Review Visit: June 6th, 2016…read more If you visit the blog often, you will notice my trend for visiting coffeehouses and see that I tend to order Iced Caramel Lattes at most places. Black Maple was no different. A perfect blend of milk, espresso and caramel made this one place I would love to re-visit. It would've scored a perfect 5, but they are a walk-up/drive-thru only, so if it was a rainy day, it could possibly affect trying to get something from there. Also, they could've used some benches outside, but since it is located in the parking lot of a hotel, they are doing great with what they have. I don't frequent Canton, but I am going to always visit this place if I do.

We were really excited to try this place but very unimpressed. They didnt have anywhere hardly to…read moresit inside. When we ordered we asked how sweet drinks were and were told they weren't sweet. My husband ordered a vanilla latte which had hardly any flavor (including coffee flavor). I ordered a caramel macchiato which was SO sweet. We also ordered a bfest croissant. The croissant was panini style so smooshed and burnt. Sorry to say we will not be back. Hope others have a better experience then we did.

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

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.

I ordered the chai, half expecting something thin and overly sweet. What arrived instead was a…read morewarm, fragrant testament to restraint--balanced spices, just enough milk, and a whisper of quiet joy. I sat back with K.W. in one of the window-side chairs, letting the mug steam gently into the late-morning light, and took in the interior. It's the kind of place that rewards attention: reclaimed wood, soft colors, seating that invites rather than insists. This was not an Instagram café--it was a Christian coffee shop. And I mean that as praise. I don't just mean it had a verse on the wall or worship music humming faintly behind the grinder. I mean the place carried a spirit of care. You could feel it in the details, the warmth of the baristas, and--most of all--in the baby shower happening quietly in the side room. From what I could tell, it was all women--close family friends of the expectant mother--gathered in soft tones, with gifts, cake, and affection flowing. There were balloons. Laughter. Maybe a tear or two, but the joyful kind. I thought about the holiness of childhood, the ridiculous courage of parenting, and the spiritual stubbornness it takes to keep loving in public. There are many ways to do Christianity poorly. But when it holds space for reflection, for the protection of the vulnerable--children, the poor, the disabled--it becomes something rare and tender. Guest House feels like one of those places where such values are quietly lived out, without announcement or ego. I'll be back. For the chai. For the ambience. But mostly to support a place that, in its own gentle way, remembers what a gift life is.

Be our guest and stay awhile…read more.. What once used to be By the Bean is now and has been for awhile Guest House Coffee and Pastries. This has been on my list for awhile now and with Emily and I heading to St. Louis to catch a flight to Colorado, it was the perfect time to get some caffeine before we embarked on a long day of traveling. We popped in a bit before lunch and were greeted by a friendly barista. He took our order fairly quickly and then we took a seat while we waited... and waited... and waited. There was 2 people ahead of us and it took about 10 minutes for our drinks to come out and a few minutes after that to get our baked goods. I got a peanut butter cookie and Emily got a lemon blueberry thingy. Sorry, I'm not great at knowing which is which when it comes to baked goodies. Once we got our goods, we made a beeline for the interstate. This is when I decided to try their cold brew and wow... it was the punch of bitterness that I love. Sometimes places pull back on the bitter but not at Guest House. After a few sips, I tried my peanut butter cookie and found it sorely lacking. I thought it was going to be soft but it was hard, crumbly and dry. I'm not sure if they can warm them up before serving them to you but if I could've had that, it may have helped a lot. I eventually ate most of it but really wish I had some milk to dip it in. I don't remember what Emily got but she seemed to really enjoy it. As for her lemon blueberry item, she said it was dry but that's normal for what it is. I tried a nibble and the flavor was definitely on point. It's not something I would've enjoyed but she seemed to really like it. As for the Guest House overall, I liked that they kept a lot of the decor from By the Bean. I was happy to see the doors that were previously there still there. If we weren't trying to get our stuff and get out ASAP, the wait time wouldn't have been a problem and with that in mind, I don't factor it into my score. We did leave wondering why there was one guy up front and what seemed like 2 employees in the back. But that's neither here nor there at this point. I would definitely come back to Guest House and maybe try to see if they would warm up their cookies before devouring them.

Our group stopped into the Sullivan Taylor coffeehouse while we were in Macomb. They were about 18…read moreof us. They were very accommodating. We didn't have any food, but the coffee was good. The barista did a good job and it was fairly quick considering the size of our order.

The coffee was good. I had an oat milk latte. The barista is a little slow. It's very comfortable…read moreenvironment. Great place to hang out.

Don't let its size deceive you. This small coffee stand surprisingly offers a diverse selection of…read moreflavors and food items. The versatility of their options allow you to fully customize your drink to your satisfaction. The employees were also extremely welcoming and friendly as you make your way through the drive thru. Their speedy service is another additive bonus to this establishment, making it very easy to grab a bite or coffee while on your way to work or school!

Friendly & speedy service with great food options & stellar drink menu. You can call ahead and then…read morepick up without waiting in the second part of the line.

Charming little place, appears to have been a saloon or bar at one point…read more Friendly staff, tasty coffee and good looking pastry options.

Blown away at the quality and consistency of the coffees I order here when I am home visiting my…read moreparents around the holidays. Having an Aussie wife and living in NYC the bar is set pretty high for what a good coffee tastes like, and every oat latte and cappuccino we've gotten has been just as good as back home. My wife also always compliments the young staff who greet her with an extra Midwest slice of Americana. Very lucky to have this coffee shop to stop by daily while we're home. Thanks for consistently putting out a great product and providing top quality service every time we are here.

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

This place is a gem! Need some caffeine? The coffee is delicious and there are plenty of fun…read moreoptions. Want a salad? Somehow they have the only actual red and juicy tomatoes I've seen in winter. The veggies were all fresh and crisp. This is also a great place to smell and shop all the Serious lip balm products. Spoiler alert: they are all fantastic.

Every coffee I've tried (and I try a different one every time) is very good, and the desserts are…read moregreat, but the quality and taste of lunch items have declined over the past several years. I've gone from telling everyone about this place to being reluctant to recommend. I have eaten here 4x in the past year, and every time I walk away disappointed. The chicken avocado sandwich used to be the bomb, but they have cut corners, and it's now just "ehhh". I tried two different paninis yesterday, and then both were pretty blah. I don't mind paying $13 for a sandwich if it's good, but the sandwiches here have lost their taste and pizzazz. It makes me sad because I used to really enjoy having lunch here.

Stopped in on a Sunday afternoon to find a very busy afternoon going on. The place had almost all…read morethe tables and chairs filled with customers enjoying their drinks. The girl behind the counter was friendly and polite and took my order. I ordered a hot mocha latte with macadamia milk. I gave her my name and she said they'd call me when it was ready. I found one of the few open seats, a low sitting leather chair that was quite comfortable tyvm, and did a little people watching until they called my name. There was now a small line to the order line and I was pretty convinced I had made a good choice in coming here. In a matter of minutes later my name was called and my drink was ready. My latte was very good and the mocha made it even better. If you're in the area be sure to drop in and check them out.

The coffee is good, but the vibe is always weird. For a while they were selling monocle chocolate,…read moretheir own brand. Then they stopped. When I asked about it they said "we never sold chocolate, i don't know what you're talking about" (The chocolate was back today) Today it was asking about their canned coffee because the fridge was empty (they have a shandy coffee/lemonade that is killer) They looked at me like I was an alien for wanting to buy a product they've had in cans in the past. They assured me they still have it to make but don't have it in cans sell. When I asked if they knew when it would be back the barista was frustrated and repeated that they had it to make. Ok fine, but I'm driving an hour home and liked the cans? Just a weird thing like it's a pain in the ass that i know what products they have and am interested in them. The Huckleberry Sage latte was great, the Barista was great for suggesting it iced. I'd have it again. I'm just giving up on expecting clear answers about what they carry.

Glad to have stumbled upon this town square - a throwback and about as charming as can be for the…read moremiddle of Illinois. The shop is part of a restaurant and the space is nice and not cramped, although clearly decorated with a feminine aesthetic. The Americano was solid and thumbs up for not serving it with boiling water, which coffee shops often do but inadvertently is excessive given the already hot espresso. I had a bacon and cheese scone and this was tasty but also not hard and dry like most scones. The service is adequate with the all too familiar already-disappointed-by-life young women behind the counter. Overall a pretty decent place for coffee and they are open relatively early on Sundays.

Excellent coffee and pastries, a friendly staff. Blueberry muffins and scones are available!read more