Caffé Bene

65

83

125

12 years ago

I think this place is so new that they still need time to work out their menu and service. Staffs were friendly but service was really slow and there were barely any customers when I went. Had coffee latte which was very very light barely any coffee taste...hmm not that good, my cousin tried the mojito and she liked it. We also ordered the honey toast with strawberry and cream cheese, the presentation was very pretty but I wish they would toast it a bit longer to give it a little extra crunch Overall a good spot to chill if they can improve their drinks and food read more

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Nelson M.

323

1144

2240

11 years ago

Restaurant review This is a brief review of their coffee. I did come here one other time for dessert which was amazing however I recently got their bubble tea to go. Service is quick after they take your order. There is multiple drink options including bubble tea with Boba. I can't say that I'm a fan of this over Starbucks coffee. The other thing that makes me nervous is that the flavoring is likely a powder however I ended up with the traditional milk tea. It is rather sweet even sweeter than a latte. If milk tea is your thing then it's great to have this place is an option Pros: This café has both desserts, coffee, and other Asian type desserts Cons: Slightly expensive compared to Starbucks Hidden deals: Please download the hooked app which has rotating savings and includes buy one get one free BOGO. Health code rating: A. Quite clean and people are practicing good hand hygiene. http://champaign.il.gegov.com/champaign/estab.cfm?facilityID=2066 read more

Caffé Bene - Green tea gelato - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Viola Z.

184

49

63

6 years ago

I'm always here to study and usually I will get a latte or macchiato while I study, but yesterday I tried their Belgian waffle for the first time, and it was so yum! If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend you do :) read more

Caffé Bene - Blueberry Cream Cheese Waffle - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Rachel C.

0

14

0

4 years ago

Love having a slice of Korea on campus. I remember being a social work student and it opening up downstairs. Cozy drinks, impressive waffles/toast, and so many little snacks. Lots of places to work or to meet up with a group of friends. read more

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Zachary S.

0

1

0

5 years ago

Had an absolutely tremendous experience at Caffe Bene (Gregory) recently. I ordered a drink, and the young woman making it was extremely helpful, offering advice about how much sweetness I might want in my drink. She was very friendly, and made me a wonderful cold iced caramel macchiato. After I left, I noticed I did not have the debit card on me I paid for my drink with. I called Caffe Bene and they were tremendously helpful in searching for my debit card. The woman who made my drink even checked the security cameras to help me find my card, and the other barista ended up finding my debit card in a trash can. In my implacable stupidity, I had thrown it away. Thank you very much to Caffe Bene's wonderful employees for their above and beyond service! read more

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Carmen M.

0

26

1

5 years ago

My favorite place to study on campus. Great ambience, friendly staff, and extremely clean. After leaving campus, I have yet to find a cafe as good as Caffe Bene. read more

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Diana L.

14

111

119

12 years ago

Although they've only been around for almost half a year, I think Caffebene is getting a lot better! First things first, they did lower their prices (which actually scared me off initially) and they're around the same/less than Starbucks. They're opening a new location on Green Street, so I hope they handle the first weeks better. The interior is really trendy and usually quiet, so it's a nice place to grab a cup of coffee and study. Their green tea frappe is alright. I think it's a bit too icy and Starbucks makes it better. However, the honey bread is fantastic! I got the strawberry honey bread to go and it's absolutely gorgeous how they package their food. The bread is really sweet and thick, drizzled in honey, and on top is an arrangement of strawberries in the form of a flower. I was wondering why it took so long for it to come out, but it's definitely worth the wait! Their gelato is also fantastic and they give you a lot for $2. I recommend getting the green tea or Greek yogurt flavors. They also have meal options and tons of the cutest desserts, so I definitely plan to return and try them! read more

Caffé Bene - Their strawberry honey bread! The wait is always worth it to see the strawberry flower. :) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Caffé Bene - Cheesecake and generous gelato portions. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Simin L.

0

10

6

11 years ago

Nice environment and wonderful milk tea. Love the hot bubble tea latte so much. Best milk tea in campus! The mojito is nice as well. All of the mojito look so cute! Coffee towel is too big for me lol. read more

Caffé Bene - Coffee tower - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Caffé Bene - Mojito - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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DaTron W.

0

3

1

12 years ago

Food is average, if not below in quality. Prices are overprices as well. The service is okay. Friendly but not speedy. Cheesecake is delicious, but not worth $5 a slice. read more

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Adelheid S.

61

9

7

11 years ago

The coffee is quite good. It's always my go to place in champaign. I love the space, it's comfy and so good for working. Definitely cheaper than other coffee places in champaign. Usually order frappe coffee and never tried anything else though. The place is getting better after a year opening. read more

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L S.

1

9

4

6 years ago

After the updated COVID-19 procedures the University placed on restaurants, I expected that Cafe Bene would follow the new rules. I even called ahead of going in to do work as I wanted to make sure they were still open and still sanitizing. However, I am sitting in the cafe right now and there are multiple people without their proper face coverings/masks on with no food or drinks on the table. Additionally, I saw the manager/owner walk by and employees going by and saying nothing. I am extremely uncomfortable and am going to report this as a concern for safety to the University. This is absolutely not okay for a business to do at this time, especially with cases of COVID-19 rising. read more

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Kent M.

Elite 25

137

3481

3103

8 years ago

Really good find here with lots of nice food options besides all the latte drinks and coffee choices. Nice setting and modern seating arrangements. I like. Myself having the 6 shot Americano and honey, and taking 2 Spice Chai Lattes back to girls running front desk at FlightStar fbo where our N126M is parked for several hours. read more

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Afarin B.

Elite 21

336

233

1254

9 years ago

Very spacious coffee shop in Urbana. I wish this was around for most of my undergrad - alas it didn't really pop up until I was almost done with grad school. The interior furniture is fun and a lot of the dessert items are very fun too. Giant sweetbreads loaded with fruit and giant BingSu! The shop has Korean roots so they serve Korean sushi as well as spicy tuna onigiri I think. The coffee is alright. My most recent visit was before students moved back to campus so the ambience was inviting and relaxing. I think during the year there is probably nowhere to sit in here which would probably annoy me if I wanted to stop in and just get a chill cup of coffee. There are signs on the doors that say no outside food or drink. I feel like this should be obvious but clearly there have been mult. Patrons guilty of this faux paux! read more

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Mercedes M.

15

19

30

6 years ago

The ice cream melted quite quickly so it became messy very easily. I mainly ordered this for the raspberries, but they must've been out as I got strawberries, but that's okay. Not sure if I would get this again. Maybe a different waffle, but I recommend the green tea frappe! Was a little watery, but tasted decently good. read more

Caffé Bene - Choco & Raspberry Waffle - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Lindsey L.

0

2

0

5 years ago

The place has a feel I love but unfortunately I found out that they do not use real honeydew fruit in their smoothie and instead uses a powder which adds unnecessary and unhealthy ingredients. I won't be going back as a result. read more

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Jennyfer C.

64

28

24

6 years ago

I'm surprised this location doesn't have higher reviews compared to the other one in Campustown. This location has a much more peaceful ambiance and a lot more options! read more

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Billie S.

2

25

10

7 years ago

Not sure what's wrong with this location, but something always goes wrong. My first visit they did not have boba. On my second visit, the boba were hard. Third visit, the internet is out. Notified the staff, but they didn't seem concerned about it. Their location down by the college is better. I think I'm done with this one. read more

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Craig I.

0

10

1

4 years ago

Nice space inside. Ordered a Strawberry Feast smoothie, way too sweet (tasted like cotton candy) and no evidence of any real strawberries in it - I watched them make it using strawberry syrup, and there were no bits of strawberries or seeds in the smoothie. Certainly not a "strawberry feast!" Expected more for the price. read more

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Kay P.

Elite 19

549

339

865

8 years ago

I only have ordered one thing from here- iced caramel latte. It tasted like every. Other. Latte. I've had. Nothing too special but nothing necessarily bad. I want to try their desserts because they look almost too pretty to eat but my waistline begs me not to. I know summer body goals don't matter this time of the year for some but.. it matters to me. Lol read more

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Daniel L.

73

19

8

12 years ago

Ambience. 9/10. Looks nice, feels clean, comfortable. Customer Service. 8/10. Assistant manager was great, knowledgeable, helpful. Taste. 2/10. Misugaru latte tasted like drinking dissolved chalk in water. Classic Arnold palmer was a very badly conceived balance of tea to lemonade. Honey bread was 99% standard dry bread. Though it tasted okay, the dryness from the rest of the bread overtook any toppings added to it. Value. 1/10. Honey bread is probably something close to a 2000% markup on ingredients. Cannot go here regularly without breaking the bank. If the taste and quality and consistency of the drinks was commensurate with the price, then that'd be different since the upcharge would be tied to a higher level of enjoyment from a higher quality product. But it seems like they are peddling cheap and badly made drinks and food, for outrageous prices. Going once a year is probably a good bet for this place. Going too often will make you poor, and will leave a bad taste in your mouth (if the food and drink hasn't already), because you feel as though you've paid for a meal and a drink, but have been given a hodgepodge of 10 cent ingredients prettied up to look good. Great ambience, and customer service only get you so far when the food and drink you serve is inconsistent, outrageously priced, and lackluster at best. read more

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C W.

6

5

394

12 years ago

Food was good, service was great, had 3 different drinks and they were all good! (Misutgaru Frappe, Mango Mojito, Green tea Frappe) My only complaint is that the cafe is too quiet so people had to whisper. Hope they provide some music so we can talk more freely. read more

Caffé Bene - Misutgaru Frappe. My favorite :) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Caffé Bene - Mango Mojito. Awesome! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Caffé Bene - Green tea Frappe. Taste the same as Starbucks Green tea Frappucchino! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Caffé Bene - Cream cheese blueberry waffle. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Caffé Bene - Green tea tower. Yummy~!!!! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Alex R.

Elite 19

123

129

115

9 years ago

5 stars for the pastries, but 3 for the espresso. I love Americanos so I know when my coffee isn't made right. I think they need to up the shots of espresso, because my drink tasted like water. The Strawberry Cheese bread we ate was tasty though!!! I also LOVE the misugaru latte! Will be back for those but probably not the coffee. read more

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Sonya P.

2

16

2

12 years ago

Terrible. Got a Thai tea smoothie for close to six bucks and it was the worst thai tea flavored thing I've ever tasted, just straight up tasted like milk. Friend got a milk tea latte and it was half powder not mixed properly. They don't even try, it seems. Another friend got gelato which tasted like frozen sugar water and nothing like pomegranate. also ridiculous expensive for small portion. I have yet to hear anything good on their menu, but especially stay away from thai tea, milk tea, red velvet, any gelato. read more

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Tushar N.

Elite 17

488

123

90

12 years ago

Overpriced Low Value Long wait times Poor quality. If these things describe your coffee go here. read more

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Jenny L.

616

147

564

11 years ago

As an update to my last review, where I made a vow to myself to get the honey bread, I finally did it and have no ragrets - not even a single letter. The strawberry honey bread is so so so amazing, so do yourself a favor and GET IT 'cause it just bumped my review from 4 to 5 stars. read more

Business owner information

Amy P.

Thank you for the updated review! Glad to hear you enjoyed it a lot!…

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John T.

285

284

187

11 years ago

Over priced but solid coffee and desserts. It makes this place a "once in a while" "treat yo'self" kind of a place rather than a regular study spot. But, with that said, I love the decor, love the space, think it's great for studying to hanging out, and even think the uniforms are kind of cute in a fun way. On a student budget though it's definitely not somewhere I would go often especially when there are more reasonably priced places really close by. read more

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Chendidi L.

280

72

89

11 years ago

Overpriced. The wait is forever. Don't order anything when you are in a hurry. Bubble milk tea is not as good as CocoMero. The only good thing is that they make it after you order it so you can adjust it by "less sugar", "less ice", etc. as opposed to the pre-made milk tea at CocoMero which you can't ask for less sugar. Besides that, CocoMero serves better milk tea (better taste with a similar price). Pistachio macaroons are okay (don't compare them to Ladurée). Other flavors are "meh". Staff is nice today. read more

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Rhona K.

Elite 18

410

197

421

10 years ago

I have no idea why this place is $$ when it really is $. Much better than Starbucks imo (i don't really care about the inspector situation because as long as they use boiling water to make their coffee I'm assuming they don't dip their hands in it afterwards). This place overshadows Starbucks as a casual hangout/study in a couple areas: 1. Much better lighting and study areas (more tables) - I'm sorry Starbucks but I absolutely hate your dimly lit areas for studying (for romantic coffee, may be better), the natural light really comes in and the store is right on the corner facing the south with huge windows so you get really good natural lighting all day long. On the downside, it's less cozy (but much better for studying!) 2. Wider selection of nondrink items. They give you two heaping scoops of gelato for $2.95 - so yummy and definitely more yogurty (less sweet deadening) than other gelato ive had. They also have really soft and fresh asian pastries, tons of sweet and salty options, and even little cups of korean bibimbaps! They also serve warm breakfast and tons of little snacks (all MUCH cheaper than Starbucks and even more delicious!) 3. Cute decor. This place is korean, so this place has got a super kawaii atmosphere about it. The music is soft and cafe-like, they have lots of little plants and books in the place - definitely gives me the feeling that I'm back in asia again (aside from almost everyone in the whole store being asian) Definitely reminds me of White Windmill back home, but with a less crowded, more brightly lit study environment. read more

Caffé Bene - Only $2.95 for gelato! This it's vanilla bean and strawberry greek yogurt flavor! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Daniel D.

0

14

0

12 years ago

Yesterday we ordered 4 espresso drinks (two double and two macchiatos) and the coffee was so horrible that none of us was able to drink it!! We should have been warned when we asked what a "cortado" was and they told us it was an espresso with foam (I knew it was an espresso with a drop of milk but just wanted to confirm) I would like to go back because the place looks really good, but if the quality of the coffee doesn't improve, I'll continue going to espresso royale and Starbucks! I just wish I could get my $15 back!! read more

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More info about Caffé Bene

700 S Gregory St
Urbana, IL 61801
Directions
(217) 917-8000
Call Now

Full menu

Hours

What time does Caffé Bene open?

Caffé Bene opens at 9:00 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

What time does Caffé Bene close?

Caffé Bene closes at 7:00 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Mon-Sun 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Payment methods

Does Caffé Bene take Bitcoin?

No, Caffé Bene does not take Bitcoin.

Does Caffé Bene take credit cards?

Yes, Caffé Bene takes credit cards.

Food & Alcohol

Does Caffé Bene have catering options?

No, Caffé Bene does not have catering options.

Indoor Amenities

Does Caffé Bene allow dogs?

Yes, Caffé Bene allows dogs.

Outdoor Amenities

Does Caffé Bene have bike parking?

Yes, Caffé Bene has bike parking.

Does Caffé Bene have outdoor seating?

No, Caffé Bene does not have outdoor seating options.

Does Caffé Bene have parking?

Yes, Caffé Bene has parking options. Street Parking

Other Amenities

Is Caffé Bene wheelchair accessible?

Yes, Caffé Bene is wheelchair accessible.

Does Caffé Bene have free WiFi?

Yes, Caffé Bene has free WiFi.

More Info

Health Score

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Paris Super Crepes

4.2(84 reviews)

Second time there. I got the Special house crepe and my wife got a fruit one. I absolutely loved…read morethe ice cream and fruit along with the light and fluffy crepe. It was huge. My wife liked hers but the ice cream really makes a difference.. I highly recommend this place but come hungry and bring funds. Its not cheap but it's good. The inside is awesome. Comfy and not overpowered by music. We will definitely go back.

Ordered the Matcha strawberry crêpe with Nutella, it was so good! The perfect dessert after a good…read moremeal. The service did take a long time it took probably at least 30 minutes to get our crêpes. There's nothing special about the inside. It's just your regular order at the counter and wait for your food type of ambience.

Interior

Signature crepe

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Honey Green Tea with Lychee Jelly

Kyo Matcha

4.8(6 reviews)

This matcha place is on the 2nd floor and is a Te'Amo collaboration store. I went in during a…read moreweekday and 1 person was running the store. You order at the kiosks and then wait for them to make your drink. I got an iced matcha latte with soy milk. You can adjust your ice, sugar, and milk preferences. They offer milk alternatives, such as soy and oat milk. The matcha latte was smooth. It was a nice option for the area. Only complaint is that the air conditioning in the place is not great on super hot days.

Black Sesame x Hojicha parfait was creamy and had strong black sesame and Hojicha flavors. Red…read morebeans were sweet and had good texture. Friend enjoyed his strawberry matcha latte and said it's the best matcha latte yet in Urbana Champaign. No issues with service. Decent amount of seating for small groups.

Grapefruit drink Matcha latte Mango panda cotta Cheesecake baos

Matcha latte

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Mango coconut panna cotta. Mix well and enjoy!

TEAMOJI

3.9(51 reviews)

It's a solid spot! Very easy to order digitally and you just need to wait to pick up your food…read more Very little human interaction, but that's the nature of this shop. Drinks and food themselves are very interesting and well made. Not in a "this is amazing", but it was good. My group and I enjoyed everything that we ordered, so the drinks and food were probably designed to please as many people as possible. The variety in their menu is interesting and I'm surprised they were willing maintain their diverse selections. The location is more in a hole-in-a-wall spot. Parking is a pain, but it's in a walking neighborhood amidst a bunch of stores and restaurants. It's a nice place to pop by for a quick drink or dessert after a huge dinner or for a walking break. The biggest concern I had with the place is that it's really not designed for people to stick around. Very few seats or uncomfortable standing areas. It's got this industrial layout where you go in, order digitally, get your food and get out.

There were so many Asian tea spots here in Campus town to choose from, but happen to stop in to…read moretry. For a weekend, there was no extremally long lines today due to many digital kiosk available to order. I just had a taste for a mango tea ($8) and splurge for toppings. The order and dink in hand took not more than 10 minutes. The taste was spot on but I wish there was on option to choose the percentages of sugar to add/remove from the drinks.

Menu

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Taro milk tea with boba and Thai milk tea with crystal jelly

Cocomero

3.9(170 reviews)

Honestly, it's not bad at all. All of the flavors are non fat/no sugar added, which is good if you…read morelike to add the sugary toppings. Personally I'm not a big fan of a lot of toppings, so it tasted more like yogurt than anything else. I tried the taro flavor and it wasn't that bad, and the cake batter and vanilla were good as well. It's all self service like any other fro yo spot and it wasn't super decorated inside, but it had a friendly atmosphere.

Great tasting froyo, rich, flavorful and not artificial tasting. Been on campus for almost two…read moredecades, and always a loved spot for the students and alums alike. They charge by weight. My kids like the fruity ones, I liked the taro, the matcha is a bit light in flavor in comparison but still pretty good.

Toppings bar

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Inside

Insomnia Cookies

3.1(129 reviews)

•$$

I've tried all the cookie places, insomnia, cookies, crave cookies, Crumbl cookies, and Insomnia is…read moreby far the best. Some of the other cookie places the cookies are way too sweet and if you like that, then great but I don't like such a sweet Cookie. That's why I stick with insomnia cookies. They just need to open a place closer to the suburbs outside of Chicago like in Orland Park, Tinley Park. They also have a very good variety of cookies and if you order online when you get there, they will be warm and gooey.

Amazing selection of deserts. So hard to choose a favorite. Friendly staff. Wish had one closerread more

Ordered and received times

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Matcha En

This dessert shop was a wonderful find for me. I went here to get a matcha oriented drink but ended…read moreup getting a soft-serve swirl. Upon arrival, I checked out the menu and saw a lot of wonderful variety of items that I wanted to try; however, I only had room for one thing. While scoping out the menu, my eyes fell on their soft-serve flavors. They not only had chocolate and vanilla flavors but also, hojicha, matcha, and ube. Plus, you could get them in a swirl or just as two flavors in a dish. I immediately decided that I wanted the Hojicha and Ube pairing. My son got the Matcha and Ube combo. Both were good. I liked all the flavors. Hojicha was my favorite, followed by Matcha, and then Ube. Each of these ice cream had rich flavor and the texture was smooth. The pricing of the soft-serve was on the high side but the portion size was good. The Ice cream is made in-house including the Hojicha. The shop was busy. It was frequented by U of I students, it seemed. The service was good. I'd go back here if I were to be in Champaign again. Check it out.

Okay desserts... ( very clearly Sysco, or at least not made in house ) but for some reason the…read morecheese mouse cake tasted like gelatin+cream cheese+sugar. the raindrop dessert was fine (it's hard to mess up a raindrop cake)--however, in BOTH of my desserts there was a wrapper that I needed to spit out ! Also, just these 2 things, they cost 20 dollars !!!! I'm sorry, maybe I would be nicer if your shit didn't cost 20 dollars for restaurant depot jello. Service was great, the employees were nice, and the cafe was pretty empty, so I'd come here to hang out with friends or study if the food was better.

Ube & Hojicha Ice Cream in a Cup ($7.50)

Black Sesame Hojicha Latte ($7.50)

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Strawberry Matcha Latte ($7) - strawberry tastes artificial. There's no strawberry pieces, just strawberry syrup.

Sun&Moon Premium Yogurt

4.0(1 review)

I've watched this place go through a brand transformation twice in the past year. First they were…read moreTapei Cafe and then Rokee Cafe before landing on the current establishment and its title. Despite the changing exterior, the interior of this place is probably the most low key hang out spot on green street. It's decorated with pillows with very private lounging and dining areas. Their concept of yogurt drinks is very intriguing as it feels like a play on yogurt rice, which is a childhood favorite, but made into a dessert. I would recommend this as an alternative to boba or coffee for people who love trying drinks and anyone who enjoyed treats like yakult growing up.

Purple Rice Yogurt Drink

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Kajiken

3.5(11 reviews)

Hello Kajiken, I am…read morea frequent customer of the Kajiken at UIUC, in Champaign. I am commenting about frequent double charges in taxes without the customer knowing. I always order the Tori Shoyu Ramen, along with Kaedama, and even though the menu itself says the ramen is 17 dollars without tax, the bill inflates the untaxed cost up to 20.19 dollars. For some reason, only the ramen is double taxed as the Kaedama is left unchanged, as it should be, at 4 dollars. At this point, the bill then adds another charge of tax on top, which is simply unheard of. When I reached out to the server to talk about it, he says that it has always been this way (apparently he even spoke to the manager and she said it's fine) and doesn't know how to solve it. No refunds either. There is also no way to contact the manager, as she is out in Chicago and rarely comes back. This is absolutely ridiculous as how am I supposed to file a complaint? The servers have no access in changing a major problem and the manager herself doesn't want to anyone to reach out to her for problems. I am truly disappointed as I was a big fan of the food in Kajiken. I usually would not make such a big deal of this, but as I have come here a lot in the past, I can't help but think of all the times I have been scammed on the prices I have been paying, not to mention the fact that the servers never provide the receipt unless u ask for it. Please fix this problem. I am willing to report this to tax authorities if I have to, as this is clearly a deception of prices.

I came in on a week night before thanksgiving so it was very quiet in the restaurant. I ordered…read morespicy tonkatsu ramen and it was alright. The meat cut was a little on the tough side but otherwise good. The egg did not have much of a marinated flavor. The staff was quick to serve me and the food came out very fast. The restaurant is very well designed and modern with what appeared to be a cafe on the floor above it. I see other reviews of this place and wish I had tried more of the menu which seems to have turned out better than the ramen did. I will be back to try more!

Wall mural

Vegan Aburasoba ($14.50) - noodles with edamame, tomato, scallion, fried onion, tofu, nori and edamame tofu paste

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Homura Aburasoba ($14.50) - noodles with spicy minced pork and poached egg. Pork is a bit dry, but the sauce makes it better.

Latea Bubble Tea Lounge

4.1(115 reviews)

Locally owned & operated

5 years in business

I come here every time I am in Champaign, the bubble teas are top tier. I am usually here in summer…read moreso parking is a breeze.

Stopped by for a midweek treat for their amazing deal: Tuesdays 12-5pm = BOGO on any drinks if you…read morefollow them on Instagram and post to your story My order: * Crème Brûlée Thai Milk Tea - less sweet, less ice ofc * Crème Brûlée Matcha Latte - less sweet, less ice Got one for me and my roomie, which made it even better Both drinks were super delicious. The crème brûlée layer is really creamy and light. it complements the Thai tea perfectly without being too heavy. The matcha latte was smooth and well balanced too. They offer two boba options (brown sugar or honey), we went with brown sugar and it was cooked perfectly. Ideal QQ texture, not too soft, not too chewy. Also, this spot is just a quick walk from campus, which made it feel extra nostalgic. definitely brought me back to my U of I school days. Highly recommend if you're craving something sweet and want to raise that A1C by a few points!

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Suzu’s Bakery

4.6(57 reviews)

1.3 mi

I'm normally a huge fan of this bakery as the quality of the bakes are pretty good so we come here…read moreoften as you can see in my previous review. However, a few weeks ago, (6/6/26) I had a disappointing experience with a staff member there while picking up an online cake order. On the day of cake pick up, I was done with errands at around 10am, I called the bakery to ask if it was possible to pickup the cake early. The girl on the phone sounded very annoyed with my request (I was just asking, they could have said no) and told me they don't do pickups until noon but I can still come in. So I get there and she immediately starts treating me like I was a huge inconvenience. As she's handing me the cake, she pulls out a receipt and started scolding me that pickups don't start until noon and it's right there on the website. I showed her my email receipt confirming 10:30am pickup and how there's literally two different sections with different times on their website so i was obviously confused. but she ignored my explanation and continued chastising me for the misunderstanding of the pickup times. I just let it go as I didn't want to argue but I left feeling very upset. I think management/owners dropped the ball on training staff on how handle these types of situations with professionalism and not immediately placing blame on the customer. I tried my best to smile and be friendly to her but she was starting to become defensive. There was no accountability for the user interface of their website. She made sure to make it known that it was my mistake alone. I have not decided whether I will continue to support this establishment but I won't be back for awhile.

Definitely very Asian bakery with lighter flavor profile. The okara cake was a very interesting…read moreconcept. I've made stuff with okara before and like the particular flavor and texture-- it feels drier and denser because of the soy pulp, but it's something I like. I also like how not too sweet everything is. Their miso salted caramel tart was also good, I also like that they sell day-old stuff with half price. I can get behind the concept and the intention behind how this bakery is ran. Very excited to have discovered this on our trip to visit uiuc. Would've loved to try their sencha, hojicha, and genmaicha next time!

Mini Chocolate Okara Cake ($2), Mini Pumpkin Spice Okara Cake ($2), Kabocha Pan ($4)

Kabocha Mochi ($4) - I like the filling, which is kabocha and shiroan. But the mochi outside is too sweet.

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Mini Matcha Tart ($2.15) and Matcha Roll Cake Slice ($9.25) - tart is quite sweet. I preferred the roll cake

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6 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Hans L.

26

5

0

9 years ago

I liked that Bene is a one-stop shop. Not only can you get coffee and desserts here but you can also get sandwiches that's apparently made with bread from a local bakery, in-house baked Korean bread, and tons of other prepackaged drinks that makes it easy to just grab and go. They're constantly trying new things such as introducing new food items and even new furniture! The staff is always accommodating and they have a good attitude even when it gets busy. read more

John S.

0

2

0

12 years ago

I go to this place often just because they have very friendly atmosphere. I should admit that they are not skilled enough to process orders faster but they are LEARNING. I used to work at a new cafe couple years ago and I know how hard it is to learn all the things at the store and take care of customers at the same time. At cafe Bene, I would recommend Pat Bing Su. It is very sweet and delicious! and try honey bread, too! read more

Hanna H.

0

1

0

12 years ago

I am so glad that Caffe Bene is on the campus now. When I went to Korea for my last summer vacation, I thought all of cafes in Korea is very pretty and nice. I don't know why people are leaving bad comments about this place. Although some people do not like Cafe Bene, I know a lot of people are coming back anyways. It is good place to chat with my friends:))) read more

Jessica T.

0

1

0

12 years ago

I went to Caffebene today and I did not expect anything. I went there for grand opening and I was very very disappointed. But I was actually very surprised how much they have improved. I tried Thai Bubble Tea and my friend had iced tea lemonade, there were both successful. They got much faster than before. I am pleased to try bingsu next time! read more

Heidi S.

60

6

2

9 years ago

Amazing! The milk bread is perfect for a grilled cheese sandwich. Grill in a little butter with a slice of havarti cheese makes for an excellent lunch or dinner. read more

A B.

0

1

0

12 years ago

ridiculously expensive and nothing in return

Caffé Bene - coffee - Updated October 2026

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Caffe Bene

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A Coffee place Where Students study and drink delicious coffee, pastries and huge breakfast…read moresandwiches. It's cute, fresh, and lots to choose from. Service is quick and the place is spacious. It's a nice university town.

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(51 reviews)

It's a solid spot! Very easy to order digitally and you just need to wait to pick up your food…read more Very little human interaction, but that's the nature of this shop. Drinks and food themselves are very interesting and well made. Not in a "this is amazing", but it was good. My group and I enjoyed everything that we ordered, so the drinks and food were probably designed to please as many people as possible. The variety in their menu is interesting and I'm surprised they were willing maintain their diverse selections. The location is more in a hole-in-a-wall spot. Parking is a pain, but it's in a walking neighborhood amidst a bunch of stores and restaurants. It's a nice place to pop by for a quick drink or dessert after a huge dinner or for a walking break. The biggest concern I had with the place is that it's really not designed for people to stick around. Very few seats or uncomfortable standing areas. It's got this industrial layout where you go in, order digitally, get your food and get out.

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Mad Goat Coffee

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Espresso Royale Krannert View

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(77 reviews)

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Big enough location to sit here with friends, get some work done, read a book, charge your phone…read more.. Nice selection of pastries (they'll heat up the scones!), and some breakfast sandwiches. The ginger dragon is very sweet and not very gingery. Sweet staff that are friendly and patient.

Living in the past - 2 of 2…read more Once back in this area again, I made it a point to visit Espresso Royale. Little did I know that this location is called "Krannert View," most likely for its being across the street from the Krannert performing arts center that takes up an entire block. And little did I know I would be blocked from crossing the street toward the coffeehouse by the Marching Illini university band. This Espresso Royale looks much the same as it did back in the day. The building stands out because it is a stucco/plastered one in an area where other materials are used to clad buildings. Inside, it is definitely unique, with arched areas that might be eclectic, albeit with some Venetian influences. There is a variety of seating - both upholstered and tables with chairs. There is an upstairs mezzanine, but good luck getting up there with your hands full. I remained downstairs. Their baked goods don't have funky names. They have straightforward names and are fairly good. I had a chocolate chip muffin. Not being a coffee or tea expert to begin with, this warmer day called for iced tea. What I'm seeing is that most coffeehouses jack up the prices on one or the other - the beverages or the baked goods to be viable and achieve their goals. The service was unremarkable, meaning it had to have been decent. Just as in the past, this is a good venue for sitting down to socialize or to concentrate. I didn't come in here all that much because it was in a different part of this twin city university area and because it pulled in a different crowd based on the nearby academic units and services. However, for the small price difference to enjoy this interesting locale named Espresso Royale, it's worth it. I'd definitely choose it over a Starbucks given that Starbucks stores are everywhere.

Espresso Royale -Village Green

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Another fire coffee shop! There's a lot of espresso Royale locations in the Champaign Urbana area…read morebut some locations are closed on Sundays. I got the iced caramel toffee nut which is one of the specials for the season. Honestly, it was amazing! Lots of coffee flavor as well as toffee forward. The service was fast, it wasn't busy inside and the overall ambiance seems like a cute sit down environment. The one thing I'll say is be sure to pay attention to the sizing cause a small is 16oz, a large being 32oz where compared to Starbucks, that sizing can be really confusing.

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Hey Bobo Cafe

4.0

(6 reviews)

Honest Review (Very Disappointed After a Great First Visit)…read moreThis was my second time coming to Hey Bobo, and I was really shocked by how disappointing this visit was. The first time I came, I ordered the strawberry matcha with boba and loved it , so much that I came back and brought my sister. She ordered the same drink, and I decided to try something new: the frosted coconut pumpkin spell (with boba). Unfortunately, that was a big mistake. The drink was completely tasteless ; it had color but absolutely no flavor, almost like drinking stale rotten coconut water! As someone who loves coconut, this was a first. The taste was very off putting. I even had my sister try it, and she had the same reaction. I politely went to the counter and explained that the drink didn't taste right and asked if they could add more flavor. To my surprise, the lady handed me a cup of pumpkin purée and instructed me to fix it myself. I tried mixing it in, but it didn't help. When I asked if I could get a refund or a replacement, she refused, offering no solution at all. I ended up leaving upset and tossed my full drink. I'm genuinely sad because I really liked this place the first time and was excited to bring my sister, but this experience left a bad taste in my mouth (literally and figuratively). I hope management sees this and takes it seriously, because I'd love to see Hey Bobo improve their customer service and consistency. (Photo of the untouched drink in the trash for authenticity.)

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This dessert shop was a wonderful find for me. I went here to get a matcha oriented drink but ended…read moreup getting a soft-serve swirl. Upon arrival, I checked out the menu and saw a lot of wonderful variety of items that I wanted to try; however, I only had room for one thing. While scoping out the menu, my eyes fell on their soft-serve flavors. They not only had chocolate and vanilla flavors but also, hojicha, matcha, and ube. Plus, you could get them in a swirl or just as two flavors in a dish. I immediately decided that I wanted the Hojicha and Ube pairing. My son got the Matcha and Ube combo. Both were good. I liked all the flavors. Hojicha was my favorite, followed by Matcha, and then Ube. Each of these ice cream had rich flavor and the texture was smooth. The pricing of the soft-serve was on the high side but the portion size was good. The Ice cream is made in-house including the Hojicha. The shop was busy. It was frequented by U of I students, it seemed. The service was good. I'd go back here if I were to be in Champaign again. Check it out.

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Great drinks! Matcha specifically is really good, and robot aspect is really cool as well.read more

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