Neto Caffe And Bakery - Mountain View

My first visit was for lunch, and the service was slow and disorganized. Neto had just opened a few days prior, so I thought things might improve over time, and that the food would live up to my expectations. I ordered the hummus with mushrooms, which I assumed an Israeli restaurant would excel at. The hummus looked appealing, but the mushrooms were the soft, slender, canned type—something I hope was just a one-off situation. They lacked flavor, and the hummus itself was among the worst I’ve ever tasted, falling below even many store-bought varieties. It was pasty and bland. The pita was doughy and chewy. Although the portions were generous, that doesn’t matter much if the food isn’t enjoyable. I did try the cinnamon pastry, which was decent, but it didn’t justify a visit to Neto on its own. In a bid to give it another chance, I ordered the mushroom samboosak. This dish was a thick pita filled with the same mushrooms from the hummus, topped with a mustard sauce. It wasn’t terrible, but it didn’t excite me either. It might have been better with a different filling since the thick dough overwhelmed it. I also tried a chocolate croissant, which was okay—not particularly impressive. The yogurt and granola were overpriced, with the granola being soggy, although the yogurt was thick and tangy. Overall, the prices are steep, and the baked goods are too large (and costly) to serve as a side with a meal, making it seem more suitable as a place for dessert. Since then, I’ve returned a few times and noticed some improvements, along with a few options I’ve enjoyed. They seem to have lowered their prices and removed some of the confusing “add $2” notes next to salads. They’ve made small enhancements, including adding attractive pictures of the dishes. I appreciate that they offer free Wi-Fi, the place is always busy, but it never feels jam-packed, and there’s a good variety of options. I particularly liked the chicken salad (with slices of roasted chicken), and the hummus was more enjoyable during my second visit. It seems like Neto is doing well, so they may not feel pressured to lower their prices significantly. However, I would likely return if a few more items were priced a bit more affordably.

I have tried the breakfast pastries at Neto, and they are some of the best I've found in Mountain View (although Prolific Oven in Palo Alto is even better, it's a bit farther away). They offer traditional Jewish treats like babka and rugelach, as well as large croissants and pain au chocolat. I've only dined in a few times, and I wasn't particularly impressed with those meals.