Rating: 8/10
As the leaves turn brown and a chill breeze fills the air, people may feel inspired to seek comfort. With its dim light fixtures and smooth chatter of conversation, the Courier Cafe represents a refuge from the newly welcomed fall season.
Located on Race Street in Urbana, Courier Cafe is an easy 10-minute commute from the Main Quad. The restaurant’s ambiance is warm and welcoming. Dim lighting covers the array of booth seating and decorations, while stained glass windows offer a cozy atmosphere.
Bustling with business over the weekends, there is occasionally a substantial wait. Once seated in one of the main booths of the restaurant, I admired the array of visitors at the cafe. From families to small groups of students, it was clear that weekends get busy.
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Courier Cafe offers many options, both sweet and savory, and is inclusive of dietary restrictions while providing vegan and vegetarian options.
After nearly 30 minutes of waiting for the main courses to arrive, it was clear that this weekend was a busy one. Nevertheless, the food did not disappoint.
For our two breakfast entrées — the banana walnut pancakes and almond French toast — the portion sizes matched the price point of the meal. Both dishes came with a tin of warm syrup and were topped with their respective nut and fruit add-ons.
The banana walnut pancakes were excessively sweet and could have benefitted from a few more banana slices to balance out the two large, overpowering pancakes. The almond French toast was thick, soft and slightly crisped. The thin almond shavings sprinkled on top supported its sweetness.
A mug of hot chocolate was paired to wash the breakfast down. It tasted quite milky and lacked some traditional chocolate richness.
To my surprise, a waitress offered house fries at no additional charge. The thick potato wedges were crisp and warm, and this unforeseen side dish was thoroughly enjoyable.
While the food was worth the time, the long wait and the noisy atmosphere did take away from the experience. Visiting the cafe would be more advisable if you have a lot of time. The wait time did provide an opportunity to socialize with the friendly staff.
With the fall season evoking a desire to seek warm, savory meals, Courier Cafe proved to be the spot to visit.
