How sweet it is!…read more Let's preface this blog post by saying that The Sweet Bean is set to close on May 13th. Not only did I recently hear about this place for the first time but in the same breath I heard they were closing. So, I knew it was a high priority to check it out. It just so happens that my girlfriend also loves coffee and sweet treats, so we booked it there the first chance we got. I'm not too familiar with the inner workings of how Pekin is laid out so I never would've stumbled upon this place without either being told about it or finding it on Yelp/Google/other sources of information. Thank gosh for GPS We arrived in the later part of the morning once we woke up and got moving for the day. We both were in need of some coffee and something to put in our bellies. Upon entering, we were greeted by a friendly person behind the counter who ended up being the owner. She asked us what the photo taking out front was about and I briefly mentioned how I like to try out local coffee places. She said they only have the basic coffee choices as they are more of a bakery and I said that as long as you serve coffee, that is good enough for me. Emily got a flavored cold brew and a giant turtle cookie and I got a plain cold brew and a dark chocolate cherry... scone? I'm not 100% sure it was a scone. I just pointed at what I wanted and she told me what it was but was too distracted by all the delicious-looking treats in the display case to remember what she said. The total for two 16 ounce drinks and two baked goods was only $13. That is a really good deal, imo. We snagged a table and sat there, sipping our coffees and trying each other's snack. Emily was jealous of my treat and I was a bit jealous of her treat. They were both super delicious and I am glad we got them heated up as I think that really make their homemade deliciousness POP. I couldn't get over how thick and chewy my treat was. It tasted exactly like how it sounds but cranked to an 11. The cold brew was just that. Long-steeped coffee over ice. I don't think I've ever had a cold brew that wasn't just that and that is perfectly fine in my book While we were checking out, we noticed some stickers for sale. I tried to buy 2 but was told I had to use venmo to pay for the stickers as they were being sold by an independent seller. We ended up grabbing 5 for $15 once I worked out how to pay the person directly. This might be the first time I've seen something sold in a store that wasn't able to be rung up at the register. I didn't get a photo of the 5 we bought but you can rest assure they are mostly coffee-themed. I am truly sad this place is closing up it's doors. You can see on their FB page the reasons why so I won't go into that here. Make sure you pop in while you can before the oven is turned off for good.

Love this new little place in town! Fresh homemade muffins - love the banana nut, wow. Haven't…read moretried anything else yet but the coffee is great too. Comes from a coffee place in Peoria that roasts their own they said. Really good. Beats Starbucks any day

Review Visit: April 15th, 2023…read more Jesus that's a strong drink. Like anything with life, you explore enough and you will experience some wild things. Coffee Connection happens to be one of the more unique coffeehouses I've ever visited. After breakfast at Busy Corner, it was time for coffee. We walked up and as soon as we walked in, I knew that we were in for a treat. There was Jesus stuff everywhere and a bookshelf near the entrance that was crammed full of Jesus books, movies, audiobooks, and etc. Not that this place being a Christian-themed is a bad thing. Just my first religious coffee place. No, what made this place unique were the random stuff you'd probably find unsold (or sold ASAP based on trends) at Goodwills or Thrift Stores. You should be able to see some of the oddities in the photos below. To note, there was also a lot of St. Louis Cardinals craft items around so if you are a Cards or Cubs fan, just take note. I was standing there, looking at the menu on the counter and things in the display case when out of the corner of my eye I see someone standing there. This spooked me as we were the only customers at the front of the store. Turns out... it was Jake from State Farm. As a life-size cutout. I knew I had to get a photo with it. Emily saw a Strawberry-type drink on their FB page and ordered that. I got a plain ol cold brew for my sipping pleasure. We stood there while the barista made our drinks and took in the unusualness of Coffee Connection. Once we got our drinks, we wandered to the back and to check out the giant artwork painted on the wall. You can see that below. We headed up to the front and say by the big window, playing Speed with a deck of cards on the aforementioned shelf. I took a sip of my cold brew and instantly knew it would be a slow sipping drink. I've had some strong and bitter cold brews and this one is in the Top 3, easily. Not that that is a bad thing but something to keep in mind if you try one here. Emily enjoyed her drink and said it tasted like a mix of beer, coffee and strawberry. I took a sip and would have to agree. We both agreed that it didn't taste bad... Emily said she enjoyed it, actually. Just an interesting drink. They did have baked goods and refrigerated items for sale but seeing as we just ate breakfast, we weren't in the mood for anything besides caffeine. Some of them did look appealing despite full bellies. Sadly, you can kind of assume this place doesn't do gangbusters in sales as a lot of the fixtures and odds and ends were just not in fantastic condition or shape. Some of their decorations were covered in some dust or showed signs of not being touched since opening. We ended up leaving with half our drinks left. Normally I finish mine while I'm at the place but with how bitter it was, it was a slow sipping drink. Once it was watered down a bit, it really hit the spot after some yard work. I can't say that would return here or would suggest people go out of the way for but if you are in the area and need a caffeine hit, Coffee Connection can connect you with what you need!

The staff is so kind and knowledgeable! It is a perfect spot to relax and sip on coffee. There is…read moreplenty of seating. We both got delicious custom cold drinks. I highly recommend.

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.

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.

The vibe of the hive is great…read more Emily and I decided to get out of town for a day and picked Galesburg to roam around and explore. I let her pick the coffeehouse we visit and that's how we ended up at The Beanhive. Upon walking in, I knew we picked a great place. The Beanhive has the vibes of grandma's house. Everything feels vintage, antiqued, and from the 1970s. The decor is definitely eclectic and feels like they raided said grandmas' house for all their furniture. All of that is a positive in my book. Emily ordered a caramel latte and I got my usual iced americano and we split a warmed up cinnamon roll for breakfast. It didn't take too long for our drinks and roll to come out. The americano was as dark as the night sky and that was a good sign. I took a sip and was instantly in heaven. This was, without a doubt, the best americano I've ever had. Emily was smitten with her caramel latte and we both loved the cinnamon roll. We stuck around a bit longer than intended because we both just loved the vibe of the place and the baristas make us feel really welcomed. If I lived in Galesburg, this would be the only coffeehouse I would visit. Sidenote: They do have stickers, pins, shirts and other merch if you are looking for that kind of stuff. We both got some stickers and pins while Emily also grabbed a nice looking long sleeve tye-dye shirt. Their merch has a Jimi Hendrix vibe to it, which fits with the vibe of the place.

Quite little coffee shop with a good food selection. Plenty of coffee selections to choose from…read more Love the laid back feel.

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!

Such a great place. I love coming here for the lemonade (I'm not a coffee drinker). I love to sit…read moreand grab a drink and do work. Great place to study

Fresh flavors and a calm, uplifting vibe!!!!!…read more Intuition Coffee + Juice offers an excellent experience with high-quality drinks made thoughtfully. The coffee was smooth and well-balanced, and the juices tasted fresh and vibrant, not overly sweet or watered down. You can really tell care goes into the ingredients. The space feels clean, calm, and welcoming--perfect for a quick stop or a relaxed sit-down. Staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to make recommendations. Overall, Intuition Coffee + Juice stands out for freshness, consistency, and a great atmosphere. A well-deserved five-star spot that's easy to come back to.

Coffee is below average. Very acidic tasting. Nothing special at all, which is a shame because the…read moreambiance is very cool. Great place to hang and work. Building is very cool. Service was slow, although you expect it to some extent because they seem to care about the coffee (they teach classes on how to make various coffee drinks).

Who knew vikings could brew up some delicious coffee…read more On a day trip to Bloomington, Emily and I picked a random coffeehouse off my list of ones I have yet to try and we landed on Viking Brews. We both didn't look it up beforehand so we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. As we pulled up, I was surprised to see that there was an attached Viking Liquors and there was a gaming parlor inside as well as a spot for ice cream. I was starving for both food and coffee, as was Emily. But we had birthday lunch plans so I grabbed my usual Americano and decided to get a bagel to hold me over until we got to the restaurant. Emily grabbed a latte concoction that she made up based on the menu offerings. We took a seat at one of the couple tables available and waited a few minutes for our drinks and my bagel. I kid you not........ this was the best bagel I've ever had. Most of the time, a bagel will be dense and tough to pull apart while eating. Not this one. It was light and fluffy and full of flavor despite being a plain one. They use these for their sandwiches and it really makes me want to come back and try one out. As for the coffee, the americano was really good. Nothing to really highlight besides it being about what I prefer from one. Emily was really happy with her latte and I gave it a sip and it was indeed really tasty. The baristas that were working all had to be in high school but had stellar customer service. I asked them for a few of the stickers they put on their cups and they kindly hooked us up. All in all, Viking Brews would be my go-to spot for americanos if I lived in the area but sadly do not. It was a great start to a day full of shenanigans and lost cellphones. Stay caffeinated, my friends.

From the owner: Products: Americano, Coffee, Cold Brew, Espresso Shots,…read moreFrappes, Hot Latte, Iced Latte, Latte, Hot Chocolate, Hot Coffee, Iced Coffee, Bagels, Pastries, Sandwiches, Fountain Drinks, Tea.

Not ONLY is this the slowest Starbucks I've ever been to, the staff is just rude. If I'm waiting…read more30mins for a single drink do not make my sandwich/food items 2 mins after my order so then when I get my drink my food is cold. They are ALWAYS sold out of stuff. Whoever owns this Starbucks sucks at supply and demand. They're out of spoons, straws, food items, drinks, etc.. on a regular basis. The staff doesn't listen. The outside menu is always broke. Inside everything looks chaotic. There's a large table that is available for people who would maybe want to host a study group or a meeting and you can't even use it because it's always covered in staff items, binders, cup inventory. This is by far, the worst Starbucks.

Every time I order coffee from here it takes an hour to get it and more than most times it's wrong…read more I don't understand how it takes that long to make coffee good job to the person running this place

Came on a Saturday during the farmers market. The shop was very crowded and the line was super…read morelong- all the way to the bathroom. Took about 40-45 mins to finally get our coffee after walking in but the baristas were all super kind and apologized for the wait despite it being out of their control and them working diligently. They have a wide assortment of pastries that look absolutely delicious and of course, coffee, with syrup options (they use the 1883 brand), and a seasonal menu. We got the vanilla and the caramel latte, and both were the perfect amount of sweet and had good flavor. Would absolutely recommend!

The food was okay but not worth the price. I haven't tried their coffee but the place is cute and…read moreworkers are kind. Menu is small and not very interesting I'll try other coffee shops instead

Review Visit: October 30th, 2017…read more With my love for coffee and visiting coffeehouses, it is a surprise that this place popped up in Peoria without me knowing. My friend and I were actually heading to Riley's Cupcakes and Coffee Lounge for some caffeine and sweets when we found out they were closed on Mondays as of recent. Sad at the thought of not getting to try a new coffee place, my friend suggested we try the place a few doors down. Come to my surprise that there was a newer coffeehouse right there. So, in we went! [CxT] appears to be a new coffeehouse in Peoria, a city that seems to be going through a renewal of sorts... tons of new places, young places, fresh places... and [CxT] is a welcome addition, in my books. If cozy coffeehouses needed a photo, this place would be perfect. It's small with very limited seating but it's still open enough to feel inviting. Upon going in, we were greeted by one of the owners behind the counter and we chatted for a bit while trying to figure out what to order. Very nice fellow and I hope their company does well. My friend ended up ordering a Matcha Tea Latte while I ordered an Iced Caramel Latte. Oftentimes when I order my usual, it is either a bit too bitter or a bit too sweet, but the balance of this latte was a near perfect blend of flavor and espresso. It is easily a Top 10 for me. My friend said his Matcha Tea was pretty good. He had to explain to me what he ordered as I had never heard of it before. If you like their coffee a lot, they roast it themselves and you can get it in a multitude of flavors. They also offers some unique chocolates, which my friend bought and liked. They have these cool things that you stir in Hot Cocoa and it dissolves, giving it a new flavor. I want to go back and get a few of those things before winter fully hits! There appears to be art on one wall that is for sale. I didn't get a good look at them but they looked cool from afar. There is also a pretty decent-sized jewelry set up, if you need to accessorize while picking up some coffee. All-in-all, [CxT] Roasting Company is a great addition to not just Main Street in Peoria but also to Peoria itself.

The service is great! The Barista, Elliot, gave great recommendations and made some great coffee…read more Great coffee and good vibes. Highly recommended.