Tucked away in the Twin Tower Plaza at Fulton and Madison, this cafe can be a little tricky to find…read morethe first time. There are two entrances, one on Madison and one on Fulton. The Madison side is easier to spot since it has a larger sign, but when I visited those doors were under renovation. I walked around to the Fulton side, which does not have a big sign but is still open. Look for the glass double doors near the corner, then step inside. It feels like a small indoor walkway or hidden plaza. Once inside, stay along the left corridor and you will see a green fence on your right that marks the entrance to Cultured Grounds. The moment you step in, the space feels welcoming and calm. There are cozy couches, a colorful rug, and sunlight streaming down from the tower above that naturally brightens the room. It feels peaceful, inviting, and different from most downtown spots. They offer sandwiches and salads ready to go, along with a simple menu that includes my favorite avocado toast. It came with arugula, tomato, and a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning that added great flavor. You can ask how you would like your toast or customize it a bit, which I thought was such a nice touch. I ordered an almond milk matcha and it was smooth and balanced. You can choose sweetened or unsweetened, and they also offer soy and dairy milk options. The seating setup is great with couches, high top tables, and regular tables near the counter. There is also a shared food court area near the other entrance if you want extra space. It was lively but not loud on a Tuesday morning, the kind of place where you can sit back and enjoy your drink without feeling rushed. The charm alone will bring me back, and next time I am buying one of those salads to go.

as the former business owner that got kicked out of my own business for wanting to be paid for the…read morework I've done, I do not recommend supporting a business that is still running, even after legally they are using my recipes. I did all the work, set up the prices, the whole local coffee idea, the layout, everything. to watch someone else take credit for my hard work is more than a slap in the face. I will also mention that my previous business partner and I constantly went back and forth about the whole pest problem and it didn't seem to bother him that there were cockroaches infesting the place, but having someone spray the food prep area about 4 times in one week is ok. No one will tell the truth but I will because riding off someone else's coattails is wrong.

Been meaning to stop by for a while, and putting it off was a mistake. This place is really great!…read moreThe person behind the counter was friendly.The drinks and food are super affordable and the atmosphere is really nice. I'll definitely be back here when I need to study or write!

Review Visit: October 29th, 2012…read more Chick-fil-A will Chick-fil-you-up. Living in the Central Illinois area, Chick-fil-a was only available via commercials and advertisements (or long drives). Luckily, the day came where the one in Peoria was built and opened it's doors to customers. Erin, Matt and I stopped in after a day exploring Bloomington-Normal and we were famished. It was a first for all of us and we were excited to try out the place that has rave reviews and good word-of-mouth. We luckily got to Chick-fil-a when there wasn't a long line in the drive thru or a packed lobby. Busy, yes, but not uncomfortably so. This place was swamped with people for months after it opened. We must've gotten extremely luckily with our timing. In the years since this visit, I still remember how incredible delicious the food here is. I don't remember what we all ordered but we all loved with what we got. That I do remember. The chicken sandwich was just what I needed after dragging my friend and girlfriend around Bloomington-Normal for the afternoon. I ended up coming back in 2018 with another friend who never had it and it was every bit as delicious as it was back in late-2012. I typically keep my reviews of nationwide chains short (barring some crazy story to share) due to many factors and this one is no exception. All there is to say about Chick-fil-a is that it is incredibly delicious chicken at a decent price. My only critique is that it leaves you wanting more after you finish your meal. Its that good.

Amazing food wonderful service very very clean fun for kids cleanest best fast food restaurant I've…read moreever been to and very good vegan menu

I ordered the skinny turkey and Swiss fully loaded with their hot peppers a must try, deli mustard,…read morelettuce, onion and pickles. Very tasty and well seasoned. I also grabbed their pomegranate lemonade and some Zapps jalapeno chips. Will come back if I'm in the area again soon. The service was quick and speedy and the ambiance was rather quiet to be a strip mall.

Same story a year later. Guess I'll have to make it a tradition to come here once a year when I…read morevisit.

This is a really nice Panera location ! Great work to the team here working hard to provide good…read moreservice and good food ! Definitely a good environment !

This restaurant looks so little from the outside but feel so big and open in the inside. The wait…read moretimes were a little long, but that's reasonable for a Sunday morning. All the food was absolutely delicious. I totally recommend!

What's most interesting about this Panera is not the food, but the crowd. Mostly 20, 30, and…read more40-something women in yoga pants. It's like a club with a dress code. Panera definitely caters to a particular market. Food is standard Panera fare...sandwiches, soups, breads, pastries and up to typical Panera standards. Would have given 4-stars, but there are so many other much better sandwich shops nearby, that comparatively it is only a 3-star. They do cater and the price for catering is very competitive. Bread selection is disappointing. The "French baguettes" are not real baguettes. Only a couple places in the area can claim the real thing. The bagels are good. I like the cinnamon bagel.

Huge menu, typical price gouging on salads, soups, sandwiches, and everything shipped out of their…read morefactory to be reheated and charged at least a thousand percent markup, but it sure hits good every time! The app is fantastic and easy. Rewards are fine. Staff here was extremely polite and accomplished. Seemed clean enough with a large crowd dining in for the Friday evening. Parking and location is great for quick running in and out which I did to claim by birthday pastry, an orange scone, that thanks to the preservatives still tasted right a day later. I am astonished at the popularity of these fast casual chains charging as much for less food compared to Chili's and Outback and most any local restaurant. Panera is so over priced, a bowl of low calorie soup is nearly ten bucks, crazy!

Food and service very good. Overall everything was clean. If they could add another stall in the…read morebathroom that would be nice, so you dont have to wait in line. The Burlington iowa location is an exellent model for a good bathroom layout.

Food came very fast said sorry for waiting five minutes and gave us a treat free brownie!!!read more

This place is a joke. Waited 40 min in the store for an online order!! The crew all looked lost and…read moreuntrained.

Noodles & Company in east peoria has the best spicy Korean beef noodles!! There rice crispy bars…read moreare very nice too !!!

So I go over there this evening to get my meal. And the "supervisor" is there talking to a customer…read moremind you the customer had already ordered her food. I waiting to put in my order and the supervisor is still yapping to the customer. I waited for a few minutes while she stands there rubbing hair and (very unsanitary) while talking about what she puts on her pancakes and in her coffee. In the meantime time the customer is leaned on the counter while people are waiting. That is very unprofessional to keep yapping when you have people in line. The supervisor with the glasses and brown hair did not say anything to me as if I was not there. Then when I walked away I am pretty sure she had something negative to say because the customer and her were talking low as I left today. 5/18/25 @6:39

I ended up ordering some boneless buffalo wings since the buffet wasn't good…read more Not a bad option and they are open pretty late.

This is also known as Herolds pizza oven. Great pizza love the New York crust. Chili is awesome…read more The food is great. They do an amazing pizza buffet. Love the staff, they all do a great job. Their pinball machines, (OUCH) poor working condition. Hope they try harder to keep them playable.

After a long day of traveling, we found this gem of a pizza place! Wonderful service and delicious…read morefood! 10/10 and would recommend to anyone in the area!