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!

STILL my number 1 of ever, after hundreds of shops working coffee by cold brew, espresso,…read moresparkling, and more between Philadelphia, St Paul, Miami, Denver, and San Diego, Zion remains the crowned! I am in love with their wildly wacky tonics, most recently this spring pomplemousse! The tea cake latte is fine too but I miss the old vibrant mixes that were more adventurous. There's a wholesome obnoxious vibe between pure white walls, dirty disco and thumping music, a polite and talented barista troupe, posh and perfect menu both alcoholic and food. Avo toast will convert the most hardened of appetites! I've never tried a cocktail yet a bit intoxicated with their methods for putting together java and espresso. I wish they offered discounts for personal cups, a more inviting and fair rewards program, and the bright big space suddenly becomes a small noisy circus on busy weekends but overall this is the ideal. Peoria should be proud!

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).

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.

For the people saying it's SLOOWWWW, You try making all these complicated drinks for people with a…read moreline of 25 people outside reaching to planet fitness + mobile orders and inside orders... lol (i don't work in coffee I'm just understanding unlike some of these comments).....now onto my review They're pretty quick for me, i usually only do mobile orders or inside. I usually go 4 times a week. & do homework inside. Everyone's friendly and they always great you when you walk in most of the time. If they're not busy. Which is nice! I also don't mind waiting if I have to which isn't very long if I do. It's clean, lots of seating & they have a good music selection. :) They ONLY con I've experience this far is the parking is terrible. The most inconvenient set up there is. Especially if there is a line they block all the open spots :\

You can not go in and pick up your order do not order if you need to be anywhere quickly because…read morethe drive thru line will take an hour

Don't be a chicken on trying new places…read more Maria and I dropped in on this hidden gem of a coffee place on a whim. I had seen the local newspaper cover their opening so I asked her that morning if she wanted to go and so we went. Maria had some trouble locating the coffeehouse as it's located inside a business-like building and then down a hallway. Once we figured it out, we ordered our drinks and plopped down for some sips and chats. Maria got a cold brew and I snagged a very large black americano. It wasn't super bitter like some americanos that I've had before but that was a welcome change. The owner/cashier was super friendly and Maria ended up talking to her for a bit while I looked around. It didn't take long to get our drinks and we sat down at one of the few places to sit in the small coffeehouse area. This place strikes me as a place better to snag your coffee and go back to work in one of the many offices around but the inclusion of chairs and tables is nice for those of us who want to drop in and chill with some caffeine and a friend for awhile. If you are hungry, there isn't much in the way for food besides them selling Tadoughs donuts and some small offerings like bagged chips. That wasn't a concern for me but I know Maria was hungry for something like a breakfast sandwich or the like. But due to the quaint size of the area behind the counter, they probably don't have the space for proper cooking instruments. All-in-all, a really cool and really small coffeehouse located in some kind of office building.

I have never been to Regulator Roasting but I have had a packet of their Herbal Rooibos Tea and it…read moreis amazing!!! I'll be over today, from Peoria, to get more!!

Caffeine is not a good way to regulate your heart rate…read more Having driven by Regulator Roasting Company a million times since they opened, it was only natural for them to expand over to the other side of the building when the space came open. I'm not sure the exact date of them serving coffee to the public (that wasn't just beans in a bag) but I knew I would have to try it out sooner rather than later and that day finally came. Maria and I rolled in at around 10am and were greeted by the owner, who was extremely friendly and even more extremely knowledgeable about coffee and all the nuances of it. I'll admit that I know nothing about coffee except that I like drinking it. So, it was cool to hear Maria and the owner talk about espressos and various other aspects to drinks that I never think about. Anywho, I ordered an Americano and the owner asked how strong I wanted it. I told him to surprise me. Maria ordered a macchiato and ended up getting some espresso on the side to boost it up as she was feeling pretty tired. I picked up the tab for us and just for our two drinks, it was only $7 and change. Our drinks were $3 a piece and with her flavoring, that was only $0.50. I haven't seen prices this cheap since maybe around the time I started visiting coffeehouses. Granted the cup was maybe only 12-15 ounces and there seems to be the one size... it's still a heck of a deal. The interior was open and sparse. It could accommodate maybe 7-10 people before it felt crowded. But with the limited parking space that's shared a bit with the neighboring building, that's probably for the best. There wasn't too much foot traffic despite the incredible weather but I think that'll change once the warm weather kicks in for the season. At the time of my visit, the roast master admitted that he is still tweaking his drinks so if you make multiple trips, you may find your drink of choice has changed subtly here and there. Not that someone like me would notice the nuances! If you need a cheap caffeine hit and want to avoid the big names in coffee, give Regulator's a shot. I hope this one does gangbusters as East Peoria is severely lacking a hometown coffee place.

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.

Great food and service too. We asked to be seated outside. Our server recognized that the salad…read moredidn't serve with Parmesan on the side so she helped swap it out right away. The sourdough was indeed very good, soft on the inside, crunchy out. Butter was whipped and light. We thought the pizza was going to be small but it was enough to feed the kids and me. The salad was actually really good, unique sprouts and flavors but not too overwhelming. The shaved parm was a very good balance. The bakery had good options. We tried the orange spice cinnamon roll, which was just OK in my opinion. The cream part was a bit overwhelming but we have a pretty light palate. Overall, highly recommend this place.

We stopped in to grab a dark rye sea salt chocolate cookie! They are always so good! The pastries,…read morebreads, and cookies are all delicious here!

Review Visit: May 2nd, 2015…read more Not just a bakery but a tourist stop. If you mention getting donuts (or doughnuts) in East Peoria, everyone will talk about how good Carl's Bakery is. They produce a lot of doughnuts (or donuts) that are beloved by the residents of East Peoria. Having lived in the general area and having drove by the place a million times, I thought it was time to check it out. If you are familiar with Carl's Bakery, you are familiar with the giant rooster that is outside the building. If you aren't familiar, then there is a giant rooster outside the building. One that is prime for taking a fun photo with. My dad and I did just that after trying out their food. Carl's Bakery is one of those places that seems to be open from before the sun rises to around noon-ish. So, if you are interested in going, you better head there when the roosters crow or else they will be closing up shop. When you go, you have to compete for a parking spot on the side of the building. While Carl's has an indoor eating area, I took the limited parking as a sign that they cater to the 'pick up my donuts (or doughnuts) and go' crowd. Nonetheless, my dad and I found a spot to park and headed in. Once we were inside, we had to squeeze a large throng of people to get to the counter. We told the cashier we wanted to eat in. She guided us to a table and we took a seat. While looking over the menu, I had hopes of getting some breakfast as that is what I assumed they specialized in. Maybe we missed a cutoff point or something else happened but we ended up ordering some lunch instead. My dad got a tenderloin and I got... I honestly don't remember. Maybe a burger that came with a ton of fries. Oh, and we both got coffee. Let us start with the coffee. It was... not good. I've had cheap coffee and this stuff takes the cake. I used more half-n-half and sugar than I normally do. While I am no snob and I put down a few cups, it wasn't worth it in the end to taste some water masquerading as coffee. But no worries. It's just coffee. We were there for the food. How was that?/ A notch above the coffee. I fully admit that I don't remember what sandwich I got but I do remember not being a fan of it. My dad said the same thing about his tenderloin. Both just lacking in everything. How does that happen? Can a chef or someone with cooking knowledge explain that to me? The french fries were salvageable at least. In fact, they were the only things that tasted good. Hype. It has it's place in the world but more often than not, I find that hype ruins a lot of things for me. Movies, video games, restaurants, and various other things. It's nice to get excited about something but when it doesn't live up to that level, I believe it is more disappointing than if it weren't hyped at all. But we aren't here for a hype discussion. My dad and I got to hang out and try something new. Was it the best place ever? No. Do I cherish the memory of this outing? Heck yes. While I may have had a lack luster time here, don't let the opposite of hype dissuade you from checking it out if you are a doughnut (or donut) person. Or you want to stop and take a photo with the giant rooster outside and then find yourself magically teleported inside, trying out their coffee and menu offerings.

This is an older family business that has become curbside only, check FB for menu or call ahead to…read moreplace an order. Do not let this stop you from heading over ! Open Thursday to Saturday (always check) . Can only speak for donuts & pastries but I can't imagine that they'd fail at dinner ! The service was very personal and polite. The donuts are Old School ! Fresh Home Made, hot if you're early! Big variety , fair prices , honestly good ingredients that you can taste . I was in town for a dog show, picking up 2 dozen to have out for people and this place was a fan favorite for many . You want commercial, cookie cutter , uninspired donuts you can find that anywhere. If you want to impress or treat yourself, friends and family give this place a try !

Nice workers. Nice ambiance. Coffee was amazing. Lil slow service, however overall I would…read morerecommend.

I am in love with this place! We went for their Dubai chocolate strawberries and also got a bunch…read moreof other treats while we were there! It was a little on the pricier side but I feel like it was SO worth it! I will definitely be coming back!