Me and My Husband Went to this HORRIBLE restaurant today March 6th 2013 and it was our FIRST TIME there , it Was Horrible service and FOOD , i had gotten a steak Tacos and there RICE was hard and not DONE..!!!!! . the server was Disrespectful and was Ignore us rude, raciest to us and i asked for a refund i was not going to pay the whole service and my food was horrible and my Husband has black Angus Burger didnt give him no Lettece nor tomatoes for the Sandwich, and the fries was very small serving HORRIBLE place ill NEVER EVER go there again ........ , and CHARGED me 4 dollars for dang tip on my CARD and i went back to spoke to the Manager again when i talked to my Bank and the manager talking about they take out it caused for the TIP and i already told them i will NOT give them any tip for the HORRIBLE service and food we both gotten...!! . Just know DON`T ever GO THERE . now i know before i go any new Resturant`s i`ll looked threw the Reviews first .
Review Source:Went in an hour before closing on a Friday night. Â Poor service, staff was clearly annoyed that we came in late for dinner. Â The food was cold and VERY overpriced. Â Would definitely not recommend this place and will not be going back. Â I heard it's recently been under new ownership - it will not survive with a staff like that.
Review Source:I know one of the owners and was excited to hear that he bought this place. The former owner had really let the place go and had turned it into a real dump. Â Four of us went on a Saturday night. The place was almost full when we arrived. The margaritas were top notch. Appetizers were really good. All entrees were good. I thought the rotolo was best. I ordered the fried chicken special. It came with a blue potato salad and homemade corn bread. The potato salad was under seasoned. It needed salt and pepper. The chicken was pretty good. The jerk chicken was really good as well. The chips and salsa were disappointing. Seemed like the chips were just Tostitos that had been thrown into the fryer to re-heat them. Problem was that the oil was not at correct temp and left them greasy with a stale oil taste. Overall an excellent experience though. The few minor issues kept it from getting 5 stars, but it seems they are striving for excellence. Â Looking forward to going back soon.
Review Source:I am thrilled to report that Cafe Brio has undergone a complete transformation since my last visit. Poorly executed, ill-prepared dishes have been replaced with artful, rave-worthy cuisine.
I had the Rotolo, and sweet baby Jesus was it incredible! The puff pastry was just right and the accompanying olive pate was a very nice touch. Wonderful.
Jonathan (otherwise affectionately known as Jon-Jon) is a fantastic server. Very pleasant and attentive.
I'm so happy that this charming restaurant has been given new life. Give them another try-you won't be disappointed.
Came in after being treated like dirt at Obed & Issac (didn't even make it to our table). What a refreshing change. I see a lot of people are not liking the new menu which concerns me because I'm liking it. Got the wings as an appetizer. they were nice and meaty, the sauce was good, and the dipping side was very creative. Split a Shrimp BLT and a burger with my dad. The BLT was a bit awkward to eat but tasty nonetheless, and the burger I had is one of the best I've eaten in Springfield. The only complaint I have is they were pretty skimpy on the side of sweet potato chips. They were delicious and I only got about 8. They were also very accomodating for my infant son.
Review Source:We went to Cafe Brio last night after a show at the Hoogland. We had a nice time and were pleased with the atmosphere and the updated menu.
Our dinners were good,not great. A few things sort of missing: chipotle shrimp had no zing at all,clam chowder was very good, but lacking any actual clams.It also arrived without a soup spoon. As others have mentioned,odd shaped dishes can sometimes be difficult. I didn't want my knife to sit on the table in between bites, but IT WOULD NOT STAY on the irregular salad dish.
The staff in general was welcoming,helpful,and well-informed. Where the managed missed a great opportunity was in the bar. The bartender was very unpleasant and seemed put-out to have to take drink orders as well as handle wait staff's needs. When you are enjoying a Saturday night out, you really want someone friendly and fun behind the bar.
We wanted to like Cafe Brio and went a couple of times. Â The servers seem very inexperienced but sweet and friendly. Â On my last visit I ordered a cup of tea. Â I had to ask a couple of times for it and when I got the mug of water she was carrying it with her fingers all over the lip of the mug. Â Ewh. Â
The menu is creative but there are inconsistencies and just some overall weirdness that won't let me go back. Â For example, on our burger and fries were served in what looked like a trough. Â It was no more than 4" across and the sandwich didn't even fit in it. Â The burger was tasty but difficult and awkward to eat. Â I know you own flat plates. Â Why couldn't we have one? Â The deconstructed caesar - while it had a great dressing - I would never order again. Â I was given a half a head of romaine and a pile of bread crumbs. Â
Good luck Cafe Brio.
I was recommended to stop in here by a local supporting local digs. Â I didn't have a chance to eat here... I just had a drink; it was yummy.
I want to reflect on the honest and kind service of the staff.
I came down to the capital from Chicago to lobby. I ended up leaving my credit card in the receipt folder. They were so kind to send it back to me! I appreciate it so much!
So I had an overnight here 2 nights in a row (I'm a flight attendant) so the first night went to Brickhouse and it was cool. Â Wanting to try somewhere else my FO and I came to this place to get some Mexican food and drinks. Â The decor was pretty cool inside. Â Ummm the food I would give about a 2....I had better! Â The customer service and the margaritas were great....I would give it 4! Â I would come back to this spot but only for the drinks though...highly recommended!!!
Review Source:We found this restaurant on Yelp after touring the Lincoln library, and I was hopeful for our experience, but it just wasn't what it could have been.
Our waitress was sweet and personable, but I ordered guacamole to go with the chips and she brought the entrees before I was able to remind her that we hadn't gotten the guacamole. She did ask me if I still wanted it, and I said yes because I had been waiting and thinking of it. I had the pistachio-crusted tilapia sandwich. There was so much fish on the sandwich, I had to slice it in half and take part of it off to close the sandwich. It was very good, and I loved the fries. My husband said his meal was okay.
And honestly, I wished I had declined the guacamole. It tasted like tomatoes somehow, and I eat guacamole because I cannot stand salsa. Somehow, they have made guacamole taste exactly like salsa, which in my book is not good. I scraped off all the pepper and tomato garnish on top, thinking that was the taste issue, but it wasn't.
I would try someplace else in Springfield if you have the chance. I wouldn't go back here. Some food was good, some was just okay and the guacamole was NOT good.
I do not know what other people see in this place. Â The only thing I can think of is this is a Local's favorite....because they have never been out of Springfield. Â
Good cocktails, cute bar area and that's about it. Â I have been here many times and quit going after finding some sort of metal piece in my fish taco. Â What the? Â When I questioned the waitress about it, she took it back to the kitchen and came back with "It's a bone". Â Really? Â Did you hear correctly because it looks like a BOLT to me. Â I stopped going after this experience. Â The place is always cold in temp, the food is nothing great and now I get a small piece of hardware in my taco. Â
However, this is a favorite restaurant of a friend of mine and when we met downtown one night I decided to give the place another shot. Â Ordered the Chile Relleno's-- decent but overpriced. Â Cocktail was good. Â And why do they always seat two people up against that window? Â It's very chilly there during the winter months. Â The highlight of the dinner: Â the waitress was under the influence of something and was hil-arrrrrrr-ious in her behavior and explanations of the specials. Â This was a treat considering most waitstaff here act like they are doing you a favor by taking your order.
That's all I got. Â Don't plan on going back.
In town on business and the hotel pointed me in their direction.
I was hungry for breakfast and got the breakfast that had this masa pancake, eggs any style and a chipotle cheese sauce (which sounded great) along with fried chiles. Â
It was pretty good. Â However, being my first time in Springfield I am wondering if the locals can't stand a little heat. Â These fried green chiles were really not very good. Â It was this heavy corn based (masa?) batter that was heavy, goopy and not really fresh. Â The salsa was great that came with the chips but it had no heat at all (Literally zero on the spicy scale). Â Lastly the chipotle cheese sauce had no heat either. Â If I order something "chipotle" I am expected a little heat, but not here!
I also ordered a pancake as the daily special was blueberry pancakes. Â I was hoping for better but it was marginal. Â I was not sure about the syrup either as it was not very sweet and hence why I ordered a pancake as I wanted something sweet. Â Maybe it was a "light" syrup. Â Oh well.
I left full and generally satisfied. Â I would like to come back and try a margarita.
Used to go to Springfield from Champaign on a regular basis from the mid 90s to about 2008 or so, and Brio was a stalwart on my rotation.  I though it more edgy and better earlier in that time frame, though I have been there in the last year or two and though that their Tex-Mex stuff was pretty good, and drinks as well.  It can be loud, and servers spotty, but it has been steady over time.  I am glad to see some better non-chain restos have opened up in Springfield over the last few years, because other than a few ethnic choices, Springfield was slim pickings.  And  places closed early - almost always.
Review Source:I usually come here for lunch. The waitresses are very friendly (and cute!), but we've been forgotten about once or twice, especially during busy afternoons. On those afternoons, the food wait has been quite long. Either get here early or plan for more than an hour.
The food is fairly good. The chips that I've had have all been home-fried at least; I've gotten many a warm basket. The sandwiches are tasty-- I think they toast the buns in a quarter inch of butter. If you're on a diet, you'll want to avoid that (but definitely don't if you're not!). The soup-of-the-day has been really good lately.
The only problem I have with it is the proteins. Some I've had has been tough and gristly (steak sandwich, I think) and sometimes there's not enough (tilapia wraps in particular; otherwise excellent, I have gotten some fish-lite/tortilla heavy servings).
The three stars is for the potential this place has. Cool atmosphere, on a corner with big windows. Cool paint inside, although a little lax on the maintenance. Menu claims "tapas" although they really are just appetizers. They were out of the one that I ordered. My wife and I both ordered salads which were both very good. Disappointing that we were there on a Saturday night at 9:00p.m. and were literally the only ones there. I don't know if it's downtown Springfield's fault, or the fault of Cafe Brio. Maybe a combination of both.
Review Source:We randomly found Cafe Brio and it was our best dining expereince in our last trip to the Springpatch. Â
The price point was a little higher than most places in Spfld but you get what you pay for. Â The food was more organic and locally grown and the menu offerings were thoughtful. Â We really enjoyed our drinks and our meals (Adam got a burrito and I got a goat cheese salad) and our server was great!! Â My marg was enjoyable and the atmosphere is genuine. Â I would definitely go back here, but I'll make sure to stop by the best coffee shop in town, Sunsup Koffee Kafe, afterwards!!
I have been to Cafe Brio a bunch of times while visiting Springfield but last night I tried it out for the first time since I moved to town. I have always been a huge fan of their margaritas and a good friend of mine adores the pomegranate so I had two of those. They're amazing and worth a trip on their own. I also tried the chips and salsa and chips and guacamole. The salsa was good but very spicy not something I'd serve without warning someone first, but it's a mom and pop place so I see how it goes. The guacamole has a nice flavor but is not very chunky. I prefer mine with a lot of onions, tomatoes, etc in it. Finally, I had the shrimp blt for my meal. It was delicious but definitely not a sandwich that can be picked up and eaten. I had to deconstruct it with my knife and fork, it was good but kind of too much work for a meal.
All in all Cafe Brio is a great place and I love the atmosphere. I prefer it for enjoying margaritas and appetizers than for the actual meals though.
My friend & I stopped in for lunch. I got a cheesburger & my friend got wings. She does NOT like wing sauce. She didn't realize that they put the buffalo sauce on them. When she asked if she could get them remade w/o the sauce, she was told that she would have to buy another order of wings. My burger and fries were not good enough to me to go back. Tiny burger and lukewarm fries. Add bad service and it just does not leave me with a  good experience.
Review Source:Decided to try this place since I walked past it all the time. It looked cute from the outside and I had seen quite a few people inside so I thought it must having something going for it.
I went alone around 1130am on a Sunday. I ended up ordering a coffee and a breakfast burrito. First, the coffee didnt arrive until after my food. She said she had to brew a fresh pot, which is fine. When it arrived it had obvious grounds floating all over the top. I saw the server see the grounds when she sat it down, but she just put it on my table anyway and walked away. Second, when I ordered I made it pretty clear that I cant have dairy. I asked for no cheese in the burrito, which they obliged, but then it came with a huge side portion of sour cream which was on the plate with the burrito. Now, Ive been a server for many, many years and this isnt that big of a deal to me, but a good server knows the menu and will ask the chef/cook to leave off all dairy products, especially when it isnt listed on the menu (it wasnt).
As for the food, Im not sure what people are raving about. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing? The burrito came out lightening fast, literally minutes, which always makes me a little wary. There just didnt seem to be anything right about it. The eggs were overcooked, rubbery and in big pieces like they had been cooked into a fritatta then chopped apart. The sausage/chorizo was indistinguishable and the vegetables were just meh. The whole dish reminded me of something on the level of Chipotle or some other chain Mexican.
I ate about half the burrito and just didnt want to eat any more of it so I asked for a to-go box and ended up taking it home and throwing it away.
I really don't understand how this place can garner such positive reviews. The place does look amazing and we tried all weekend to get in. However, I can't believe we ate here. If we weren't starving, had someplace to be really soon, and feeling so generous we would have returned the food and left under normal circumstances.
The salsa was definitely canned and the chips obviously not homemade and not even warmed up. These things I can live with.
However, I cannot live with ordering orange juice and being given a glass of Tang and then being charged $3.50 for what my receipt called "fresh squeezed orange juice." Come on, guys. Thank God I didn't get the mimosa. I don't think I could stomach Tang and sparkling wine, no matter how weakly mixed.
My boy got a Benedict. The poached eggs had hard centers. Not OK. Everything else would have been great, especially if they added a little more potatoes. His food was actually hot.
I got the breakfast burrito. It was barely warm and definitely cold by the time I got to the center. It also had grill marks on it (why?). Do they just load up the tortilla and stick it on the grill and hope the fillings get hot enough? Shame, shame, shame. Oh yeah, and the guac was watery. What are they doing back there?
Service on a scale of 1 to 5 was a 1. But they were dead so maybe its normal for waitresses in Springfield to text the whole time instead of wait on their two customers.
Stay far away.
Reasonably priced. Nice selection. My husband got a shrimp BLT that looked really tasty and he enjoyed. I got a spinach, pear, & feta salad with shrimp. Though the spinach leaves were big and hard to cut, the shrimp was tender and flavorful and the bacon/vinaigrette dressing delicious! The pears seem like they could be have been from a can and the flavor didn't "help" the salad too much.
The staff was friendly and offered many good suggestions for us to for the day in Springfield. She also let us know she has some of her glass work for sale up the street.
My fiance and I stopped in Springfield on our road trip to St. Louis from Chicago. Â We had big plans to get some chili, which Springfield is apparently famous for, but every place we tried to go to apparently closes by 2 p.m. Â That's okay, though - there were a couple other places I remembered from my Springfield restaurant search, and one of those places was Cafe Brio.
Now, I was really expecting to eat a pretty heavy, unhealthy lunch during our stop in Springfield, but I was pleasantly surprised with Cafe Brio. Â As other reviewers mention, there's a nice mix and variety of Mexican and Caribbean flavors. Â I think the restaurant itself calls its food something like "sun fare," and it promises bright flavors and a lot of energy. Â The food was really good! Â I had shrimp tacos, and my fiance had a delicious burger. Â This restaurant definitely didn't skimp on the shrimp - the tacos were way too full! Â But that's never a problem for me.
We didn't get charged for chips and salsa, and our drink refills were free. Â The service was great - our server was really sweet, and everyone we interacted with was really nice. Â Since we were road tripping, we didn't, unfortunately, get to sample any of the margaritas, but the list looked great. Â We'll definitely stop by Cafe Brio again if we're in Springfield, and maybe we can get some margaritas then!
As far as decor, it is pretty rustic, but it's definitely colorful, and I find the rusticity pretty inviting. Â It didn't seem dirty or overly shabby to me.
Cafe Brio is an unexpected little spot in the heart of Springfield. Â The menu is a kind of a Latin-Caribbean fusion with a standard American item or two thrown in. Â The atmosphere is definitely adult- while children are welcome, this really isn't the place to bring them unless it's for brunch. Â The servers are mostly hipsters with funky hair, piercings, and tattoos but most are actually pretty decent servers.
  As for the food, the salsa is terrific as are the dinner items. They're known for their awesome margaritas here, too, which are made with higher end tequilas like Cabo Wabo Reposado. Brio is also known for its brunch. Â
  The decor is edging on shabby these days, but the lights are usually low enough to distract from that. The bathrooms have also been spotless every time I've been in.  If you want large portions for cheap, don't go to Brio. If you're looking for an interesting meal and relaxed environment, go ahead and try it out.
Recently, my wife and I went down to Springfield for a little vacation. Not wanting to get anymore fast food, we puttered around downtown to try and find something...and unfortunately, there isn't much to choose from that's not outrageously overpriced (see: Augie's Front Burner) or typical cafe fare.
Luckily, we stumbled on Cafe Brio, which seemed reasonably priced and inviting. How surprised we were!
Coming from Chicago which has fairly good Latin restaurants I have to say that this one one of the BEST Latin meals I've ever had...and that's not any of their awesome Margaritas talking!
The food isn't really Mexican, though they do offer several typical Mexican dishes, like tacos. It's has more of a Caribbean-island flavor with a lot of jerk sauces and such. My wife had the Pork Chop, which was enormous and come with an amazing sauce that was both spicy and smoky while being sweet.
I had the steak tacos which were great. Usually, when you order a steak dish in most hispanic-style restaurants, you have to endure a fatty cut of beef. Not here! The steak was moist and juicy and had a nice spicy afterbite. I had ordered my tacos without cheese and they did come out with cheese but, when I told the waitress I couldn't eat them because I was lactose-intolerant, she apologized and even caught on that the gaucamole had cream in it. 15 minutes later, I had a new plate of tacos without any lactose!
And the margaritas are perfectly mixed and taste great - buy one! Overall, we'll definitely be coming back whenever we're in town!
As a general statement, Springfield is not a place with great food. After living in Springfield for a year, I discovered Cafe Brio-- it was a particularly bad time in my life as far as eating was concerned. Cafe Brio was the first enjoyable lunch I had in this city. The Shrimp BLT with sweet potato chips were excellent.
Review Source:Stopped in for supper whilst visiting as a tourist one day.
The place probably looked very hip when it first opened but it is badly in need of a cleaning and paint job. Â I don't mean the faux plaster problems. I mean the smoke and dirt on the ceilings and walls. The original paint job and HVAC/lighting was probably killer kool . Â But oh it's gotta be impossible to keep up with unless you close for a week. And they have not done so. In a long while apparently.
The tables along the window line (not sure of the rest of the place) should not have been allowed in use by the health department as they were unsealed wood with many open gaps full of crumbs. Â Typically this style would have had a sheet of glass on top to make it possible to keep clean. Â As it was it was akin to eating off a badly maintained picnic table.
As stated above by others service was sketchy and being charged for refills on drinks (tea/pop) is not something I am used to.
There was a nice ethusiastic crowd eating away by the time we left. Â When we arrived at about 5:30 on a Monday eve it was pretty empty.
I do not really recall the food other than it was tasty. Â Portions were adequate. Â The location of the restaurant affects the prices I am sure but the decore does not lead one to expect the prices. A bit of a disconnect there.
I am usually kind of laid back about things - really I am - but when I saw the bar keep wearing flip flops it sort of sealed the deal for me regarding this place. Â The managment does not appear to want to do the needed work with staff and structure to keep this place attractive.
A treasure in the state capitol! Â Great lighting, staff is young and very friendly!
Wandering downtown Springfield on a Monday night to find eats, we stumbled in here. Â What a find!
I had BBQ pork chop, with fresh mashed potatoes and a rough cut cole slaw. Â SO good! Â Really impressed the heck out of me!
Hubby had the ahi tuna, which was served on Asian noodles and veggies, I don't like tuna, but LOVED the noodles, and he was impressed that nothing needed to be added to it (salt, pepper, soy sauce) to improve the taste.
Had an appetizer of chips with both spicy salsa and chipotle sauce... very tasty and it definitely had heat!
Definitely some place we'd go again, when visiting the capital!
Chose this place for lunch after reading the Yelp reviews - wanted someplace within walking distance of the Lincoln Museum & this fit the bill.
I agree with some previous reviewers that the portions aren't large & the prices aren't cheap, but then again the portions aren't tiny & the prices aren't outrageous either - pretty much right down the middle.
Our server was very friendly & attentive - he refilled our drinks without even asking, though the refills did show up on the bill - hmmm. Â I had the Spring Mix Salad with seared Tuna - excellent flavor combos & just the right amount of dressing. Â It was just what I wanted after having had a big heavy breakfast that morning. The food took a bit of time to come out of the kitchen, but not enough to be annoying unless you were in a hurry.
Some interesting menu combos looked yummy & I'd come again if I'm ever in Springfield to try additional menu items.
This is a great Latin fusion restaurant for foodies who find themselves in Springfield. Â This is the place you want to go if you're looking for food that is not fried, not sandwiches, and has herbs and spices used in cooking (really a rare thing here!) Â It's located downtown, so parking can be a little scary sometimes.
Review Source:Brio seems out of place for Springfield, it's not so much a straight-up Mexican place as it is a Latin fusion kind of place. I think that they had to add some non Latin dishes to keep afloat (ex. the Filet.)
The margaritas are AWESOME! They're all 7.50 and they're mixed perfectly, it's the right balance of tequila, juice and liquor. The frozen ones are just as good and only a quarter more. They switch the flavors up on those (blueberry/raspberry with a mango juice swirl.) Delicious! They really are that good, possibly the best margaritas I've had. EVER
The food is pretty good, got the chips and the fire roasted salsa, it had a little kick to it that had a great fresh taste to it. Â I wanted to try the habanero chicken, but it has a peanut-raisin sauce that didn't appeal to me, so, I got the shrimp tacos instead. They were packed with shrimp and spiced just right. Go for the food, stay for the margaritas and then thank me for squaring you away.
Seems like this place is better for dinner than lunch. Â My friend is down here frequently for court cases and he recommended Cafe Brio for mexican. Â It didn't seem very mexican to me, more latin I think. My inlaw's of course, complained about the sticky chairs. If there were nothing for them to complain about, the world would stop revolving.
My husband and I both had salads...greens, a sweet balsamic vinaigrette, craisins, caramelized nuts and a grilled chicken breast. Nothing Mexican about that. Â It was a very tasty salad, the chicken didn't have that "pollo propane" flavor that seems to be the norm with grilled chicken. Â Chicken was very tender. Â Dad-in-law had a kind of eggs benedict with crabmeat-very good. Â Mom-in-law had huevos rancheros...a fried tortilla topped with black beans, a scrambled egg (she complained it was an omelet because it was flat, not the mound of runny mush that she likes) and salsa. Â Oh, and it was greasy. Â But she is a complainer, what do you want? Â Looked ok to me!
My daughter is 8 and there was nothing on the menu that appealed to her, and she generally likes to try different things.
As another reviewer said, good selection of margaritas and beer. Do get a margarita. Â It is the best fucking margarita I have had in a LONG time. In fact, have two. The fruit juice is fresh and they don't skimp on the tequila.
My only complaint is the portions were too small, at least the salads were. I've had side salads that were bigger than this. The other entrees were decent size. Â We would have liked some bread along with the salad, maybe tortilla chips and salsa or something. Â
I would like to come back for dinner next time we pass through but because of the salad size, my  hubby might not go for that.
LOVE this place. Stumbled upon it while looking for dinner. This was our first time to Springfield and to this restaurant. It has a great menu with something for everyone. Great selection of margaritas and beer. My wife who is vegetarian found lots of good options and I did also. She had the chili rejeno (sp) and I had the tilapia wrap. Both were under $10 and with drink plus chips and the chipotle queso we were both happily full when we left. Prices were very reasonable and service was fantastic friendly and helpful while making choices. Definitely check this out. Next time in Springfield we will go back for sure.
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