Caffé Bene

Second time there. I got the Special house crepe and my wife got a fruit one. I absolutely loved…read morethe ice cream and fruit along with the light and fluffy crepe. It was huge. My wife liked hers but the ice cream really makes a difference.. I highly recommend this place but come hungry and bring funds. Its not cheap but it's good. The inside is awesome. Comfy and not overpowered by music. We will definitely go back.

Ordered the Matcha strawberry crêpe with Nutella, it was so good! The perfect dessert after a good…read moremeal. The service did take a long time it took probably at least 30 minutes to get our crêpes. There's nothing special about the inside. It's just your regular order at the counter and wait for your food type of ambience.

Interior

Signature crepe

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Honey Green Tea with Lychee Jelly

Kyo Matcha

4.8(6 reviews)

Black Sesame x Hojicha parfait was creamy and had strong black sesame and Hojicha flavors. Red…read morebeans were sweet and had good texture. Friend enjoyed his strawberry matcha latte and said it's the best matcha latte yet in Urbana Champaign. No issues with service. Decent amount of seating for small groups.

This matcha place is on the 2nd floor and is a Te'Amo collaboration store. I went in during a…read moreweekday and 1 person was running the store. You order at the kiosks and then wait for them to make your drink. I got an iced matcha latte with soy milk. You can adjust your ice, sugar, and milk preferences. They offer milk alternatives, such as soy and oat milk. The matcha latte was smooth. It was a nice option for the area. Only complaint is that the air conditioning in the place is not great on super hot days.

Grapefruit drink Matcha latte Mango panda cotta Cheesecake baos

Matcha latte

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Mango coconut panna cotta. Mix well and enjoy!

TEAMOJI

3.9(51 reviews)

It's a solid spot! Very easy to order digitally and you just need to wait to pick up your food…read more Very little human interaction, but that's the nature of this shop. Drinks and food themselves are very interesting and well made. Not in a "this is amazing", but it was good. My group and I enjoyed everything that we ordered, so the drinks and food were probably designed to please as many people as possible. The variety in their menu is interesting and I'm surprised they were willing maintain their diverse selections. The location is more in a hole-in-a-wall spot. Parking is a pain, but it's in a walking neighborhood amidst a bunch of stores and restaurants. It's a nice place to pop by for a quick drink or dessert after a huge dinner or for a walking break. The biggest concern I had with the place is that it's really not designed for people to stick around. Very few seats or uncomfortable standing areas. It's got this industrial layout where you go in, order digitally, get your food and get out.

There were so many Asian tea spots here in Campus town to choose from, but happen to stop in to…read moretry. For a weekend, there was no extremally long lines today due to many digital kiosk available to order. I just had a taste for a mango tea ($8) and splurge for toppings. The order and dink in hand took not more than 10 minutes. The taste was spot on but I wish there was on option to choose the percentages of sugar to add/remove from the drinks.

Menu

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Taro milk tea with boba and Thai milk tea with crystal jelly

Cocomero

3.9(170 reviews)

Honestly, it's not bad at all. All of the flavors are non fat/no sugar added, which is good if you…read morelike to add the sugary toppings. Personally I'm not a big fan of a lot of toppings, so it tasted more like yogurt than anything else. I tried the taro flavor and it wasn't that bad, and the cake batter and vanilla were good as well. It's all self service like any other fro yo spot and it wasn't super decorated inside, but it had a friendly atmosphere.

Great tasting froyo, rich, flavorful and not artificial tasting. Been on campus for almost two…read moredecades, and always a loved spot for the students and alums alike. They charge by weight. My kids like the fruity ones, I liked the taro, the matcha is a bit light in flavor in comparison but still pretty good.

Toppings bar

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Inside

Insomnia Cookies

3.1(129 reviews)

•$$

Amazing selection of deserts. So hard to choose a favorite. Friendly staff. Wish had one closerread more

I've tried all the cookie places, insomnia, cookies, crave cookies, Crumbl cookies, and Insomnia is…read moreby far the best. Some of the other cookie places the cookies are way too sweet and if you like that, then great but I don't like such a sweet Cookie. That's why I stick with insomnia cookies. They just need to open a place closer to the suburbs outside of Chicago like in Orland Park, Tinley Park. They also have a very good variety of cookies and if you order online when you get there, they will be warm and gooey.

Ordered and received times

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Matcha En

Great service, great drinks, and great vibes. I came here during finals to study and try their…read morematcha and was very satisfied! The strawberry matcha is sweet and flavorful. The inside is quiet and has a great seating area for studying, it was very clean and had a cute community board inside! I was served quickly by a lone person with optimism and a smile. I felt very welcome and enjoyed every moment of being here! I will definitley be back to try their desserts!

This dessert shop was a wonderful find for me. I went here to get a matcha oriented drink but ended…read moreup getting a soft-serve swirl. Upon arrival, I checked out the menu and saw a lot of wonderful variety of items that I wanted to try; however, I only had room for one thing. While scoping out the menu, my eyes fell on their soft-serve flavors. They not only had chocolate and vanilla flavors but also, hojicha, matcha, and ube. Plus, you could get them in a swirl or just as two flavors in a dish. I immediately decided that I wanted the Hojicha and Ube pairing. My son got the Matcha and Ube combo. Both were good. I liked all the flavors. Hojicha was my favorite, followed by Matcha, and then Ube. Each of these ice cream had rich flavor and the texture was smooth. The pricing of the soft-serve was on the high side but the portion size was good. The Ice cream is made in-house including the Hojicha. The shop was busy. It was frequented by U of I students, it seemed. The service was good. I'd go back here if I were to be in Champaign again. Check it out.

Ube & Hojicha Ice Cream in a Cup ($7.50)

Black Sesame Hojicha Latte ($7.50)

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Strawberry Matcha Latte ($7) - strawberry tastes artificial. There's no strawberry pieces, just strawberry syrup.

Sun&Moon Premium Yogurt

4.0(1 review)

I've watched this place go through a brand transformation twice in the past year. First they were…read moreTapei Cafe and then Rokee Cafe before landing on the current establishment and its title. Despite the changing exterior, the interior of this place is probably the most low key hang out spot on green street. It's decorated with pillows with very private lounging and dining areas. Their concept of yogurt drinks is very intriguing as it feels like a play on yogurt rice, which is a childhood favorite, but made into a dessert. I would recommend this as an alternative to boba or coffee for people who love trying drinks and anyone who enjoyed treats like yakult growing up.

Purple Rice Yogurt Drink

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Kajiken

3.5(11 reviews)

Hello Kajiken, I am…read morea frequent customer of the Kajiken at UIUC, in Champaign. I am commenting about frequent double charges in taxes without the customer knowing. I always order the Tori Shoyu Ramen, along with Kaedama, and even though the menu itself says the ramen is 17 dollars without tax, the bill inflates the untaxed cost up to 20.19 dollars. For some reason, only the ramen is double taxed as the Kaedama is left unchanged, as it should be, at 4 dollars. At this point, the bill then adds another charge of tax on top, which is simply unheard of. When I reached out to the server to talk about it, he says that it has always been this way (apparently he even spoke to the manager and she said it's fine) and doesn't know how to solve it. No refunds either. There is also no way to contact the manager, as she is out in Chicago and rarely comes back. This is absolutely ridiculous as how am I supposed to file a complaint? The servers have no access in changing a major problem and the manager herself doesn't want to anyone to reach out to her for problems. I am truly disappointed as I was a big fan of the food in Kajiken. I usually would not make such a big deal of this, but as I have come here a lot in the past, I can't help but think of all the times I have been scammed on the prices I have been paying, not to mention the fact that the servers never provide the receipt unless u ask for it. Please fix this problem. I am willing to report this to tax authorities if I have to, as this is clearly a deception of prices.

I came in on a week night before thanksgiving so it was very quiet in the restaurant. I ordered…read morespicy tonkatsu ramen and it was alright. The meat cut was a little on the tough side but otherwise good. The egg did not have much of a marinated flavor. The staff was quick to serve me and the food came out very fast. The restaurant is very well designed and modern with what appeared to be a cafe on the floor above it. I see other reviews of this place and wish I had tried more of the menu which seems to have turned out better than the ramen did. I will be back to try more!

Wall mural

Vegan Aburasoba ($14.50) - noodles with edamame, tomato, scallion, fried onion, tofu, nori and edamame tofu paste

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Homura Aburasoba ($14.50) - noodles with spicy minced pork and poached egg. Pork is a bit dry, but the sauce makes it better.

Latea Bubble Tea Lounge

4.1(115 reviews)

Locally owned & operated

5 years in business

I come here every time I am in Champaign, the bubble teas are top tier. I am usually here in summer…read moreso parking is a breeze.

Stopped by for a midweek treat for their amazing deal: Tuesdays 12-5pm = BOGO on any drinks if you…read morefollow them on Instagram and post to your story My order: * Crème Brûlée Thai Milk Tea - less sweet, less ice ofc * Crème Brûlée Matcha Latte - less sweet, less ice Got one for me and my roomie, which made it even better Both drinks were super delicious. The crème brûlée layer is really creamy and light. it complements the Thai tea perfectly without being too heavy. The matcha latte was smooth and well balanced too. They offer two boba options (brown sugar or honey), we went with brown sugar and it was cooked perfectly. Ideal QQ texture, not too soft, not too chewy. Also, this spot is just a quick walk from campus, which made it feel extra nostalgic. definitely brought me back to my U of I school days. Highly recommend if you're craving something sweet and want to raise that A1C by a few points!

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Suzu’s Bakery

4.6(57 reviews)

1.3 mi

I'm normally a huge fan of this bakery as the quality of the bakes are pretty good so we come here…read moreoften as you can see in my previous review. However, a few weeks ago, (6/6/26) I had a disappointing experience with a staff member there while picking up an online cake order. On the day of cake pick up, I was done with errands at around 10am, I called the bakery to ask if it was possible to pickup the cake early. The girl on the phone sounded very annoyed with my request (I was just asking, they could have said no) and told me they don't do pickups until noon but I can still come in. So I get there and she immediately starts treating me like I was a huge inconvenience. As she's handing me the cake, she pulls out a receipt and started scolding me that pickups don't start until noon and it's right there on the website. I showed her my email receipt confirming 10:30am pickup and how there's literally two different sections with different times on their website so i was obviously confused. but she ignored my explanation and continued chastising me for the misunderstanding of the pickup times. I just let it go as I didn't want to argue but I left feeling very upset. I think management/owners dropped the ball on training staff on how handle these types of situations with professionalism and not immediately placing blame on the customer. I tried my best to smile and be friendly to her but she was starting to become defensive. There was no accountability for the user interface of their website. She made sure to make it known that it was my mistake alone. I have not decided whether I will continue to support this establishment but I won't be back for awhile.

Definitely very Asian bakery with lighter flavor profile. The okara cake was a very interesting…read moreconcept. I've made stuff with okara before and like the particular flavor and texture-- it feels drier and denser because of the soy pulp, but it's something I like. I also like how not too sweet everything is. Their miso salted caramel tart was also good, I also like that they sell day-old stuff with half price. I can get behind the concept and the intention behind how this bakery is ran. Very excited to have discovered this on our trip to visit uiuc. Would've loved to try their sencha, hojicha, and genmaicha next time!

Mini Chocolate Okara Cake ($2), Mini Pumpkin Spice Okara Cake ($2), Kabocha Pan ($4)

Kabocha Mochi ($4) - I like the filling, which is kabocha and shiroan. But the mochi outside is too sweet.

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Mini Matcha Tart ($2.15) and Matcha Roll Cake Slice ($9.25) - tart is quite sweet. I preferred the roll cake

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6 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Hans L.

26

5

0

9 years ago

I liked that Bene is a one-stop shop. Not only can you get coffee and desserts here but you can also get sandwiches that's apparently made with bread from a local bakery, in-house baked Korean bread, and tons of other prepackaged drinks that makes it easy to just grab and go. They're constantly trying new things such as introducing new food items and even new furniture! The staff is always accommodating and they have a good attitude even when it gets busy. read more

John S.

0

2

0

12 years ago

I go to this place often just because they have very friendly atmosphere. I should admit that they are not skilled enough to process orders faster but they are LEARNING. I used to work at a new cafe couple years ago and I know how hard it is to learn all the things at the store and take care of customers at the same time. At cafe Bene, I would recommend Pat Bing Su. It is very sweet and delicious! and try honey bread, too! read more

Hanna H.

0

1

0

12 years ago

I am so glad that Caffe Bene is on the campus now. When I went to Korea for my last summer vacation, I thought all of cafes in Korea is very pretty and nice. I don't know why people are leaving bad comments about this place. Although some people do not like Cafe Bene, I know a lot of people are coming back anyways. It is good place to chat with my friends:))) read more

Jessica T.

0

1

0

12 years ago

I went to Caffebene today and I did not expect anything. I went there for grand opening and I was very very disappointed. But I was actually very surprised how much they have improved. I tried Thai Bubble Tea and my friend had iced tea lemonade, there were both successful. They got much faster than before. I am pleased to try bingsu next time! read more

Heidi S.

60

6

2

9 years ago

Amazing! The milk bread is perfect for a grilled cheese sandwich. Grill in a little butter with a slice of havarti cheese makes for an excellent lunch or dinner. read more

A B.

0

1

0

12 years ago

ridiculously expensive and nothing in return

Caffé Bene - coffee - Updated September 2026

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Caffe Bene

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(52 reviews)

•$$

A Coffee place Where Students study and drink delicious coffee, pastries and huge breakfast…read moresandwiches. It's cute, fresh, and lots to choose from. Service is quick and the place is spacious. It's a nice university town.

First of all they were open between Christmas and New Year. Most businesses on campus are closed…read more Starbucks, Dunkin ... Clean, bright, friendly and great selection. Got a large mocha with Expresso shot. Outstanding. Hot. Great flavor. I'll be back.

TEAMOJI

3.9

(51 reviews)

It's a solid spot! Very easy to order digitally and you just need to wait to pick up your food…read more Very little human interaction, but that's the nature of this shop. Drinks and food themselves are very interesting and well made. Not in a "this is amazing", but it was good. My group and I enjoyed everything that we ordered, so the drinks and food were probably designed to please as many people as possible. The variety in their menu is interesting and I'm surprised they were willing maintain their diverse selections. The location is more in a hole-in-a-wall spot. Parking is a pain, but it's in a walking neighborhood amidst a bunch of stores and restaurants. It's a nice place to pop by for a quick drink or dessert after a huge dinner or for a walking break. The biggest concern I had with the place is that it's really not designed for people to stick around. Very few seats or uncomfortable standing areas. It's got this industrial layout where you go in, order digitally, get your food and get out.

There were so many Asian tea spots here in Campus town to choose from, but happen to stop in to…read moretry. For a weekend, there was no extremally long lines today due to many digital kiosk available to order. I just had a taste for a mango tea ($8) and splurge for toppings. The order and dink in hand took not more than 10 minutes. The taste was spot on but I wish there was on option to choose the percentages of sugar to add/remove from the drinks.

Mad Goat Coffee

4.1

(23 reviews)

Fantastic coffee and smoothies. Clean bathrooms and great location. Lots of space. Friendly staff :)read more

I got the summer special which is a blueberry latte that you could get hot or iced. It had a very…read moreunique smell but tasted 10x better than it smelled. The blueberry flavor must've been a syrup the reason why it smelled like that, but overall the service was fast and friendly. It looks like a good wfh spot cause of the free WiFi and lots of seating options.

Espresso Royale Krannert View

3.7

(77 reviews)

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Big enough location to sit here with friends, get some work done, read a book, charge your phone…read more.. Nice selection of pastries (they'll heat up the scones!), and some breakfast sandwiches. The ginger dragon is very sweet and not very gingery. Sweet staff that are friendly and patient.

Living in the past - 2 of 2…read more Once back in this area again, I made it a point to visit Espresso Royale. Little did I know that this location is called "Krannert View," most likely for its being across the street from the Krannert performing arts center that takes up an entire block. And little did I know I would be blocked from crossing the street toward the coffeehouse by the Marching Illini university band. This Espresso Royale looks much the same as it did back in the day. The building stands out because it is a stucco/plastered one in an area where other materials are used to clad buildings. Inside, it is definitely unique, with arched areas that might be eclectic, albeit with some Venetian influences. There is a variety of seating - both upholstered and tables with chairs. There is an upstairs mezzanine, but good luck getting up there with your hands full. I remained downstairs. Their baked goods don't have funky names. They have straightforward names and are fairly good. I had a chocolate chip muffin. Not being a coffee or tea expert to begin with, this warmer day called for iced tea. What I'm seeing is that most coffeehouses jack up the prices on one or the other - the beverages or the baked goods to be viable and achieve their goals. The service was unremarkable, meaning it had to have been decent. Just as in the past, this is a good venue for sitting down to socialize or to concentrate. I didn't come in here all that much because it was in a different part of this twin city university area and because it pulled in a different crowd based on the nearby academic units and services. However, for the small price difference to enjoy this interesting locale named Espresso Royale, it's worth it. I'd definitely choose it over a Starbucks given that Starbucks stores are everywhere.

Espresso Royale -Village Green

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Needed a good cup of coffee other than Starbucks, daughter who attends UICU, recommended Expresso…read moreRoyale! Loved the vibe and energy from this coffee house. Amelia was our Server. Gave us free cookies to try. Will be coming here every time I need a great cup of Java in Champaign. Have to support Mom & Pop businessses! Cheers!

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Espresso Royale - Stadium Plaza

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Another fire coffee shop! There's a lot of espresso Royale locations in the Champaign Urbana area…read morebut some locations are closed on Sundays. I got the iced caramel toffee nut which is one of the specials for the season. Honestly, it was amazing! Lots of coffee flavor as well as toffee forward. The service was fast, it wasn't busy inside and the overall ambiance seems like a cute sit down environment. The one thing I'll say is be sure to pay attention to the sizing cause a small is 16oz, a large being 32oz where compared to Starbucks, that sizing can be really confusing.

Good espresso, nice staff, but…read more.. Water dispenser hadn't been filled yet, bathroom was out of paper towels and display shelves were super dusty. And this was at 6:45am, just after open. 2.5

Hey Bobo Cafe

4.0

(6 reviews)

Honest Review (Very Disappointed After a Great First Visit)…read moreThis was my second time coming to Hey Bobo, and I was really shocked by how disappointing this visit was. The first time I came, I ordered the strawberry matcha with boba and loved it , so much that I came back and brought my sister. She ordered the same drink, and I decided to try something new: the frosted coconut pumpkin spell (with boba). Unfortunately, that was a big mistake. The drink was completely tasteless ; it had color but absolutely no flavor, almost like drinking stale rotten coconut water! As someone who loves coconut, this was a first. The taste was very off putting. I even had my sister try it, and she had the same reaction. I politely went to the counter and explained that the drink didn't taste right and asked if they could add more flavor. To my surprise, the lady handed me a cup of pumpkin purée and instructed me to fix it myself. I tried mixing it in, but it didn't help. When I asked if I could get a refund or a replacement, she refused, offering no solution at all. I ended up leaving upset and tossed my full drink. I'm genuinely sad because I really liked this place the first time and was excited to bring my sister, but this experience left a bad taste in my mouth (literally and figuratively). I hope management sees this and takes it seriously, because I'd love to see Hey Bobo improve their customer service and consistency. (Photo of the untouched drink in the trash for authenticity.)

A lot of tables and charging ports so nice study spot strawberry matcha tastes more like strawberry…read moremilk def not high quality matcha but I enjoy it very asian cafe core

Matcha En

4.1

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Great service, great drinks, and great vibes. I came here during finals to study and try their…read morematcha and was very satisfied! The strawberry matcha is sweet and flavorful. The inside is quiet and has a great seating area for studying, it was very clean and had a cute community board inside! I was served quickly by a lone person with optimism and a smile. I felt very welcome and enjoyed every moment of being here! I will definitley be back to try their desserts!

This dessert shop was a wonderful find for me. I went here to get a matcha oriented drink but ended…read moreup getting a soft-serve swirl. Upon arrival, I checked out the menu and saw a lot of wonderful variety of items that I wanted to try; however, I only had room for one thing. While scoping out the menu, my eyes fell on their soft-serve flavors. They not only had chocolate and vanilla flavors but also, hojicha, matcha, and ube. Plus, you could get them in a swirl or just as two flavors in a dish. I immediately decided that I wanted the Hojicha and Ube pairing. My son got the Matcha and Ube combo. Both were good. I liked all the flavors. Hojicha was my favorite, followed by Matcha, and then Ube. Each of these ice cream had rich flavor and the texture was smooth. The pricing of the soft-serve was on the high side but the portion size was good. The Ice cream is made in-house including the Hojicha. The shop was busy. It was frequented by U of I students, it seemed. The service was good. I'd go back here if I were to be in Champaign again. Check it out.

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Great drinks! Matcha specifically is really good, and robot aspect is really cool as well.read more

Solid 4 star experience, pretty cool concept with just the robot making the drinks and a real…read moreperson finishing it up. I tried the blueberry and the the mango matcha and thought they were a fun twist on a traditional drink. It wasn't overly sweet and each added a nice sweetness that complimented the earthy matcha flavour well without really overpowering it. The drinks were visually appearing and made with care which added to the overall experience. It was a bit sweeter than what I usually prefer but still enjoyable and felt perfect for a warm day. The place itself didn't have a lot of seating and it does get pretty packed so not too many spots to hang out with your friends. It felt like a good spot to stop in for something different than the usual coffee shop offerings.

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