Café Los Sueños — Restaurant in Baltimore

If you're desperate for a good espresso pull or good pour over, go here, but watch out for self-entitled vultures waiting to knock you over to cut in line and staff who don't care you're being shoved around.

I've had a frustrating experience I'd shrug off as an unintended awkward moment had it not happened 3+ times: I walk in, get in line at the cash register, a staff person is about to help me, and someone who is sitting at the counter, making small talk with the staff--so from my POV it looks like they've already been served, right?--suddenly cuts me off with their own order, often physically shoving their hand or body in my face to get attention. Without hesitation or apology to me for any confusion, the staff always help that person and ignore me. The last time this happened, a obviously wealthy (based on her high end color-coordinated bike gear and complex latte order) counter-sitting Karen was already putting in an order with one staff person, when, as a different staff person comes to take my order, she jumps out of her seat--I had to dodge to keep her from actively shoving me--and says, "Wait, I get to pay first!" The only person who apologized in this scenario was stupid me, who said, truthfully, "I'm sorry, I thought she was already being helped."

At best, their counter setup is enabling unfortunate misunderstandings. At worst, they have an obvious preference for latte Karens over a mere iced coffee orderer (and I swear I'm not stinky or rude). The former would be fixed by moving the cash register to the area by the bathroom where they currently stack coffee sacks, ensuring people order before they sit and also preventing crowds at the entrance. The latter would be fixed by (1) not giving preferential treatment to rich jerks, (2) asking all customers who plan to order to actually stand in line to do so, and (3) standing up for customers who are being literally shoved aside by other customers.

A final but minor complaint: if you ask for (cow's) milk, they repeat "whole milk, right?" 8,000 times like you've asked for something absolutely unheard of, and then only put three drops in your coffee. They also over-dilute their cold brew, so order the iced coffee or an iced Americano if you want to...

Our first visit to Café Los Sueños was truly memorable. After reading the café’s glowing reviews, my husband and I decided to visit as a way to unplug from technology, relax, and enjoy our favorite books; and we couldn’t have made a better choice.

From the moment we walked in, Carlos, the owner, greeted us with such warmth and kindness. We had a friendly conversation with him both at the beginning and throughout our time there, which added such a personal touch to the experience. We ordered a Horchata latte with oat milk and an Ethiopian coffee and both were absolutely delicious.

But what truly stood out was the atmosphere that Carlos and his wife have created. It’s more than just a coffee shop… it’s a beautiful little community. Almost everyone who walked in seemed to know Carlos, and there were heartfelt, lively conversations happening all around. It felt like a safe space to share and connect; a rare and precious thing in today’s fast-paced world.

We will absolutely be returning to Café Los Sueños to disconnect and recharge. And if you visit, be sure to ask Carlos about the story behind the T-shirt framed on the wall. ;) The story is just as heartwarming as Carlos himself, who makes every single person...

My friend and I are not super big coffee drinkers but we decided to try this place out none the less.

The service was great; our barista was knowledgeable about the different beans they had available and made us a cup of pour over coffee in front of us. It was an entirely new experience for me. The coffee I had was the perfect temperature and pleasant to drink, not hard to get down at all.

I also got the last chocolate chip cookie they had in their display and it was, no joke ,one of the best cookies I’ve had in my life. It was dense and tasted the most cookie-y of any other cookie I’ve tried. If you imagine a flavor called “fresh-baked cookie”, it tasted like that. They sprinkled some sea salt and brown sugar on top which complemented the rich taste of the chocolate inside.

I’ll definitely be visiting again, it was a great experience. I just wish we got there earlier to see some of the other pastries...