Alonti Cafe

Avoid this place.  Enormously overpriced and you can easily spend $15.00 on a salad for lunch.    Practically everything here is overpriced and this place takes full advantge of being the only restaurant in Riverside Plaza (300 S. Riverside Plaza).   Consider alternatives.

This Alonti is located in the building in which I work so it's become my go-to place for lunch. That would make you think I love the place, right? Well.... not so fast. I get my morning coffee and my lunch salad because it's convenient and, quite honestly, they can't screw up a cup of coffee or a salad bar.

So here's where it's a bit wonky for me: pricing on items can be weird. I'm not going to quote prices, just tell you that their bottled water (still and sparkling) is 30-40 cents more than the same product sold in the newsstand store across the lobby. Another thing: a lot of places like Alonti provide small plastic cups by the soft drink dispenser for customers wanting only water with their meal (yeay for Panera!). If you want a cup for water, Alonti charges you 30 or 40 cents for the cup. Things like the fruit parfaits, fresh fruit, and the soups are priced high for the quantity given. (FYI, they cut up the fruit on the same cutting boards used for cutting veggies, including onions, so you might want to steer clear.)

One last thing I'll say about the place: they have some really terrific workers. They're friendly and they work hard. There are a few I know by name and it's great to see their smiling faces every day.