We were looking for a treat around Edwardsville today & Yelp "surprise me" feature selected Cafe…read moreBirdie for us - so glad it did! I had the gluten free lemon lavender donut & a vanilla latte - both were great! My husband had a scone he enjoyed & lemonade that was very freshly squeezed. Service was prompt and friendly - you order up at the counter. Lots of GF options, no upcharge for oat milk, gender neutral bathroooms, cozy seating both indoor and outdoor on the patio, self serve water station.

I live really close to Cafe Birdie and have been wanting to check it out forever, but I never…read moreseemed to be free during their open hours. Pro tip: definitely check their hours before you go--and honestly, just plan your day around it because it's that good. I was expecting your typical little coffee-and-sandwich spot, but it completely exceeded my expectations. They have a couple of parking spaces behind the building, and if those are full, there's a free lot about 500 feet down the road. It was pretty busy at lunchtime. You order at the counter, and they bring everything to your table. There's a mix of indoor and outdoor seating in various sizes, and the decor is adorable. I especially loved the maps--they make great conversation starters. I noticed several tables pointing out places they'd visited and swapping travel stories. The menu has a nice variety. I ordered the chicken salad on ciabatta with a side salad. The chicken salad had a strong dill flavor that I really enjoyed, and the ciabatta was perfectly fresh--not too tough. Next time, I'll probably pick a different side since the salad was basically just lettuce. If there was any dressing, it was super light, so I ended up adding some of the lettuce into my sandwich. The surprise standout, though, was the lavender lemonade--a total sleeper hit. It was scorching hot that day, and I wanted something refreshing, so I ordered it on a whim. Honestly, it was the best lemonade I've ever had. I don't usually find myself making a special trip to a café just for lemonade, but here I am. I'm not sure if it's seasonal, but I really hope it sticks around.

This is a great little neighborhood coffee shop. It's located in what I"d guess was a gas station…read morein its earlier life. The ambiance is minimalist with a rustic twist and it truly is right on the corner, so you can't miss it. They offer a good variety of teas, coffee and morning pastries. If you're there at lunchtime, they've got that covered, too. They offer several sandwiches and for the health conscious, there is a variety of salads, too. The staff was friendly and brewed me a great cup of coffee. I love small town coffee shops. Their personalized service out shines that chain that most people love.

I found this delightful little cafe in downtown Wood River a pleasant surprise. While it has been…read moreopen for about two years now (yes, I asked), I had not heard of Russell's Corner Cafe until a few days ago when I took an alternative route and happened to drive by the cafe. It's an ideal place to grab your morning caffeine or a quick lunch, while supporting a small business. My Order: Mango Passionfruit Iced Tea & The Italian Sandwich Food/Drinks: The coffee menu is extensive, and they have a decent tea menu (my tea was Stash). There's a small bakery/pastry case, plus a few sandwiches and salads on the menu. After eating there, I checked out their social media; it looks like they have occasional specials that they post. I enjoyed my tea, and the Italian Sandwich was delicious. My sandwich came with a little cup of oil with herbs, which was so good! Atmosphere: The inside is simple, yet inviting. There's a counter where you order, and two small rooms with a few tables in each room. There's also a few tables outside, which I would have sat at had it been a little bit warmer. The woman working the counter was friendly and helpful. Logistics: It's 3 hour street parking, but I had no trouble finding a spot. The building is sort of on the corner/side road. Once inside, head up to the counter to order.

State Street is easily one of my favorite restaurants in the Riverbend area. They were a shining…read morestar in downtown Alton until their lease was not renewed. At first I thought it was a bad call by the landlord. Now that they are located in Elsah, I realize he did them a favor. Beau and Terri rallied and took on the challenge of relocating their restaurant. They searched hight and low and found the perfect location in Elsah, just 8 miles north of the old location. Elsah welcomed them with open arms and issued them the first liquor license in the history of the township. Since the relocation I have been multiple times for lunch. You cannot go wrong with their famous Mushroom Asparagus Soup or one of the popular Paninis. I've also been to a wine dinner that impressed me and my cousin who is a wine connoisseur. The wine and food were paired beautifully. Experiencing a regular dinner in the boutique dinning room is also a delight. Their menu changes regularly, but I must say when you see Terri's Lasagna being offered, that is a sign to order it. You will not be disappointed. All the servers and staff are spectacular. It blows my mind how many of them can remember the names of all their regulars. It makes for a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Next time you're traveling the River Road, take a detour into Elsah and visit State Street on LaSalle.

This is my first time here since they moved to Elsah, and it's as delicious and wonderful as ever…read more The service is so personal, the kind you only get in a small town. The new dining area is beautifully decorated and cozy. And of course the food is delicious. Just look at their panini options and you'll know what I mean. This time I had the potato soup and the roasted turkey panini, and it was absolutely delicious. I only wish I had gotten a full sandwich! I had a dilemma ordering because there were too many incredible options. Thankfully I was able to see a few other dishes that my friends ordered, so I know how yummy they look! I can't wait to return and try more.

Everything I've gotten from here has been a delight. The coffee is smooth and the homemade syrups…read moreare delicious. The food is pretty good too! The vibe is great inside and it would be a nice place to relax.

Met up with some friends at Goshen Coffee for a pastry and to catch up, and it was a great spot for…read moreit. I'll admit, I'm not much of a coffee guy, no matter how many times I've tried, but I'm always in for a good pastry and conversation. My wife and our friends, on the other hand, are big coffee people and had nothing but great things to say about what they ordered. The place was definitely busy, but it never felt overwhelming. The seating is set up really well, it still felt comfortable and somewhat private, even with a lot of people there meeting and chatting. I went with a blueberry scone and it was honestly excellent. Definitely worth it. Parking is a bit limited at this location, but it seems to flow just fine. There are plenty of options on the menu, and I'm looking forward to coming back and trying more. Always nice to have a great local spot like this, support local!

The food was great. Hits the spot! You can taste the freshness and feel the love in the dish…read more Service is very very warm. Its has a very welcoming vibe. From the barista, the cashier even the the customers, are all engaging. Its in French town, and it captures the vibe of the town. We came from the west coast attending a tournament, looking for a post office and just literally an accidental find... and an amazing find indeed.

I was a little surprised by how this experience stacked up against the 4.6 rating…read more I ordered the turkey and brie sandwich, and it didn't really land. The bread was more like a basic sub roll than something you'd expect from a café like this, and the balance was off. It was very heavy on the turkey and pretty light on the brie, which kind of defeats the point of ordering that combo in the first place. That said, service was solid and the space itself is a nice, quiet spot if you're looking to get some work done over lunch. Overall, not terrible, but not something I'd go out of my way to come back for.

This was my first visit to this location…read more It was cold outside but the Van Gogh hit the spot to warm me up! It's made with chocolate, Carmel and vanilla. A mocha masterpiece. Service was very friendly. Self serve water available. Perfect spot to grab a coffee, frappe, espresso or smoothie. Nice case filled with add on sweet treats. Local art on the walls. Nice laid back vibe.

People clearly love this place. At 8 AM on a Sunday morning, there was already a pretty good crowd…read more I've been doing meetups at local coffee shops for the past several weeks, and sometimes it's kind of a ghost town, even if the food and coffee is good. I'd suggest that people were there to visit downtown St. Charles, or whatever it's called, which has a certain old-timey charm to it, but everything else was closed--presumably until later in the day, but who knows. That fentanyl is a menace. Parking could be a pain, if it's not the wee hours of the morning on a weekend, and you're not ambulatory enough to walk from a block or two over, and yet you're going to get essentially the equivalent of a milkshake and a donut. Inside is rustic, inviting and larger than you'd think, with an upstairs area that I didn't bother to explore, due to lack of curiosity. We had a larger group and ended up pushing a few smaller tables together, plus a few chairs we borrowed from other tables. No one seemed to mind. The key is not to ask first. That mentality will take you far in both the world of finance and dating. I'm kind of over ordering food from coffee shops, where they're obviously just throwing something in the microwave and charging you $10 for it, but I needed something to eat. I'd just gone for a run. Their burrito looked like the textbook definition of cultural appropriation, but it also looked like it might not be half bad. I had their equivalent of an Egg McMuffin, called Ron's Breakfast Sandwich, or something to that effect. When I hear the name Ron, I of course think of Sasso from Carlito's Way, but that probably says more about me than anything else. I'm assuming he didn't have anything to do with this. Essentially, this was a store-bought English muffin, a surprisingly generous and delicious helping of cheddar cheese, a few slices of seemingly prepackaged black forest ham and a fried egg. It was fine for what it was. Could the egg have been salted, could the muffin have been buttered and could the ham been an actual slice of Canadian bacon, or even better, American bacon? Sure, but I went into this with low expectations. The cheddar was melty and delicious, and weirdly abundant, but processed American cheese would have been more fitting for this kind of sandwich. You'd think a guy named Ron wouldn't object to processed foods. The caramel frappe I had was amazing. I got it with whole milk and whipped cream. I didn't bother to check and see if they charge you extra for whipped cream, which is the kind of crap some of these places have been known to pull. I got the 16 oz instead of the 20 oz, but it was probably still enough to take a day off the end of my life (when I don't need it as much anyway fwiw). Sometimes, when a food item tastes good enough, you can just tell it's not good for you, and that was the case with this drink. It was decidedly rich. I'm never in this part of town, and if I were, it would be at night, natch, but if things ever get to the point where they're clearly trending in that direction, I might start stopping by on the reg and getting that caramel frappe just to speed along the process of my demise.

Well, I hate to be the first to review and have it be subpar but I have to be honest in case fellow…read moreYelpers check out my rating to help decide whether to try this place... As John H. mentioned in his review of Books a Million, Joe Muggs Cafe is a coffee shop in the back of the book store. There are plenty of seats and tables and I see lots of people using this place as a "library." My personal convictions won't allow me to sit in a cafe without buying something so I ordered 2 hot chocolates. With tax, almost $7 so I was a bit surprised and commented "Whoa - it must be good hot chocolate!" It was not. Obviously instant added to hot water and not very good instant, either. My companion remarked, "What did you expect, that they were going to melt some real chocolate into some hot milk for you?" No, but I was expecting good drinks... On the plus side - the server was very polite and cheerful. Even though I mentioned previously that I'm against being a "user" (sitting and reading a book without buying it or even a hot drink), some people may view this as a plus. I'll try not to judge.

It's a very nice place to just sit and read a book, get a drink, a snack, and relax. I like to sit…read moreand do homework. I'm secretary of a club and it's one of few places we can sit and have a meeting. The food and drinks are a bit expensive, but a few of their drinks are great! Also, if you ask for a list of syrups they have one behind the counter.

Loved the coffee and the food was great also. We liked the coffee enough we bought a few punks of…read morebeans to take home.

Note to visitors - they have moved in the same building to a different location. At first I was…read moreconfused based on the map location but then I walked to the store marked on the map and they have a note up showing their new location. The place is pretty huge and there is no one to greet you. You just walk over and find any tables that are available to sit. The order needs to be submitted at the register and they will give you a number which will be up on your table for the servers to deliver food. The service was pretty quick and everything tasted pretty amazing!

Everyone was so nice. And the inside of the location was so cute. I love the neon. I went here on a…read moredate with my husband. It was perfect. We tried a couple different coffees. Everything was delicious. Next time I'm in the area I wanna go back.

First time coming to this location (but I've tried Goshen before). The matcha lemonade on their…read morespring menu was super refreshing, well-balanced, and not overly sweet. It's one of those drinks that feels perfect on a warm day. I also tried the avocado toast which was decent but didn't quite stand out. It was fresh and nicely presented but not too memorable. The space itself has a great vibe, nice place to sit and hang out for a bit. The cafe hours are also good, it's hard to find one that doesn't close at 2PM. The drinks really deliver and while the food could be a bit stronger, it's still a spot I'd come back to.