Absolutely loved our breakfast here! My husband and I sat on the patio overlooking the river, and…read morethe view alone made it worth the visit! So peaceful, beautiful, and the perfect start to our morning! What truly made the experience exceptional was our server, Jenn. She was incredible from start to finish!! She was warm, attentive, and genuinely thoughtful. She made great recommendations, checked on us at all the right times, and went above and beyond in ways you don't see often. My husband is picky about biscuits and gravy, and Jenn kindly brought him a sample of the gravy first to make sure he'd like it...such a small gesture to some people, but truly made it special for my husband. She even sent us off with coffee to go, which we really appreciated!! The food was just as impressive. I had the traditional breakfast. Everything was cooked perfectly, the potatoes were nice and crispy, Jenn recommended the ham, which was so flavorful and perfectly charred, so good!!! My husband ended up loving his biscuits and gravy! Between the amazing service, delicious food, and relaxing riverfront setting, this was easily one of our favorite breakfast experiences. Jenn truly made it memorable, and we'll definitely be asking for her every time we come back. Can't wait to return!!

What a charming cafe in the middle of a charming Downtown area!…read more It was freezing the morning we went in, but I was wanting breakfast - specifically pancakes. I had this place in the bookmarks and figured now was the best time to visit. Parking can be an issues in Downtown St. Charles since it is limited to street parking or public parking a few blocks away. We found parking right in front of FPC, mainly because it was a cold, Monday morning. We were greeted immediately, and inside was much smaller than I expected. We got seated right away though, and a good chance to really review the menu. I got a house coffee (delicious), and my husband got a Purple Haze Lemonade. We ended up getting a kid's pancake with bacon and scrambled eggs, Short Rib Breakfast Stack, and a Bomb Burrito. The pancake for my 2 year old was MASSIVE so it was a good day for him lol. The short rib stack was yummy - hash browns with runny eggs and meat on top. The burrito was also pretty good. Our breakfast entrees came with a side order of potatoes and while it was good, it got saltier over time so I might not get that next time. They advertise beignets, so we might go for that next time and try out their lunch menu!

I'm totally obsessed with Pink Willow and I SOOO wish I lived closer, I'd totally be a regular…read more I've seen this spot on Instagram a ton, and when I had a meeting with someone who lived close, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to check it out. The space itself is so cute, it's very intentional and aesthetic. The pink stripes, ceiling clouds, plant paintings on the wall make it so unique. They have a pretty extensive menu, and I ordered a Garden Muse salad and it was delicious. I'm really simple and when it comes to salads, as long as the ingredients are fresh I'm happy. This hit the nail on the head. I added chicken and that made it super filling. The dressing wasn't sweet (which I prefer) and it's safe to say this is one of my new favorite salads :) I also ordered one of the latte specials which was a birthday cake latte. They were accommodating with my order of half sweet, and it was so good! I can't wait to come back for brunch! I'm already looking forward to it.

I recommend reading the website in its entirety because the waitlist information is under the Visit…read moreUs tab, which will give instructions on how to do the waitlist and what to expect (although from previous reviews, wait times could still extend longer than what is being scheduled) This space is SO VERY CUTE and very pink and dreamy, and I can see why it is so sought out! If there was an order counter for the outside and a host at the front, maybe a lot of issues with walk-ins could be eliminated. Because we were not familiar with this restaurant and literally came here on a whim, we had to order take out. It didn't take too long for our order to come out, maybe 20 minutes. The service here is okay, and I don't know if the nature of it being busy takes away from the service or the team that day was just over it! Our food was pretty good, but if you get the chance to eat there, it would be better straight from the kitchen! The cinnamon roll and fried egg sandwich were probably the best items. I think their latte was pretty good which had a lovely cold foam and strawberry! Definitely, if you have time to spare and want a very specific experience, try this space! Just be ready to wait a while!

This coffee shop was such a fun and unique experience! The coffee drinks had creative names and…read moredistinctive flavors that made them stand out from the usual menu options. The staff were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and helpful throughout my visit. When I'm back in town, I'll definitely be stopping by again!

People clearly love this place. At 8 AM on a Sunday morning, there was already a pretty good crowd…read more I've been doing meetups at local coffee shops for the past several weeks, and sometimes it's kind of a ghost town, even if the food and coffee is good. I'd suggest that people were there to visit downtown St. Charles, or whatever it's called, which has a certain old-timey charm to it, but everything else was closed--presumably until later in the day, but who knows. That fentanyl is a menace. Parking could be a pain, if it's not the wee hours of the morning on a weekend, and you're not ambulatory enough to walk from a block or two over, and yet you're going to get essentially the equivalent of a milkshake and a donut. Inside is rustic, inviting and larger than you'd think, with an upstairs area that I didn't bother to explore, due to lack of curiosity. We had a larger group and ended up pushing a few smaller tables together, plus a few chairs we borrowed from other tables. No one seemed to mind. The key is not to ask first. That mentality will take you far in both the world of finance and dating. I'm kind of over ordering food from coffee shops, where they're obviously just throwing something in the microwave and charging you $10 for it, but I needed something to eat. I'd just gone for a run. Their burrito looked like the textbook definition of cultural appropriation, but it also looked like it might not be half bad. I had their equivalent of an Egg McMuffin, called Ron's Breakfast Sandwich, or something to that effect. When I hear the name Ron, I of course think of Sasso from Carlito's Way, but that probably says more about me than anything else. I'm assuming he didn't have anything to do with this. Essentially, this was a store-bought English muffin, a surprisingly generous and delicious helping of cheddar cheese, a few slices of seemingly prepackaged black forest ham and a fried egg. It was fine for what it was. Could the egg have been salted, could the muffin have been buttered and could the ham been an actual slice of Canadian bacon, or even better, American bacon? Sure, but I went into this with low expectations. The cheddar was melty and delicious, and weirdly abundant, but processed American cheese would have been more fitting for this kind of sandwich. You'd think a guy named Ron wouldn't object to processed foods. The caramel frappe I had was amazing. I got it with whole milk and whipped cream. I didn't bother to check and see if they charge you extra for whipped cream, which is the kind of crap some of these places have been known to pull. I got the 16 oz instead of the 20 oz, but it was probably still enough to take a day off the end of my life (when I don't need it as much anyway fwiw). Sometimes, when a food item tastes good enough, you can just tell it's not good for you, and that was the case with this drink. It was decidedly rich. I'm never in this part of town, and if I were, it would be at night, natch, but if things ever get to the point where they're clearly trending in that direction, I might start stopping by on the reg and getting that caramel frappe just to speed along the process of my demise.

I have been looking for Cruellers for a long time. And I found them!…read moreNice a light, fully doughnut. Also like the Vanilla long johns Thank you and yummy!

Very casual little place with a doughnut case that includes pastries and bagels and a pretty large…read moreselection of savory menu items. There are many things here that I didn't realize they would have! The name is deceiving because I thought it was only sweets, but they have made the order omelettes and breakfast sandwiches, gyros, Philly, cheesesteaks, burgers, chicken, wings, chicken tenders, & chili, cheese, fries. They also have vegetarian items such as falafel, vegetarian gyro & hummus with pita bread. They serve halal meat, so keep that in mind. They also have specialty coffee drinks, and some juices and things. Really something for absolutely everyone.

My favorite cafe anywhere, ever. Top-notch coffee--so good I drink without cream or sugar, staples…read morefor most of the terrible coffee I encounter around here. Delightful, surprising delicacies for brunch on weekends--Turkish eggs, etc, delicious pastries. Incredibly professional and kind staff.

We were looking for a treat around Edwardsville today & Yelp "surprise me" feature selected Cafe…read moreBirdie for us - so glad it did! I had the gluten free lemon lavender donut & a vanilla latte - both were great! My husband had a scone he enjoyed & lemonade that was very freshly squeezed. Service was prompt and friendly - you order up at the counter. Lots of GF options, no upcharge for oat milk, gender neutral bathroooms, cozy seating both indoor and outdoor on the patio, self serve water station.

Hot food options with a wide variety of housemaid pastries. Can't go wrong with the Breakfast…read moreSandwhich, or French Toast to pair with a Blueberry Scone. Wonderfully unique coffee options. The Americano is the best way to start your weekend. However my favorite part is the welcoming, hospitable service. The family does a special job at making everyone feel welcomed and appreciated. Great Local Family Operated Café. Beautiful seating arrangements and a cozy upstairs. Great place to catch up with friends or even enjoy a quiet read! Highly Recommend

My friends and I had a lovely afternoon lunch here on a Sunday afternoon. We had been out running…read moreerrands, and when we were talking about lunch spots, I recommended Cafe Amalia since I had heard so much about it...and let me just say that this spot did not disappoint! When we arrived, there were a few other customers inside, but it was not too busy. After taking some time to review the menu, we placed our orders at the counter, paid and then found a table upstairs to sit at. The food did not take too long before it was brought over to our table and honestly, it looked so colorful, fresh and tasty. We were all very excited to try our meals and, of course, share with one another. Everything we ordered was just so delicious. The salads were freshly made and the sandwich I ordered was honestly so good. I wanted to eat the whole thing, but it was very filling so I had to take half home with me. Of course, the fries were all eaten since they were hot and just the right amout of crispy. I need to add this spot to my rotation of places whenever I am in need of something fresh and somewhat healthy.

Greeted with a smile, seated quickly before the wait. Use the ap to get your name on the list on…read moreweekends. I had the salmon Benedict and it it amazing. I was on the fence with this or the Strawberry dolce de leche French toast. Sooo good. Would have taken pictures but we were starving and cut into it to quickly. Highly recommend the million dollar bacon to share. Omg..... Luis was so kind and accommodating. I have my arm in a skiing and so I made a mess like a child and he was so kind. Oh and get the morning meditation juice.....I'm obsessed!

We stopped in on a Sat morning about 9 and was surprised there was no wait. We got seated and…read moreserved water right away. The waitress was friendly and helpful and made sure to answer any questions we had. I was pleased to see they have a small outside dining area as well as bar seating inside. Our food came out fast and had excellent flavor!

First, I love the location and vibe you get stepping inside. They have a lovely outdoor sitting…read morearea and comfortable seating inside with plenty of views of the river. The staff is always friendly and welcoming each time I have visited and overall feeling you can spend all day in this place and feel at home. I came today to try their coffee flights. Then theme was St Patrick's. They are small which is perfect because anything bigger would've sent me flying on the sugar! Each drink was different and thoughtful. The flavors blended well with the coffee. I would've liked to have tasted more of the coffee but I have no complaints. This round of flights was tasty with my favorite being the Lucky Charms which tasted like they infused cereal milk into the drink and the Clover with white chocolate, peppermint and vanilla with that striking green hue. They change their flights often, so give them a follow on FB and Instagram to keep up with what they have next.

Underground has an extensive menu of coffee drinks, plus smoothies, and breakfast sandwiches and…read morepastries. This turned into a terrific spot to wait for the train coming to the Amtrak station across the street.