The husband, wife and son team who own gold bar are absolutely lovely, lovely people. That goes for the rest of the staff too. They remember you! Even when you make a trip back from a three month long hiatus.
All those GIANT pastries are homemade by the wife. They're damn good. (The holiday sugar cookies are extremely popular. And pretty.)
Each table has a lamp and there are plenty of outlets (it kind of looks like a fire hazard, but hey that's okay!) So, it's a great study spot in the afternoon, before it gets over populated.
The staff knows their way around the menu and they also offer to make you something else if you don't like their suggestion. I've always liked their suggestions. :)
You can leave your punch card there in an alphabetically sorted bin, which is convenient if you tend to loose those things like me.
The downside is the bathroom. It's a little bit awkwardly placed. You have to work your way through the "kitchen area" to get to it.
OH! BONUS! I used to take my weiner dog here. The baristas would always have treats for him. He really likes gold bar too.