I ordered a small iced matcha latte with almond milk, sugar free, and light on the matcha. It was…read moreperfectly balanced and refreshing. I also had a small hot Pumpkin Miel with oat milk that was cozy, smooth, and full of flavor. Both drinks were a great size and tasted wonderful. I really like that they seem open to custom orders, and you might even be able to create something off menu with the syrups displayed near the register. There is also a small table with straws and other extras, including boba straws. The pastry selection is impressive, and I even saw a chocolate vegan pastry. The shop has a calm and inviting atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor seating. This town is known as the pumpkin capital of the world, so of course I had to try a pumpkin latte. It did not disappoint.

What a cute little coffee house. On a chilly (and snowy) fall day, I stopped by and got one of…read moretheir specialty Iced lattes. It was good, not the best I've ever had, but i definitely liked it. I liked how they had some fun seasonal drinks. For example, my boyfriend got the campfire cold brew, which he enjoyed. Service was quick and friendly.

I've been enjoying trying out different coffee shops in the Peoria area and this time I brought my…read moresister along! This is my very first time visiting Café Santa Rosa! When we arrived, there was only one other customer in the shop, so it was very quiet and relaxed. The music was playing but it was almost to quiet. We did get there right around 2:30 and they close at 3:00 p.m. so that could be why they weren't busy at all. Only one other customer came in while we drink our coffee. I was hoping to try one of their chocolate croissants, but they were out at the time. I ordered the winter spice latte, and my sister ordered the hot mocha latte. I have to say, my favorite part of the entire visit was the atmosphere. The space is absolutely beautiful -- warm, industrial, and rustic all at the same time. The wood accents paired with the exposed ceilings, soft lighting, and open layout make it feel welcoming while still being really unique. There's so much room, and it feels like a place where you could comfortably sit and hang out for a while with friends. One of the coolest little details was spotting an old dumbwaiter -- you really don't see those very often anymore, and it added even more character to the space. I also loved learning that they have a bar-style setup on the other side of the restaurant a few nights a week, which is a fun and unexpected touch. Another special feature is that their coffee comes straight from Colombia, and you could truly taste the quality. They've been in this location here for about 2 years and since the building is bigger I hope that they are getting a lot more customers but I'm not sure. Overall, it's a really neat spot with a great vibe, and it's worth checking out.

Visiting Peoria, and excited to try different coffee bars. After reading the story of Cafe Santa…read moreRosa, my HS bestie and I ventured in to try something new. We were warmly greeted by the owner, and fell in love with the layout. The menu is extensive, and I tried the cortado and a harvest muffin. Both were extraordinary, and my friend tried the avocado toast. Lucky to try a bite, it exceeded ALL avo toasts I've ever tried. The sourdough was homemade, and the avo had a Colombian twist that took it to a new level. Topped with a medium boiled egg, it was just sublime. Very classy, very comfortable..can't wait to go back!

Food is fantastic, staff is always friendly and so knowledgeable, and drinks are the best. Highly…read morerecommend!

This is a very cool and unique coffee /cafe experience! I feel like they take the coffee experience…read moreseriously and served our drinks with a fizzy water for optimal tasting! Coffee was bitter but rich and delicious still! What I loved most though was the toast! They have a large selection of toasts for breakfast, we ordered an avocado toast and a PB banana toast and loved both. I'd love to try more too what a fun idea and all of them looks great. The service was a little slow but they were making the toasts and espresso drinks fresh.

We went in for coffee education and advice at their Lake Ave store (old Ventures store/across…read moreparking lot from Kroger's, old Venture reference lol) we have a latte machine w/grinder, and bought a drip maker bc we need to cut back on the lattes...aromas and inventory that lets you know your at the right spot for coffee! Though there are drinks avail., this first visit was about beans...great staff asked us our coffee habits, what flavors/roasting we liked and then made a few suggestions. We chose two varieties of beans we could use for the new maker, and one for our espresso/latte maker. I thought prices were reasonable and above all; LOCAL!!! Kick the chains and try this place!

Wasn't greeted from start to end of our conversation…read more Ordered a plain latte and it was full of grounds. Overall, not a welcoming or warm place despite all the colors and 5+ workers on the morning shift.

CxT passes class with a 'C'…read more Located in Campustown, where a Starbucks used to be, is a new extension to the CxT Coffee Roasting company. I've been patiently waiting for the day they opened to finally pop in and try their americanos. I've only ever had lattes from CxT so I was excited to try my tried-and-true espresso and water here. Emily ordered their Coconut Cookie Butter Latte and I got my usual plain black americano, iced. We had a long day ahead of us so I also ordered a blueberry bagel to stave off the appetite while we ran around Peoria for the afternoon. The person taking our order was very nice and courteous. The place wasn't too busy and our drinks came out fairly quick. My americano was first and when I went up to grab Emily's drink a few minutes later, the barista putting it together said he doesn't know what is in the drink and hopes it was good. That did not instill a lot of hope in me as we settled down to enjoy our caffeine. I actually thought they forgot about my bagel since it wasn't until about 5 minutes later that they called for it to be picked up. The bagel itself was really good, even without any topping and was toasted to the right temperature. When I had my first sip of the americano, I knew it was going to be one of those 'lighter' varieties that I am not a fan of. It reminded me of a slightly better version of the one I got from 392Caffe. Just light on bitter and watery-tasting. To each their own but not really my cup of... coffee. Emily loves to get a seasonal drink and said this one was just not for her. I took a sip and thought it tasted fine but I am not big on the flavor of coconut. She said she liked her drink enough to finish it but wasn't really what she was feeling on this day. Being neighbors with Bradley University, there was a lot of foot traffic in the 30 minutes we were in there. Lots of young people coming in for coffee and heading out for their next class or study session. I actually joked with Emily that we are the old people in a coffeehouse now and how out-of-place we were in a sea of college students. I'd imagine a lot of college kids will be crashing this place throughout the year to get that last minute study session in while sipping some coffee and eating some tasty baked goods. I've had good experiences at the other two locations. One is down the hill from this location, on the same road, and is their Apollo location. Up near Peoria Heights off Knoxville Ave is their Keller Station location and that one is probably my favorite of the three. This one is nice but has a very clean, very modern vibe to it that feels more like Starbucks than a local coffeehouse. I will definitely be back to the CxT coffeehouses in the future but may stick to getting lattes or flavored drinks now that I know how they do americanos. On a side note, I did ask one of the cashiers if they had stickers and they do but it's the ones they put on their own stuff. He was nice enough to give us both one for free. So, if you are a sticker freak like we are, don't hesitate to ask and they might hook you up.

So happy to have found this super good coffee house! Amazing Chai Tea Latte and drip coffee! Don't…read moremiss out on this gorgeous coffee house!

Great coffee bar w/ matcha, espresso drinks, and beautiful monsteras…read more Matcha latte was legit

Asked my Peoria native friend for recommendations around town and this was his number one spot- and…read moreI can see why! Zion was the perfect cafe to spend a few hours working while fueling up with some caffeine and breakfast. They had plenty of tables/bar space, and even an extra upstairs area with more seating. I tried their special banana butterscotch latte and it was incredible. Also tried the classic avocado toast. I was surprised to have two slices that were loaded with avocado mash! If I'm being picky it was a tad too salty, but the sourdough toast was delicious. I'm looking forward to trying the crunchy at my next visit. I'll absolutely be back next time I'm in the area!

The only reason Carl did not get 5 stars is because of their limited hours. This establishment…read moreproduces the best donuts i have ever had. They are to die for.

Review Visit: May 2nd, 2015…read more Not just a bakery but a tourist stop. If you mention getting donuts (or doughnuts) in East Peoria, everyone will talk about how good Carl's Bakery is. They produce a lot of doughnuts (or donuts) that are beloved by the residents of East Peoria. Having lived in the general area and having drove by the place a million times, I thought it was time to check it out. If you are familiar with Carl's Bakery, you are familiar with the giant rooster that is outside the building. If you aren't familiar, then there is a giant rooster outside the building. One that is prime for taking a fun photo with. My dad and I did just that after trying out their food. Carl's Bakery is one of those places that seems to be open from before the sun rises to around noon-ish. So, if you are interested in going, you better head there when the roosters crow or else they will be closing up shop. When you go, you have to compete for a parking spot on the side of the building. While Carl's has an indoor eating area, I took the limited parking as a sign that they cater to the 'pick up my donuts (or doughnuts) and go' crowd. Nonetheless, my dad and I found a spot to park and headed in. Once we were inside, we had to squeeze a large throng of people to get to the counter. We told the cashier we wanted to eat in. She guided us to a table and we took a seat. While looking over the menu, I had hopes of getting some breakfast as that is what I assumed they specialized in. Maybe we missed a cutoff point or something else happened but we ended up ordering some lunch instead. My dad got a tenderloin and I got... I honestly don't remember. Maybe a burger that came with a ton of fries. Oh, and we both got coffee. Let us start with the coffee. It was... not good. I've had cheap coffee and this stuff takes the cake. I used more half-n-half and sugar than I normally do. While I am no snob and I put down a few cups, it wasn't worth it in the end to taste some water masquerading as coffee. But no worries. It's just coffee. We were there for the food. How was that?/ A notch above the coffee. I fully admit that I don't remember what sandwich I got but I do remember not being a fan of it. My dad said the same thing about his tenderloin. Both just lacking in everything. How does that happen? Can a chef or someone with cooking knowledge explain that to me? The french fries were salvageable at least. In fact, they were the only things that tasted good. Hype. It has it's place in the world but more often than not, I find that hype ruins a lot of things for me. Movies, video games, restaurants, and various other things. It's nice to get excited about something but when it doesn't live up to that level, I believe it is more disappointing than if it weren't hyped at all. But we aren't here for a hype discussion. My dad and I got to hang out and try something new. Was it the best place ever? No. Do I cherish the memory of this outing? Heck yes. While I may have had a lack luster time here, don't let the opposite of hype dissuade you from checking it out if you are a doughnut (or donut) person. Or you want to stop and take a photo with the giant rooster outside and then find yourself magically teleported inside, trying out their coffee and menu offerings.

Delicious cheesecake, incredibly friendly owner and employees, cute decor in the storefront. Owner…read moreis always coming up with yummy seasonal flavors. If you like cheesecake, you gotta try Triple Dipple!

Picked up a strawberry cheesecake at the Peoria Riverfront Farmer's Market for the first time…read more I've seen a lot of hype about this. Cheesecake has never been a dish that's overly impressed me. Until now. What on earth has this guy come up with??? Wow. Absolutely phenomenal. I want to try them all. Will be serving these to guests on the regular. I will not be surprised if they end up selling these desserts in grocery stores soon even on a larger scale. Just don't change a thing about it. Very special product. Proud to say it started in the Greater Peoria Area. Well done!