Review Visit: June 6th, 2016…read more If you visit the blog often, you will notice my trend for visiting coffeehouses and see that I tend to order Iced Caramel Lattes at most places. Black Maple was no different. A perfect blend of milk, espresso and caramel made this one place I would love to re-visit. It would've scored a perfect 5, but they are a walk-up/drive-thru only, so if it was a rainy day, it could possibly affect trying to get something from there. Also, they could've used some benches outside, but since it is located in the parking lot of a hotel, they are doing great with what they have. I don't frequent Canton, but I am going to always visit this place if I do.

We were really excited to try this place but very unimpressed. They didnt have anywhere hardly to…read moresit inside. When we ordered we asked how sweet drinks were and were told they weren't sweet. My husband ordered a vanilla latte which had hardly any flavor (including coffee flavor). I ordered a caramel macchiato which was SO sweet. We also ordered a bfest croissant. The croissant was panini style so smooshed and burnt. Sorry to say we will not be back. Hope others have a better experience then we did.

Food is fantastic, staff is always friendly and so knowledgeable, and drinks are the best. Highly…read morerecommend!

What a great local find! The space was comfortable and inviting. He started our morning with a dark…read morecoffee roasted on house. We also had a wonderfully moist orange cardamom rhubarb scone and a prosciutto ricotta toast. It was a delicious start to our morning!

The sugar cookie latte was perfect. Husband loved the strawberry macchiato too! Will most…read moredefinitely be back.

Review Visit: September 20th, 2019…read more Leaves 'n Beans, round three! At long last, I have finally visited the third and final Leaves 'n Beans. Does it contain the same feel as the Peoria Heights location? How about the same menu and good tasting coffee? Yes and no. (Should you be interested in the 3rd and closed location, you can read about it here.) Upon arriving, I noticed the feel and look of the place was of one that wasn't like the Peoria Heights location. This had more of a restaurant/basic feeling to it. There were some sparse autumn decorations on the tables and furniture. My friend sat on a couch and I sunk deep in to this cozy red chair. The area where they had products for sale had a nice look to it and everything looked well organized. I was looking at a coffee cup with their logo on it and was surprised at the price tag. $7.99 for a local coffeehouse cup is really cheap compared to other places I've been. With it nearing fall, I decided to look over their seasonal menu. Being a sucker for lattes, I decided to get the Maple Vanilla one. I took a seat in the aforementioned red chair and instantly felt relaxed. Before I could settle in too deep, the barista was setting my drink down in front of me. As my friend and I conversed, I took small sips to savor the latte as I knew we would be there for awhile. The blend of vanilla and maple was decent, if a bit lacking on the maple side until the very end, when it was all maple. I am not sure what my friend ordered as she was already there and had her drink by the time I walked in the door... plus I forgot to ask. During the 2 hours we were there, the barista/cashier never once stopped to ask if we needed anything. I thought that was a bit odd, as almost every other coffeehouse (and most places that serve food/drinks) will check in and make sure you are doing okay or if you need anything. Luckily, we didn't need anything but it still struck me as odd. Should you need to grab a coffee while on the go, they have a convenient drive thru. We witnessed quite a few people utilize that service. If you decide to go in, there is a public parking lot to the right of the building. If I had to recommend which of the two remaining places to visit, I would highly suggest the one in Peoria Heights. It just has this unique feel and atmosphere that this location is lacking, but you have to remember that one is in a house and this one is in a business location. If you don't need or care about any of that, you can't go wrong with either place for that burst of caffeine. Some day, I will try the food and update the blogs accordingly. Stay caffeinated!

Review Visit: November 28th, 2021…read more I couldn't wait for this place to open. I can wait to go back. Somehow, the building of the Coffee Can became this huge hyped thing among people living in Central Illinois. Being from Central Illinois, I got wrapped up in this hype. It's probably due to the unique building materials used in it's construction. You see, the Coffee Can is literally made from shipping containers. It's been a trend that seems to be gaining popularity over the last few years/decade. Take a unique structure and throw in some coffee and that is probably how I got hyped up to try this place. Sadly, with the world currently in a unique situation, the items needed by the Coffee Can took forever to arrive. This lead to the opening being delayed multiple times. But, we are sitting here reviewing it so that must mean they finally opened. It was a windy and sunny afternoon with a few of my friends and I stopped in for some coffee and chit-chat. I wanted something warm since it was just cold enough to chill your inside without freezing you out completely. Also, I made sure to come here on an empty stomach so I could try out their food (which I am never hungry when trying these places, so the opportunity to sample their food is always a failure on my part... but I am learning). My order consisted of a 20oz. Americano and a 'Grown Up Grilled Cheese'. The place was busier than I anticipated for a Sunday since the baristas were busy with the orders that came before us and orders coming in through the drive-thru. After about a 5 minute wait, Jenn and I were able to put our orders in. She got a Chai Tea Latte and a salad. The wait for my drink was short and my food came out a few minutes after that. Since I was hungry, I dived right in to my sandwich while the coffee took it's sweet time cooling off. With those first two bites, I knew my sandwich wasn't going to be a great experience. I didn't realize it came with spinach on it until it came to write these words. I knew it had a funky taste but I haven't had spinach since I was a kid, so I couldn't place what was off about it. It wasn't completely off-putting as I ate the whole sandwich but I can't help but think I would've enjoyed it more had I ordered it without the offending topping. But, who puts a spinach on a grilled cheese?! I chalk that mistake up to me talking and not paying attention to what I was actually ordering. After an eternity, my coffee was cool enough to sip. My taste buds are a glutton for punishment and I love the bitterness of Americanos, but this one tasted very bland. It's hard to say what I wasn't a fan of but I just didn't care for it and was debating on ordering a new drink and tossing it. But, wasting coffee like that hurts my soul so I ended up sticking with it. I do chalk my interesting experience to myself making a mistake on ordering my sandwich and also not ordering the coffee I was craving and getting something basic instead. As we wrapped up our hangout, we decided to check out the upstairs area. The second we stepped foot on the 2nd floor, I wished we had our hangout up there. It was super cozy and intimate with comfy-looking seating and what appeared to be a fireplace. I didn't snap any good photos of the area as there were people sitting there and I didn't want to invade on their privacy. I may have had a unique experience for the worst but, as I said, the blame on that was mostly on me. My friends want to come back when it's a bit warmer out so we can sit outside on the upstairs deck. That you can see below (with the American flag). Hopefully my next visit is a better experience. If I do get to return, I will update this post with any new info/photos/revise the score based on that trip. As always, don't let my blog post dissuade anyone from checking out a place. Go there and it may just be your new favorite place!

Two of us on our order. Our order was 1 medium coffee, 1 medium decaf mocha and a toasted bagel…read more This took 45 minutes to fill. There was one couple ahead of us that got coffee and ice cream and they left before they got their full order because they had waited so long. Our bagel was not even hot and the coffee tasted like it was burnt. Needless to say we won't be back.

The baristas are always super nice and the coffee is consistently great. I love their seasonal…read moreflavor options. All around a lovely spot :)

Great little coffee shop that I try and stop in every year when I'm in the area. Service is polite…read moreand friendly. My mocha and cherry danish were good. It was a cold, damp, and grey day. So I enjoyed my order while listening to soft melodic Christian music. I recommend you stop in and check them out.

Outstanding on all fronts! Great atmosphere…read more Super friendly team members Tasty menu items and beverages Great selection of quality Giftware's Highly recommend!!

Every time I've been to Nat's, I'm not disappointed! The food is delicious. The coffee and…read morespecialty drinks are yummy. All of the boutique items for sale are adorable. I've ordered online ahead of time, gone in and grabbed, and also sat down to eat. Every service style is high quality. I would recommend ordering ahead if you're getting food and are in a rush!

Great coffee bar w/ matcha, espresso drinks, and beautiful monsteras…read more Matcha latte was legit

Asked my Peoria native friend for recommendations around town and this was his number one spot- and…read moreI can see why! Zion was the perfect cafe to spend a few hours working while fueling up with some caffeine and breakfast. They had plenty of tables/bar space, and even an extra upstairs area with more seating. I tried their special banana butterscotch latte and it was incredible. Also tried the classic avocado toast. I was surprised to have two slices that were loaded with avocado mash! If I'm being picky it was a tad too salty, but the sourdough toast was delicious. I'm looking forward to trying the crunchy at my next visit. I'll absolutely be back next time I'm in the area!

From coffee truck to temporary location back to coffee truck…read more My friend Maria first told me about this place and how it is a coffee truck that's taking temporary residency in this Tropical Sno building until the end of winter. Not really wanting to stand outside and order coffee in 10 degree weather, I kind of forgot about it until we were at a hockey game and Maria said it was still open and was having their final day the next day. Having already plans to go to Weaver's for lunch on that same day, it only made sense to drop in next door to grab some caffeine before lunch. So, that's what Emily and I did. We both needed some caffeine before we dug into our lunch. The menu was pretty vast for being a mobile truck. I'm guessing them being in an actual building lets them expand their offerings. Being situated in the Tropical Sno building also lets them tap into that companies sauces and syrups to build some pretty interesting combinations and drinks. Emily got The Best Brew and I snagged Night Shift Special with some caramel flavoring. We took a seat to enjoy what little sunshine there was on this dreary day. It was a bit too cold to sit outside and enjoy our coffees so we took them to the car to sip them down. We tried Emily's first and it was really good. The cinnamon bun flavor was just subtle enough to not make the drink all about itself. Then we tried my Night Shift and we both fell in love. Usually when Emily and I grab coffee and food, she gets the better tasting thing but I won this one with the best tasting drink ever. This drink is legit a Top 3 coffee drink I've ever had. Every sip was smooth and delicious and full of flavor. After we drank most of our coffees, we wandered over to Weaver's for even more tasty goodies but we kept thinking about that Night Shift Special. With The Best Brew moving back to being a mobile truck, I am going to have to keep my eye on where it'll be setting up shop to get more of that sweet sweet Night Shift Special.

For the past two years, I have been getting best brew coffee before work when I can, and it is my…read morefavorite start of the day. The staff and ownership there is amazing and hilarious super welcoming. coffees to die for.