Cafe 101

Disappointing. We went to the café during a downtown art fest. Only a few items were offered and the prices listed were less than the prices charged. When I asked why we were paying more than the listed price, the staff explained that it was a busy day. So, you’re charging more because it’s busy?! And the food wasn’t good. There aren’t a ton of options right around there, but I will not go back.

Wandering around my office and looking for a good spot to have a nice coffee break. Café 101 attracts my attention because the place looks good and it was not crowded. When I entered the place, I noticed that the tables where really cleaned, so that’s a good sign for me.
But sadly, the coffee was not hot enough. I dont know what’s on their mind but the staff dont really think right. A coffee that is not hot? For real? Can really know what’s on their mind.

zero stars was not an option, that’s the only reason why it got a 1!!! if all of your deserts are going to to prebrought, at least make sure they don’t taste like frost bitten shower grout. the chips were also stale. and please do not order a hotdog! they are microwaved!!! that“s a disgrace to chicago dogs city wide! disgusting, vile, dingy, blah, but most importantly … yuck!!!

Just awful. Terrible food, drinks and definitely atrocious service! I think these people are squatting in the building and using the ‘restaurant’ as a front. Save yourself the aggravation. If only the owners would allow someone to move into this beautiful building and run a proper operation… sigh

I have read the reviews and all of you are right. I used to work for this couple and they are as hot and cold as can be. One day everyone is laughing and the next you get a very cold shoulder. Very clicky with their old time friends and the miscellaneous gumbas who stop by to see the husband. Speaking of him, he basically does nothing but boss everyone around and then complains all of the time of how rough he has it. His wife does everything and she should kick him to the curb and then maybe she’d be happy. They are basically people who hate life and hate each other and it is reflected in the way they operate their business. No customer is very important to them. But if you have money, he’ll give you some attention!

Unfortunately there are not many little quick lunch options in downtown Lombard, and my family who was with me didn’t know about this place’s bad rep, so I decided to give it a try.
I got an Italian sub and chips; also ordered were hot dogs and a slice of pizza.
It was all just kind of meh. Cheap, but it tasted like it. The sub roll was hard and very chewy, like it’d been sitting out for several days. The meat was fine, but nothing special and pretty skimpy. The chips were just Jay’s.
The hot dogs looked fine, but again, nothing special, and the Chicago-​style toppings were kinda flimsy. The inside is kinda dingy and the people were friendly enough but seemed very disorganized.
The biggest thing this place has going for it is the outside seating, but honestly, here’s what you should do instead: cross the street, get a sandwich out of the cooler from Corner House along with your beverage and/​or gelato of choice, and if you want to eat outside, there’s a park on the other side of the train tracks. Problem solved.

When driving down St. Charles Road in Lombard I noticed a bunch of Vienna Beef umbrellas in front of a building. Finding the closest available parking spot I pulled in to try it out. Café 101 is part coffee shop, part bakery, part restaurant, it doesn’t seem like it was particularly busy as when I walked in during the afternoon I was the only customer.
Going by the name the Hot Dog critic, obviously I was here to try out the hot dog. When I placed my order I was asked what I want on it, I said everything. After doing so the lady named off the different ingredients they have and included ketchup. This is the first time I’ve ever had a place with Vienna Beef signage actually offer ketchup on a hot dog, needless to say I declined.
The hot dog I received came on a plain non-​poppy seed bun. The bun itself was soft but the first unusual observation came with the pickle, they use hamburger style pickles rather than a pickle spear or slice used by most places. There was quite a bit too much mustard on it, the hot dog itself tasted different than a regular Vienna Beef dog, this could be due to preparation. The onions and relish were irregularly applied to the hot dog, though there was visible celery salt.
While the inside of Café 101 was nice and clean, the quality of the hot dog I had was pretty bad. With a strange choice of pickles, uneven condiment distribution, and a strange flavor to the dog itself I wouldn’t return for a hot dog.

Outstanding beef sandwich… just fabulous. The wife was friendly and working hard but something just didn’t seem right here. I’m guessing the guy was the husband and just seemed… like there was more to this business than selling coffee and sandwiches, maybe a little front for something. None of my business because I’ll be back for coffee and beef sandwiches but is it coincidence two storefronts down is Capone’s? See the connection?

I couldn’t say anything nice about this place when it was the only game in town, but now that The Corner House has opened its doors and offers everything downtown Lombard could want in a coffee shop, I got to thinking about the little café across the street again, and I think I’ve figured out what makes Café 101 tick.
Imagine you were of a certain age where you want to have a purpose and fulfill a desire, but you don’t want to knock yourself out in the process. Maybe life has been long and difficult, and you don’t want to waste energy on things that aren’t worthwhile to you anymore.
You want a job, one that offers you enough money to stay comfortable, but without the stress that owners/​managers of standout businesses have to endure. You want a job where you can set flexible hours, have a really short commute, and see your friends on a regular basis. And you start thinking that running a café in your hometown might be just the ticket.
But you don’t want to work too hard with the place, ruining some of the best years of your life in a fruitless pursuit, so maybe you don’t take too well with strangers because you don’t want to be bothered too much, and it’s no big deal if you open the café after morning commuters are looking for a big cup for their train ride into the city, and you even allow yourself to close the shop and take breaks, enjoying the day as best you can.
My conjecture is that this is the mindset of the owner/​manager of Café 101. She knows what she wants and is going to have it that way, and as along as you don’t interfere, you are welcome there.
I write this because, after thinking about it, I can now empathize with her. I’m a bit jealous, actually. When I get to that semi-​retired age — oh, if only I could make enough money to do that someday — I may very well want to have the same set-​up. It sounds great, doesn’t it?
This doesn’t make Café 101 any better of a destination for me and others that will read this; I stand by my first review. But then again, I’m still a stranger. I felt unwanted there because I really was unwanted there. Nothing personal, I’m sure. And in no way is this write-​up a personal attack on her. But I get it now. I understand, I can relate, and I actually think it’s kind of cool.
So if you’re thinking about going to Café 101, you’ll probably enjoy your experience there if you get to know the owner and feel welcome. You’ll like the fantastic outdoor seating area, one that probably makes any coffee shop owner drool.
You know, by pouring a lot more coffee to many more Lombardians, The Corner House may actually be doing Café 101 a great service. The nit-​picky customers — those that want half-​soy half-​caf half-​latte double-​frap espresso-​macchiato whatever — will go to the new place. Those that find comfort at Café 101 will go there, and that’s exactly how the owner wants it to be. One day, perhaps we’ll all be so fortunate.

Some of the previous reviews scared me, but I threw caution into the wind and stopped by for lunch. Café 101 is is a neat comfy little place and I was greeted as soon as I walked in the door. The daily sandwich specials were all $ 4.95 each (you can add chips and a drink for a dollar more). They include Italian Beef, Italian Sausage, Meatballs, Chicken Parmesan, and Eggplant Parmesan. I went for the Meatball Sandwich which had three huge homemade beauties piled on fresh baked Italian bread and smothered in rich sauce and mozzarella. This was a fantastic sandwich and ranked right up there as one of the best I have ever had. I have since returned to try the Italian Beef, which was also incredible, and a slice of homemade Pizza. The staff is friendly, the prices are reasonable, and the food is flat out wonderful. This is one of those places that is so good you wonder why it isn’t packed. Why settle for nasty fast food when you can eat something great for the same price.

I also just came here for the first time since high school, ordered a «large» and the woman pointed out to me which one the large was. Yes ma’am, I HAVE read your menu board and I DID realize your large is your smallest size. That’s why I ordered it.
Anywho, I’m not a real coffee connoisseur, so I can’t speak to the quality or lack thereof. But my small (large) mocha was hot, delicious and not nearly as sugary as those big name shops make ‘em, so i’ll take it. Great location in bustling, beautiful downtown Lombard (sarcasm directed toward Lombard, not Café 101).

Stopped in yesterday for a late. The place was dead – no one, on a Saturday? That should’ve been a clue. I would have love to have been greeted with a warm welcome, especially on such a frigid day, but no one greeted me when I came in. The woman – possibly the owner, just stepped behind the counter and waited for me to order. No – «How are you today?» No, «Sure is cold out there eh?» She corrected me when I ordered a large telling me that it was really a small – but I wanted a small so it was ok – are you confused yet? (Dude, if I’d’ve had a large of what she was pouring I would’ve gone insane as you will see)
I was the one who initiated the conversation. I was the one who set the mood. I was the one making the woman behind the counter laugh. In a café, man – I want to be welcomed in and pampered; not the floor show.
But I don’t even want to get into any of that really because yesterday I had, hands down, the worst cup of coffee I have ever had. And I’m counting the swill my grandmother used to brew up in her electric percolator. I don’t even have the words for it. Was it burnt? Yes. Was it old coffee? Probably. Was it filtered through a used adult diaper? Ahhh, piquant! Did it taste like it was made from old grounds soaked in Chicago toilet water – oh, yes: now we’re getting closer to that flavor. My partner and my friend both tasted it and were shocked.
I don’t give second chances for something that horrible. I suddenly I have a deep and reverent respect for Caribou and gas station coffee. And that’s just horrifying.

This is a great location for a coffee shop but we just weren’t impressed. We couldn’t figure out if someone was working or not and eventually one of the two women talking in the café walked around the counter and asked how she could help us. She wasn’t particularly brimming with friendliness.
The coffee was very good. The prices were fair.
Unfortunately they only take cash which we didn’t realize until after our order was ready.
They have a case of delicious looking baked goods. The people after us wanted pizza but they were out of what they wanted and seemed disappointed.
We liked the outdoor seating. It was 5:00 and no one was inside and we were the only people outside.

This just in:
They have Paninis, Pizza slices and Sandwiches all for reasonable prices. Veggie and the tomato-​provolone are pure enjoyment between two slices of bread.
Gelato and Sorbets in downtown Lombard! They’re here and they’re incredible.
Outdoor seating, prime location, questionable hours.

This place was the sh*t when I was in high school. I remember all the cool kids would go here on cruise nights and drink coffee… like you need coffee at 14, anyway. I mean, I wasn’t ‘coffee cool’ and I lived on the other side of town so I had really only been here when my Mother would drag me to the antique and porcelain tchotchke store across the street. So yeah, I was pretty cool.
On my first official adult trip here, I’ll admit they make a damn good cup a joe and at a fair price but the sizing really irks me… like on the verge of 2 stars irks me.
I walked in and as everyone in the place (all 50+ years or older) looked at me like I was a bug, I got the «yer not from ’round hur, are ya?“look from every corner. I order my Chai Tea Latte with soy and the woman behind the counter asks me which size. I say Large, and the woman points to teeny little cup and says «this is our large». «Oh!» I say, «Well then, what’s the biggest size?». She tells me that their biggest size cup is an «extra extra large» (not that big, in person. It’s actually just what a normal place would call large or regular). Erm, okay… why so cryptic? Or was there a sale on letter X’s at the general store?
Lastly, the gelato is not an acceptable portion size vs price. I seriously had to do a double take bc I thought I was being mis-​charged. It’s kind of redonk.

Owner seems friendly enough, but not to those of darker pigmentation.

I do not drink coffee often, but when I do I go to Café 101. The owners are great and conversational and make you feel welcome! What else can you ask for. Oh! The coffee is great!