I absolutely love this place... but also have a love-hate relationship going (read far bottom). The food is amazing. Two words: FALL PANZANELLA. But, that said... you are in downtown Tempe! Next to ASU! College kids aren't loaded! This is some PRICEY food for the portions you get. They are locally grown, organic, etc etc etc, I know, but.... come on.\n\nI think Caffe Boa should perhaps look into some slightly more budget friendly options (or greatly improve the lunch menu and lower prices to perhaps get a few more of the daddy-didn't-buy-me-a-sportscar-at-16 college crowd in). All my friends, acquaintances, and people I pass on the street are getting tired of me harassing them to join Groupon and buy me the max every time Caffe Boa is featured at $20 for $40 worth of food (which is rare anyways!). Offer some specials, make Sunday evening half off appetizers or SOMETHING.\n\nI adore a lot of their food. Really, it's absolutely amazing... perfect texture contrast, tastes melding in your mouth... fresh. Some of it, I wouldn't eat again... mainly because it's not my flavor. Won't name names because I think others who like those flavors would still love it, and it's an excellent dish for them. Prepare for interesting, unique flavors that you may not always love, but will always be intrigued by.\n\nMy one and only last gripe (beyond price), is that I LOVE MUSHROOMS. Caffe Boa always has some new, special, odd mushroom which I always add onto my dinner, and they always tell me \"Hey, it's $9 bucks but worth it\" beforehand. The very first time I went, I got plain mushrooms, which were a free add on. The last time I went, I told them I wanted to add on plain old mushrooms, as I had already tried the only exotic they had in. I even asked how much that would be, but the excited waiter was so busy rambling on about wine, he pretty much ignored that and never responded to me. No warning about price.\n\nThey still tacked $9 onto the bill for what ended up being a grand total of THREE (yes, 3) plain, old, small mushroom caps. I might not be so mad if they hadn't tasted like cr*p as well. They were the most bland, plain, blah, nothing mushrooms I have ever tasted. In fact, they are the only mushrooms I have ever met that I didn't love. If you buy some WalMart has marked down to 99 cents because they are getting some mystery brown spots, have a 7-year-old who had never touched a stove before throw them in a pan and cook them up (without washing them first even), they would STILL taste better. And they cost $3 per small cap. I got absolutely ROBBED. I haven't been back since that incident, though my boyfriend has tried to take me there 3 months in a row now.\n\nSo, I love this place, but occasionally it gets a little too artsy fartsy for me. I'm studying Math. My boyfriend is studying Physics. We are obviously not the most trendy people on the face of the planet. We're pretty practical and logical... which usually makes this place out of our budget (and if they keep charging me an extra $9 for something terrible, it will certainly stay out of our budget). The ambiance is great. The music is great. Go in, check it out. You'll feel like one of the cool kids. It's a trendy place (though surprisingly they don't seem to look down on my when I roam in wearing worn, ragged short shorts and a T shirt... hey, it's all the same 25% tip!).\n\n\nMORAL OF THE STORY IS: If you care how much you spend, ALWAYS ask how much an add on will be... more than once. Until you get a definitive answer. Go, relax, enjoy... but bring your wallet.\n\n-Jessica
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