"Its like Denny's crossed with an organic tea shop"   My Rating
16 animallawg al	Posted on: Monday, July 27, 2009
	Review: Their hours have changed since first opening: currently open 8am-3pm, 7 days a week. It is a small diner-type restaurant with a counter that is also available for seating (great for people dining alone.) They charge 50 cents extra for carryout to cover the cost of packaging. They front page of their menu states they have vegetarian and vegan options. Well, there is only one vegan item on the menu, the tofu scramble (depending on what items you choose to stuff it with.) The other vegan options consist of vegetarian items with things left off (such as the black bean burger or reuben sandwich, hold the cheese.) My reuben consisted of rye bread, tempeh, sauerkraut and onions with vegan 1000 Island on the side (which needs tweaking - the dressing is all bite and no flavor.) It is disappointing to see a restaurant that still takes the approach of offering vegan food by holding off on items and charging you the same amount, instead of replacing them with an alternative like vegan soy cheese. Also, if you want something vegan, you are advised to call ahead. They don't always have vegan pancakes (but the pancakes are by far the most expensive thing on the menu, starting around $11, so I would never order them anyway.) They are definitely a family diner, so expect friendly servers whom you will also overhear talking about how much each table tipped them, talk about other employees who aren't working that day, etc. Not everyone is comfortable in that kind of atmosphere, so I think of this as a place that caters to the "Dennys" crowd. They use a lot of organic ingredients, and the prices are very fair given that fact. They serve organic teas and fair trade coffee. I don't understand why a previous reviewer said all kitchen staff went to culinary school ... either things have changed a lot since then, or they totally lied to the reviewer. The kitchen staff working now doesn't understand the vegan/vegetarian concept, so you have to speak up, and be prepared for your waiter/waitress to jump behind the grill and cook for you. I ended up passing up the building, on my first visit, because the sign saying "Wake Up Cafe" is hard to see. Instead, "Family Diner," is visible in very large letters, covering the building. It is about half a mile south of 9 mile. Parking lot is in back, and you have to enter through the side door (along the side street.) For some reason, people they hire keep quitting and walking out, so if they're busy you may be doomed.   Pros: they try to offer vegan foods * reasonable prices * Cons: No air conditioning? * no booths *
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"We highly recommend this place!"   My Rating
2 donutyum	Posted on: Saturday, March 07, 2009
	Review: My husband (who is not a vegetarian) loves breakfast. I am an ovo/lacto vegetarian (who is not especially fond of eggs or heavy breakfast items such as pancakes or waffles) so I don't really like breakfast restaurants. This place made us both happy. They serve breakfast and lunch items simultaneously. Many of their items are organic and locally grown. They have eggs and tofu scramble; sausage and portabella mushrooms; oatmeal with a beautiful arrangement of blueberries and apples on top. Of course they also have waffles and pancakes, crepes (breakfast and dessert) and sandwiches. We spied on fellow diner's meals and everything looked delicious. We both really enjoyed my tofu scramble (just the right amount of seasoning and your choice of 3 veggies including zucchini, spinach, red/white onions, mushrooms (fresh, not canned) and 2 types of cheese) The tofu scramble came with home style, redskin potatoes and toast (many types of bread to choose from- including gluten free). My husband thought his sausage & mushrooms (fresh, not canned) with herbed, buttermilk biscuits (homemade), and gravy were excellent. Also, the desserts looked very tempting, but we were way too full to try any this time. This place has been open a year now and we just discovered it. We're sorry we missed out on the last 12 months be we will definitely be back! (for lunch and dinner too)   Pros: excellent, healthy food * organic & locally grown * friendly staff Cons: "leisurely" pace * *
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"Diner on the east side gives me hope"   My Rating
1 tomasjay66	Posted on: Monday, January 05, 2009
	Review: The east side tends to be full of strip malls and "out of a bag" restaurants. Food is a top priority to me, so imagine my happy surprise to find a Vegan-friendly restaurant in S.C.S.. The staff was friendly and the food was well prepared. Nice portion size and innovative ingredients. They use local products including breads and dressings. It was also a surprise to find out that the entire kitchen staff has been through culinary school. They are currently reworking the dinner menu, and I am excited to see the results.   Pros: great staff * fast and fulfilling food * non-smoking Cons: * *
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