Warrenville Cafe
This week we hit up Warrenville Cafe in Warrenville. Remember that each week, the person selecting the restaurant prepares a conversation-starter question. This week's question was to name your all time favorite holiday sweet (e.g. cake, candy, cookie, etc). Consensus: Baker’s Square did us all dirty by removing Candy Cane Pie from the seasonal menu. I’ve no choice but to assume their reasoning was that they hate Christmas. And all of us.
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QUICK STATS
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
Price Range: $$
Best For: welcoming, casual breakfast fare
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BEHIND OUR RATINGS
Food Quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
Welp, they’re definitely not chasing waterfalls. The breakfast selections comprise one side of a double-sided menu. Within it, a nod to Mexican favorites including breakfast burritos and chilaquiles. But they know what they do well and they’re not losing focus. That said, we remarked while perusing the menu that they don’t talk much of a game. We’ve seen far sexier marketing of baked items from places that aren’t as good (seriously, I think their regular plain pancake is the best I’ve had in 10 weeks). Let’s spice it up, Warrenville! And we mean that figuratively and literally because a couple of the savory items could go up a half-step in flavoring.
We found the coffee to be light, buttery, breakfast-y. Like everything about this place, it was welcoming.
Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
For starters, we were greeted with a big friendly hello which set a great tone for the visit! Our server Graciela was warm, soft-spoken, and friendly. She gently checked in 2-3 times after setting down our food to ensure all was to our liking (it was).
Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐ [3/5]
Comfortable, casual. It’s a strip mall place. Traditional maroony-red wall which I can never tell if it makes me feel relaxed or sad. Maybe both? Lots of booths (average size) which we happen to love. While we were there, they were setting up tables for a larger group; they clearly have capacity to accommodate larger parties.
Noise Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
Our experience was perfectly fine. Though it wasn’t that crowded. I will imagine this place can get kind of loud. For example, I noticed the floors were the type where your shoes clunk on them as if you’re walking on a stage. I imagine that sound would bounce around quite a bit when it gets busy.
Value for Money: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
Total bill was reasonable. Note the bill spells out both a cash price and a credit card price with a premium built in. I’ve seen many places with signage that a premium will be added but I don’t know if I’ve seen this totaled out on the check very often.
Wait Time: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
Walked right in. Food arrived fast.
Kid-Friendly: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
Small but mighty kids section on the menu. And the chicken fingers were all eaten - that’s unheard of.
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WHAT WE ORDERED
Court went with the chilaquiles which was a new item for him. He enjoyed them in their own right; flavorful and a bit spicy. The eggs atop were a little mushy though. His side of crispy bacon was crispy- crunchy (as opposed to crispy-greasy) which is how he likes it. Sadly for Court it was largely commandeered by the rest of the table.
Kay ordered the potato pancakes and they were okay, though not the best she’s had. They were heavily crisped, and too lightly seasoned for her taste. Her side of crispy bacon was excellent. Note: Kay’s original cup of coffee was more bitter than the second two, we suspect she may have gotten the end of a pot that sat out a while.
As for me (Bridget), I had the veggie skillet, sans onions, with cubed potatoes instead of hashbrowns. I was a fan. I liked that the veggies were chopped quite large in that it felt heartier. The eggs were over-medium despite my over-easy request, however, I’ll call that a happy accident because they were really good and I think this will be my new go-to. To improve, I’d crisp up the potatoes just a little more to stand up to the melted cheese. And I agreed with Kay: I think they’re playing it just a tad safe with the spices.
The skillet came with a side of plain pancakes and they were perfect. It’s like when a singer has perfect pitch - through our SSBC adventures, I’ve come to realize that it’s surprisingly easy to screw up pancakes. They’re either too thick or too thin, too floury, too sweet, etc. Maybe the stars aligned just for that one serving, but if that wasn’t a fluke then I dare say Warrenville makes a Goldilocks pancake. They could take better advantage of that.
Sunny stuck with his tried-and-true chicken fingers and fries. He ate ALL the chicken and declared them his new “best-ever!” He described them as crunchy, greasy, good, and delicious. The fries in his opinion were good, if a little soggy.
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THE BOTTOM LINE
Our Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
What Made Us Smile:
So incredibly warm and welcoming. The best no-nonsense pancake I’ve come across since SSBC began.
What Could Be Better:
Get a little wilder with your baked specialties selections, and put some swagger in how you speak about them. Market the Goldilocks Pancake (as attested by your friendly neighborhood SSBC).
Will the SSBC Be Back?
Yes. We each had more items we were eyeing.
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Well, that's a wrap from your SSBC! Don't forget to follow our breakfast adventures on the socials. And get some SSBC merch (holidays are just around the corner ya know). If you'd like to recommend a place for us to visit, drop us a line on our contact page.
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.