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    Lightworks Cafe

    4.7 (85 reviews)
    ModerateCafes
    Closed Closed
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Lightworks Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    LIGHTWORKS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Lightworks Cafe

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    a menu on a chalk board
    Dean H.

    Great coffee and tea! Service was excellent. They were closing for the holidays so they didn't have food. I'll definitely come back for food next year!

    Food and coffee were delicious way more than expected! I got the double egg breakfast sandwich with bacon and their seasonal malt maple latte! Yum yum yum

    Our ENTIRE family LOVES Lightworks Anytime my adult children are in town it is the #1 place they all want to visit. Fully open in fall of 2022, again, so now we love being able to be inside as the weather has cooled. This extended family makes the BEST coffees, amazing biscuits, scones, and homemade English muffins. The veggie hash and breakfast tacos are also fantastic (we usually meet there for breakfast). We love the staff. During the pandemic closure we ordered Thanksgiving takeout and it was incredible. We love their take and bake, too. (It's a small interior but we have had groups of 14 meet in the back room and there was still room for 3 other tables!) GO THERE!

    Scot N.

    This place was such a little gem. The kind of place that unless you knew what you were looking for and exactly where to look, you would miss it. I really hope that it's hidden location does not hurt business. The bright and open atmosphere of this café help you feel immediately welcome upon entering. The service was friendly and the menu offered something for everyone. I had the potato hash and was not disappointed in the slightest. It was one of the best breakfast items I have ordered in a long time. The potatoes were crisp and seasoned perfectly, the scrambled eggs were wonderful, and the pork was a pleasant surprise. My girlfriend had the fish tacos and could not stop raving about how amazing they were. Since she is the expert on all things fish taco, I would take that as a great complement. Are you in downtown Cedar Rapids? Are you hungry? Do you like food and smiling? If so, you must check this place out.

    Items for sale on display
    Erin K.

    Wanted to stop for a cup of coffee as I was driving through Cedar Rapids and Lightworks Cafe was one of the top places that came up! I was impressed with their precautions taken for COVID-19. They only were taking orders through a window and nobody was allowed into the cafe. I peeked through the window though and it looked cute! They had a good variety of coffee and tea drinks and they prepared them quickly. They also had a good selection of coffee, tea, and other treats for sale. All in all a cute local business I would go back to!

    The spread | Bacon Sugar Beignets, Latte, Dirty Chai, Shrimp Taco, Sugar Steak Taco
    Hayley B.

    Lightworks is truly a hidden gem/hole in the wall. Like, unless you knew it was in/behind Benz Beverage Depot, you might miss it! Which is a shame, because, trust me, you do NOT want to miss this place! Ever since I heard Lightworks was going to be open on Saturdays a few months ago, I've had it in my bookmarks list, and it did not disappoint. They offer a great selection of coffee and tea in addition to some absolutely amazing breakfast and lunch options. Highlights: That green salsa everyone talks about? It's amazing. I ate the leftovers with my spoon. Both the shrimp taco and sugar steak taco were delicious and I plan to return to eat them again... and again... and again. The perfect combination of crispy and crunchy. We also tried the Bacon Sugar Beignets which were a delicious treat and truly large enough to be a meal on their own - they are served warm and they are heavenly pillows of deliciousness. Really looking forward to more Saturday meals here! If you haven't been, it's a must try.

    F A.

    Nice and quiet if you get there early. Love the size, atmosphere and big table next to the front window. Best part? The staff. It's like a place NOT in Cedar Rapids (though CR is getting better). Good bacon, good properly basted eggs by someone who cares and I hear good other stuff too according to those with me. Keep it up and don;t drop the ball........get some dark roast coffee though!

    Grilled cheese with a crunch crust, small latte and small kale. (Tacos in back)
    Mary S.

    The vibe at Lightworks is exactly what you'd hope to find in a major city: it's cool, trendy and cozy with a super friendly staff. The location: a little hard to find if you aren't familiar with the building. Lightworks shares a building with Benz - enter through the back (or through Benz!). There isn't much parking up front, but you can park in the lot to the side. Inside, the decor is very trendy and hip, even though it's small. There's a mix of potted succulents, wood, industrial features and art on the walls. It's awesome! The menu: small, but tasty. They have excellent coffee from a local roaster and my latte was delicious. Tacos take the stage, but you can also order a burger, kale Cesar salad, fresh beignets (order them!!!) to grilled cheese. I always get nervous when I see a restaurant put tacos on a menu. There's almost two routes restaurants can take; authentic or "inspired by." Lightworks is a bit of both. I ordered the shrimp, pork and sugar steak all on corn. They were very good: especially the shrimp and pork. The sugar steak was a little too sweet/salty, but that's the point - me thinks! The tacos can be made on flour and come with salsa verde. On a different trip I also tried the grilled cheese and side kale cesaer salad. Both were adequate. The grilled cheese had a great crust, but the cheese lacked any flavor. I would have liked to see the kale finely chopped versus ripped bits of it as kale is a tough leaf, but the homemade dressing was very good. The service: is excellent and the staff is so friendly. You order at the counter and they will bring you your food once you find a table. Self serve water and don't forget to clean up after yourself and bring your plate to the bin: don't worry though - mostly likely your plate will be empty!

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    2 years ago

    Very cute space. Nice music and lots of plants. Food was great with a unique twist on some classics. Loved it.

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    3 years ago

    Excellent soups and sandwiches. Everything was fresh and ready quickly. A nice quiet atmosphere to enjoy an unhurried lunch hour.

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    Cafe Tacuba

    Cafe Tacuba

    (47 reviews)

    We've come by this place a couple of times. My partner and I decided to try it out because we heard…read morereggaeton playing and were looking for more Mexican food spots in the area. The vibe was amazing, I love the murals and the decor. The service was incredible as well. I didn't get the name of our server but she was amazing and the cutest ever. The chilaquiles are fire. The food was amazing. The drink were 100/10 I loved the cups for the drinks. Reminds me of home with my family in Mexico. You will not regret coming here. Amazing vibes, food and people. The owners did an amazing job with this place. So aesthetically pleasing. A staple for sure.

    Cafe Tacuba had a few slip ups tonight, but overall, it's still a great mexican restaraunt with…read morequality food and service. I have loved their quesabirria in the past but unfortunately they were out, so I went with the steak quesadilla instead. It was decent, but nothing to die for. I was thinking about quesabirria the whole time... Someone else at the table ordered three ground beef tacos (which technically isnt on the menu but is easy enough to make) but unfortunately they were also out of ground beef. The Ozzy's bowl was delicious and I would recommend that to anyone trying to choose something from their LARGE menu. The Horchata was a big plus - nice and sweet (and the large size is LARGE). The sprite was flat and the salsa wasn't giving everything I wanted (I did ask for salt which helped). Service was pretty good, with some wait time between drink orders/check ups, but it was pretty busy, so all props to the server! Also, the steak tacos made for great leftovers the next day. Thanks cafe tacuba!

    Scooter's Coffee - Exterior. Used to be a coffeesmiths .

    Scooter's Coffee

    (11 reviews)

    $$

    5/5 stars for our drive-thru experience on 06/11/22. The female employee working was so friendly…read more--- I think she really likes her job! We had to wait a little bit for our drink, despite no one being in front of us in line. Perhaps because this location on Edgewood Rd. offers indoor and outdoor dining and they were busier inside. While waiting, the same employee asked us if we wanted a pup cup for our dog, as she saw him sitting in the backseat. He wasn't sure about it at first, but when we got home he decided to he wanted to eat every last bit and proceeded to carry the cup around. :) Scooter's offers an array of things from beverages to food. I'm not very adventurous and there are a lot of options, so I order the same thing every time. I'm a tipper and they have a tip box outside the drive-thru window. I also look forward to the sticker on my cup -- a neat touch they add to every order. This Scooter's is easy to get in and out of. Big parking lot because of its location in a strip mall. The drive-thru is nice and wide.

    Worst experience ever. Wanted a hot mocha and a warmed up chocolate muffin. They said they couldn't…read morewarm up the muffin because it would make it too runny. I told her that was perfect but still she wouldn't do it. Then when I went to grab my mocha off the counter the kid making the drinks didn't know which drink was which on the counter. He pointed to the one that he thought may be a mocha. I took a sip and it was less than luke warm. When I asked him to warm it up he acted super annoyed and tossed out the entire drink and made a new one. The second mocha didn't taste like it had any chocolate in it whatsoever. I asked if they could add more chocolate and his response was "I made it correctly". I then asked for a refund because I was over it completely at this point. The girl up front didn't know how to do it. Another kid came up and said he would fix my drink while I could still see and hear the first rude kid in the back complaining that he made it correctly. This was my first and last time that I will ever go to a Scooters!!!

    Lightworks Cafe - cafes - Updated May 2026

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