John C.

The place is an oasis, but sticks out like a sore thumb. The decor looks too sterile and sure enough, the faux French pictures are all made in China. The food was fine, but the bread for the sandwiches tasted like a sponge.

Roland H.

Have been here 2 years ago and the quality of food is still excellent. We had a spinach and sundried tomatoes quiche, a Tuscan chicken sandwich and a ham, avocado and sprouts sandwich. All was very good, I wish the ham avocado sprouts sandwich would have been toasted or I should have asked for it. I'll come back for sure.

Celeste T.

Wow what a delight to find this lovely delicious restaurant in this small town. We enjoyed it so much we ate all our meals there. The owner graciously told us about the history of how this cafe came to be and the beautiful woodwork. Lunch: I had the coconut shrimp sandwich with yummy cajun aioli sauce - excellent. Came with a mixed green salad, mmmm. My man had fish and chips and loved them. Three homemade soup choices - we had the clam chowder- best ever. Fantastic iced and hot teas. Breakfast: we each had a croissant, egg, cheese, and sausage sandwich. Amazing!! The sausage patty was huge and lightly crispy outside. The latte was wonderfully prepared - I asked for cinnamon mocha and Mariah made it perfectly. Loved the big mugs A+++ for presentation. Dinner: prime rib served on Fri and Sat night only. Excellent!!! I loved the fresh veggies and baked potato too. Bakery: we took pieces of cake to go, a couple cookies, brownie, and eclair - yummy. Espresso Bar is open with grab and go food items, and the best coffee bar in town. Two dining areas - one more casual - for breakfast. The other was just beautiful with big white windows. Outdoor seating as well with fire pit. Very relaxed casual atmospheres in both rooms. Absolutely a wonderful experience, delicious food and Mariah was a superb waitress. Extremely reasonable prices!! Don't miss this gem.

Justin G.

Phenomenal. This place is head and shoulders above every other restaurant nearby. The decor is really nice but the food is still affordable. The staff was great!! And the food was amazing. I'd go back just for the biscuits and gravy!! My over medium eggs were prepared perfectly as well. And the coffee was also great- bold but not bitter. There's nice outdoor seating as well when the weather is nice and it looks like they host weddings and parties here too. The espresso bar has different hours than the restaurant and since this is a new place, I'd recommend calling before you come to make sure they're open. I overheard one of the staff saying that they may extend the hours if the season gets busy this summer (and I assume the opposite would be true for the winter).

John B.

Great spot in Challis! An oasis you might say. I had their prime rib, my wife had the NY steak. Both meals were great! Loved the atmosphere, felt like you were in grandmas dining room.

Andrew P.

We stopped by the Tea Cup Cafe and Bakery on our way back from a nearby hot spring, looking for a meal before we embarked on the three hour drive back to South-east Idaho. We were lured in by the pizza buffet, and once we saw that the price was reasonable, the variety ample, and the atmosphere warm and cheery, we settled in. Three of our party went with the pizza buffet, while the other ordered the veggie stir fry. The staff were very polite, friendly, and welcoming, and we were quickly seated then off for the first plate. The buffet consisted of two salads and several dressings, cheesy bread, and seven varieties of pizza. There was one vegetarian pesto, Hawaiian, pepperoni, bbq chicken, chicken/bacon, bacon jalapeno, and sausage. Two of us did not eat meat, so we mostly stuck with the pesto, but we were also able to pick the meat from most of the other options and feed it to the carnivore. The pizza was fresh, hot, and delicious. The flavor in the sauces was bold and rich, and the ingredients seemed of high quality of were equally distributed. The crust was particularly crispy and flavorful as well, as to be expected from a genuine wood-fire oven. I greatly enjoyed each slice, and ate my fill. Staff were very easy to talk to and seemed very enthusiastic about their job and the pizza. We struck up a conversation with a few of the servers and found them to be genuinely enjoyable people. Overall, our experience was very positive, and we would come here again if we were ever in the area. Highly recommended.

No one expects to find a 5 Star Cafe out in the middle of "nowhere", but we were fortunate enough to stumble into this one. Now, we have to find a reason to include Challis, ID in our travels, because this was a true culinary Oasis in the desert. After a little investigation, we found that while this place has been open for about 9 years, it is maintained wonderfully, such that it looks like it just opened. Oh, and the food is also wonderful. I had the Wrangler's Breakfast, and just as other reviews have noted, it was perfectly prepared, with very ample portions. My wife had the Quiche, and it was freshly prepared, and also wonderful. We would encourage anyone who is traveling anywhere close to this little jewel, to detour if necessary, just for the wonderful food and surroundings. There is a gazebo where you can dine outdoors if you like, but the indoor seating is an experience by itself. Highly recommended!

Erik T.

Word has it that the locals won't go here, which is a shame and just shows you how stubbornly people can hold on to a false vision of the past. In the cafe seating area there are pictures of the old dilapidated, abandoned building that used to sit on this site - a real eyesore. The owners of this establishment have taken great efforts to reuse the wood from the old building in their beautifully constructed Bakery/Restaurant/Cafe. All the work was done by locals (except the landscaper who came from all of two hours away [short drive in Idaho]), the impressive stonework outside is from nearby stone quarries and the quality of the craftsmanship is evident throughout. Inside, you have high open beam ceilings, plenty of large windows to let in the light and a warm ambiance. Reminds me of the best of kind of alpine lodge. Outside, a large outdoor fire pit and gazebo are separated on cement patio by several picnic tables. Challis may be an 'old west town', but if it truly is a "Small Town with a Big Heart!', then it should open up that heart and embrace this establishment. Pride in ownership is evident here and many local businesses could take a page from their playbook - it's okay to love you town enough to upgrade what's broken and to build a future for the town that is prosperous. Now let's talk about the food! First day I went in, the restaurant side was close, I had just missed lunch, so I tried one of their $5 wraps in the cold case at the cafe as well as a blueberry smoothie. Light and tasty, the warp was just what I needed after eating way more beef in the preceding days than I'm used to. The smoothie hit the mark as well, major berry falvor, but was so thick, I had trouble sucking it up the small straw at first. Wider straws would be a good idea. Second pass, I came in for lunch around noon and started with a bowl of their soup of the day, beef with wild rice, which exceeded my expectations. I was told it was made with wine and true enough, you could taste the wine bringing out the flavors of the beef and wild rice. Served with bakery fresh bread and butter. Delicious. For the main course, I had a Turkey Club with a side of their homemade kettle chips, which are wavy cut. The sandwich was yummy, served on toasted bread that I'm assuming they also make there. Generous carved turkey, crispy thick cut bacon, and firm tomatoes = excellent sandwich execution. The staff there were friendly and helpful with suggestions, coming by as needed to refill my water and offer me more coffee, every time with a smile. When I wasn't sure about the soup, they didn't hesitate in offering me a sample (which sold me instantly). Warm establishment, warm people and a delicious warm meal make for a rare dining experience here in Challis.