Really tasty food! Great pastries and lunch options. It's a laid back place with plenty of seating.
Lots of college students seem to spend time here too.
Food: 5
A bit of a wait on a Saturday morning, but worth it! Atmosphere has a cool vibe, good menu options, and wait staff was pleasant. We enjoyed the breakfast menu and specialty drinks. We all thought our own selection was the best, but definitely try the pumpkin pie chai!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Breakfast
Price per person
$10–20
Recommended dishes
Breakfast Sandwich
I hadn't been to The Encounter in years (mostly because I'm just rarely in the area), but it is even better than I remembered it. Everyone was very friendly, everything tasted delicious, and the place is very spacious and inviting.
I had the seasonal Maple Brown Sugar latte and the Ultimate Encounter Skillet. The latte was perfect, and the skillet was a nice, big hearty breakfast. It felt like a home-cooked meal made by a family member whose top priority is making sure you've had enough to eat. I'm so full that I think I'm pretty much set for the day.
My one tiny critique is that I wish the hash browns were a little more browned (just a personal preference). Everything else was great, especially that nice smoky bacon. Typically for me, toast is kind of an afterthought when I order a big breakfast, but that ended up being one of my favorite parts. Based on that and the other reviews I've seen, I'm excited to go back and try the rest of their baked goods.
The Encounter Cafe will now be my go-to place when I want to feel cozy on a cold morning.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Breakfast
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
The Ultimate Encounter Skillet
Super popular place for coffee, pastries, breakfast, and brunch. Good coffees. Amazing pastries (pecan roll, maple and pumpkin scones). We didn’t have cooked/full breakfast but everything looked great.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Breakfast
Price per person
$1–10
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4
The food here is beyond delicious. The service is top notch, everyone is so warm and friendly. Some favorites are the pancakes (best ever by far), baked oatmeal with yogurt and berries, and the breakfast sandwiches. Outstanding coffee drinks. This place is fantastic.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Breakfast
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Breakfast Sandwich
Enjoyed hanging out with friends here!!! The food…😅😋🤤 I tried the Avocado Toast which came with a bunch of awesome toppings and my friend had the French toast with strawberries and Cool Whip!! 🍓Delicious!🤤 lovely atmosphere, and operated by friendly people. ☕️
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
French Toast and Strawberries
Love this place! Such a cool atmosphere with plenty of space and seating. The food was excellent with large portions. I had the veggie omelet which was stuffed with fresh vegetables. Delicious! We will definitely be back to try other items on the menu.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Breakfast
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Encounter Café is literally the love of my life. I am about to graduate from U of I, so I figured now is the time to write this review finally. There is nothing here I would not give five stars. The food: outstanding. Literally everything on the menu.
The atmosphere: warm, welcoming, and joyous
The prices: very reasonable
The people: honestly the best part. The owners and employees are some of the best people I have ever known and that really really makes the experience.
Encounter has held so many memories for me over the years from studying for hours, meeting with friends, bringing in family from out of town, or just having an amazing meal.
The only 'downside' may be that they are very popular, so wait times can be around 30 minutes for food, but that has never been a problem when I bring work to do or good company to pass the time. If you don't stop in here at least once in your life, you are missing out.
To finish: order the half stack of pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. This meal got me through 4 years of college and I would take their batter recipe with me when I leave if I could!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$10–20
Very friendly, spacious, clean and fresh. The food was presented in an exquisite manner & tasted delightful! I visited with my teenagers (boy & girl) who thought the place “looked fancy.” The orange juice is freshly squeezed and made my taste buds dance. This is a must visit establishment! Priced just right - in fact they should be charging more. We will be back again!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$10–20
This place has expanded and now boasts a bakery. Stopped here for a quick bite. Ordered a breakfast sandwich. First time that I had a breakfast sandwich. The egg, sausage patty, and cheese on a croissant. The place was quite busy so I went to the bakery and ordered a cinnamon roll while I waited for my sandwich. Cinnamon roll was very good. My sandwich came and it reminded me of the type I have gotten at Casey's. Just a convenience store quality sandwich. Nothing special. For the price I was expecting better. Very thin piece of sausage. Probably the frozen kind. Hardly tasted it.
Overall I like this place. The food generally is very good. This sandwich needs work. It gets very busy. Plan on not getting your food very quickly.
Clean restrooms.
Friendly and helpful staff.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Breakfast
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 3
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
