Maple Butter Cafe
This week we hit up Maple Butter Cafe in Plainfield. Remember that each week, the person selecting the restaurant prepares a conversation-starter question. This week's question was: would you travel back or forward in time? We were split, although we all agreed going back to a time merely to enjoy ourselves has a lot of merit. Good lens to consider when we evaluate breakfast places: first and foremost, make us feel comfortable. They did a nice job of that!
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QUICK STATS
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ [3/5]
Price Range: $$
Best For: families seeking a solid breakfast experience, with lots of options to please a diverse crowd.
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BEHIND OUR RATINGS
Food Quality: ⭐⭐⭐ [3/5]
Big menu, which can cut both ways as we've always said. Their execution of it was solid, with the crispy bacon as the standout. We love the seasonal / special drink menu as well, the Sour Patch shake was a must-try and did not disappoint.
Not to get TOO into semantics, but “stuffed” french toast conjures something that is actually stuffed (vs stacked).
Coffee is the issue. At a breakfast place, coffee is your bread and butter - or should we say, your maple butter. We found it to be on the bitter side, like it was coming out of a pot that hadn't been cleaned in a while. Not a great look for a breakfast place but one that is very addressable.
Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
Maureen was our server, and she was lovely: friendly and attentive. The bright spot of our visit!
Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
It's a big place with sage walls and standard breakfast place decor. They obviously do a lot of holiday stuff with festive seasonal drinks and dishes. There was a cute little Easter egg tree displayed when we visited.
We got a great big, roomy booth. Our fave.
Noise Level: ⭐⭐ [2/5]
Pretty loud. Even with the booth, it's quite loud.
Value for Money: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
Reasonably priced, on par with breakfast places in the area. We splurged on speciality drinks and sides also.
Wait Time: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
We got right in, no issues.
Kid-Friendly: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
Big menu with options for everyone, fun specialty shakes, chicken tenders available.
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WHAT WE ORDERED
As for me (Bridget), I kept it simple - scrambled eggs and fruit. and they were both OK. Eggs were slightly runnier than I like so in the future I’d ask for them to be scrambled well. Fruit wasn’t in bad shape (read our reviews; we’ve seen some stuff) but nor was it especially noteworthy.
Sunny had the chicken tenders and fries, which he enjoyed. He also had the Sour Patch shake with cotton candy and Sour Patch Kids on top - it was “delicious and addictive.”
Court started with coffee (see above) and also tried the Dolce de Leche latte, which was pretty good. The stuffed french toast was labeled as "stuffed" with cream cheese and fruit, though it turned out to be more of a pile of French toast with everything layered on top. That was fine, but not what he was expecting. The French toast itself was a little dry, and there wasn't enough cream or fruit juices to moisten it. Eggs and bacon came with it: the eggs were fine, but the crispy bacon was the best part of his meal.
Kay had a bagel sandwich with bacon, scrambled eggs, and cheese. It was good (though that’s a pretty safe dish). She also had fruit, which was okay.
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THE BOTTOM LINE
Our Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ [3/5]
What Made Us Smile:
Maureen was wonderful, and it's a very pleasant place with a big menu. The seasonal touches are fun.
What Could Be Better:
A coffee upgrade would instantly raise the bar!
Will the SSBC Be Back?
We’d love to revisit and see if the coffee gets an upgrade. Also, we have no doubt they’ll cook up something special for the holidays.
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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.