, breakfast café, open mike comedy club, patio dining spot, massage parlor (oops, wrong place, that last one’s just down the block)?
Considering there’s a bar, food, racks of clothing, coffee, art, wi-​fi, happy hour and a restroom, why not just move for a few days and try it out?
Seriously though, I did stop in recently and took advantage of the happy hour drink prices, tried a delicious popsicle (no animal parts in these) and a Fat Face sandwich that was quite tasty. Meanwhile, my daughter browsed the racks and ended up with a really cool pair of earrings.
Some menu examples:
Sammiches (that’s what they’re called here)
BBQ beef, pasture raised $ 11
Grilled cheese w/​soup $ 9
Carrot chili «dog» (there’s no hot dog here) $ 9
Cola-​braised pork $ 10
Cubano — smoked ham/​roast pork $ 10
…and something else called an eggplant «meatball» $ 9
If you’re in the mood for something really different, I haven’t found quite like another place in Sactown. Props to the owners!

Definitely, without a doubt, a hidden neighborhood jewel. We came here looking for Fat Face artisan popsicle. And we found it right there, opposite a parking lot full of cars (Safway, Peet’s and Panda Express) is this barely noticeable shop front, and inside a wonderful large space of vintage clothes, novelties, and a café. That’s where we found the wonderful thai tea + sweet potato popsicle! and braised pork (tender, flavorful, but not too salty which is a plus).
Two of us sat in a beautiful garden with very gentle sprinkler that sprays mist of vapor on us and the plants. From every detail of the garden, we didn’t have trouble to tell that the owners and keepers put a lot of attention into tending the garden, plants, a rather musical metal bird fountain, vintage chairs, wooden furnitures … beautiful sanctuary in a somewhat desolate neighborhood (though the Safeway parking lot is super busy).
This place is perfectly safe and great for an afternoon of conversation, chatting and just being poetic and dreamy