Great family owned and operated café, they have really good food and of course really good coffee…read more Very unique set up in terms of location. Service is always great. I like the vibe of this place. I just hope they bring back their chicken sandwiches and cheeseburgers. they are in a process of adding things to their menu, but don't let that scare you away.

I'm going to review this in sections and try to be very objective because I tend toward fussy…read moresometimes. Environment: Casual coffee shop Coffee: Very good, stong and fresh. I'd maybe order it to go but don't think I'd sit for a chat - see below. Food: Standard coffee shop fare. Served in to go containers (not sure where the photos of plated food came from but that was not my experience). Not sure if it rotates. Fries were well salted but a bit overcooked. Burger was well salted but not noteworthy. Egg sandwich was meh. For my money I'd hit the Map Room or LP Street Food for a meal. Now, for the bad part. It was dirtyyyyy. I ran a damp napkin over the table and it came up brown. Honestly I think we left it cleaner than when we arrived. Floors were dirty and I don't really want to think too much about the bathroom.... I can't recommend this place for food but the coffee was pretty good.

My birthday request was brunch so my husband and friends surprised me with Dandy Lion - one of my…read morefaves! Six of us met at 11:00 on a Monday and the place was comfortable packed. We had about a 5 minute wait. I LOVE their bloody Mary's and my husband loves their spicy bloody so we each had one of those. The wait staff is friendly and attentive. I loved my salmon toast. I forgot about the hash brown side - they taste fine but I'm just not huge on hash browns so I would have chosen a different side. Since it was my birthday, the waitress brought a small plate with 6 macarons - one with a candle. It was the perfect small treat to polish off our brunch! Delicious caramel and chocolate bite!

Stopped by during lunch rush and scored the last available seat at the counter. I was served by…read moreCole, who gave me excellent service and fast arriving food. I had the French Toast with the house fried chicken - delicious! Lovely Ped Mall gem with an old school diner flair!

Stopped in to grab a couple of coffees, a scone and a cinnamon roll. The Encounter Cafe is…read moreliterally across the street from our hotel, so this was a no-brainer if you're looking for an upgrade to the complimentary powdered eggs and overused waffle machine offered by the hotel that your staying at. The space itself is large and looks to be separated into two halves. I entered on the one side, ordered at the counter, just like you would at any coffee shop and waited. This place serves a full-service breakfast as well if you're looking for something more substantial (eggs, panini's, pancakes, etc..). I was just here picking up and bringing it back to our room. The coffees were fine, but there was only one gentleman working the counter, and he was a bit overwhelmed. He forewarned me that he had 4-5 drinks ahead of mine, so I ended up sitting there waiting for about 15 minutes for our two drinks. I wasn't pressed for time today, but if I was, this would've been an issue. I ordered a raspberry chocolate scone and a cinnamon roll. The scone was delicious. Not too sweet and was definitely made this morning. The cinnamon roll was delicious as well, but it was extremely sweet. To the point where it hurt your teeth. It would also have been better if it were warmed up. Lastly, they gave me this big cinnamon roll in a bag without any napkins or utensils?!? I had to stop at the free breakfast at our hotel to get a fork, knife and some napkins. So kind of a mixed-bag at the Encounter Cafe. I would give it another shot and try some other things, but it didn't blow me away.

I stopped here twice on a recent work trip as it was close by to the hotel I was staying in. It…read morereally lives up to the other reviews that describe it as a cozy atmosphere with fresh food. The first day I had baked oatmeal with yogurt and it was a huge portion size that was very similar to coffee cake. The next day, I ordered the avocado toast and was surprised to see it come out, layered with egg and bacon and fresh tomato. Their lattes were delicious without being overly sweet. So glad I found this place during my trip. It is worth the stop.

This place deserves every great review they've gotten!…read more Driving through Iowa on a road trip and found this on Yelp. We were a little confused how to get in - the entrance is actually inside the Ace Hardware. There's no seating inside, but there are a few tables outside. Probably the best sandwiches we've ever had! My husband had the pastrami and corned beef. I had the hoisin roast beef wrap. So good! And make sure you get the homemade cookies!

Today I grabbed the Cobb wrap and it was delicious. This is my favorite thing on the menu. I…read morereally love this place. They use the freshest ingredients and everything always tastes absolutely amazing.

A pay‑it‑forward cafe where you can order breakfast or lunch, and your tip helps cover a meal for…read moresomeone who otherwise couldn't afford one. This place gets five stars just based their mission, and you can see it in action when you visit. My favorite dishes are the Phil's Philly with a side salad, the Philly Omelet, and their Bread Pudding. I had the Phil's Philly weekly for one month the first time I tried it since it was sooooo good. They also have a room next door available to rent for special events.

This place has a great atmosphere, amazingly friendly staff and really good food. What more can I…read moresay!!!!

Best breakfast in the area! We love eating here and have enjoyed each thing on the menu we have…read moretried. We love the relaxed atmosphere and great service. Everything is always as ordered. The food is genuinely top notch and at a great price. I personally love the Hemingway eggs Benedict! It is a must try!

Service is quick and food quality very good. Constantly busy restaurant. Prices are excellent…read morecompared to other similar restaurants in the area. Seating is a little crowded most of the time.

Paid 10.95& for one waffle. Had to pay extra for bacon that was too crispy to eat. Fell apart when…read moretouched. Food not as good as it used to be. Service is good.

We arrived for breakfast as part of our Lincoln Highway journey. We are following websites and a…read moregray book which obviously has not been updated in a few years. We were so disappointed that the owners of the cafe did not preserve the historic look and sign - we left. They get a zero star for taking away the charm of this Historic road a price of Americana

Happened to be in Iowa Cory for work...and had a free afternoon and drive up to Cedar Rapids to try…read moreanother bucket list food item for me...Iowa's infamous Loose Meat Sandwich. And aptly named Loosies seemed to fit the bill! This is a very small spot off the road... it when I walked in the staff was smiling and very welcoming...true midwestern warmth! I ordered the classic loose meat sandwich with a side of beans...and this was very good!!! Kind of like a sloppy Joe sans the sauce. Beans were tasty! Great lunch and I recommend giving it a try!

A small restaurant with seating at small tables (1-3 people), counter and stool seating (similar to…read morea bar). I sat at the counter. There were two friendly ladies on and the lunch crowd was coming in and out. I had a fountain root beer. Potato salad - loved it. Properly named as it had more potatoes than onions. Mayo and vinegar based which I had never had. I LOVED it. If you don't like vinegar, you may not like it but I recommend at least trying it. It's GOOD. Mac n cheese - it was slightly spicy and had a touch of herb flavor. I didn't see cayenne in it or taste jalapeños so it must've been something else. It had the right amount of cheesy gooeyness that all Mac n cheese should have. It was good. Mega Loosie - a tasty loose meat sandwich. I had ketchup, mustard and onion on it but there were other toppings. I'm sure it would be good with some sriracha or jalapeños on it as well. It felt like a family cookout with the food choices. The cooks were friendly and service was fast. I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch and will 100% return. Highly recommend.