Popular with some students for its refreshing atmosphere and locally-sourced food, The Mason Jar is a small café located in downtown Cheney.
What sets The Mason Jar apart is its clever use of space and style, not to mention its well-designed logos, a sight rarely seen in Cheney.

“I like The Mason Jar because it has a really homey feel which is nice and relaxing,” said patron and EWU student Michelle Houston, but she admits that their food is often “hit and miss, and some stuff is not my favorite.” However, despite the shortcomings, she still frequents the restaurant “at least once a month.”

The real draw of The Mason Jar is its unique capacity as a community meeting space. It is easily the most well-designed, pleasant restaurant atmosphere in town.

The recent addition of a kids’ menu makes the café more than just a college coffee shop, while the addition of bar seating allows for more solitary study sessions.

The café hosts live music on Thursday nights at 7 pm, and occasionally hosts poetry readings by EWU’s creative writing group, “Northwest Boulevard.”

Since The Mason Jar also accepts EagleFlex, it poses a much-needed relief from the monotonous, commercialized eating on campus and the support of local and organic farmers in the region makes it a place you can feel good about going to.

While the food is not always earth-shattering in quality, the menu is dynamic, seriously affordable — all of their sandwiches are under ten dollars — and the service is always exceptional.

The espresso menu features more unusual drinks, such as the con panna — straight espresso topped with whipped cream — while the roast sued is softer and more
mild than most, making it friendly for coffee novices.

Their alcohol selection makes use of local craft beers and wines, but the atmosphere is definitely less tailored toward the evening crowd.

The strength of The Mason Jar’s food is really in their sandwiches and espresso, with the bakery items, soups and salads as more risky hit-and-miss items.
Overall, this is consistently my favorite place to eat in Cheney, with the atmosphere and menu of a café in a much larger city while also being a five-minute walk from just about everything.