Romancing the Bean Cafe — Restaurant in Burbank

I’ve been coming here about once every month or two for over 10 years and have generally had a good experience.

The other day, the only available indoor table was a four-top, right next to a dog sitting on the banquette between two tables. I’m severely allergic to dogs — to the point that if one shakes next to me, the dander in the air can trigger an asthma attack. (Yes, I’ve been on allergy shots for 7 years. No, it’s not about the hair — it’s the invisible dander.)

My plan was to split the table and sit on the far end, away from the dog. Just then, a woman and her daughter arrived and placed their drinks on the opposite side of the same table. I politely asked if she’d mind if I took the seat farthest from the dog. She hesitated and said she didn’t want her daughter sitting that close to the dog either. We talked for a moment, and I offered to just sit outside — yes, where the dog should have been.

When I went to order a coffee, I explained the situation to the barista, mentioning that two customers didn’t feel comfortable sitting near the dog and that, by the way, it’s against LA health codes for dogs to be indoors in food establishments (and to clarify: this was not a service animal or even a fake support animal).

I wouldn’t be writing this if the barista had responded respectfully — but instead I got a ton of attitude. She shrugged and said, “We’re a friendly space,” and basically implied I should just deal with it. She ended with a smug, “Well then you can report us.” So I put my debit card back in my wallet and walked out.

I understand LA restaurants are in a tricky spot when customers lie about service animals. But that wasn’t the issue here. The issue was how rudely and dismissively the staff responded to a reasonable, health-related concern — not to mention zero f’s given about the fact that even a little girl was uncomfortable sitting next to a dog.

So: No — not a “friendly space.” I gave the food 3 stars instead of 5 because it is good, but overpriced.

Finally, I’m not posting this to bash the business, but in hopes the owner sees it and considers how important it is to follow health codes and treat people with serious allergies with respect.

** Edited — thank you for responding. I don’t see a way to dm you here but feel free to reach out to me at...

One of the worst experiences I’ve had at any café.

We came on a Sunday afternoon — all the regular seating was taken, and the only spot left was a narrow bench by the window with no back support. Definitely not a place where you can sit comfortably and relax.

We ordered a salmon bagel (asked to put it on a croissant instead), a warmed almond croissant, a cappuccino, and an iced latte. I also asked if they had anything that wasn’t sweet or pastry-based. The staff looked confused and offered me a plain croissant. That was it. Even though salads were on the menu, no one mentioned them or made an effort to help.

They gave us a table marker so the food could be brought outside. Five minutes later, the salmon croissant arrived — on a cracked plate. That’s unacceptable in any food service environment. Cracks trap bacteria, and in some cultures, serving food this way is not only disrespectful but considered bad luck.

Also, if you’re hoping for even basic elements like fresh cucumber in your lox croissant — forget it. Not here.

Then we waited… and waited. 15 minutes, and still no drinks, no almond croissant. I went inside and found the rest of our order just sitting on the bar — cold. When I asked, they said the table marker was “only for kitchen food.” That would almost make sense — except that a few days earlier, I’d been here and had my entire order, drinks included, delivered to the table. So either they change their system daily, or the service is completely inconsistent.

I asked about the almond croissant — the staff member didn’t say a word, just walked to the microwave. No apology. No explanation. When it finally arrived, it was dry and clearly reheated too late.

And the cappuccino? The foam was terrible — loose, airy, and nothing like the creamy texture it should have. Even Starbucks or McDonald’s get it more right than this.

Not a single apology for the delay, the forgotten items, the cracked plate — nothing. Just blank stares and indifference.

There are too many better cafés in this area to waste your time here....

I am extremely limited to what I'm allowed to eat because I'm allergic to so many things. I'm unable to go out to eat or drink anywhere without verifying what is available first. I found Romancing the beans because I was looking for a place that had good Organic Decaf coffee. I could only do Organic and I could only do Decaf. Last week they gave me Caffeine in error. I was very understanding because I know mistakes happen (even though I have a very bad reaction to the caffeine). I went back in and spoke to the Cashier at the time. I explained to her that I'm not trying to be picky, but for medical reasons, it's very critical that they only give me decaf. She apologized, but didn't share the information with anybody nor did she seem to care. Keep in mind, they already know my face because I go there all the time. Since I can't go anywhere else, I decided to keep going. Today, I went and ordered my usual. I was very specific as I always am about it having to be decaf. Since my last incident, I had decided to confirm with the person passing me the coffee if it was Decaf. Today, when I went to grab my coffee, the guy had quickly taken off to the kitchen. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to confirm. Turns out, they gave me caffeine, AGAIN. This is a small request to confirm what I am ordering. At this point, I have decided to never go back. It's too bad, because I like the coffee, but service is everything. They need to make sure they pay...