Cafe C

After eating at Cafe C years ago and deciding to not go back again, the guys at work wanted to give it another try. When we arrived it was hopping, and it looked like they made the space more their own since my last visit. I also saw they had a buffet going, and I was happy to see I wasn't going to have to go with one of their sandwiches, of which I'm neither a fan nor an enemy. I thought there was hope that they had evolved into a better restaurant with more compelling food.

The buffet was Italian themed, and since they have their own catering business, I thought it would be a good opportunity to see how good they are at preparing larger batches of food. I paid $11 for the buffet and drink and got in line. I tried a sampling of their food; wheat garlic rolls, lasagna, rice, a vegetable medley, mashed potatoes, penne w/ chicken, and what looked like sliced turkey. As I made my way through the line, I heard one of the staff telling another customer that the chef was unhappy with the quality of the rolls since they didn't rise correctly and weren't good. Hmm. I hadn't even taken a bite, and I was already regretting my purchase. I couldn't believe a customer was being told this.

I went into their dining room and enjoyed the new low-light environment. I felt very relaxed, despite the fact that it seemed crowded. I went for the mashed potatoes first, and was thinking things would be okay since they weren't all that bad. It was all downhill from there though. The chicken with the penne was tough and overcooked, the veggies (squash, zucchini, and onions) were withered and chewy, and the turkey was so dry I had to drink a lot just to get it down. Oh yeah, those rolls I mentioned earlier were dense bricks of starch that I wouldn't even give to my dogs in fear of it constipating them.

If the chef makes something and knows it's no good, then it shouldn't go out to the customer. This is common sense. I felt like pulling a Robert Irvine on them in hopes that they'd understand that concept. If I can't trust the kitchen to not serve something they know is bad, I can't trust their food.

Good food but not cheap, like student budget cheap. Big on catering, still can order and eat in dining area or outside.  Live music for Sunday Brunch, 11-3pm $15.99 includes mimosas and sangria.

Many changes for summer months, so call first. Parking in rear.

My friend and I went to Cafe C for lunch on Sunday. I've never eaten there before, so I  was clueless about the concept of the restaurant. It seemed a bit confusing at first as to what was going on inside, but after speaking with the girl at the counter, we found out they offered all-you-can-eat buffet, as well as ordering from the menu. Drinks were included with the meal, which was thoughtful, and the orders would be taken at the counter.

We decided to order from the menu, so we took a seat on the patio. The restaurant is quite inviting and cozy, I loved the whimsy decor and the patio was beautiful. There was live music playing, which was even better, and the band  (Middle Ground) was great, by the way.

After perusing the menu, my friend ordered the Meat Me My Love Salad, he's a meaty kind of guy, and I decided on the grilled cheese on sourdough with the tomato mozzarella salad. I should mention that the customer service in general has been wonderful and the girl I spoke to at the counter was knowledgeable about the menu. I had a tea and my friend had coffee... I like tea a lot, so when I saw it was Lipton (they were out of green tea), my heart sinked a little. Something about Lipton tea just makes me automatically think greasy dinner...

Well, the food arrived pretty quickly, so at first glance I thought the sandwich was on the smaller side. It was a classic grilled cheese, as per menu description, but I expected the bread to be thicker (the bread was tasty, just too thin and dry) and the cheese to be oozing out of the sandwich, which it was not. Upon taking a bite, there was no buttery, cheesy goodness there; the sandwich lacked moisture, unfortunately :(  So, I think the grilled cheese could be improved by toasting the bread more on the outside, adding some butter (or more butter) to it, both inside and out, and balancing out the cheese/bread ratio.

Regarding my friend's salad, he mentioned he was underwhelmed by it, mainly the dressing and the rolled cold cuts in it. I did not try his salad, so I'll just leave it at that.

I didn't plan for this review to be so lengthy, but there it is. Great customer service, very friendly staff,  and wonderful atmosphere. As far as the food, it could use a little tweaking. I will give it a second chance, though.