A small tan building sits on a rural road at 1942 US-30 in Sugar Grove, IL. Its welcoming, light and comfortable atmosphere comes partly from the natural light, decorative plants and great staff. Opening at 7 a.m. every morning, this local restaurant first opened just five years ago. While the Sugar Grove Cafe may be very similar to many other locally owned restaurants, there are a few things that set it apart.
When I first walked into the restaurant, there was not any wait for a spot to sit. It wasn’t very busy, and there were many open tables but still a decent amount of people there. We only had to wait a minute or two at our table before the waitress asked what we wanted to drink, and the service continued to be very fast the whole time we were there. However, what really made the service there great was the people.
Our waitress was much more than just a good waitress. She was helpful, energetic and really made eating there a lot more fun. From when we first talked to her until we left, not only was she really nice, but she was funny and made jokes when she was talking to us. Aside from that, she was very knowledgeable about the restaurant and the menu. She could tell you her favorites, what many other people liked a lot, and what some of the restaurant’s best foods were.
Some of the best on the menu that she recommended were the cod, salmon, the reuben sandwich and others. But those are just a small part of the menu. The Sugar Grove Cafe has a wide selection of types of food you can choose from. They have fish, sandwiches, pastas, authentic Mexican food and a few others. In addition, they also have many side options, like soup or potatoes, and they also have a dessert and a drinks menu. However, that’s only half the story. They also have a daily full breakfast menu and serve lunch, too. Crepes, french toast, chilaquiles and omelets are just a few types of the breakfast foods that they have, so if you like breakfast food, then this restaurant in the morning is almost definitely going to have something that you’d like. Even if you don’t like breakfast food, with all of the different options at this restaurant (including vegetarian and gluten-free food), don’t worry about it not having something for you. But with so many types of food to choose from, it raises the question of if all of their food is good quality or only some of the menu.
Having been there twice, I’ve had the chance to try food from both their breakfast and dinner menus. And while it did seem like breakfast was more of their specialty, the food was delicious both times. Their dinner had lots of flavor and was cooked very well, but you would probably be able to find other places nearby with similar food, just maybe not as much variety in options all at one place. The breakfast was very good, too, and they had lots of options for pastries and eggs especially. It was also nice how they let you pick some toppings for some of the breakfast food. One thing about their food, though, is that they give you a lot and it might be too much for some people, depending on the person. This isn’t necessarily bad though, because if you like to bring leftovers home to eat later, then it could be good for you.
Overall, Sugar Grove Cafe is likely comparable to other local restaurants that aren’t fast food, but its great staff, atmosphere, variety of food options and ability to make many kinds of food well make this restaurant unique and a great place to eat. I would give this restaurant about an 8/10 and hopefully can go back there again someday.
