The Lightbox Cafe

I just grabbed a coffee at the recently reopened Lightbox Cafe, and truth be told, the neighborhood deserves to know that they have CHANGED--for the better.The original ownership team is back, wiping away the last few years of dismal execution. They've returned with a food-forward focus, a customer-centered approach, and an updated interior.When they reopened, I met one of the returning owners. She walked me through the menu, and I was surprised that my assumptions based on prior experience were so wrong. Their focus includes a Mexican flair, and I went with the tacos.They were great.In the course of a week, I gained a few pounds, repeatedly indulging in their good-as-(if I had a...)-Mom's carnitas tacos.Our trading desk migrates there daily at lunchtime, and the word is spreading through our office. The absence of crowds clearly reflects the past that still hangs over the Lightbox, which is selfishly great for me. Once the real/new Lightbox moves to the front of people's minds and becomes a target for the local downtown crowd, the ability to walk in and out with three wonderful carnitas tacos in 10 minutes will be gone.I recommend the Lightbox without reservation!Oh yeah, and as a celiac, I appreciate their willingness to ensure my food is gluten-free.

Light box cafe is a hidden gem in the sea of sandwiches n salads. We've ordered their breakfast burritos for the team, which were super good and great salsa. But the star of the show were the tacos. I tried the carnitas, al pastor, carne asada, and a bite of the chicken. Everything was good my fav being Al pastor, and the bite of chicken was really tender! You can see in the pic how loaded and full the tacos are. 3 taco plate w rice and beans: $12.994 tacos no beans about $12. 100% recommend

Stop by for some breakfast and glad i did. Very clean restaurant with great service.I got the breakfast burrito and was it good

What a HUGE disappointment today! I had a very big order we placed online - we received confirmation & even paid. Head down with my group of 10+ to be told:"Sorry we don't take online orders"We show them the confirmation text & I was told:"Sorry it's a new POS so your order doesn't exist"Not only was I getting upset but the employee gave 0 F's and wasn't even apologetic. When I asked how long would it take to get our food if I re-order we were on a strict time frame I was told "I'll help you after I make their drink"Which is not what I needed to know - I needed to know 10 minutes 20 minutes 1 hour etc ‍Why oh why would you continue accepting orders & payments online that don't mean anything. Half my group went to Sweet Greens 2 blocks away & had their food before we even finished Re-ordering!I'll have to think multiple times before we go back. In the past - this place was great.UPDATE - And they pushed the charge through so now we're trying to receive a refund on an order they didn't fill.

Delicious food, good variety, and friendly staff! They also cater and have beer. Nice setting/decorations.

Ambiance: spacious modern interior with bold blue and yellow coloring. Casual. CleanSeating: ample indoor seating, with at least 9 spots for booth sitting.Food: sandwiches, salads, breakfast and brunch. I ate the Turkey and cranberry sandwich and all is fresh, unique flavor, and great ciabatta bunDrink: good coffee and espresso drinks, macha. Vegan milk option is oat milkService: order at the counter and they bring to your table. Friendly.

Came here with my coworkers for lunch. We had a pretty big party and they were really accommodating. I like the interior, it has that clean cafe feel. I like that all the framed photos on the walls are of lights. Lights boxed in frames... Lightbox! Haha I get itThe staff was wonderful. We called in ahead of time about our large lunch order. When we got there, they already prepared the tables for us with water pitchers, cups, napkins, forks and knives! And provided us with chips and salsas too! Again, very nice friendly staff, we felt really welcomed. I had the breakfast burrito with pork sausage and bacon added on. It was the perfect size, I was full and felt like I got my moneys first. It's gonna sound odd to say this, but it tasted like a breakfast burrito. Hah what I mean by this is that instead of potatoes like you would normally find in a breakfast burrito, you get pico de gallo and avocado like you would find in a regular burrito. It can only be described as a breakfast burrito-burrito. Lightbox opened right before the lockdown. Covid delayed opening for months, and when they finally opened. The office building next to them converted to work from home. It's unfortunately, but I'm hoping Lightbox stays around! There are some really great people working here!

Very bold move to open during a pandemic in the FiDi when most office workers are still at home. Looks like a typical FiDi sandwich & salad joint, except with some Latin flairs. I'm still really feeling that Al Pastor Pizza, which has the potential to become the next fusion food trend, if refined a bit.Spicy Havana: This was an interesting approximation of a Cubano. The crispy carnitas was actually fun standin for pernil since it added extra crunch. The ham and swiss were pretty common. The pickles were only a few small slices instead of long slices covering the whole sandwich. There were some pickled jalapeño too, which added a nice kick, but I still would have preferred more pickles. The weirdest part was that regular old white bread was used in a panini press. So, hence, why I call it an approximation of a Cubano. So not like something you'd get in NYC or Miami, but much more exciting than regular old sandwiches in the FiDi. They included a lot of different hot sauce packets (Tapatío, Cholula, Tabasco) and shockingly it was the Tabasco Green Jalapeño sauce that paired the best.Al Pastor Pizza: I have so many mixed emotions. So the al pastor was really good. Very heavily spiced and a nice firm texture. The pizza, unfortunately, tasted like mediocre frozen pizza. And it was kinda small. But the combination of al pastor and pizza (even mediocre pizza) was amazing! Like think of how much you like pepperoni or sausage pizza then multiple that 3x since al pastor is a superior pork topping!Sticky Bun: Kinda meh. Looks cool with all the pecans on top. Not that sticky actually. And not much yummy cinnamon between the roll layers. And very dry.

wow, did i really just spend $20 pre-tip for this? maybe i got the wrong thing, and other menu items are more fittingly priced. who knows. but i feel duped by this 'meal' and am never coming back as a result. guess i will never know!

I put an order in online on 6/19. Received confirmation and time to pick up the order. I go to Lightbox Cafe to pick up my order and it was closed! I called the next day and the woman who answered the phone said "oh we were closed for Juneteenth!" Ok fine but then why was my online order accepted and why was I charged if you were closed. She stated that she did not deal with online orders and I needed to speak to Hugo. I left my name and number. Haven't heard back. Tried calling a few times today: first call they picked up the phone but then hung up, I called a few times after it they kept sending it straight to voicemail. I have yet to speak to Hugo nor anyone else to discuss refunding my money. I see another reviewer had the same issue of being charged but received no food. Disgraceful.