The food was so delicious and the service was great. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the food and coffee. The place is super cute too.

When I'm on a mini weekend getaway in a place like St. Joseph, Michigan, I like things to go smoothly, and I rarely leave bad reviews unless the service I received at a business was so insulting to everyone's collective intelligence that to ignore the problem would constitute enablement. That said, I'll leave a decent review for Clifford's, but there were some disappointments. Upon entering, we were confronted by a professionally printed sign, along with a verbal warning from the sole attendant at the counter, stating that four out of five of their normal front counter employees hadn't shown up this morning. Translation: "Lower your expectations if you still choose to eat here". The fact that they have a pre-printed sign tells me this happens a lot (?!?!?). I also took note of multiple other signs on display, some handwritten, informing patrons that various menu items were out of stock. In some cases, these menu deletions took the form of a line on the menu being unceremoniously scribbled out with chalk or a marker. Surprisingly, the food and the service ended up being pretty good during our visit. However, I will give "Clifford" some unsolicited advice, if he's listening: Clifford, aside from the jacked-up parking situation, you have a cool thing going on here, and the location is spot-on awesome. But, I think you'd do better by paying more attention to the rough edges. Presentation matters, and it begins the moment your customer walks into the cafe. The vibe that the business was sending that day wasn't particularly inviting. read more

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Just went here for Sunday brunch. Be prepared to wait a LONG time for your food . Ordered food at 11:20 and almost an hour later the food arrived. If they lost our order, it wasn't communicated and there wasn't an apology for the delay. If you are okay with a lengthy wait, the atmosphere and location is beautiful. read more

Just ate breakfast here, and wow! I was blown away with both the ambience as well as the food and coffee. I ordered a breakfast taco, and my sister ordered the ham and cheese omelette, both of which were delicious and pretty dang good bang for your buck. Their iced coffee was very smooth without that bite that sometimes comes with it. We will be back. read more

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Clifford's Coffee is a cute breakfast joint located on the canal. Very dog friendly. We brought our big boy inside to over. We were able to sit outside on the patio with him. We ordered lattes, a ginger shot, and avocado toast with an egg over easy. My latte I ordered with lavender. So yummy! The portions were large. The avocado toast was okay. I would probably get something else off the menu. Everyone else's food looked amazing! Our avocado toast came with four pieces. The toast wasn't toasted. We weren't able to pick up our toast. Lots of avocado which was great. We added an egg, which really covered one piece of toast. I would probably go with the breakfast tacos or omelette next time. The people were so kind! There is overflow parking down the street. Easy walk. read more

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Had a delicious breakfast with a perfectly made cortado. Love the atmosphere inside and on their patio. Had to park a block away but it was worth it. Can't wait to go back read more

Clifford's is absolutely adorable -- beautiful plants, cozy decor, and a great vibe. Unfortunately, the charm stopped there. The coffee tasted like ground asphalt mixed with cleaning solution, and the latte was completely undrinkable. To top it off, there were flies crawling on the big, beautiful muffins displayed by the door -- definitely not what you want to see before breakfast. For $25 for two coffees and two muffins, I expected something special -- not a science experiment gone wrong in a cup. The service made things worse. We felt rushed out the door as staff kept stopping by every couple of minutes to take something away -- a spoon, a knife, a plate -- each on separate trips. It was absurd. Aesthetically, Clifford's nails it. But between the awful coffee, the flies, and the constant interruptions, it was an expensive disappointment. Beautiful place, but we won't be back. read more

Clifford's Coffee Canal - The coffee was more bitter than Pelosi after a trump win - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Benton Harbor, Michigan

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Very aesthetic and cute place. Drinks were pretty good. Felt very weird that there were a bunch of birds in a cage in the corner. Re-home the birds and then it'd be 5 stars. read more

Clifford's Coffee Canal - Tahiti smoothie, iced mocha, caramel latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Benton Harbor, Michigan

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I'm here to advocate for the birds they have in this place, just awful neglect and abuse. First off, the environment is loud and chaotic , birds should not be there in the first place. The cage they have them in is extremely small and cramped, with no toys or enrichment. The worst part of all of it was the birds nails...extremely extremely overgrown, to the point they were twisting. These birds need their nails cut desperately. Please do not support this business. Do better. read more

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A hidden gem tucked away in Benton Harbor's canal district. Such a cozy place to dine. Indoors is uniquely decorated surrounded by plants and eclectic art work. More seating outside on the patio next to the water, full of well tended gorgeous flowers! As for the food, yup that's great too! I had a hot mocha in a large mug to start - best I've had. The dark chocolate they paired the coffee with was so so good. Our main dishes were Morning Glory sandwich and Waffle. Both were yummy and hit the spot. Our bellies were happy. Can't wait to return and try other items on the menu and park ourselves in that lovely cozy cafe. Btw, as soon as you walk in is the counter where you place your order first. Then you go and select a table. The lovely staff brings food to you. Enjoy! read more

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Found this spot while looking for breakfast and it has good reviews and it looks cool. And it does looks cool. Very artsy. Plants and birds everywhere, art work everywhere. All the furniture probably refurbished from somewhere. Doesn't look like a typical cafe at all. Breakfast was a hit. I got a full plate of eggs and beans. Goes well with my iced coffee. Iced drinks should have served in glass instead of plastic cup but whatever. It is a little bit more expensive than typical breakfast place. Parking is a problem like everyone are saying. They have a separate parking lot by the roundabout. read more

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Coffee was very good and tacos very tasty. The service was 5 stars. The environment was unique and the owners have a passion for birds. We always try to make it to Clifford a couple of times whenever we are in town. read more

This place has gone downhill every time we've tried it. I'm only giving it two stars instead of one because the food is decent but we wrote it off last visit in which we walk up to order our food and the person at the register says they're will be a 45 minute wait for food that's where I say I would just like coffee and a muffin and he replies that's also 45 minutes. I'm not sure if they're short of staff or what but the place was not crowded whatsoever and how bout an explanation why? Sorry too much drama for me to recommend read more

I would have given this one star, but the ambiance and location on the river bumped it up to two. The coffee was fine, but the food was truly dreadful. My avocado toast was so bland - just avocado mushed on a piece a grocery store wheat toast. No seasoning, nothing - $12 down the drain. read more

The ambience is what makes this place! Right against the canal with beautiful greenery inside and out. The art and furniture and views are all lovely! The coffee is rich and tasty and the service was fast with friendly staff taking orders and serving. Overall, I will be adding this it my list of St Joe favorites read more

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I have been wanting to try Clifford's for a while and finally had the opportunity. Our lattes and breakfast were so good! The decor is so cute and welcoming with all the flowers and plants. The staff was so friendly too! read more

Good food, terrible customer service. The man giving us the baked food though he already gave us it. He didn't, that was the one thing we were waiting on. He aggressively told us we were lying and he gave it to us. But we weren't, luckily another worker found it behind him, all bag up and everything. He didn't apologize or anything. I would've forgave him if he did apologize but we will never come back again. A big shame too because they had actually good food there and amazing views. read more

We always stop here when we are in town. This place is so cute and has great food! There is seating on the water and so many beautiful plants and birds. read more

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Found this hidden gem while visiting from Fl! Staff is very friendly and accommodating, definitely returning here in the future ! read more

Clifford's is a must visit anytime I am in Benton Harbor. Though we only had time for coffee today, it was so worth the time to enjoy the beautiful patio over the water filled with a host of gorgeous flowers. The iced coffee was excellent as well. read more

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Show up and told "kitchen is closed. All we Have is smoothies." Sunday before noon. What on earth! read more

This was our 2nd choice for brunch with our friends. Although the restaurant is beautifully decorated and the initial entry was very inviting with all kinds of freshly baked muffins wetting our appetites, the food was disappointing and over priced. Also, never serve water in cups that smell like eggs. The service was great for the most part. read more

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The coffee, the food, the ATMOSPHERE! What a gem of a coffee shop. Beautiful building with plenty personality. Sit on the deck and enjoy the scenery. read more

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This place was such a trip that I had to write a review The good includes excellent coffee, very good food and a lovely view of the St Joe river from the back patio. The less good is everything moves strikingly slowly and clearly due to a lack of organizational innovation rather than work volume. Also they really need to not bake the muffins in paper muffin cups that really stick to the muffins. If you have the time and don't mind the inefficiency it's really kind of cute. Also a great place to torture your corporate consultant friends read more

I used to love Clifford's. I stop by often for my favorite smoothie I can't get anywhere else, recently the service has gone down. The young people making the food and drinks are very kind but recently my smoothie was made like it was a juice or latte - not iced at all so just particles floating around not blended. I took it home and put it in the freezer to ice it up and it fell over :/ I was distraught so I went back and told them about the incident and I didn't receive any apology for the poorly made drink. They just added a "more ice" to my drink order and charged me for another smoothie full price. I understand paying for it again but other places who value their customers more wouldn't have done that and would have at least had empathy at the issue for their poorly made drink. read more

Parking is a nightmare. When I finally got a space, I walked up to a line of about 12 people waiting to order and the owner telling his staff he had to shut everything down and tell us all to leave because the place was too busy. Ummmmmmm.....what? Someone in the back must have shot him with a chill pill because he finally found his inner business owner peace and started to take orders again. After 15 minutes of waiting, I finally got an iced coffee. It was okay. I went there to work for the day so I waited until 1 pm to order food. I got the turkey sandwich. I should have saved the calories and $$ and just got more coffee. I'm learning. Besides that, the place itself is awesome. Super cute inside and located right on the St. Joe. It's a great place if all's well. read more

The ambience of this place is 10/10! The outdoor patio on the canal, surrounded by beautiful flowers is a vibe! The food and drink were good as well! Very generous portion sizes for the meals. So much so we were too full to try the muffins but they looked delicious! read more

Delicious food and atmosphere! Sweet potato tacos were delicious ! The owners were fun to talk too!

This place is adorable!! It was a must stop for me during our trip down the lake. I wish I was more hungry but got the vegan tacos anyways, they were delicious!! My kids had smoothies and muffins and loved them. The muffins are massive and have a great topping. The flowers and greenery, vibe, and employees were all lovely. So glad we stopped, can't wait to go again! read more

Clifford's Coffee Canal - Front door - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Benton Harbor, Michigan

Great atmosphere, lovely owners, beautiful place. We loved the coffee, unfortunately the kitchen was closed so couldn't try the food. read more

Clifford's Coffee Canal - a woman sitting in a chair with her dog - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Benton Harbor, Michigan

Finally convinced the husband to venture over to Cliffard's Coffee Canal on Wednesday March 27th.  My husband ordered a vanilla latte and the canal classic sandwich ($6.75).  I ordered a raspberry muffin ($4) and the gobbler sandwich minus tomatoes ($12). I will admit some of the prices are a bit steep while others seem more spot on but it doesn't stop me from treating myself to something amazing every once and awhile.  This eclectic spot gives off an artsy and hipster vibe.  While I tend to not be fond of hipsters, I can appreciate a business who knows what people to cater too. The drinks are marvelous, my favorite being the chai tea.  I love their fresh fruit and all their homeade treats.  My husband is a picky eater yet he was willing to eat here which was an exciting moment for me.  That muffin was life giving.  I felt my winter depression shed and soul thawed out from the 0° wind chill because of their fantasic raspberry muffin.  My first visit I made the mistake of ordering the waffle because while tasty was no where near as magnificent as their muffins.  Next time I come I will most likely contnue to change up my entree order to see what my favorite item on the menu is but I will never skip a muffin again.  Biggest downside is there isn't a whole lot of parking.  It is difficult to find a spot and it's even more difficult getting out of the parking lot.  That really is the biggest downside of the entire place.  Everything else is fantastic and will bring me back for years to come. read more

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Super cute spot. Breakfast was delicious and so was the coffee. The place was full of unique decor items, including lots of pretty flowers. It'd be a great spot to work or read a book. If the weather was nicer, would have loved eating outside on their back deck overlooking the river. Will be back the next time we're in the area! read more

Clifford's Coffee Canal - Texas tacos (front) & huevos rancheros - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Benton Harbor, Michigan

What a great place! My family came here around 8:40 on a Sunday morning. We ordered a Strawberry Muffin, Blueberry Muffin, Iced Vanilla Latte, and Canal Classic. The muffins were stellar (I'm a sucker for a strawberry muffin), the canal classic was exactly as advertised, and the latte was good. What really pushed this place to 5 stars was the ambiance and staff. This place is more a garden that happens to sell coffee rather than a coffee shop with a sprinkling of flowers. My kids loved seeing the birds (don't worry, they were in cages) in the indoor area, but we sat out on the patio which felt like it had teleported us to southern Florida. The view of the water, boats, and being surrounded by flowers were really incredible. My kids even got to leave with a pet rock (a smooth rock with stickers on it)! read more

Wow! A beautiful view and a delicious breakfast or brunch. The family and I spent the weekend in St Joseph and this was by far our favorite restaurant. We visited on a Sunday around 11 and waited about 25 minutes. The outside is absolutely stunning With all their greenery and plants. There are a couple of tables where you can sit otherwise you are waiting outside while socially distancing. You can purchase the gorgeous flowers and plants. Food recommendations: Breakfast Tacos Canal classic on croissant add avacado Iced hazelnut latte The restaurant itself is nice but walk outside to the dock and sit on the beautiful Canal. read more

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They have fresh juice and a coffee menu. Which is always a plus. They bake their pastries fresh every morning. I ordered an croissant sandwich and fresh juice with beets in it. Sandwich and juice were both amazing and they have a good selection of hot sauces which I like. The view is great all the way from the front to the back. read more

Clifford's Coffee Canal - The patio is view is beautiful - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Benton Harbor, Michigan

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Absolutely love the feeling of walking into a coffee shop with plants everywhere! So peaceful and refreshing, great boho vibes. They have a decent variety of breakfast options here as well as smoothies and coffee. There is tons of seating inside and out. They have a lovely back patio that overlooks the water. Sadly I couldn't dine in but they had my coffee ready to go super fast. I got a latte and it wasn't great, but the people were wonderful and I would come back just for that. read more

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All 3 people working appeared to be around high school no more than college age. I was greeted immediately and asked if I had been here before. The customer service of these young adults was better than some fancy restaurants I've been to. The shop is very clean, breakfast tacos were amazing, and the coffee tasted very fresh and was hot. I only ended here after trying to go to a place down the street but I left after I waited 7 min to even be acknowledge. I'm glad the first place was a bust because this is a wonderful breakfast & coffee spot. Highly recommend. read more

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Clifford's gets all the stars!! Amazing little restaurant! The food is out of this world! I had the breakfast tacos and a blueberry muffin and it was magic!! It is also so beautiful with all of the flowers that I felt like I was eating breakfast in an English garden! read more

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Amazing food and great ambiance we went back twice on our trip for breakfast and loved it!

Ambiance is wonderful. Lots of tropical plants, cages of songbirds and cool vibe. Did not get a chance to eat or drink coffee but will certainly be back. read more