Wow! What a hidden gem. Well off the beaten path, so be sure to use your driving app. The menu is huge and everyone in my party had lunch, but I would like to go back for breakfast when I am able to. I had the grilled chicken sandwich with fresh fruit. . The chicken came as ordered, plain, with a side of honey mustard. The fruit was also very fresh! Everything was very tasty! My friends ordered the tenderloin and unfortunately I can't remember my other friend's order. They did say the enjoyed the food and too home the extras to finish. I thought my server was wonderful. I am currently on a low salt diet and she did her best to accommodate my needs. After she found out the tenderloin only came breaded she checked to make sure that would be okay, which it wasn't, but helped me order something else. She also didn't charge me extra for the fruit since I was unable to have a side. The cafe was very busy, but not too noisy, except for maybe one person who was seated across from us. I cannot wait to return, I had an exceptional meal. read more

Updating my review from a few weeks ago. We live about 4 hours away and have family that lives in the area that we like to visit. This place 520 has become our family breakfast on Saturday mornings when we visit. The place is always busy. Sometimes we gotta wait on a table but they usually move pretty quick. On thus trip I talked to the owner as I was paying and told him how good everything was and how far we drove and had to drive home. Oscar is his name and is a great guy. As I was paying he fiddled with the register and as he gave me my change he slipped me a gift card. I was kinda taken back a little and we talked a little more then I went back to the table to finish our coffee to get ready to leave. I got to say the staff here is spot on. Never did we want for anything. The food was great and coffee was delicious. So we pack up the kids and go out to the cars to transfer bags and luggage when I turn around and here comes Oscar the owner. Evidently I dropped the card he had given me. He came right out and we talked a little more to the point I feel we made new friends with each other. I totally recommend eating here. You won't be disappointed. Bring your kids and family and enjoy a great home style breakfast. It's great! read more

The 520 Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - East Peoria, Illinois

The 520 Cafe is a hidden gem. Literally. This restaurant is literally in the middle of a neighborhood. My husband and I went here on a Friday evening looking for dinner. We arrived about an hour before closing and to our delight there other guests in the restaurant. We got a great breakfast late at night. The chocolate chip pancakes were fantastic. They were malty with crispy edges. My husband got the the pork tenderloin horseshoe. It was crispy and flavored well. This was huge and provided enough food for breakfast the next morning. I highly recommend The 520 Cafe! read more

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Had a great experience here! The ham and cheese omelet was perfectly cooked, the hashbrowns were crispy and golden, and the wheat toast tied it all together. We also tried the Italian beef with fries and it was just as excellent--full of flavor and really satisfying. Our server was friendly, attentive, and made everything easy. Plus, the place itself is really cute with a warm, welcoming vibe. Definitely worth a visit! We've been heer dozens of times now and have never had a bad experience. read more

Ultimate comfort breakfast spot. The portions are generous, and the house made hot sauce has a smoky depth that is seriously delicious. We had the West Coast Benedict which came on a bed of hash browns topped with over easy eggs, hollandaise, bacon, and avocado slices, plus a sweet cinnamon roll bread on the side. Everything was perfectly cooked and full of flavor. I also had the avocado toast without egg and loved the side of fresh fruit. It made for a quick, healthy, and satisfying breakfast. The coffee was good and the staff was friendly and attentive. The place feels welcoming and full of life with families laughing and staff greeting regulars. The space is clean with cozy country style decor and a laid back vibe. There are two entry points for lining up and plenty of parking. It is right next to a walking trail if you want a stroll after that delicious meal. Came for breakfast but the lunch and dinner menu looks worth coming back for. read more

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I stopped by on my way out of town - I wanted to make sure to hit a classic American diner. This spot is definitely that and a good amount of business for a random Tuesday morning. I was seated quickly and got my order placed right away. The coffee was hot and that's about all I can say - but that's what I was expecting. I was in and out in about twenty-five minutes! I got the wild berry crepes and wasn't disappointed one bit. Will visit again read more

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Ordered 520 via door dash and it was ready within 15 minutes. They have a deal on DoorDash for 40% off so it was a steal! I ordered the pork cutlet with eggs and American potatoes plus a side pancake. All for sub $15! The pork was tasty and seemed breaded in house, came with a tasty gravy. Eggs were cooked to order and the potatoes were good but a little oily. The side pancake was a solid one. Fluffy and good flavor. Would def order again! read more

The 520 Cafe - Pork tenderloin breakfast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - East Peoria, Illinois

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Mr. R found this as an option for an early Sunday morning breakfast, so we headed over. It's only a few minutes from the Camp Street area hotels. We walked into the right hand entrance (from the front), and weren't sure if we should seat ourselves or wait. There were also people walking in from the left side of the restaurant. Pretty quickly someone noticed us and took us to an assigned booth. The space has a fresh, tidy look. The menu was large, with pretty reasonable prices. They also had pies (at least five varieties), and cake, soups, and the daily veggie on the chalkboard. Our server apologized for our wait but it was honestly only a few minutes, and someone had already been by to take our drink order, bring us drinks and tried to take our order (but I hadn't made it past the first 1/2 page of the menu), and then she arrived to take our order. Mr. R ordered the French toast, not the cinnamon one, because he had been craving French toast. I went with the Greek skillet. The food arrived in a reasonable amount of time and the French toast was the round cinnamon swirl toast, not the eggy triangles he had hoped for, but it was good. They serve it with whipped butter and pancake syrup. My skillet had two over medium eggs on it, gyro meat, Feta cheese cubes, tomatoes, and onions, a side of yogurt sauce, and the hash browns were super crispy and not greasy, which was much appreciated. It also came with a side of toast. The restaurant seems to be popular, and I can see why. I would come by again for breakfast! read more

A local diner that you actually have to work to find, but it's worth it. Don't let the surrounding neighborhood scare you away. This is not in the shiny shopping/restaurant/hotel district along the river. This is in old school East Peoria. The food is basic diner food -- I went there for breakfast and enjoyed my omelet and wheat toast. Friendly staff. Nice decor. Much of the clientele was locals. Give it a try. read more

Excellent Cafe... Superb Service! Diner runs like a well oiled machine! Quick courteous service, reasonable prices, very high quality food! We will definitely be making a return trip! Visited for the first time 01-10-26 ordered country fried steak, my wife had chicken strips (some of the best we have ever had). read more

Good food, good service, good atmosphere. The specials are tasty and chicken salad plate was yummy. We also ordered the carrot cake. It was like homemade. Can't beat this place ! read more

Excellent food generous portions at very affordable prices excellent service I recommend this restaurant

We absolutely love the 520 Cafe! While some might be off put by the area, it's just one of the reasons we love it. A wonderful neighborhood restaurant, incredible staff that work hard and are so friendly, and even when there's a wait (which there normally is!) it moves fast! I don't live close but don't mind the drive for any number of yummy items on their menu or daily specials. The price point couldn't be better, especially these days! And I can't remember if they said all their desserts come from a little bakery in Chicago or just these amazing chocolate things called frogs....but either way... if you are any type of chocolate lover do not skip on the chocolate frog!!! Go to 520 cafe! If they have a wait, it's because the foods amazing and just be patient, it's well worth it!! read more

Great food Peaceful little breakfast diner with VERY nice staff. Cool little place for this type of restaurant read more

This place was a joke. My waitress was like are you ready? If not I'm gonna go have a smoke. So I rushed my order. Before stepping out she said to all of our section, coffee is on the heater here if you want more. She was gone so long that my food came out and someone else gave it to the wrong person. Then that persons food came out and it came to me. We ordered the same thing but different style eggs, hash, and toast options. I got the complete wrong order. When the waitress FINALLY came back to her job I mentioned it and it took about 10 more minutes of me poking at over hard eggs to get some with a yolk as I ordered over medium. 5 more minutes to get the raisin toast, and never got the home fries, I was stuck with cold soggy hash. Or mash should I say. Then as the bill was coming I heard the waitress remark. I took the beverages off your order since they messed up, to the other table that got my food. I got my bill and instead of removing the coffee like she had with that table they billed me for extra eggs. I went to the counter to pay, the person said how was everything. I said quite bad actually. He didn't say anything just rung me out and said I hope it's better next time. LOL YEAH RIGHT BUDDY! read more

Delicious food and fast friendly service. The menu is pretty vast and everything we've tried has been very good.

From the ashes of Mel's Cafe rises The 520 Cafe. While riding my bicycle on the EP-Morton bike trail, I noticed Mel's Cafe was suddenly The 520 Cafe. It was only a matter of time before I popped in and tried it out. That's just what my dad and I did on a day where we wanted to get breakfast. We got there before the morning rush and had free choice of where to sit. But, we weren't quite sure if we sat ourselves or had to be waited to be seated as there was no sign stating which. Our choice of seating was the empty side of the restaurant and were quickly attended to by our waitress. The menus given to us were large and had more options than Amazon to choose from. My dad looked at the menu ahead of time and knew what he wanted. I knew I wanted french toast. Our waitress was just as quick to take our orders and get our drinks. While we sat there, talking and taking in the restaurant, the place slowly filled up. Because of that, I didn't get any good photos of the interior due to not wanting to make people feel uncomfortable. The interior of the restaurant was pretty standard for a cafe/diner. It wasn't anything memorable, imo. Before too long, we had our meals in front of us. My dad had his chef's choice omelette and I had some cinnamon french toast with eggs and bacon. I was expecting some normal bread with ground up cinnamon on it but nope... I got legit cinnamon bread for my french toast. While this was unexpected, once I dug in, it wasn't unwelcomed. It wasn't a homerun taste combination with the syrup and butter toppings, but it did scratch my desire for french toast a bit. The eggs were just eggs and the bacon was good, but nothing to write home about. My dad said his omelette was good but wished he got his sausage gravy with his hashbrowns instead of having to wait to flag down the waitress to get it. She was hustling with the tables filling up and simply forgot to bring it out with the meal (my dad ordered it on the side). With the place filling up and people standing around waiting for tables to open up, we made our exit after about 45 minutes. After riding my bicycle past this place what feels like 100 times, I am glad I got to try it out. While it wasn't a home run, it was a good time with my dad. But judging by the business it was getting, I am inclined to think people love this place more than I did. Fun fact: The building used to house a laundromat and an ice cream shack on the end. I have many fond memories of my family coming here to do laundry and my sister and I getting ice cream and running around outside. I believe that ice cream shack is now Bob's Dairy Dream located next to the New Twist on Springfield Rd. Either way, as usual, support your local businesses when you can. read more

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Hidden gem. Everyone was super nice. Very busy but a lot of help to keep things moving. Very expansive menu. We had breakfast which included crepes with a ton of fruit on it. They were eager to make pancakes exactly how my granddaughter wanted them with chocolate chips. Waitress was nice. Staff was nice to our 3 year old grandson that couldn't stay in his seat. We will go back. read more

We've tried a few different dishes and they have all been good. Breakfasts are really good. But the best thing is their honesty. Oct 24 2025 we ate late breakfast and when I was half way home I realized that I had lost a favorite turquoise ring purchased in 1973. I called them and they said they would look for it and call me if they found it. The next morning they called and I went over and picked up my ring. Honestly I thought I would never see it again. They renewed my trust in people again. Thanks so much I am very grateful to you all. read more

The 520 Cafe checked all the boxes. Nice and relaxed atmosphere with attentive staff and awesome food. I look forward to being able to go again. read more

anytime I am in town visiting my buddy we grab breakfast. it's consistently good food, warm coffee and a great place to catch up. the wait staff is always making their rounds refilling and making sure the food I to your liking. The place has a home town dinner feel, in fact it's not just a disguise. they truely are the Hometown dinner to eat at for the locals. so that's a great testament to the food and the ways its made. To the owner, the Kitchen, wait, and bussing staff. Well done. read more

Extensive menu, delicious food, generous portions, friendly staff, reasonable prices. I ordered avocado toast - it was piled high with fresh guacamole and included eggs and fresh berries - not canned fruit. Definitely going back. read more

Met friends at 520 we all had good meals and large portions the service was very efficient and friendly We will return read more

Great place. They have a large menu, but also offer breakfast specials. Excellent service.

Fast,hot,yummy and cozy. served by some great staff what more can I say. Been here often enough to know the food is consistently great.

Food was terrific. A real gem in a tucked away place. Huge menu and everything we got was great. We had the avocado toast breakfast and an omelette. Highly recommend. Service was top notch. Very nice and clean ambiance. read more

Very homey place! Lots to choose from. Hunny had the 520 Burger which he loved. I had chicken fried chicken. It was juicy and well seasoned! The price was very good. Servers were very nice and took care of us very well. Next time we go back we're doing breakfast! read more

Miss Bree was our waitress and she was so friendly with a bright smile. The ambiance is Americana bright but homey. We arrived before rush hour on Christmas Eve and it slowly trickled to more and more people. We ordered the onion rings as our appetizer they came out piping hot and even though we could tell they weren't made in house they had a very good flavor. I ordered the chicken fried steak with potatoes and a side salad and veg of the day was corn. The salad was crisp and fresh in a chilled bowl which was appreciatedto keep it chilled. The mashed potatoes are homemade with lumps like granny makes them. The chicken fried steak was crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. I would order it again! The liver and onions did not have a strong flavor so it was very tasty and was dredged, the grilled onions were cooked and the hash browns were crispy. I didn't get a picture of the bowl of chili with beans but it had a mild flavor that didn't blow a hole in your throat I would order that chili again! For our first this place has made loyal customers out of us and I can't wait to try try breakfast! read more

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We have tried nearly every Tenderloin in 3 counties, then a friend recommended 520 cafe. Last week I called in an order and the tenderloin was the best yet, delicious, meaty and not heavily breaded. Also, if you like a thick potato soup, theirs was excellent! Order, was ready quickly and the price was a great value. Has a very homey casual atmosphere. read more

Had breakfast with friends today and the food was very good and the portions were very large for the $$$