Praising Crema Coffee Company


(flickr photo mddailyrecord11)

My new favorite place has to be the revamped Hollywood Diner at 400 E. Saratoga Street.  It was reopened by Crema Coffee Company which has two other locations at UB.  This adds a nice spot downtown close to City Hall which is a true welcome for those of us that live nearby. Sitting along Saratoga it sits on the way from the parking lots under the JFX and the City Hall buildings down Holliday Street.

Though you won't find a true diner short-order menu, the new Hollywood Diner has a decent selection of sandwiches, soups, salads, bagels, and of course coffee. To tell you the truth, I've really only stopped in there in the mornings to get coffee, but there seems to be a decent following so far.

Their hours are pretty standard, 7am-5pm Monday-Friday, with Sunday morning hours from 8am-12pm (only May-Dec) to catch the crowds going to and from the Baltimore Farmers Market (brilliant!). They even have hours from 9pm-2am on Friday and Saturday to entice the club going folks to stop in an sober up. (This is actually one gripe I have, as I live nearby, I'd rather have the club goers go home at 2am and not stick around being loud).

One major problem I have seen though is that still the place is Cash Only. They have yet to hook up a Credit/Debit reader. I feel this has a serious effect on patronage, because being cash only in the 21st century is tough to pull off.

In any case, rock on Crema Coffee Company, and thanks for bringing some new life downtown. My suggestion to you all, stop in, get a coffee and a sandwich; but don't forget to bring cash!

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