Crepe It Up & Bowls

This week we hit up Crepe It Up & Bowls in Downers Grove. Remember that each week, the person selecting the restaurant prepares a conversation-starter question. This week's question was to name something you made that you’re super proud of: first, a tangible item, and second, an accomplishment. We’ll cut to the chase here: Crepe It Up should be tremendously proud of their cuisine. That said, they have a serious achilles heel on the operations side.

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QUICK STATS

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐ [2/5]

Price Range: $$$

Best For: lovers of gourmet, idyllic crepes and libations with ample time for a leisurely visit

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BEHIND OUR RATINGS

Food Quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]

Look, the problem with Crepe It Up is NOT the food. The food is exceptional. We’re talking decadent, indulgent…of the highest quality and really special. I understand why they feel compelled to share their culinary talents with the world.

Service: ⭐⭐ [2/5]

Ugh, at least on the morning of our visit, they were really over their heads. And we don’t think they even appreciate how inefficient of a ship they’re running. 

You order at the register from one of 4 (yep) menus for the full place. Our first interaction was when they came over to our table not to greet us, but rather, to take back a menu because we had two and were only permitted one. 

They have signage when you order that says to please be patient as they make their food from scratch. We fully appreciate upfront communication, and as such we placed two separate orders to take some pressure off them. First, we ordered drinks and two sides (one of which was in the bakery case) to split at the table since we knew food would take a while. Twenty minutes later, we placed our food order. I’ll break out the timing of each order.

1st order (drinks & sides): the first thing to arrive was the coffee, 31 minutes after we ordered it. The remaining drinks trickled in thereafter (the mocha took 37 minutes; cappuccino = 38; matcha & hot cocoa = 46 minutes after we ordered). The sides that I requested to arrive immediately (strawberry cup & dubai croissant) arrived a few moments before our entrees - which was a full 1 hour and 40 minutes after I ordered them. 

2nd (food entrees) order: our second order was three crepes. They arrived together, one hour and 18 minutes after we placed this (second) order. 

Look, we get it’s a small place with a small staff. But why not at least get someone (with some urgency) fully dedicated to drinks, or get the premade / near ready items out ASAP? At the very least, they could have water tableside. OR, during busiest times, put a wait on tables so they can keep up with the volume? They’ve got QR codes affixed to the tables for reviews…why not for menus? Fully acknowledge that they proactively request patience - which we offer, within reason. But this was excessive by any standard. 

To be fair, the woman up front brought us an apple pie crepe after I inquired on the status of our 1st order. She told us that it was extra as they mistakenly forgot to hold the nuts from a special order. Not sure we needed to know that part. It had pretty tasty flavor albeit very cold. 

Theirs is a bus-your-own-table policy, though upon departure we were again hung up because the tub was overflowing - a further sign they’re struggling to keep up with volume during peak times.

Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐ [3/5]

Cute, family cafe vibe. The counter height wicker chairs don’t pull all the way in due to the round table bases. At first it was very hot with the overhead vents on full blast. They turned them off maybe 15 minutes into our visit, whereupon it became extremely cold as the door kept opening. We were pretty chilly and uncomfortable as we sat there for 2+ hours.

Noise Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]

No problem hearing each other. They have nice music playing at a decent level too.

Value for Money: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]

It’s expensive. Significantly more than anyplace we’ve visited thus far in our adventures. That said, the food is of exceptional quality and the portions are huge.

Wait Time: ⭐ [1/5]

We sat down right away, but waited an unreasonable amount of time for drinks, sides, and entrees.

Kid-Friendly: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]

There were a few families there, and a modest kids menu. Our kid was getting hangry though (as were we).

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WHAT WE ORDERED

Court started with a coffee americano which he really enjoyed: it’s dark, bold, fancy, hand-made coffee. Absolutely something he’d keep drinking though this isn’t a “bottomless cup” type of place. He also tried the Irish cappuccino. He’s sure there wasn’t actually Bailey’s in there and yet, they nailed it. For his entree, he had the Dubai chocolate crepe with pistachio paste, shredded pistachios, kataifi, tahini, belgian chocolate. It’s just as rich and decadent as it sounds. “It’s like two giant candy bars on your plate.” A huge serving with huge flavor. 

Kay ordered the all American crepe with cheese, prosciutto, and spinach. It came with salad and strawberries which were big, juicy, and fresh as can be. On its own merit, it was fantastic but unfortunately not worth an hour and 18 minute wait. To drink, she also enjoyed a coffee americano. She tried a peppermint chocolate mocha which was tasty but cold (this seemed to be a pervasive issue with other items as well). 

As for me (Bridget), I ordered the sushi crepe (chocolate hazelnut spread, cherry jam, chocolate banana-cookie type things, raspberries, pistachios, almonds with chocolate drizzled atop and a side of ruby chocolate for dipping). My goodness, these were outstanding! Whoever is dreaming up these concoctions is obviously really talented. The sushi crepe is absolutely worth a try. To drink I had the strawberry matcha, which was good.

Sunny nibbled off of our plates, though we also ordered for the table a dubai chocolate croissant and a dubai strawberry cup. They were each very, very good. Again, good strawberries are hard to find these days, and these were the best we’ve had in ages. To drink, he had a hot chocolate which was not as sweet as typical hot chocolates go (ironic given how decadent everything else is).

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THE BOTTOM LINE

Our Overall Rating: ⭐⭐ [2/5]

What Made Us Smile:

The food is outstanding. The sushi crepe is award-worthy.

What Could Be Better:

We think they should really look at their operations and their flow. Their website (the one with their hours listed incorrectly) cites: “think of us as your go-to for a quick, delicious escape.” They’re half right.

Will the SSBC Be Back?

We'd try pickup, especially during an off-peak time. That said, this would easily be a SSBC best of the best based on the artistry of their menu creations if they worked out some of the kinks. It pains us to rate as low as we did, but we felt the experience really needs attention.

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Well, that's a wrap from your SSBC! Thanks for reading and please endeavor to be as gracious a guest as you expect of your establishment. Mind your manners, tip well, and if you linger during peak times (as we sometimes do), order lots and tip even better.

If you'd like to recommend a place for us to visit, drop us a line on our contact page.