Why haven't I found Marva's earlier? Maeva is a hidden treasure at the Alton area. It is a coffee…read more& tea shop and also a cocktail bar. It is decorated like a world travel library. I would never discovered this gem without guidance from Yelpers. This place becomes my new favorite in the area. They serves great drinks, delicious pastries and snacks. Service was excellent. The servers provided great advice on drinks and pastries options. Free WiFi was available. What I love? 1) The meat quiche is amazing. Highly recommended! 2) The tea options are limited but all delicious. You get to choose your mug size at the same price. 3) I tried the strawberry matcha drink. The servers made it fresh on the spot. It's delicious. I can't wait to come back

Love this fabulously funky coffee space in the Milton Schoolhouse! Comfortable and cozy where…read morepeople sat studying, chatting, reading. My dirty chai was really great and Clyde's latte was as well. We shared a GF/Vegan banana chocolate muffin - yum! Staff was friendly and welcoming. The Milton Schoolhouse is a terrific space with other businesses to check out as well. Highly recommend!

I'm so happy to have a place close to me that serves boba/bubble tea. Their taro milk tea is…read moredelicious, the best I've had on this side of the river. I also had a delicious breakfast sandwich here. Every server I've interacted with has been super kind, and the shop is really great to hang out in. I love that they've got late hours, too. I hope more people find there way here.

We've been here twice on the last 2 days! My daughter really loved the Dr. Pepper ice cream and…read morewe had our first ever Açaí bowls! Even the small was a lot to eat. They do serve kaldis coffee, which we didn't try, but I'm sure it's great. We were able to have a nice chat with the owner too. This is such a great addition to East Gate Plaza. As a hockey mom, I'm sure be spending a lot of time here!

When I work my part-time gig, I pass by this Germania Brew Haus. Its location makes it easy to pull…read moreinto the huge parking lot, pull up to the order window, circle the building and pickup my coffee on the other side. It's a cute little building, reminds me of a tiny house. The service is quick, easy and the staff is friendly. This is one very fast drive-thru for for your morning cup of joe. If you need a nosh to accompany your java, they've got some baked goods, too. This is Germania's third location. It pleases me, when a local business grows into a mini chain.

Great coffee; made exactly to my specifications! Easy to…read moreorder and pick up. Only drive thru option!

This is such a cute place! It's a bit small and it was very busy, but the service was phenomenal…read more Everyone who worked there was super sweet and communicated well with everyone. I got the homemade cinnamon roll which was divine, and the cinnamon roll latte! My friend got the breakfast sandwich and she really loved it. If you're ever in the area, give this place a try.

I absolutely love this little cafe! The staff is incredibly friendly and they know their coffee!…read moreThe entire coffee shop is cozy and super cute! I only had coffee this time and it was delicious! I will definitely be back!!!

Charming little donut shop. Great prices. The shop is very clean with a wide variety of donuts on…read morethe weekdays and even more on the week end. The staff was quick with the order and pretty nice too. Two thumbs up Ps I went on a wind at morning at 10am and they still had quality tasting donuts and lots of choices.

Incredible place. Love that they have a shop in Bethalto, IL. We special ordered donuts for our…read moredaughters birthday. She wanted a glazed donut with white icing and gold sprinkles. They look and taste amazing!

King Louie's Drive-In is a good old fashioned Root Beer Stand. What? Give me a break, I am old and…read morethat is what we use to call them when I was a little person. It's a restaurant that makes its own Root Beer and serves burgers. The King is not in my immediate area and it's not even in one of my regular driving routes. So I don't think of him that often. I need to change that, because the short out of the way drive is so worth it. I haven't used the car-hop service, but there are always lots of cars with the cute little tray attached to their drivers side window. So, I have it on my bucket list to try on a future visit. Perhaps, I'll bring my fur child to enjoy a plain burger. Since I don't use the car-hop, I go inside to order and eat in the small dining room. Yesterday, it was full of workers from the refinery and other local businesses. Lucky for me after ordering at the counter, I was able to snag a two top table to enjoy my meal. I normally get the Lion Tamer which has jalapeños on it, but today I went with a King Louie. It's a single smash burger and I added cheese. My topping were only pickles, lettuce, onion and a smear of mayo. I had them hold the tomato. I'm not a fan of mayo, but for some reason I like it on my burgers here at King Louie. The edges of my burger were crisp, it had an odd shape so you know it was hand pressed. It explodes with flavor, just like an old time 50's drive-in. The fries are equally impressive. They are super crispy and done to order, no fries sitting under a hot light waiting to be served. What impresses me is they are fries that still have their skins on. For me, that just adds flavor. Of course, the main attraction next to their amazing burgers is the refreshing homemade, Root Beer. It is always the perfect accompaniment to a burger and fries. Next visit, I having a Root Beer Float and really have a flashback to my childhood.

I just went there for my first time today. Kind of unsure what to order, I went with the old school…read moresteakburger as it comes. It was pretty much perfect. Fries are crisp and delicious too! Service took a bit, but that's because it was decently busy when we arrived. I honestly didn't expect the flavor I got with the price I paid. Some say it's overpriced, but this is a local mom and pop place, so you know what kind of quality you're going to get. I definitely recommend this place! Loved it and I will go back.

Wow! Our food was superb; my breakfast croissant was made to order, as I do egg whites only! A MUST…read moretry is their cinnamon roll. It is light and the icing on top not super sweet. Allows you to enjoy the entire roll. The breakfast burrito too was very good. Service was excellent and the staff very helpful, letting us know they had a couple specials. The ambiance was nice, but again we came for the food not that. YES, we will be going back as this is a new found for us. The meal was a little pricey, but worth it !!!

I do not get to Wood River often but when I have, I have a few coffee shops I enjoy visiting…read more Today, I decided to try something different after seeing a newer shop open. Cafe LaNae apparently has been open about a year (as of this writing) so I went in because I was meeting someone for a Facebook Marketplace purchase. I didn't plan to be very long. I purchased an iced coffee for $7 plus a tip. After confirming my order twice (sugar-free mocha syrup), they brought me a sugar-free vanilla drink. Oh well, no biggie...It wasn't the best, but I'm not staying long. I have specific dietary metrics that I manage, so while waiting for the person I was looking for, I pulled out a muffin my wife got me that met those metrics. I took maybe three bites out of it while waiting. Quickly, I noticed one of the owners hovering over my table to see what I was eating, and within 30 seconds, the other owner came over and told me I'm not allowed to bring any food into the place. She tried to smile and act like it was no big deal, saying, "I'll allow it THIS time". Gee thanks! I tried to explain my situation and the fact that I had already purchased a drink and was planning to leave, and she talked over me, expressing once more not to do it again. I elected to leave after pondering her words for a few minutes. I understand the profit margins for these places are razor thin and I would not want people bringing in their own meals, but I bought a drink, tipped, and took two bites out of something that was mine that met my diet. This place is more of a brunch/lunch fast-casual Greek-style place. Nothing they had on their menu would have met my diet, at least not even for a couple of bites which I didn't think was a big deal. I won't return. Not after that experience.

After watching a movie or around this area, definitely stop by! The staff are super friendly and…read morelet you sample the ice cream flavors, which is good because there are so many that sound intriguing. After sampling at least 5-6, I got the swamp mix because it mixes all the flavors and I couldn't decide lol. I loved it, but my friends thought it tasted weird. The only thing I didn't like was the price for the amount. I got the small for $2.99 and it was a lot tinier than I expected. So thought it was pricy for the amount you get. Not sure if I would come back for that reason, but also am curious to try some of the other flavors they have! Also, side note: based on the sign they had inside, they have really cheap food!

This place got very delicious ice cream, but don't go with your friends from school because they…read morewill make you feel bad and rip your favorite pair of leggings.

This is a great little neighborhood coffee shop. It's located in what I"d guess was a gas station…read morein its earlier life. The ambiance is minimalist with a rustic twist and it truly is right on the corner, so you can't miss it. They offer a good variety of teas, coffee and morning pastries. If you're there at lunchtime, they've got that covered, too. They offer several sandwiches and for the health conscious, there is a variety of salads, too. The staff was friendly and brewed me a great cup of coffee. I love small town coffee shops. Their personalized service out shines that chain that most people love.

I found this delightful little cafe in downtown Wood River a pleasant surprise. While it has been…read moreopen for about two years now (yes, I asked), I had not heard of Russell's Corner Cafe until a few days ago when I took an alternative route and happened to drive by the cafe. It's an ideal place to grab your morning caffeine or a quick lunch, while supporting a small business. My Order: Mango Passionfruit Iced Tea & The Italian Sandwich Food/Drinks: The coffee menu is extensive, and they have a decent tea menu (my tea was Stash). There's a small bakery/pastry case, plus a few sandwiches and salads on the menu. After eating there, I checked out their social media; it looks like they have occasional specials that they post. I enjoyed my tea, and the Italian Sandwich was delicious. My sandwich came with a little cup of oil with herbs, which was so good! Atmosphere: The inside is simple, yet inviting. There's a counter where you order, and two small rooms with a few tables in each room. There's also a few tables outside, which I would have sat at had it been a little bit warmer. The woman working the counter was friendly and helpful. Logistics: It's 3 hour street parking, but I had no trouble finding a spot. The building is sort of on the corner/side road. Once inside, head up to the counter to order.

Stopped in on a Saturday night. All the machines were full. Cool....guess I will just have a beer…read moreand wait. No...says the staff person. If you are mot playing can't wait. Literally, I offered to buy a beer and wait and she said no. Forgot this place. Better options for your recreational dollats.