A small table with three plates displaying the day’s specialties was the very first thing I noticed when I walked into this newly opened restaurant, located on Route 47. But what really caught my attention was the unique name of these specialties: Crab Bennies, Parfait Crepes, and the Classic Blueberry French Toast.
The second thing I noticed was, of course, the food on these plates – plump blueberries sprinkled on top of golden brown, fluffy french toast, coupled with crispy bacon strips. A plate with breaded crab patties sandwiched between puffy biscuits paired with colorful, cubed fruit on the side and a plate of crunchy crepes stuffed with creamy strawberry parfait and drizzled with an aromatic strawberry sauce, was what welcomed me into the Brunch Cafe.
And that was just the beginning, we were not even past the waiting area yet. The restaurant beyond the pleasantly surprising entrance was cozy and comfortable yet buzzing with activity.
It was a Sunday afternoon when I went, and the restaurant was a fully packed with bouncing children and smiling parents. And what was there not to smile about? The workers were so friendly to all of their customers, that it created a sense of community within the restaurant.
What made the vibe of the restaurant even more warm and friendly, was the fact that the manager himself was greeting every family that came in. And it was not a generic “Good afternoon, your wait will be about 20 minutes” greeting. He was on a first name basis with the regulars.
And since the Bears vs. Packers NFL game was on that night, every single waiter and waitress (and some of the customers of course) was sporting their favorite team’s jersey. Although every single waiter and waitress was wearing a Bears jersey, the Packers’ fans didn’t seem uncomfortable at all. In fact, the waiters played along with it and joked about their differences with them, making them feel more like close friends rather than strangers.
As expected, the food was heavenly and the wait was not too long either. The manager recommends trying the Belgian Stuffed Waffles, Red Velvet French Toast, Blueberry Bliss Cakes, Lemon Poppyseed Crepes, South-of-the-Border Breakfast Quesadilla, Butchershop (ham, bacon, sausage) Omelet, and even Breakfast Burritos.
So I decided to take the manager’s advice and order the Red Velvet French Toast and Stuffed Belgian Waffles. After seeing people raving about the good food in reviews on sites such as yelp.com and tripadvisor.com, I set my bar pretty high.
The two dishes that I ordered were way beyond my expectation bar. And the fact that they were dishes that were unique (I have never heard of Red Velvet French Toast) made them even more enjoyable.
The Red Velvet French Toast was basically “red” flavored toast with a cream cheese filling that swirled on the inside of the toast, just like in a cinnamon bun. The bread was perfectly fluffy and warm, and the thick cream melted in my mouth. They also added a side of freshly-cut strawberries which did not hurt at all.
The Stuffed Belgian Waffles were soft yet crispy waffles stuffed with slices of strawberry, banana and filled with oozing strawberry cream cheese. Similar to the french toast, the thick cream cheese filling was warm and sweet. The cut up strawberries and bananas added a burst of fruitiness to the filling, which complemented the heartiness of the waffle.
After leaving the restaurant I was already excited to come back here a second time. With a warm atmosphere, delicious food, comfortable atmosphere and friendly service, I completely understand why people were raving about this restaurant.