On a road trip started the day hours earlier with our first latte and espresso. Now, in the afternoon, we were feeling ready for a 2nd. Having consulted Yelp we chose The Buzz. Unfortunately our nav system indicated we would get there exactly at closing time. I phoned to let them know of our situation. They responded that it was NOT a problem, they'd be there! Sure enough, I walked in at 1:59, all the employees were busily cleaning up, the owner was at the register, I told her I'd just called and our order. They could not have been nicer, happy to help us out! I loved the space also with local art work and a little book store of local lore written by local authors. read more

The Buzz Cafe - a bench in front of the building - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Benton, Illinois

Panini's were okay. It's not hard to make a great sandwich. They could toast the bread a little longer so the cheese melts. House Chowder was great. Friendly staff to come around and refill drinks. Creative ambiance for a cafe. Beverages are good there except- they should switch away from styrofoam cups :( read more

First time at this amazing little cafe. The place is filled with local flavor of the area, books, artwork, posters and all the tables have fresh flowers. The aroma from the food being prepared is intoxicating. Had the tomato bisque and a Da Vinci sandwich, Excellent!!! Service is exceptional. Will definitely add this place to one of my favorites to enjoy a relaxing lunch. read more

Great mid-morning snack after visiting the wonderful Benton City park! The cinnamon rolls, sugar cookies, lemonade and coffee - excellent. Grandkids really enjoy the books, pictures and eclectic settings. Going back to enjoy a lunch or breakfast! Friendly staff. read more

The Buzz Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Benton, Illinois

Wonderful as always. Got their version of the "pick two"...got shrimp corn chowder and cranberry tuna salad on wheat berry bread. Yummmy! My favorite place to eat in Benton. We sometimes drive down here (about 25 miles) just to have breakfast or lunch! The owner, Lea, is amazing!!! read more

Drove through Benton on our way to Wisconsin from Florida, and was looking for some good coffee to fuel us on our drive. I'm no coffee connoisseur, but this was the best cup of Joe I have ever had. Their house brew is delicious, mildly spicy, and perfectly balanced. I wish we had this blend in Florida! I would buy online just to have a cup every day. The egg and cheese croissant was well made, and the service was lovely. Thanks for the awesome experience! read more

Cute coffee shop with a small offering of books, friendly staff, tasty books, and a variety of food pastry options. Always worth the stop in when on the square. read more

Overpriced local coffee house. Positives: attractive decor, showcases local art, and sells some books. Lots of locals adore the Buzz. They offer attractive looking desserts. It's a coffee shop, so let's talk about the coffee. Espresso runs through fast and has no crema foam. It's not the greatest tasting, but it serves if you just need a dose of caffeine. As an added delight, the counter employee called the order to the barista as "expresso." A double shot is sorely overpriced at $2.99. Come here for the high end life in Benton, not for the coffee. read more

Service was good. Clean, cute local place on the square. Panini and soup was ok. Served with chips. Also have chicken salad that was good. read more

First time visit, had the chicken salad sandwich on sourdough bread. Nothing special, didn't even eat half of it. Service was good. Probably give them another try with something different from the menu. read more

Each time I have been to Buzz, I have been greeted with a friendly, authentic smile. The people working here are friendly and truly care about giving good service. Their food is fresh, tasty and quickly served. read more

The Buzz is my daily coffee shop & my service dog's daily breakfast stop (yes, they make him his own breakfast & serve it to him on a paper plate...after they cool it off by blowing on it for him) so I might be slightly biased. Lee & her staff are overtly welcoming and friendly. I'd say they treat us like family, but they're always nice so maybe not. Their pastries are why I'm overweight. Breakfast is always made to order & terrific. Their soups are my answer to a cold or rainy day. Everything is fresh! The kitchen is super clean. I suppose if there's a draw back, besides my being there) it would be parking. However, I walk, so to me it's the best cafe in the world. read more

Bacon bits in my Greek Salad. WTF?! When we initially walked in I thought wow, what a cool cafe. It's an order at the counter place and then they deliver your food to the table. Everything was good except for one thing. They put bacon bits in my Greek salad. Now, whoever heard of bacon bits in a Greek salad? It never even occurred to me to ask them to leave them out because I had no idea they were going to be in there. This is a major fail because as a vegetarian, this place just needs to a little more accommodating I think. Well, it is a little podunk town in Southern Illinois so I guess you can't expect too much. read more

This place is great. I was on vacation and found it by accident. They make a pretty good Mocha. but the best thing is that the owners operate it themselves and are a pleasure to be around. When I go back to the area I will go back for another Mocha and some internet connection. read more

Great food, coffee, and ambiance. Staff was very friendly. This place exemplifies exactly what I look for in a cafe in any sized city. read more

The Buzz Cafe - Grilled Rueben; absolutely delicious. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Benton, Illinois

Friendly people and cute little small town cafe atmosphere. Their paninis and soups are really good. The bakery items are great! I particularly like those banana pudding cupcakes. read more

I didn't know but I came in right before they close and yet everybody was cheerful and helpful and made me a smoothie and a salad quickly with a smile. I got an acai Pomegranate Smoothie which comes out a really weird color but is so tasty while seeming healthy. The salmon Caesar was a lot of lettuce with Parmesan and tomatoes and of course salmon with a pepper Caesars dressing. The dressing is what made the whole thing. I don't know if it's homemade but it seems higher quality than most Caesar dressings I come across. The only issue I had is they give me my water in a styrofoam cup read more

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Food is AMAZING and atmosphere is different. The only thing I can say is not a ton of organization to serving sometimes when busy can be a little bit of a headache. Staff is very nice! Def try it out read more

This is my favorite place to come eat lunch. Parking can be difficult on the square, but if you can get there it is a good eat. Their chicken salad is great, as is the Apple chicken walnut salad. I have had their mushroom brie soup and tomato soup as well, all Devine. And be sure to not leave without a dessert from the pastry cabinet read more

What a great find. We stumbled on this gem on our way to St Louis. Friendly staff greeted us and cheerfully guided us through ordering and seating. Delicious freshly made home style soups warmed us. Tim's panini was filled to bursting with tasty turkey and cheese. The Greek salad was tossed with a savory dressing and lots of fresh veggies. I enjoyed the art gallery and children's reading corner. Definitely stopping here on our travels again. read more

Found this place by accident when traveling on I-57. Charming little cafe in the town square of Benton. Excellent service, fresh food, wonderful cookies! Definitely a must for hungry travelers in need of nourishment NOT in the form of fast food! read more

Cute place with a relaxing coffee shop atmosphere, great for talking or using their Wi-Fi. Food is pretty good but expect small portions at a very high price. $14 for a small sandwich, two cookies and tea is a bit much. If prices were a little lower I'd frequent more often. read more

We stopped in on our way to Nashville, TN. Staff and food were both fabulous. Definitely well worth the stop!!

We were looking for a quick lunch while exploring the area during a camping trip...this place is a gem! Great food and friendly people. White cheddar poblano soup was AMAZING! read more

They serve the kind of sandwiches you'd expect in any all American lunchbox. Simple meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, mustard with a pickle and a side of chips. Nothing fancy, but a solid lunch. Better than any other fast food options we saw around. They also have coffee. read more

Awesome coffee drinks. Very pleasant ladies at the front counter. Realised I had been here before a few years ago. The courthouse square, the front doors, and the atmosphere brought it back. Support local businesses and enjoy the sunlit morning read more

Stopped in for breakfast and had pastry and coffee. Fast, friendly service, good coffee (bottomless cup!) and tasty pastry. Clean, comfy setting in a nice old downtown building. Would definitely stop again! read more

I had car issues and while waiting, I came here. Staff was so nice and pleasant after a terrible couple days of car issues! Cheap as well for how great the food was. read more

Cute and friendly, and the food is really good and fresh - and best of all, REAL.

I have been to The Buzz a couple of times, and each time it is a little better. Today, I had lobster bisque and a reuben. The portions were perfect and the price reasonable. The food was delicious and the ambience inviting. Instead of a boring processed lunch out near the interstate, try this gym on the square. read more

Wow, I think it is the worst espresso I've had in the US. I asked for a double shot mocha, I think they just ran the single shot through for a longer time rather than an actual double shot very bitter (a bit like me I guess). Then it was hot, so bloody hot I could not drink it for a good 20 min, then when it was cool enough to drink I decided it was best to put it in the rubbish, $5.25 for a 12 oz mocha is a bit rich as well. Please learn how to pull a shot, or please don't offer espresso coffee. read more

This was our first stop for a meal on vacation and what a way to start the trip. We stopped in for lunch and I had a wrap and my wife had the chicken salad sandwich. Both were excellent. We finished with the bread pudding and that was delicious as well. The entire staff couldn't have been friendlier. They brought us refills and cleared our dishes quickly. We couldn't have asked for anything more. The restaurant is comfortable and the decor is something I would classify as quaint eclectic. If you don't know what that means, you will when you get there. This place is an absolute gem and I wish we lived closer! read more

Found this little coffee shop on my drive home. Two words: Highland Grog coffee! Yummmm! They roast their own beans. All types, I fell in love with Highland Grog at first sip. I even bought a bag of the beans to take home. The best part - they will ship their beans if you call and place an order...ask for Lee! read more

I stopped in here while I was in the area for business as it's the only coffee shop in the vicinity. Definitely a cute place and the staff was very friendly. No soy milk available, but it's not the end of the world. My frapp was still delicious! read more

Clean, friendly, warm and cozy atmosphere with books, crafts with a small town quality specialty coffee cafe could only offer. I would come back more often if I was living closer!. read more

The staff are very accommodating and the food is always fresh and delicious!! I highly recommend anyone to stop in and enjoy the food, coffee, and calming atmosphere! read more

Never got anything I didn't like everything is fresh and wonderful and they have the best coffee in franklin county.

This is an excellent place to get coffee, lunch, or even the best toast in town. Their employees are very helpful and pleasant to be around. If you haven't been here, stop what you are doing and go there now. Even if you are almost finishing a 5,000 piece puzzle, leave it and get to this place on the Benton Square. You won't be disappointed. Ask for Lee or Richelle because they never fail at serving the customer. Remember: the only thing decaffeinated coffee is good for is throwing at people. read more