Casual eats in Bremerton: Hi-Lo’s 15th Street Café

Hi-Lo’s in Bremerton is one of those neighborhood happy places that once discovered, it keeps bringing people back. The unique, cozy café makes no bones about its retro style — down to the hippy-fashioned getups of the staff and the restored back end of a ’74 Volkswagen built into a wall to serve as the home to the self-serve, organic coffee brews.

The brightly-painted walls, floor and ceiling, the old newspaper clippings used on the tables and the working disco ball in the bathroom will make many visitors reminisce about the good ol’ times. And so the food is served to boost those memories: from staples like meat loaf to classic sandwiches and breakfast (served all day). The menu has some fun surprises, too, like green eggs and ham and a surprisingly tasty lox plate (a bagel served with cream cheese, raw smoked salmon, capers and sliced onion and tomato).

The service is great and very casual. If you want a cup of coffee, for example, what you do is choose one of the colorful cups hanging above the counter, and help yourself. The darling café does get busy at lunchtime and during the warm days there is nice seating outside.

If you go during one of those times when there is no wait time (during which customers wait at the bakery next door), make sure you stop by the bakery after your meal to pick up some fresh-made bread or other goodies.

If you’re curious about the name, it borrows from the names of the owners, Heidi (Hi) and Lowell (Lo) Yoxsimer, whom you’ll likely find at the café cooking or serving. Before you leave, check out the couple's vintage thermos collection. It's unlikely you'll find a thermos museum like this anywhere else in Puget Sound.

Hi-Lo’s 15th Street Café is a quick dash from downtown, at the corner of 15th and Wycoff, and it’s worth the stop.

Hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday - Friday; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday/Sunday

http://hilos15thstreetcafe.com/