Such a cool space in the old Post Office. Elevated coffee house vibe with total respect and love…read morefor the building's history. So Alton! HANNAH is the GM and she is an amazing host. Knowledge and willing to share ingredients and labels as she helped me order Gluten/Dairy/Sugar free. We had yummy greens with eggs and turkey sausage (hold the croutons). The poppyseed vinaigrette was dairy free and just perfect. My matcha latte and Clyde's coffee latte were delicious. Troy had pizza and he loved the crust ( he had regular but they DO offer GF crust AND vegan cheese!). Sam's French Toast looked amazing in all its gluten-filled glory. We also tried the immunity shots from CJ's Juicery and they were dynamite. If we still lived here full time I'd be making the drive over from STL once a week for that breakfast salad and matcha. The menu is varied and thoughtful, altho I would love to see them find a way to offer at least one gluten free bread (I bet their avocado toast rocks!). I understand it is not an easy undertaking for small kitchens to manage proper handling of GF if it's not their focus. However I promise those on a restricted diet can absolutely find something here due to Hannah's expertise.

If you didn't already know, Post Commons has added two tenants to the building. They now share this…read moregrand old post office with, Good News Brewing Company and CJ's Juicery. However, this review is about them, so let me focus on them only. If you go to Post Commons, you gotta get a biscuit. Their biscuits are homemade and they are delicious. My personal favorite biscuit sandwich is the Sausage. In addition to the sausage patty, it has cream cheese and pepper jam. The pepper jam is what really makes this sammie special. If you're wanting a more hearty breakfast, you can create your own plate with items from the A La Carte menu. I've created one with two scrambled eggs, bacon and breakfast potatoes. The potatoes are cut into little cubes and fried to a crispy golden color. It's a great place to meet friends for a cup of coffee. The staff is cordial and makes you feel welcomed. Why go to a chain coffee shop, when you have a unique one in a old post office building? There is, no reason to go. When: February 4, 2026 Why: Biscuit Sandwich

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 absolutely love this coffee shop. The coffee is always so good and so strong. They offer a bunch…read moreof different bakery items. I am gluten-free and they had this amazing vegan banana muffin that was gluten-free. It was so delicious. The people that work there are so kind. The vibe is really cool too because it's in an old school house and it has a bunch of different little shops in it too. I highly recommend if you're in the area to check it out. It is definitely worth the trip and you will not regret it. They also have alcoholic drinks too, but I have never tried any there.

State Street is easily one of my favorite restaurants in the Riverbend area. They were a shining…read morestar in downtown Alton until their lease was not renewed. At first I thought it was a bad call by the landlord. Now that they are located in Elsah, I realize he did them a favor. Beau and Terri rallied and took on the challenge of relocating their restaurant. They searched hight and low and found the perfect location in Elsah, just 8 miles north of the old location. Elsah welcomed them with open arms and issued them the first liquor license in the history of the township. Since the relocation I have been multiple times for lunch. You cannot go wrong with their famous Mushroom Asparagus Soup or one of the popular Paninis. I've also been to a wine dinner that impressed me and my cousin who is a wine connoisseur. The wine and food were paired beautifully. Experiencing a regular dinner in the boutique dinning room is also a delight. Their menu changes regularly, but I must say when you see Terri's Lasagna being offered, that is a sign to order it. You will not be disappointed. All the servers and staff are spectacular. It blows my mind how many of them can remember the names of all their regulars. It makes for a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Next time you're traveling the River Road, take a detour into Elsah and visit State Street on LaSalle.

This is my first time here since they moved to Elsah, and it's as delicious and wonderful as ever…read more The service is so personal, the kind you only get in a small town. The new dining area is beautifully decorated and cozy. And of course the food is delicious. Just look at their panini options and you'll know what I mean. This time I had the potato soup and the roasted turkey panini, and it was absolutely delicious. I only wish I had gotten a full sandwich! I had a dilemma ordering because there were too many incredible options. Thankfully I was able to see a few other dishes that my friends ordered, so I know how yummy they look! I can't wait to return and try more.

This place has amazing breads! Their sour dough is to die for! The Red White and Rye is fantastic!…read more Just order one of everything they are all delicious! They also have wonderful cinnamon rolls. Service is prompt and very friendly. Decor is very up beat. Oh their cinnamon bread is super!

222 Artisan Bakery is a nice rustic old fashioned coffee shop. It is conveniently located just down…read morethe street from courthouse. Making it a great place to stop by when paying your property taxes, or when you're doing your jury duty. I'm glad to see that they are a proud server of Plaid Coffee. So many other shops use the same local roaster or one from St. Louis, so it is nice to see that they give us a Scottish touch roasted in small batches. I enjoyed an iced coffee. When I drink hot coffee, I drink it black. However, when it is iced, I need a little packet of Splenda and a splash of milk. To accompany my iced coffee, I enjoyed a Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread. I was torn between a blueberry danish, blueberry muffin and the mini bread. When I asked the cashier for guidance, he recommended the pumpkin bread because it was a seasonal special. He said, the other two were always available and could enjoy them on another visit. To be honest, the mini Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips did not impress me. I found it to be dry and the pumpkin flavor was faint, but it was chuck full of chocolate chips. Next time I'm at the courthouse paying the next installment of property taxes, I'll stop by again and try one of the blueberry treats. I think I may even grab one of the loaves of bread they had on sale.

Cafe LaNae is a fantastic addition to Wood River and the entire Riverbend area. In my opinion, you…read morecan never have too many bakeries and cafes in your neighborhood. My first visit I kinda went hog wild and stuffed myself. Being a farm boy, I always have to try Biscuits and Gravy. I did a half order, which was a single biscuit. I had mine to go, so it was packaged in a Eco-Friendly To-Go Vessel. The biscuit was wrapped in foil and the milk gravy was in a separate container. Once I assembled it, it was a winner. The biscuit was fluffy and the milk gravy had a fair amount of sausage crumbles and was seasoned perfectly. It made this old farm boy happy. My other treat was a, Bacon Egg Boursin Croissant. It was a true meal in itself. There was plenty of bacon, the eggs were done perfectly and the Boursin made the breakfast sandwich sing. Seriously, I would have never thought to add Boursin to a breakfast croissant and I have it in my icebox all the time. After sampling a savory treats, I had to have something sweet. My sweet treat was their Cinnamon Roll. OMG! I am thankful I do not live closer, because if I did, I'd be having one of these delights daily. I love the open concept of seeing the kitchen. It's always fun to watch you food being prepared. The staff is friendly and makes everyone feel welcomed. With all the experience and connections that LaNae and A.J. have with other businesses; Duke's, Tony's Ranch House, Gentelin's and all the way back to Wimpy's, you know the food is going to be good. I wish them success and recommend you go give them a try.

Came here for a baby shower, it was my first time! So so cute and everything we ate was so good…read more It's a great space for events and the baked goods were to die for. The parking was easy in the lot next to the building and it's handicapped accessible. It was gorgeous inside and very spacious. We had spinach and artichoke dip for a starter, a chicken wrap, salad, and tater tots for the meal. A super cute and great tasting selection of baked goods, the chocolate cupcake with marshmallow icing was great! I'm not sure how much of what we ate is on their normal menu or catered for the event. Everybody was super nice and I'd love to come back for more baked goods!

This is an amazing delightful friendly welcoming place to eat and relax. The menu is well balanced…read moreand the specials change daily so ask your server. Ours was Ashley and she was attentive and informative. The meat lovers omelet I had was just like me at the end of my meal, stuffed. Most omelets that I have had, which is a lot, that say they have cheese in them, the cheese is hard to find. But not here, the cheese ( your choice of cheese, was front and center. My hash browns were crispy nor soft and soggy. My wife ordered her eggs like she enjoys them and they were not exactly right so Ashley took them back and the next set were, to quote my wife, the BEST, she has ever had. The sausage she got is made right there and was outstanding. We learned from Ashley that the owners were in the kitchen fixing the food and source the burgers and steaks from their own cattle. They also bake the pies and cakes on site. We now have a place to bring visitors to our home in Saint James, such a real great find. The bathroom was neat and clean and parking is plenty and an easy walk for older patrons. Please stop in and let them know that the 'spoon player' sent you. Plus they do offer a military discount Oh and great music for dining ambience

Best fired steak and sausage gravy I've ever had!! Girls serving were great and an all around…read morefantastic experience!! I'll be back for sure!

Excellent choice of hot and cold coffee and specialty drinks. Too many flavors to list. Freshly…read moremade pastries daily always a new selection. Sara is an amazing baker. They love it if you bring your 4 legged family members.

It has a drive through which is a huge plus to me! Eskimo joe is so good. I heard they have good…read moresmoothies too so I'll have to try that next!

Wow, this coffee place is hopping! I visited almost 11:00 am on a Monday and all the seats were…read moretaken! My latte was solid. I had a latte with a syrup--couldn't necessarily tell which syrup I ordered, but it was good. My husbands medium brew was smooth. Would def go here again.

Enjoyed an oatmilk latte with sugar free pumpkin spice! The interior is decorated for Halloween,…read moreand the baristas are on the ball as always.