The one time I went I really enjoyed it. The service was good, the food was good, and the coffee was great. I love the decorations and the overall atmosphere was great. However, I've heard from several friends that the times they went the food wasn't prepared properly and the service was subpar so I'm hesitant to give it more than three stars. read more

L A Cafe - French toast + pancakes - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Waterford, Michigan

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My favorite place in the area to visit! Not all the food is great, but there is definitely something for everyone to try. Great atmosphere and overall a good vibe! Sometimes there is a bit of a wait sometimes and some of the food isn't for me, but the service is great and the people who work there are focused and very kind! A great place to hang out and work on projects! read more

Cute atmosphere just wish there were more gluten free options! It's so hard to eat normally. Love love the coffee and other foods, amazing service too. read more

Why do people go to Starbucks when LA Cafe is so much better in every category. My wife and I had a great afternoon stop at LA Cafe. The coffee drink was incredible. The hummus dip was fantastic and best of all Alex was the sweetest waitress. Seriously, if you haven't been there or been there recently it is worth the trip. read more

Used to come here all the time- has gone to crap. Last time we went for lunch, we were the ONLY people in there and took 25 minutes for the waitress to pull herself away from talking with the cook for a moment to take our drink order- and another 15 to deliver a fountain soda and black coffee. My coffee had CHUNKS of something in it and or the dirty mug. Veggies on my good mother sandwich were dripping wet and made the whole dish soggy. Husbands tuna sandwich had definitely gone bad and the meal cost us over $30. Gave it another try a few weeks later with a friend as I had always liked it in the past- again came at a slow time and again was ignored by staff who were more interested in their phones and personal conversations. Hummus was chunky and bland, chips were stale, never brought my friends food; but still tried to charge for it. Owner is too focused on letting friends sell overpriced crafts and service and quality have gone down the toilet. Won't ever go back. ALSO: noticed that this is a new yelp page for this place. Apparently the old one was all negative? read more

I tried the vegetarian chili which was delicious with just the right amount of heat. The hummus is excellent. The atmosphere is perfect -- very relaxing, homey, and interesting. It was very clean. I only give it four stars right now because I've only been twice and eaten there once. Oh--and the biscotti are wonderful (and LARGE!). Great place to get coffee and sit for awhile, and the food is good. Can't miss! read more

Seating is cramped but I still gave it a chance. We arrived at 0855 and placed an order at 0913. As if that didn't take long enough, it took us forever to get a cup of coffee as well as a" half cup" refill while we were waiting! At 0950, we decided to leave prior to getting our food. (The food we ordered was still being cooked and the bill for coffee came up to almost $4.) We took our business elsewhere at a restaurant I will leave unnamed but located at Walton and Dixie next to a tool and gun shop. More professional wait staff and in my own opinion, better ambiance. I can't compare the food but I will say it arrived promptly. I'm not judging the ambiance of LA cafe. I don't really expect royalty as a customer, just basic minimum service standards for an average Joe paying customer. read more

The best Cesar Salad dressing ever! Baked goods rock. Lunch is a delight. Wonderful place to stop in for a coffee with a friend. Atmosphere is homey and warm.....not like Star%cks. Waitstaff is friendly seems to have little turnover.......so they get to know the customers. read more

Great ambiance, good service and pretty good sandwiches. Wish I had tried the coffee or breakfast but will definitely be back. We liked the Ultimate Jerk Sandwich. This place has a great hippie feel. read more

my friend michelle and i were going over some memories from high school and we both lamented how much we enjoy this place. we both even make a version of their good mother sandwich at home. L A cafe was the only place in waterford to go to back in 1996. i even took my trigonometry teacher there for espresso. heidi and her husband are very nice and they've held together a great business. just so you know, i'm not their friend or anything. i just know their names from going to L A cafe almost everyday as a teenager. my friends and i still go here for homesy brunches on sunday. and let me tell you they still make a huge omlette with some great fresh baked sourdough toast. the good mother sandwich is also one of the only purely vegetarian meals i ever eat. on sourdough bread with bean sprouts, tomato, guac, cream cheese, cuccumber, and provolone it makes a real meal. although it does have provolone cheese and cream cheese, so i guess it's not completely veggie. anyway, it's good here. love, juston read more

Great buttermilk pancakes!!! The specialty coffees were great as well. Very unique place!! A definite must visit and dine.

Caveat: My actual rating would be one and a half stars, but given that I cannot choose that option, two stars it is. While this was not my first time at L.A. Cafe, our experience on Sunday, 7/07/13 may well mark my last meal at this place. As a server dining with another server, we should have known what was in store for us when our only options for seating not at the counter were three some lounge chairs and two dirty tables. After standing at the door for three minutes, we approached the woman at the counter (who was simply looking out at Dixie Highway) and asked if we could seat ourselves. She said we could, but made no effort to move toward the closest dirty table before we did. We got to the table and began cleaning it off ourselves. She eventually came up behind me and said, "I can do that" and removed the pile of dishes we'd stacked, saying that the people had "just left" (which seemed improbable, as we were in line behind two people and no one had walked out as we walked from the parking lot). She then walked away without giving us menus. We waited another two minutes and she returned with menus, but failed to ask if we wanted drinks. We called her back as she walked away and we asked for a Coke (me) and a double shot of espresso (my companion). And it went downhill (and eventually, feel off the cliff) from here. As my friend ordered the espresso, she was asked, not once but twice, if she "wanted some coffee" with it. While this is a strange question from any server, it's particularly odd at a place that's ESSENTIALLY A COFFEE HOUSE in the classic sense. Apparently, the request was so jarring, it effected our server to the point of forgetting our drinks altogether. She took our order (a veggie burger for my companion, a tuna melt with a side of hummus for me) and then, like so many have commented, we waited and waited and waited and then, we waited some more. Service has never been the strong suit of this place - the whole concept arises from the hippie/surfer west coast vibe- but it's sad when two sandwiches take an hour and 10 minutes. Sadder still when your server walks past you 25 minutes after taking your order and says, "I was supposed to get you drinks..." and then ambles away again. Clearly, all those surfer/stoner references aren't for nothing. When the food did arrive, it looked okay at best and certainly not as if it was some Herculean task of preparation. And well it shouldn't have because the tuna HAD TURNED. Yep, after waiting an hour to eat, I bit into a rancid tuna sandwich. I waited for our waitress to return - why I was thinking she'd ask how things were only proves that I must have been smoking something too - and, since she didn't respond when I called to her, it was me who had to walk my sandwich to the counter and tell them their food had turned. After three minutes, she returned, apologized and told me they had "thrown out" the offending tuna. I ordered another sandwich (she had to steal a crayon from a box on the table, since she didn't have a pen) and she said she'd have that out soon. This sandwich came out in less than five minutes, despite the fact there were now more people than when we entered/ordered and she cheerfully told me that she "took the other one off". Well, hot damn! I don't have to pay for inedible food. I should come here every day. Hopefully, I'll get food poisoning next time! So the next sandwich was AMAZING, right? Well, it was amazing that it was on stale, freezer burned bread. That was pretty incredible. My companion said her espresso was probably the worst she'd ever tasted and the burger was good based only on the fact she was famished. On any other day, it would have simply been okay. The chocolate peanut butter brownie, however, was excellent and large enough to share. My iced latte was served hot with roughly three cubes in it, meaning it was made and then ice was added, instead of dumping the hot drink over ice. They really should just give up on the coffee house thing 'cos Denny's has better coffee drinks. As a space, I think the naysayers have been too harsh on it. It's a cute, if cramped, performance venue/gallery/artists' market with many eclectic wares. Sure, some are kitschy, but much of crafting is and it's good to see a place in the hinterlands supporting local creative efforts. People do seem to like and support the cafe, which is also nice, given that a majority of Dixie Highway in the area is one long strip-mall, with chain after chain edging out mom and pop businesses. Just know that service is beyond slow and the staff are pretty much clueless. The food, which was solid around 2009, has really slid into a black hole and the coffee? Well, here's where I suggest stopping at Tim Horton's for a cuppa Joe, rather than hitting up L.A. Cafe for a quizzical look. read more

We tried this place again because we were nearby. The place is filthy. Dear wait staff stop talking to each other and start cleaning.

Just went here and it has such good reviews and everyone loves it so much yet today we ordered a black bean burger, a turkey sandwich, and a grilled cheese and tomato soup. It took literally an hour to get our food and we purposely stopped here cuz we were in a hurry, then the food was so awful! The black bean burger tasted horrible, the coleslaw was like made with strawberry poppyseed dressing! What? And the tomato soup was disgusting, I would have been happier with Campbell's. The turkey on the sandwich was soooooo slimy which is sick. And it just costed like 25 dollars for all that! Stick to the coffee and a cookie and skip the food read more

This is my favorite place to eat. Vegan and vegetarian friendly. Lots of interesting food items to choose from, waitstaff is awesome and friendly. I love that they support the local artist community both by displaying art on the walls and with Peace-fest. If your curious about what's going on inside here just stop in and check it out. read more

We both ordered the vegan Southern Comforts Cornbread, it was ehh. I wouldn't suggest it though. Chili tasted okay, the vegan cheese gave it nice flavor, but the cornbread... oh my.. terrible. It was super hard and very dry. I guess that's what you get for ordering a microwaved dish. Also had the Hummus and pita. Pita bread was awesome, but the hummus was horrible. Very bland and no flavor at all. Literally tasted like chickpeas and water grounded up. No salt, pepper, seasoning, garlic, nothing. Asked for carrots and/or celery for the hummus, and they said they didn't have any. I would highly suggest this. It will add a lot more to this dish and it's very inexpensive too. Our kid had the pecan pancakes and he liked them. 3 stars for the atmosphere, definitely not for what we ate. It was warm, inviting, lots of cool stuff to look at and buy. Vegan Scones were yuck, but the vegan brownies were absolutely delightful! read more

I went here for the first time last month. The atmosphere is inviting yet unique. I love all the stuff they were selling and the counter with all the baked goods looked amazing. I went there for lunch with a friend and since I'm vegetarian, I ordered the pita bread and hummus (small size), plenty to fill you up! It was amazing and fresh. My friend and I shared a piece of red velvet cake afterwards, delish. I will definitely be coming back! read more

My husband and I love to eat here. The staff is very friendly and their vegan specials are delicious!

The food is good, but the service is slow! Don't expect a quick meal.

Love this place! Great coffee bar and menu. I enjoy the rotating local art.

This place has been here as long as I can remember. I don't think I've ever written a review. The coffee is great. My favorite is the orange push up. You can't go wrong with any breakfast though! read more

Some of the food in this place is alright - the mac&cheese and some of the burgers specifically, but everything else is pretty sub par. The staff is a lot of very young kids who don't always get orders right, and the wait is pretty dang long. Not necessarily worth how long it takes to wait. What older staff I have encountered in the place have been very short, bordering on rude, with myself and other customers. It's pretty off-putting. Honestly, there are a lot of other restaurants in the area (Gregg's Cafe up the street, heck even Happy's Pizza across the way) that are quicker and much more pleasant that are probably more worth your time. read more

I love the vibe/atmosphere of this place. It would keep me coming back! Plenty of vegetarian options which is a huge bonus. The honey lavender tea was great but has a very strong flavor, it could be watered down a little bit. I didn't understand why the hot sandwiches came with a side of chips but the cold sandwich didn't? Also wished that there was an alternative option to tortilla chips as a side because i am not a fan of tortilla chips in general. My good earth sandwich was good but nothing out of this world flavor-wise. This aside, I will be back! But i'm going to try something else on the menu. You truly feel like you are in LA! Very kind and helpful waitresses too. The reason i'm only giving it two stars is because honestly the food was just eh. read more

I would give it no stars if possible. There were only five of us and we waited almost an hour for our food. Out of the whopping five orders: 4 were incorrect and one didn't come for another 10 minutes after the other four. THEN the waitress got the bills wrong. I recommend going here if you don't value your time and money, like small, musty-smelling diners, and enjoy poor service. read more

Way overpriced to begin with. They certainly don't like to make anything with meat and we heard "granpa" in the back complaining loudly about having to prepare a wrap that was mostly lettuce and a steak and cheese sandwich for the non-vegans. I thought I was safe ordering the 3 egg scramlette(?) with potatoes but I was wrong. The eggs were way overcooked and rubbery and the potatoes barely cooked at all and cold. M didn't even like her wedge fries. If I wasn't starved I would have not eaten any of it and preferred to eat fast food anywhere else but had no choice. No one really finished their food, took half home and threw it away. Except for the good waitress service, and overpriced odd store items, there really is no reason to ever go here again. Even the vegetarians didn't care for their expensive sandwiches and burger. read more

I live in LA and crave LA Cafe all the time. Favorites are: Good Mother *drool worthy Turkey Burger *its pretty fing amazing Chili it's oddly good. If you see a turtle in the parking lot headed fast for Dixie, save it. It's good Karma. Plus you'll feel really outdoorsy. read more

Love this place! Always feels like family. Darren and Heidi are awesome and Peacefest rocks every year!

I've been a loyal patron for almost 20 years. The prices have gone up little in all those years but the quality is still the same. This is still my favorite restaurant in the whole world (no joke). I love that it's family owned too. read more

What is there not to love about LA Cafe! The menu is full of fresh delicious food from hot sandwiches, spuds, quesadillas, variety of burgers (vegan black bean, turkey, or beef) , right down to the tasty scones, cookies, and brownies all made in house! They offer many drinks aside from coffee including an assortment of teas, hot chocolate, fountain beverages, jones sodas, juices, milkshakes, smoothies and so much more! There is also a specials menu that offers different drinks and food that is not on the menu menu, this menu changes frequently which is great to try new tasty options. Aside from the excellent food, LA Cafe also offers an assortment of gift items in the cases around the restaurant, always quirky fun items to look at. The art also changes month to month as they feature a local "artist of the month". They have events here as well including henna tattoos, psychic night, yoga outside, and the biggest which is PeaceFest. PeaceFest happens around the beginning of June every year which features local artists and bands right outside the cafe! Whenever you come to LA Cafe expect a smiling face! The waitstaff is awesome and always so kind and helpful. The business is locally owned and the owners cook every morning. The owners are also super great people who love what they do and love to meet their customers as well as care for their staff. I would recommend this place to anyone, stop by if you ever get a chance! read more

Why have outdoor seating when the staff just totally ignores anyone sitting outside. I understand that you have to order inside. No problem with that. But you need to check in with the outside diners!! You can't just let them sit outside with empty coffee cups until you deliver their food 20 minutes later. Then deliver food with no utensils. read more

Alright. More like a 2.5. I got a Reuben sandwich, and they put the wrong bread on it. The lemon grass soup had a weird high viscosity to it. The atmosphere was alright, and we probably won't go back there. The waitress was nice though. read more

Come in for the coffee, stay for the Scromlette. Imagine an omlette, with your pick of add ins cooked and rolled in burrito style. Choose your own or from their inventive list of tasty combos. .. The Popeye is my fave, while my hubby likes The Anthony Quinn. read more

Unique atmosphere. Sandwiches, burgers and coffee are very good. Omelette for breakfast are just OK but their potatoes are very good. Friendly service. read more

My husband and I had breakfast here about a week ago. Our server was pleasant, the food didn't take too long to come out and I enjoyed the atmosphere. My only complaint is that the potatoes that came with my breakfast were undercooked :( I hate crunchy potatoes! Other than that the rest of my food tasted great and my husband enjoyed his food as well. I'm hoping the undercooked potatoes were just a mistake that day and isn't a regular occurrence. read more

Cute place where you can get something the other places around here don't have. Feel free to check out their menu. We come very early so we've never had a horribly long wait. We usually get some different omelette with potatoes and a bagel. Everything is very fresh. Coffee is fantastic, awesome brownies and sweets. I've only had their sandwiches once- it was good, however, I didn't care for the hummus- I found it bland. Would I come back? Of course! I'm there at least once a month. read more

They have gluten-free toast and my brunch was delicious. The food might not have been the fastest to come out, but it was delicious, filling, and best of all, gluten-free! The staff was friendly and attentive, and the coffee was good too! read more

Best coffee around, hands down! They even have dairy free whipped cream!! Great food, love the breakfast here! Always fresh and great healthy choices. Food allergy friendly too! read more

I don't know. I love the ambiance but the food was mediocre and overpriced. Would I go again? Probably, but it's not my first choice. The decor is great and the staff members are friendly, but the food leaves much to be desired. The chai latte was watery, and for more than $5 it really shouldn't have been. read more

The sandwich was pretty good, it was some sort of vegetarian sandwich. But the soup was terrible. It also took 40 minutes for the food to come out, which is crazy because the sandwich wasn't even cooked. The coffee pretty good, but nothing special. Menu isn't that clear and kinda hard to understand. The atmosphere is really cool. I'll try it again. I give it 2.5 stars. read more

L.A. Cafe has the best gluten free brownies, great specialty coffees, and a variety of herbal teas. I love coming here to relax and read. Such a gem of a cafe! read more