Brunch at Lobby Cafe

Not all coffee shops and cafes in Davao City are located within central downtown. Recently, we have been seeing some being established in the southern part of the city.

One of the cafes that I have always wanted to do a review on was the Lobby Cafe at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina. The first time I went to the cafe was when it held a food tasting event for local bloggers. I was not there to taste food or as a blogger but I was there for work. However, the food being served on the table looked good.

Lobby Cafe at the Arcadia Lifestyle Center

With the traffic Davao City is having lately, I found it a hassle to go to the Southern part to visit cafes or coffee shops. Not that it is a long trip but it can be a hassle on regular days.

One weekend I found the time to have brunch here.

THE PLACE

Lobby Cafe has a simple design. It does really look like a lobby lounge of some hotel. But I find it to look a bit boring with its tones of brown, cream, and gray. I wish they have some brighter colors at the cafe.

There was what I think a blank menu board above the counter. I find this a bit of an eyesore. Based on its design, I think there was supposed to be a menu on it but it was just blank. Their display case also looked sad without any cakes or desserts during my visit.

However, what I like about the cafe are its chairs, which I find to be comfortable to sit on for long periods.

There were also some stools at the end of the cafe.

THE FOOD

Lobby Cafe has quite an extensive menu for a cafe as it offers burgers, pasta, waffles, crepes, and rice meals among others. I find their food here to be quite pricey with the salads, rice meals, pasta, waffles, nachos, sandwiches, and burgers ranging between P180 to P350.

For my brunch here I ordered the Chicken and Waffles (P300), Revel Bar, Chicken and Pork Adobo (P290), and Americano (P100).

I was excited for the Chicken and Waffles as it is one of my favorite pairings. However, this was a bit of a disappointment. I find the chicken to be dry and lacked seasoning. The waffles also needed more syrup. I should have asked for more syrup. I find the gravy to be really good though. I think P300 was too expensive for the dish. I have tried much better chicken and waffles that are priced cheaper.

Their Revel Bar was so good! I love that it was chewy. I would not hesitate ordering this again.

I also liked the Chicken and Pork Adobo. It came with a side of salsa and hard-boiled egg. The chicken and the pork I had were tender. I like how the salsa adds brightness to the meaty dish.

The Americano I had was also quite good.

THE SERVICE

The service I experienced during my visit was below average.

When I ask the waiters some questions regarding their food or what they offer, their answers were terse. I also hope that the staff would be friendlier. Each time I order from them or ask them to refill my cup with water, they give me this vibe that I am burdening them. If you do not want the customer to keep on calling you to refill their glass, set up a self service water station or serve them a 1 liter bottle of water with a cup.

On the bright side, I did not have to wait for the food that long because it was served within 15 minutes.

BOTTOM LINE

I was expecting a great dining experience but sadly it was just average. While I did enjoy the food, for the most part, it was the service that I really had an issue with. Their lack of enthusiasm for quality customer service did not make dining or spending time here worthwhile. I hope they can improve service by encouraging their staff to be friendlier and to smile more.

The Lobby Cafe is a great place for those looking for a cafe where they can meet and do business together. The cafe is quite quiet, which makes it conducive for those who want to do meetings.

For those who are living in the Southern part of Davao City, this can be an option for you for a place to study or work. The WiFi package they subscribe to is quite decent.

Despite the dining experience I had here, I would not mind coming here again whether with a friend or alone. I just hope that they have made some improvements.