I'd like to give this place a better review, but having visited a number of area coffee shops and cafes, I can't in good conscious rate them as well.
There is a free parking lot with plenty of parking and I found a spot right away on an early Sunday morning.
It's very bright and feels more like a retail store atmosphere than a cafe. There were only three tables and a counter running along the back wall. It was easy for two of us to just sit at a table for a while, but as more people came in, we felt guilty taking a table as we just sipped coffee and chatted.
They definitely have some kinks to work out and they've only been open for a few months, and they need to train their staff better as they clearly don't understand how to serve with any type speed.
They don't do traditional here. You can't just get coffee and a Danish or other typical bakery item. You can't even get toast with butter despite them offering many toast options with toppings. Here's a tip: offer toast with butter or a spread. You'll get a lot more sales with some items that are not super filling.
I opted for a hot mocha coffee with an extra pump of chocolate and a crepe. Again, you can't just get plain crepes. They are homemade and should be offered plain, but I digress. I got the Hangover crepe. According to their website, this is the description of The Hangover Crepe: "Start your day right with our delicious breakfast items like bacon, hash browns, scrambled eggs, and cheddar cheese, served till 11 AM. Afterward, enjoy a refreshing acai bowl or pair your breakfast with a cappuccino or a chai tea latte. Don't forget to try our matcha latte for a unique twist at our coffee shop in Buffalo Grove!"
Look, I just do marketing for a living, so don't sell me on what you have before and after 11am. Just tell me what you get with this specific crepe. And that's bacon, hash browns, scrambled eggs, and cheese. The scrambled eggs are some of the best fluffy and dry eggs you can get anywhere. They were perfect. The hash browns were in patty form and were perfect for this dish. They serve it as a handheld, but it definitely needs a knife and fork, which you collect at the counter. You have to ask for salt and pepper or a sauce if you want. The savoryness of the items mixed with the sweetness of the crepe was a great combo. It was very tasty. But it took them quite a while to make the crepe. I was mostly finished with by hot mocha which I could have topped off for an additional fee.
My compatriot wanted plain toast with butter. Mind you they have six (6) different toast offerings with all sorts of toppings. You can get your toast item made with sourdough, multigrain, white, or gluten-free. However, you can't get plain toast. And just as a side Q&A: when you order toast anywhere else, how many pieces do you typically receive? If you answered two (2) pieces/slices, you'd be correct. Irene's gave him one slice. They first toasted it and burned it badly. They make toast items. How do you screw up toast if you routinely make toast? Then they finally brought out the one slice and asked if he wanted butter. He did, so they took the toast to the kitchen and put two dabs of butter on his toast. But then they didn't give him a knife to spread it, so he used the crust of the bread to spread it on the slice.
Like I stated, kinks need to be worked out.
While we were there, the owner's family came in and took up two of the tables. Now all three tables were taken. And older couple came in and had to side at the counter height stools along the wall.
The food was tasty, the drinks were good. Both are pricey for what they are. And they are seriously lacking seating. It would be nice to see them last in Buffalo Grove, but they need to fix the seating issue (maybe smaller rectangular tables instead of round ones?), and get things out of the kitchen faster, and drinks made more quickly to have more staying power.
Oh, and have your family not come all together and take up all your tables. read more