Hendrika's Cafe

Few places can give you that feeling of warmth and sunshine when it’s cold and grey outside. Hendrika’s Café & Coffee, on the corner of Broadway and Farewell is one of those places that can. The café’s giant paned windows let in a lot of light and remind you of a sunroom. The walls are a warm, golden yellow so that even when it’s cloudy outside, it seems sunny inside. Little wooden tables and chairs fill the main room. Adjoining it is another room with more 60s-style tables and chairs. Each has its own vibe, but it’s the main room that I like best. A counter with stools divides the room in half, separating the kitchen—which occupies the back half of the room—from the little tables and chairs that occupy the front half. A long strip of blackboard runs above the counter, just below the ceiling. In sweet, slightly cursive handwriting the drink offerings are listed in different colors of chalk and accompanied by drawings of cups and saucers.

The menu is not extensive but it feels complete, covering all the bases for lunch and breakfast. Everything is made in-house that day—a big thing for me since I once worked at a place in town, where nothing was made on-site, but ordered days in advance from some deli or catering company. At Hendrika’s, the owner gets in around six every morning to start work on that day’s soup offerings.

So many times I want something fresh, homemade and moderately priced for lunch, but it’s hard to satisfy all of those requirements. Inevitably, quality and tastiness become secondary to cost. At Hendrika’s, I don’t have to make a choice between the two; the menu is reasonably-priced. I love when I can get a pot of tea for a $1.65. Breakfast is served all day long and for $3.50, you can get two eggs, any style, with toast and fruit. Sandwiches are $6-7 and they come with pasta salad and a pickle. The Parisian is good. A layer of caramelized apples is spread on French bread; warm ham and brie are served on top with spicy mustard.

In addition to serving breakfast and lunch, they have a wide array of drink selections. Just about anything can be taken to-go. The place is so inviting though, you may just want to stay. I once sat contently at a corner table for an hour and a half with a notebook, a bowl of split pea soup, and a small pot of English Breakfast. I stayed there, writing, until my tea was completely gone—and no one seemed to mind. That’s the kind of place it is. Previously, I’ve blogged about my quest to find “a spot.” Hendrika’s is the closest thing I can find to that in Newport.