Nice latte with oat milk! A great spot for studying, working, and reading. The seats might be…read morelimited but sufficient for such a chill and peaceful place without bunches of people.

Like their iced coffee, especially the peppermint mocha! The place has a homey feel and I really…read morelike the brick walls.

Over the last 15 years or more I've been to this establishment maybe 4-5 times; each time I go, I…read moreremember why it's been years since my last visit and I tell myself it wasn't worth it to return when there are so many other options available. This place is incredibly expensive for what you get with regard to the food and the service (or essentially lack thereof). At this time, full simple sandwiches are $12-14 with no sides included (think typical ham and turkey with cheese, tomato, and lettuce with mayo on it that you can make at home), and soups are nearly $8 for a cup and $9 for a bowl. The sandwiches (and "Mexican" fare) have fresh ingredients, but are very mediocre and bland tasting given their simplicity--not remotely worth that price. The high pricing isn't to cover wait staff/cleaning staff or maintaining the facility itself. Orders are taken at the counter and you await to hear your name called to get your food yourself, then rid of all your waste yourself before leaving. The entire dining room was dirty with crumbs on all tables, chairs, and the floor. The trash was full, and the bathroom toilet and urinal both had unflushed waste in them. The place was not busy as it was later afternoon; there were plenty of staff available to keep an eye on the dining room to ensure, at the very least, that the tables and chairs were clean and the trash wasn't full. The building itself is old with a lot(!) of unfinished and inaccessible areas, basic/old tables with cheap "decor". So for over $52 today my spouse and I had two very basic sandwiches, two bowls of semi-warm soup, and two large drinks in a dirty basic dining room after ordering and retrieving the food ourselves. With that price, you'd think the place would be minutely updated and certainly should be cleaner, there would be wait staff, and the food would have much more flavor with much more to it. There are several other places in Monticello to get great tasting food with included sides, cleaner facilities and wait staff, all for less than the price of a basic sandwich that you get here. I love to support small businesses and the staff were certainly friendly so I feel a bit guilty for this review, but this needs to be said about this incredibly overhyped place. This time I won't forget why I infrequent this establishment and won't be back.

Thanks to Yelp, I found the Brown Bag Deli in Monticello while there for visit to Allerton Park one…read moreSaturday, and enjoyed our lunch there. First off, there is a bit of a wait for your order, but trust me, it's worth it. We were there at a prime Saturday lunch hour and the wait was a bit long but I have to tell you, these are REAL 'sandwich artists' that work for this great little place, and they take great care with your order. Plenty of sides to choose from, drinks and homemade pie for dessert, too! I do not order Tuna Salad out bcz I'm always disappointed but I took a chance here at the BBD, and wow did I enjoy my meal. White bread, Tuna Salad, onion and pickle...SO DELICIOUS!!! I was very full after eating the sandwich too. Hubs had the Dagwood Special and totally enjoyed it. Bypass the fast food across the street and visit this great little diner in downtown Monticello. You will be happy you did!

Super cool cafe, suitable for working on laptops. The baristas are so professional in coffee making…read moreand nice to chat with. I like the major color of black, which makes the cafe calm and cozy, especially vibes with rainy days. Their coffee beans have special sorts of aroma, and their coffee tastes really good when mixed with oat milk. Love this cafe!

Holy Cow! I had the vanilla latte and in my opinion its better than SB's or something-Brew. Aaron…read moreand his staff are amazing, atmosphere is serene, I'll be going back to The River very soon.

The food service and ambiance are the best. It reminds u of those good old times. Good coffee .read more

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.

We order here almost daily. I'm obsessed with Roselen's sugar-free mocha frappe with almond milk…read moreand an extra shot -- no drizzle! We get breakfast and lunch sandwiches here a lot too. Lately, I've been a little hooked on their raspberry cream cheese muffins. Just had one this morning! Sweetness is balanced. Mostly takeout but we dine-in occasionally. It is a nice, relaxed, clean vibe and everyone is so nice. It's my dogs' favorite place for a pup cup They get excited when they see the building! (I wait in the truck with them. They can't come in.)

I've been coming here consistently since I was a kid. Family friendly, study/school friendly, great…read morecoffee, great food, great ice cream, lovely place to sit and visit with friends. Will always be one of my favorite spots. Workers are kind and helpful!

Everything was so wonderful about the little gem of a cafe! I'm here from Chicago for work and was…read moreso happy to find a nice cafe with great coffee. The decor is thoughtful and inviting and there are tons of places to sit including the upstairs and a small room for a more intimate experience. Service was great and the woman tending was friendly and even made gorgeous latte art. I'm so happy that I'm here for another day so I can visit this cafe again tomorrow morning!

This is such a cute place! Great ambiance and friendly staff. The pastries are delicious as well.read more

We tried Kyoto cold brew that's made from the glass apparatus and it was so good. We are very picky…read moreabout our cold brew, and it was within the range we could accept-- not overly acidic, strong roasted flavor but not overshadowed by the bitterness. It hit all the checkmarks for us. Even after a day old it was still reallly good. Server was also super helpful in getting us suggestion for another specialty drink. We avoided the sweeter ones so landed on the London smog latte with steamed oat milk, 2 shots of expresso, earl gray and cane syrup. The earl gray flavor was just perfect with the coffee and oat aroma. One of the best flavors coffee we've had. After the tea got steeped for a while it got a bit too strong but I still liked it at a lot. I love that it's aromatic without being overpowered by sweetness.

BrewLab is such a solid coffee spot in Champaign! I'm from out of town and have been here twice!…read moreThat's a testament in itself. I've had both a hot vanilla latte and an iced crème brûlée latte here and loved them. The vanilla was smooth and cozy, and the crème brûlée was creamy, sweet, and just the right amount of indulgent. The vibe inside is relaxed and modern, perfect for hanging out, studying, or catching up with a friend. The service is quick and friendly. Perf!

Friendly staff and absolutely delicious coffee. Several non-dairy options available and a couple…read more"gluten friendly" options including a muffin and cookie. Lots of space inside if you wanted to hang out for a while and all spaces are accessible if you're using mobility equipment.

I came here and tried their seasonal drink, vanilla and blueberry latte...it was delicious! The…read morepeople working were super friendly. The food looked delicious but I did not try it. There was plenty of places to sit and enjoy food, drinks and quality time. Highly recommend!

Disclaimer: I am an ex employee who quit ~2 years ago. I do not work for them anymore, but figured…read moreI'd make that clear.. This place gets a reputation that's slightly worse than what it should have. I'm a regular customer to this day despite working for them from around 2018 to 2020. The food is about what you would expect from a Mcdonalds, but if you order fries the employees are still to this day required to "Fluff, not stuff". Literally filling your fries full is an offense to upper management. If you order fries you will have to complain to get them made correct.. The prices keep going up, much faster than gas even I would argue. It used to be significantly cheaper than Champaign McDonald's , now it's about the same and more sometimes. The speed of service can usually be interpreted by how many cars are in the drive thru, if there's cars hanging out into the street, just avoid it. Your food will take forever, and it's not going to be good even when you do get it. Most of the employees are pretty nice while facing customers, not all though. One of them still needs to be fired, she constantly makes fun of a girl with Down syndrome that works alongside her in lobby. Not posting either of their names publicly but I've informed them and corporate plenty of times. The one doing this harassment in public view is still employed there. I also had someone who didn't work there come in only to harass me while I worked there several times, reported it. They never got trespassed from this building.. Overall it's a McDonalds, it's not supposed to be good food or excellent service. It's supposed to be cheap food to get you in and out fast and coming back for more quickly as well.. I think 1.5 stars for this place is too low, which is the only reason I've chosen to post my thoughts about this place in full publicly with 3 stars..

The running joke of the ice cream machine not working started at this McDonald's. Jokeread more

As diehard coffee drinkers from Seattle we were shocked at the tasty black coffee and peppermint…read moremocha while visiting the area. My mom said she loved the tuxedo (?) coffee - she's a frequent visitor but we were skeptical as we pulled up to the drive thru. I should have remembered that you often find little gems in the most unexpected places. We'll done We'll definitely be back on our next visit.

Such a sweet little corner store for coffee. Absolutely wonderful. Flavored coffee is delicious,…read moreand the avocado toast with an egg on top was perfect. Great and cozy stop!