SIMPLE CAFE · YELP ASSISTANT
Ask Yelp Assistant
Simple Cafe Photos
SIMPLE CAFE ATMOSPHERE
You might also consider
More like Simple Cafe
Recommended Reviews - Simple Cafe
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
A friend suggested we check out this place in Lake Geneva. They serve locally sourced food and have a very unique menu. They serve many gluten free/vegan and vegetarian items.. My friend had the roasted turkey and Brussel sprout hash which she loved and I had the simple pancakes. We were both very pleased with our meals. Server was lovely and the dining room was clean and very vibrant. Parking is available but is metered and in my opinion expensive. Not the restaurants fault at all as it is a city ordinance. $4.00 for parking and please pay it as the city patrols often and you will get a ticket.
We had gone into simple cafe for breakfast. We tried their apple crumble french toast, simple breakfast sandwich and Eggs Benedict. Their breakfast items are fantastic. Had also picked out a carrot cake from the adjoining bakery/market. Quick service and the cafe has a pretty big seating area. This cafe was a good find on our trip to Lake Geneva.
Very cozy cute resturant ! Healthy eating Vegan options The mashed potato omelet was delicious first time having something like that! The servers are friendly and helpful! Cute town. Pay the box parking on the street! Patio seating is available. Ask the hostess !
Ideal spot if you're gluten free for breakfast! I had the quinoa and corn fritters which was gluten free and it was delicious. There was a good variety of options to meet my various dietary restrictions since I also don't eat red meat or dairy. The service was so friendly and prompt! Also the prices were excellent and overall a great spot to enjoy breakfast. We did have to pay to park on a Friday but were able to get a spot out front.
We stopped on a Sunday in the late morning. It was very busy. We waited about 20 minutes for a table, which wasn't terrible. I ordered the mushroom omelette and my sister had the turkey hash. The mushroom omelette was average not really anything to write home about in my opinion. My sister said the turkey hash was very good. We both had the homemade sourdough for toast and we were not impressed. The taste was good, but it was so hard. It was like eating a crouton, it seemed like it was sitting underneath a warmer for too long. The wait to get our food was quite long, but it was a Sunday so tried to be patient. Overall, we were a bit disappointed because people talked it up to be the best breakfast in town. It was good, but average good.
Stopped by in Sunday morning at 11 AM and they were busy! We only had to wait about 10 to 15 minutes for a table. It was tight inside. They have seating that is kind of cramped but not too bad (more for the servers than the diners). The menu is full of interesting choices! Our server was very friendly, and our food came out quick. I had the mashed potato omelette. The hollandaise sauce was probably the best part. Otherwise it was very mild flavors. The pancakes, however - wow! They were perfect! Fluffy, light and delicious. We didn't realize the bakery was not part of the café. It's actually accessed via a separate entrance in the front of the building.
It's hipper than Vickie's Cafe (just across the street), but 2x the cost, and the patio doesn't justify such because during most of the off-season there's only 'indoor' seating is offered (and there's just not enough tables). Also, the lack of this interior design's sound absorption panels (nonesuch are in the ceiling as is normal for empty concrete floors and undecorated walls), and is horrendous. IT'S SO ANNOYINGLY LOUD that an LG-vacation-good-providing-poppa has to turn down his hearing aid to avoid cacophonous feedback noise, and even then he can't hear his grandkids talking. SAW THIS HAPPEN YEAR-AFTER-YEAR. Bad ambient echoing noises aside, the place is being set-up by hiring cheap, min-wage, inexperienced teens and mostly struggling immigrants. It's also SLOWLY FALLING IN TO DISREPAIR (see photos). Food is fine, but only egg, flour, onion, pork back fat, and gobs of cheese mostly (and bit-o-veg, but unintentionally uninteresting farm-fresh-local produce for generic breakfast faire)... p Plus, the bakery (outside of true European boulangeries, Simple Bakery is mostly sugar, processed seed oil fats (not butter, tallow, or olive), and non-organic, GMO grains, with inexpensive flour/yeast combos and ¢80 ingredients with a HUGE $8 price tag (why not $3-4?). Some tourists deal with 1). high prices for breakfast/lunch basics 2). noisy dining, and 3). rough exterior decor/dining room wear-down issues for basic upkeep.
Decided to come to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin for a quick b-day getaway. On our last day there, I saw this place on Yelp and the food looked good so decided to try them on 12/1/24, a lazy cold Sunday morning. I was a little nervous because many of the reviews talked about having to wait awhile to be seated. We lucked up, this wasn't our situation as they seated us right away. It was packed in there. We got to sit by the window which was the perfect spot. At the particular time we got there, we didn't have to pay the metered parking which was sweet but please, make sure you check if you happen to park in those spaces to make sure you don't get a ticket. Our female waitress was wonderful - friendly, kind and very attentive. We didn't have to wait long for our food. Breakfast is served all day which I love places that do. Our food was delicious! Everything was fresh! Pancakes were so yummy and yes, they were just as good, buttery and fluffy as my picture shows! Homemade chicken sausage was really good. The red potatoes I really liked - they sauteed it with green onions which really gave it a good flavor (I want to try this at home and see if I can come close to how theirs were). The eggs get a paragraph all to themselves. My God! Those were the best eggs I have had in my life, do you hear me? They had to have just gotten those from a chicken - even the orangish-yellowish coloring of the eggs were different. I wanted to order more eggs but I couldn't fit it anywhere in my belly - I was too full :( I really enjoyed my meal and hubby did too as he had the Korean BBQ Breakfast Bowl. Both of our plates were clean when we finished. I definitely want to return here. They have a bakery next door should you want to treat yourself to a sweet. Simple Cafe, there is nothing Simple about you! Thank you for adding to our wonderful trip to Lake Geneva. A++++ all around in our books! Thanks so much!
Visiting Lake Geneva with some relatives and stopped in here. For a party of 7 at noon on a Sunday we waited maybe 20-25 minutes. I got the Kimchi Pimento burger and it was delicious. My relatives say the breakfast tacos were also yummy. Their menu looked delicious and if I could've I would've tried more. It had a moderate noise level and some fruit flies were hovering around but overall a very nice lunch place! Our waitress was lovely too!
So, so good! My kids and I went in for brunch. It is a very cute cafe, with indoor and outdoor seating. We ordered the eggs Benedict, simple breakfast sandwich, and eggs sardou. Everything was absolutely delicious! We will definitely go back again.
3 years ago
2 years ago
What a cute, bright and colorful cafe! They do not take reservations and our wait for a Saturday morning was about 20-30 mins. They also have a bakery next door where you can go grab coffee, tea, etc. while you wait. Our server dulce was the sweetest and gave great suggestions! I ordered a small orange juice that was so refreshing and the turkey, butternut squash, Brussels spouts hash and it was exactly that mixed in with some potatoes and 2 eggs that I ordered poached with a side of their creole hollandaise. I asked dulce was she suggested since nothing on the menu jumped out at me and what she suggested was not something that I would of picked out but I am so glad I went with it bc it was amaaazing!! My boyfriend got a cup of coffee and their mashed potato omelette. Who would of thought mashed potatoes with eggs would be so good?! The bits of bacon and green onion in the mashed potato was a good touch and then the creole hollandaise drizzled on top - absolutely delicious! They change their menu pretty frequently, every season and I love their concept of "making life better one bite at a time". The staff from the host to the servers so friendly. One of the servers even came up to me and told me that I was beautiful which totally made my day! Great food and wonderful staff, can't wait to come back and try something new on their menu! read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
3 years ago
Ordered eggs and corn beef hash got burnt chunks potatoes and chunks of fatty corned beef. More potatoes than anything else. This is not corn beef hash, it's burnt pieces of potato read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
This place is as awesome as the bakery next door! I got chopped chicken salad and my husband got Korean kimchi bowl. My salad was good but not the best but his bowl was so good! I kind of regretted that I didn't get the same thing. It looked great and tasted even better. Warm and spicy and saucy, yum! I would love to be back and will most definitely recommend. read more
6 years ago
Simple, is by far the best breakfast in Lake Geneva. We visited from St. Louis, MO and had the pleasure of dining there twice during our stay (it was that good!). Jessica, was our server for our first time, also on our honeymoon, and she gave us the best recommendations + exceptional service. She was so personable and made us feel at home & created a great relationship with us. She invited us to come back again and we absolutely did! Madison was our server a few days later and she was so sweet! She too made sure we were happy at all times and was extremely attentive...the kindest. Jessica even came to our table to welcome us back!! Wow! These two made our experience even better. Thank you to the chefs for making our favorite meal of the day, the best :). P.S. the blueberry pancakes are incredible from their local blueberry vendor!! read more
9 years ago
We had planned coming here for breakfast on a Sunday morning after our hotel stay down the block. We arrived about 8AM with no wait. I can understand why there is a wait because the food is awesome. Deciding what to eat is the big problem with this menu. Everything sounds so good! I do a low carb diet so I ultimately decided on the kale frittata with feta cheese, zucchini, roasted red peppers and onions. My youngest should still order off the kids menu. She had a full plate with eggs, sausage, and potatoes. The oldest had the apple strudel French toast. The plates here are huge! She ended up finishing the whole thing. The hubbys egg combo had a short stack on the side. He said they tasted a bit eggy. He did finish almost his whole plate though. The orders come with potatoes and the sausage was fresh. Pricewise it was around $50 for the four of us. Good priced for the portions. read more
4 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
Cute brunch spot in Lake Geneva. Also has a bakery attached next door! The food was really delicious and I love the Asian spin on certain American classics. I had the simple breakfast sandwich and I LOVED it. No need for meat honestly because the veggies and sun dried tomato mayo add a lot of flavor. Breakfast potatoes are really good too, just wish they came slightly smaller/thinner so they could crisp up a bit more. The 4/5 stars stem from the wait time and organization of the place. I definitely feel like this place can accommodate many parties of 2-4 but if the group is any larger expect a long wait. We were informed 40-50 minutes and ended up waiting close to 1.5 hours. Although the space isn't too large, I feel as though they could try to switch up the current table spacing and organization to potentially better accommodate for some occasional larger parties. The bakery was lovely and everything is freshly made and looks beautiful. read more
5 years ago
This was our favorite restaurant to eat breakfast at in Lake Geneva. This current experience was very disappointing as we had to send the potatoes back 3 times when we asked for them to be piping hot when we ordered. The potatoes still came back charred and Luke warm at best even though we were told that they were freshly cooked. We come here twice a year and look forward to eating here. I'm not sure what has changed but I'm not sure if we will be returning here any time soon. We have been customers since 2017. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
7 years ago
My third time there, but first review. Easily becoming my favorite breakfast spot in the area. Attentive and friendly staff, reasonable prices and portions (would be spending an extra $5-$8 on an entree in the city), and a diverse menu that includes traditional and nontraditional breakfast items. My son got the Eggs Benedict. Good size and hit the spot if you're a classic benedicts fan. I got the Eggs Sardou, and if you like croissants, artichokes, or hollandaise this thing is pretty amazing. Perfectly poached eggs (on both the Benedict and Sardou) and nicely seasoned flavors where no salt or hot sauce needed. My only gripe is that I would've loved the other half of that croissant as it's sliced open faced without the other half. Their Simple potatoes aren't anything special and would prefer them more crispy. My wife got the Korean BBQ Breakfast Bowl and this dish was huge. Not only that, it had a great portion of tender braised pork shoulder and had a nice kick to it from the kimchi, as any good Bibimbap should have. More than pleasantly surprised with this Korean flare at an otherwise unassuming breakfast cafe in Lake Geneva. Will definitely continue to come back next time we're in the area. read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
I stopped in today for brunch after a few years of not going because of previous disappointments. Today, the food and service were so fantastic it completely changed my opinion of the place. Our waitress, Violet was so attentive and kind. She recommended the roasted turkey and brussels sprouts hash, which I hadn't even originally considered, and it was the best breakfast I'd had in so long. Seriously so good. My boyfriend also tried the corned beef hash (which he's pretty picky about) and thought it was great! Violet brought me so much for to-go when I had asked and just took very good care of us! After years of not liking it, I'm extremely impressed. read more
5 years ago
4 years ago
We took our mom here on a gurls weekend. I want to go back to Lake Geneva just to eat here again. The food was AMAZING!! It was hard to decide what exactly to get, so we all got something different and each tasted it all. I didn't taste anything I didn't like, and that's saying a lot as I'm a picky eater. The coffee was good, but a little too strong for me, so the waitress brought me hot lemon water, and I was pleasantly surprised. The service was phenomenal and we can't wait to go back!! read more
7 years ago
6 years ago
Food is always great, not many vegan options which some of my table needed but they were able to find something & liked it too! Was seated for 4 right away on a Saturday around 8:30/9am & the workers were wearing masks which I really appreciate. Fast, friendly service. Servers always know who ordered what & don't have to auction off their food. This breakfast sandwich was legitimately the BEST breakfast sandwich i've ever had. I keep thinking about how delicious it is. Only reason I'd give this place 4 stars is because every time I've been here their coffee just isn't great... I can't tell if it tastes old or too dark or what but I have to force myself to drink it when normally I'd easily drink 2/3 cups at restaurants. Overall great! read more
2 years ago
7 years ago
Would rate 5 stars, just one thing holding them back for me. Ordered Turkey hash. Asked to substitute out the heaping half a plate of potatoes and toast, it usually comes with for broccoli. Again, I also asked for no toast. I can't have the toast and also can't have the potatoes for health reasons. They only they gave me like 4 florets... literally as a substitute for half a plate of food. And then charged me for the broccoli So the meal was totally skimpy. Tasted wonderful though. The thing is... this happens every time I come here, I'm a local, and I always ask for a side of a veggies that I can "substitute" the potatoes and toast for, due to the dietary restrictions I have... and they always go cheap on me and skimp me... and then charge me for the measly 3 or 4 broccoli florets on top of it. If you don't believe me... I'll take photos next time and order the meal both ways. Due to being hungry because they skimped on the $10 meal, again... over veggies, I also ordered a side of bacon extra crispy and a side of avocado. I've found that avocado with salt and pepper is very delicious. So my $12 breakfast (including tip) turned into a $20 breakfast including tip. (I always tip 20%, or higher if a good experience) I'm a reasonable guy, it's just after the 12th plus time of eating here and constantly getting stiffed due to dietary restrictions... it wears on you. I'm a guy who pays attention to detail. That's why I like this place. It's pretty much perfect in every other way. I meet a lot of people and travel for work, and still always recommend Simple Cafe to anyone I talk to that is visiting Lake Geneva. This is just something they do that irks me after a dozen visits. If you have dietary restrictions, or follow a specific way of eating, you would think this health conscious place would understand. They don't. This is the reason, as a local, I don't visit this establishment regularly, even though I love their food, services and atmosphere. It's too bad, as I wish they were more friendly towards those in this situation. read more
5 years ago
Mini vacation outside the city of Chicago. A friend referred the place to me. I wasn't surprised to be greeted warmly and seated immediately since it was the middle of the week and there was ample space. I was NOT surprised when the tall blonde looked at me out of the side of her face, ignored me deliberately and walked past me multiple times. One can't help but feel unwelcome as I sat for 5 minutes before being offered a glass of water. I could be making assumptions, but it's also pretty hard to notice when two white men were seated next to me and she filled their water glasses + drink orders before they even took their coats off. One can't help but wonder, why I didn't receive the same immediate attention/service? After I said "excuse me" the management finally asked someone to come wait on my table... The citrus ginger tea is really good especially since I'm getting over a cold. The turkey, Brussels sprout, butternut squash hash was surprisingly good and filling. If it wasn't for the rude blonde, I'd give this place double stars. Not sure if I'd ever come back. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
More info about Simple Cafe
Ask the Community - Simple Cafe
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
66 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
7 years ago
11 years ago
9 years ago
8 years ago
7 years ago
13 years ago
11 years ago
12 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
5 years ago
6 years ago
14 years ago
5 years ago
8 years ago
8 years ago
7 years ago
16 years ago
4 years ago
11 years ago
