L A Cafe
5815 Dixie Hwy, Waterford, MI, 48329
L A Cafe Menu
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Address :
5815 Dixie Hwy
Waterford, MI, 48329 - Phone (248) 623-1610
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :7:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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Chris P.
Funky and eclectic are the right words for LA Java and Cafe. From its Tinseltown interior decorations (life-size cutouts of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean are the gender cues on the bathroom doors) to a mini-me version of the Hollywood hills sign in the corner of its ample parking lot, this is an amusing and unique spot. Thankfully, the service was decidedly un-Los Angeles - friendly, prompt, and unfussed. I only stopped in to do some work and have an iced coffee (free wifi), but others in the place were ordering full meals tableside (solid looking burgers and such), so this isn't just a straight coffee shop, but the iced latte I had was on the money all the same. Why no fifth star? In a word, "heat." I believe their air-con was working as it was cooler back by the restrooms, but whether due to heat from the kitchen or just an overtaxed HVAC system (84-degrees and sunny), it was seriously warm inside - enough so that I ended up stopping work after a couple of hours and moved to a new coffee shop. Lack of cool breezes notwithstanding, this is a nice break from chain java shops, and I'll be sure to seek it out when I'm in the area again.
(4)Truemornings N.
I went here for the first time last month. The atmosphere is inviting yet unique. I love all the stuff they were selling and the counter with all the baked goods looked amazing. I went there for lunch with a friend and since I'm vegetarian, I ordered the pita bread and hummus (small size), plenty to fill you up! It was amazing and fresh. My friend and I shared a piece of red velvet cake afterwards, delish. I will definitely be coming back!
(4)Abigail M.
I cannot believe this place has not been reviewed yet! I am proud to be the first person to Yelp this awesome joint. Have you ever driven by one of those places and thought "oh yeah ... for sure that screams food poisoning" but even though you knew your colon would hate you for it, you stopped anyway? Well, make sure you stop here. It's pretty much amazing and your intestinal track shall remain safe. Well, as safe as it can be if you're not a coffee drinker. I met one of my good friends here for the first time when he lived in a house across the street from the place. I was instructed that I absolutely had to order the Chocolate Kiss. I am sooooooo glad I did. This is probably the most fantastical coffee drink eva! At least in this area of Michigan. It's a tiny little place where you seat yourself. The food is average, but reasonably priced. The drinks are generally what you go there for. They do have Wi-Fi and their own parking lot. If you aren't paying attention you will probably come close to accidentally driving right by it. Make sure you don't, or you at least turn back around and stop here. You'll be glad you did!
(4)Gene B.
This is my favorite place to eat. Vegan and vegetarian friendly. Lots of interesting food items to choose from, waitstaff is awesome and friendly. I love that they support the local artist community both by displaying art on the walls and with Peace-fest. If your curious about what's going on inside here just stop in and check it out.
(5)JORI C.
if you are reading these reviews, you may be noticing a trend of people complaining about the service. rest assured, it really is that bad. while most restaurants in waterford have appalling service, i feel i must emphasize this place is the absolute worst. its a shame. this is somewhere i really want to like. the vegetarian sandwiches are pretty darn good, except they serve them with tiny bags of potato chips (no.) and after you've waited half an hour for a freaking sandwich, well, of course its delicious. i reccomend calling half an hour before you are starved and get it to go.
(2)Steven H.
I spend a lot of time at LA Cafe as my remote office. Friendly staff, great coffee, and everything on the menu is made from scratch.
(5)Tony K.
We love the food, love the variety, love the taste and quality. Occasionally the service is hit or miss, otherwise it'd be 5 stars. We've had servers in the past that really didn't seem concerned about time or making sure everything was OK. Price, food, quality and selection are all great - very unique selection that are all their own as far as I'm aware!
(4)Thomas B.
So I am timing them this Sunday morning 3-9-14. I read a few reviews that say they are excessively slow. We shall see. I ordered a latte. That was about 5 minutes.. It's now 11:45 and we just ordered breakfast. A garden omlette for myself and a Good Earth sandwich for my Wife. Tic tok... They are busy. Most tables are full. Small cute place. Funky California inspired design. So. 21 minutes for food. So far so good. Look and tastes very good after 2 bites. 21 minutes was not too crazy. I was happily reading the current issue of Metro Times as our 2 year old was drinking chocolate milk and coloring. I never started wondering and looking around anexiously. Over all I give LA Cafe 4 stars and will return again when we are in the area.
(4)Jenn B.
Come in for the coffee, stay for the Scromlette. Imagine an omlette, with your pick of add ins cooked and rolled in burrito style. Choose your own or from their inventive list of tasty combos. .. The Popeye is my fave, while my hubby likes The Anthony Quinn.
(5)Hal N.
Great find for food libations and conversation! I'm back here again 8-20-2914, this time for lunch w Ethyl Rivera for Macomb County Commissioner, and I'm loving it from home made ginger ale to a vegetarian sandwich much like Seva's old Persia (per-see-ah) sandwich plus there's an outdoor eating area by the water outback.
(5)Amy N.
I used to go here all the time but it's really gone downhill :/ Our waitress was sweet but the service was extremely slow. The coffee was terrible and had CHUNKS in it (was the syrup old, the cup was dirty??) and my good mother (previously my favorite meal here) was soggy, the veggies were all wet and mushy and the bread was stale. We were one of 2 occupied tables so I wish I could blame the quality on someone being rushed in the kitchen but it was downright awful. For our 2 sandwiches and drinks our bill was over $30... Will not be going back.
(1)Melissa S.
My husband and I had breakfast here about a week ago. Our server was pleasant, the food didn't take too long to come out and I enjoyed the atmosphere. My only complaint is that the potatoes that came with my breakfast were undercooked :( I hate crunchy potatoes! Other than that the rest of my food tasted great and my husband enjoyed his food as well. I'm hoping the undercooked potatoes were just a mistake that day and isn't a regular occurrence.
(3)Ashley P.
If you like waiting well over 40 minutes for a sandwich, when only two guests are in the building, this place is for you. Waitress was a nice girl, but was extremely inattentive. Everyone was more concerned with sitting at the coffee bar and chatting with each other then they were with working. The restaurant does have a cool 90's/hippie theme which is why I've given 2 stars. Ordered the chips and hummus, chips were stale and hummus had zero flavor and was runny like water, also took more then 20 minutes to get an appetizer to us. Had the "Huntington" for lunch and it was less then appeasing. Chicken had a funny texture and sandwich basically fell apart. The side of fruit was warm from a jar. Completely unimpressed and won't be returning to this place ever again.
(2)C A.
Best coffee in town!!! L.A. Cafe uses quality beans, so they don't have to burn roast them to get flavor like some over priced Seattle based shop does. There are many different flavors and styles of specialty coffee drinks to choose from ( salted caramel latte, chocolate kiss, honey lavender latte and many more) as well as flavored soda drinks and specialty shakes or malts. The food is great and made fresh to order. (Your food isn't sitting in a warming tray getting dried out hoping to be ordered) and the potatoes are fresh cut in the kitchen, not a shipped bag of processed frozen spuds. (So these take a little longer to fully cook). All the soups are homemade (the vegetarian chili and gazpacho are AWESOME!) and the sandwiches are delicious and a good size! The hummus is great, fresh and made from scratch in house. As for "Service" people need to understand, when the place is busy, it's gonna take some time. There is only one cook in the place and it's a small kitchen and again, it's made when you order. So if you have a table of 4, and the place is busy. it may take some time to get all of your orders ready to come out at the same time. Before you leave, I urge you to get one of Heidi's homemade brownies! They are large and delicious!!! (I think the peanut butter brownie is the best!) she also makes all the biscotti, scones, cakes and cheesecake herself too. (Call and order a full cheesecake for your next special event. There are MANY flavors to choose from. They're better and less expensive than the CC Factory) There are several items on the wall and in display cases that feature LOCAL artists work and are for sale. Every June, L.A. Cafe' holds "Peace Fest" art & music festival featuring regional artists who display and sell their works and wares as well as several local music artist who play throught the day. THE FESTIVAL IS FREE to attend. If you've never been to the Peacefest, I urge you to gather the family and check it out. (I don't work at the Cafe' but I am a regular, and I love this place!)
(5)Leah C.
I love the vibe/atmosphere of this place. It would keep me coming back! Plenty of vegetarian options which is a huge bonus. The honey lavender tea was great but has a very strong flavor, it could be watered down a little bit. I didn't understand why the hot sandwiches came with a side of chips but the cold sandwich didn't? Also wished that there was an alternative option to tortilla chips as a side because i am not a fan of tortilla chips in general. My good earth sandwich was good but nothing out of this world flavor-wise. This aside, I will be back! But i'm going to try something else on the menu. You truly feel like you are in LA! Very kind and helpful waitresses too. The reason i'm only giving it two stars is because honestly the food was just eh.
(2)Michael B.
Food is always good and never had service without a smile. You go ahead and have your Starbucks, I'll be enjoying a great cup of coffee and getting inspired by some very cool art. Sadie is a sweetheart!
(4)John J.
Alright. More like a 2.5. I got a Reuben sandwich, and they put the wrong bread on it. The lemon grass soup had a weird high viscosity to it. The atmosphere was alright, and we probably won't go back there. The waitress was nice though.
(2)Hayley S.
I love L.A. Cafe. I always get the "hollywood deal" which is a sandwich with a salad. I highly recommend the Good Earth sandwich which is usually what I always get. Their hummus and pita is good too and a little on the spicy side but I love it!
(5)Terri Marie C.
L.A. Cafe has the best gluten free brownies, great specialty coffees, and a variety of herbal teas. I love coming here to relax and read. Such a gem of a cafe!
(4)LaLenia G.
Cute place where you can get something the other places around here don't have. Feel free to check out their menu. We come very early so we've never had a horribly long wait. We usually get some different omelette with potatoes and a bagel. Everything is very fresh. Coffee is fantastic, awesome brownies and sweets. I've only had their sandwiches once- it was good, however, I didn't care for the hummus- I found it bland. Would I come back? Of course! I'm there at least once a month.
(4)Kara D.
This is a great neighborhood cafe. It is not a typical coffee shop, in that it's waited service. They offer a variety of hot and cold coffee-based beverages, a few soups, a lot of sandwiches and burgers (lots of vegetarian choices), dessert items, and brunch items. It's definitely a unique spot for the area.
(5)Beth G.
I would give it no stars if possible. There were only five of us and we waited almost an hour for our food. Out of the whopping five orders: 4 were incorrect and one didn't come for another 10 minutes after the other four. THEN the waitress got the bills wrong. I recommend going here if you don't value your time and money, like small, musty-smelling diners, and enjoy poor service.
(1)Meredith E.
This was my high school hangout. The gang and I would go get good mother sandwiches, plates of hummus, and drink our overly sugared coffee drinks. 16 or so years later, I find myself doing the same thing on occasion. However, the gang has moved away and I have transitioned to black coffee. The food is still great and the hummus is better than ever! I love the vibe of this place. The servers still look the same; hippy, hair dyed, tattooed, pierced, young adults. Sometimes the service is a little too relaxed and slow for my taste. But they are usually pretty good in keeping my coffee full and hot.
(4)Tiffany N.
My husband and I recently tried this place for the first time when we were feeling breakfast food for dinner. This place exceeded our expectations! Very cool atmosphere, the owner was very nice, and the coffee drinks and breakfast food were awesome (I had chocolate chip pancakes and a cinnamon latte and my husband had an omelette and a iced coffee drink). We will definitely be back!
(5)Meredith E.
I tried the vegetarian chili which was delicious with just the right amount of heat. The hummus is excellent. The atmosphere is perfect -- very relaxing, homey, and interesting. It was very clean. I only give it four stars right now because I've only been twice and eaten there once. Oh--and the biscotti are wonderful (and LARGE!). Great place to get coffee and sit for awhile, and the food is good. Can't miss!
(4)J D.
Decent sandwiches and ice cream. Coffee is average. In an area where there are not many independent, and good restaurants, this place offers some sanctuary.
(3)Victoria Z.
This is my absolute favorite place to frequent when I am in the area! I decided to introduce my father to L.A. Cafe yesterday and the parking lot was practically empty and he was immediately turned off by the somewhat rundown appearance on the outside. The atmosphere and the food inside, however, quickly turned is attitude around. This is a great place if you like a menu with selection from the drinks to the food. They have several varieties of smoothies to choose from as well as different syrup mixes to add to your drink of choice. You can choose several different patties to make up your "burger" including turkey, beef or bean as well as the type of bun. The pizzas also come in unique and delicious styles. I always have the hummus to start and some ice cream or a delicious treat from their bakers display to end.
(5)Courtney D.
I live in LA and crave LA Cafe all the time. Favorites are: Good Mother *drool worthy Turkey Burger *its pretty fing amazing Chili it's oddly good. If you see a turtle in the parking lot headed fast for Dixie, save it. It's good Karma. Plus you'll feel really outdoorsy.
(5)Samantha M.
My favorite! "the good mother" sandwich is delish! And the hummus is so great, the tea / coffee selection is wonderful, Vegan & vegetarian selections endless, soon good, they have live entertainment on select evenings You should go.... Really just go....
(4)Jerry B.
A true gem in the Clarkston/Waterford area of Michigan. The food is organic, healthy, and recipes that will keep you guessing. The cafe opens at 7am with a great breakfast menu. Omelets of all sorts, even DIY ingredients! At lunch there are some truly marvelous sandwiches, pizza, and soups. Don't miss out on the gourmet coffee that won't leave your wallet gasping for air. Stop by LA Java for some local, home cooked food. Good for you too!!
(5)Andrew S.
Came here for breakfast on a hot and sweltering summer day. To our dismay, the restaurant did not have the A/C turned on, or just didn't have an A/C at all. In any case a cool glass of ice water kept us cool from the heat. I ended up sharing an omelet and pancakes which was good. The omelet had ham, mushrooms and cheese and was served with a hefty amount of potatoes. The pancakes were served warm with syrup. Note they also have blueberry pancakes which I also hear is good. On another note, they also do split servings if you want to share. The food was okay, nothing spectacular, but good nonetheless. The restaurant also has some neat pictures of old celebrities and lots of memorabilia giving it some personality.
(3)Ryan B.
I have been driving by this place for years. I always thought it was just some hipster dive...not at all. Great salads/sandwiches. Coffee/tea. Excellent lunch stop. Better than a Panera/Jimmy Johns any day. Would be five stars if the AC worked better in the summer. It is fine for a meal, but if you want to stay and hang out on the CPU it can be a bit on the warm side in the summer.
(4)juston m.
my friend michelle and i were going over some memories from high school and we both lamented how much we enjoy this place. we both even make a version of their good mother sandwich at home. L A cafe was the only place in waterford to go to back in 1996. i even took my trigonometry teacher there for espresso. heidi and her husband are very nice and they've held together a great business. just so you know, i'm not their friend or anything. i just know their names from going to L A cafe almost everyday as a teenager. my friends and i still go here for homesy brunches on sunday. and let me tell you they still make a huge omlette with some great fresh baked sourdough toast. the good mother sandwich is also one of the only purely vegetarian meals i ever eat. on sourdough bread with bean sprouts, tomato, guac, cream cheese, cuccumber, and provolone it makes a real meal. although it does have provolone cheese and cream cheese, so i guess it's not completely veggie. anyway, it's good here. love, juston
(4)Moe B.
I've been driving past this place on my way to work for three years. It looks like an old dump of a coffee shop. I didn't even expect them to serve food. My co-worker, who's eaten there before, suggested we try it. Upon walking in, you don't really know where to focus, because a million tchotchkes are vying for your immediate attention. There are shelves of mostly junk offerings from local "artists" and flyers everywhere. We seated ourselves, moving tables twice, because the sun was streaming in through the window and always blinding one of us. The menu was not well-organized, kind of a mess, like the rest of the restaurant. BUT the food items looked appealing! There were lots of vegetable offerings, and some intriguing build-your-own potatoes or nachos. We ordered a breakfast omelet and a sandwich. It took 50 minutes before we had food. Seriously. If I wasn't so hungry I would have left. The food arrived. It looked great! They are not stingy on the meat or cheese (or the grease) but everything tasted delicious. The sandwich came with a side of tortilla chips, which is nice because I like a crunch with my sandwiches. However, there was no salsa or wetness of any kind, so eating the chips was like...well, eating bare tortilla chips- sandpaper dry. It would be nice if they added just a spoonful of salsa or hummus to the plate. Also, a pickle spear would be much appreciated! For dessert, we had a cupcake and a brownie. Both were tasty. I even bought a scone to go! Unfortunately, it took another 15 minutes from the time I asked for the check until I received it. The place was NOT busy. There were some high-school/early college aged kids lounging on the coffee side and another handful of older 50ish hipster folks seated at the "bar" (well, as hipster as Waterford can get!) Also, our waitress was not attentive at all. We needed ketchup and napkins, but were ignored for quite a while. I had to squint up at the waitress whenever she did approach the table because she was back-lit from that bright sun. You'd think she'd notice and try to pull a shade or something. Oh well, more room for improvement. That reminds me, don't look up, as there are dangling cob-webs and dust everywhere! The place really is a hot mess. Other than the name, there was no telling what the heck aesthetic they were trying to go for: an Elvis table, a Bowie record, oriental lanterns, children's color-block carpeting & tiles, and a messy string of Christmas lights. Like I said: hot mess. Despite all of this, the food was good, the prices reasonable, and the menu descriptions intrigued me enough to want to come back and try again. If the service is shoddy again, I will not return a third time. It would also be nice to see the place cleaned up some. I don't like feeling dirty where I eat.
(3)Lauren C.
Some of the food in this place is alright - the mac&cheese and some of the burgers specifically, but everything else is pretty sub par. The staff is a lot of very young kids who don't always get orders right, and the wait is pretty dang long. Not necessarily worth how long it takes to wait. What older staff I have encountered in the place have been very short, bordering on rude, with myself and other customers. It's pretty off-putting. Honestly, there are a lot of other restaurants in the area (Gregg's Cafe up the street, heck even Happy's Pizza across the way) that are quicker and much more pleasant that are probably more worth your time.
(2)Kim T.
The best Cesar Salad dressing ever! Baked goods rock. Lunch is a delight. Wonderful place to stop in for a coffee with a friend. Atmosphere is homey and warm.....not like Star%cks. Waitstaff is friendly seems to have little turnover.......so they get to know the customers.
(4)Andrea R.
So, I've been wanting to visit this place for a while, especially since I'm acquainted with several vegetarians and wanted to go with them to try it out. Today was the day. I was excited and hopeful. And almost completely let down in the end. We arrived on a Sunday around 12:30. Luckily there was a table available. Actually there were two, and another family came in after us and sat at the second one - which still had empty glasses and relics of the last patrons. We sat and waited. I'd guess a good 3-5 minutes before my husband decided to look around for menus. We saw the other table have some, so we thought we needed to get our own. Finally staff #1 came over and gave us menus. Since we didn't know the litany of beverages, we told her we needed to look quickly. She said she'd be back. Several minutes later staff #2 comes and asks up what we'd like to drink. (Was he even old enough to be allowed to work??) We give him our drink order. Several minutes later staff #3 brings our drinks, without the tea for my mother in law. Two pops, coffee and tea. It's not that difficult. Several minutes later we finally get to order. Two sandwich orders, one cheese quesadilla and one nacho. REALLY SIMPLE STUFF. And then, we waited. And waited. And waited. I could have gone out, walked over to Happy's Pizza, ordered, eaten and come back and still not have gotten my food. Honestly, this was the SLOWEST RESTAURANT EVER. It's a small place. At the time that we finally put in orders there were, what - 30 people total in the place? And most of them had food in front of them. Even the other family that came in after us was wondering what happened with their food. If my memory serves me right, I think we got our food somewhere around 1:15 or 1:20. Yes, 45-50 minutes after sitting down, we got some simple lunch food that should have taken about ten minutes to make. I'm horribly disappointed in the service. Perhaps there needs to be an adult or two around, because everyone we saw working there couldn't have been 21 yet. Maybe there's a manager hanging out in the kitchen. Who knows. If you want lunch, come in at breakfast and maybe you'll get served. Maybe. Let's talk food. I got the jerk chicken sandwich. It was good. Spicy. I'm not falling all over myself saying it's the best ever. The other sandwich - just a basic meat and cheese deal - was decent. The nachos - too many chips, not enough toppings. The quesadillas - nothing exciting. So - the food was adequate. But honestly, it's not worth going back for and waiting for EONS to get a meal. I suppose your best bet is to call ahead about two hours and then go pick it up. It's pointless to eat in with staff that apparently doesn't care much if people get served or not.
(2)Heather H.
Best coffee around, hands down! They even have dairy free whipped cream!! Great food, love the breakfast here! Always fresh and great healthy choices. Food allergy friendly too!
(5)Michael S.
Full disclosure: I live in the area, have been going here for at least 8+ years, have become friends with the owners and staff. The atmosphere is great, the food is consistent, the bakery goods are homemade by Heidi, the coffee is always to my taste and the handmade sodas are to order. This is a great neighborhood cafe. I have food allergies and can trust their kitchen and they have begun stocking GF options for the sandwiches. The venue supports the community art environment: PEACEFEST (Community Art Fair beginning of June every year) and The White House Art Gallery (across the street). They are the host venue for several Meet-up groups in the area as well - these are reserved seating events with the smaller side left for walk in patrons.
(5)Greg N.
Excellent food and service with a unique memo. The scromletts (scrambled egg omelets) are awesome. Good coffee!
(4)Mark C.
Why have outdoor seating when the staff just totally ignores anyone sitting outside. I understand that you have to order inside. No problem with that. But you need to check in with the outside diners!! You can't just let them sit outside with empty coffee cups until you deliver their food 20 minutes later. Then deliver food with no utensils.
(2)Heather D.
Just went here and it has such good reviews and everyone loves it so much yet today we ordered a black bean burger, a turkey sandwich, and a grilled cheese and tomato soup. It took literally an hour to get our food and we purposely stopped here cuz we were in a hurry, then the food was so awful! The black bean burger tasted horrible, the coleslaw was like made with strawberry poppyseed dressing! What? And the tomato soup was disgusting, I would have been happier with Campbell's. The turkey on the sandwich was soooooo slimy which is sick. And it just costed like 25 dollars for all that! Stick to the coffee and a cookie and skip the food
(1)Heather E.
The food is good, but the service is slow! Don't expect a quick meal.
(4)Melissa R.
They have gluten-free toast and my brunch was delicious. The food might not have been the fastest to come out, but it was delicious, filling, and best of all, gluten-free! The staff was friendly and attentive, and the coffee was good too!
(4)Chene K.
Caveat: My actual rating would be one and a half stars, but given that I cannot choose that option, two stars it is. While this was not my first time at L.A. Cafe, our experience on Sunday, 7/07/13 may well mark my last meal at this place. As a server dining with another server, we should have known what was in store for us when our only options for seating not at the counter were three some lounge chairs and two dirty tables. After standing at the door for three minutes, we approached the woman at the counter (who was simply looking out at Dixie Highway) and asked if we could seat ourselves. She said we could, but made no effort to move toward the closest dirty table before we did. We got to the table and began cleaning it off ourselves. She eventually came up behind me and said, "I can do that" and removed the pile of dishes we'd stacked, saying that the people had "just left" (which seemed improbable, as we were in line behind two people and no one had walked out as we walked from the parking lot). She then walked away without giving us menus. We waited another two minutes and she returned with menus, but failed to ask if we wanted drinks. We called her back as she walked away and we asked for a Coke (me) and a double shot of espresso (my companion). And it went downhill (and eventually, feel off the cliff) from here. As my friend ordered the espresso, she was asked, not once but twice, if she "wanted some coffee" with it. While this is a strange question from any server, it's particularly odd at a place that's ESSENTIALLY A COFFEE HOUSE in the classic sense. Apparently, the request was so jarring, it effected our server to the point of forgetting our drinks altogether. She took our order (a veggie burger for my companion, a tuna melt with a side of hummus for me) and then, like so many have commented, we waited and waited and waited and then, we waited some more. Service has never been the strong suit of this place - the whole concept arises from the hippie/surfer west coast vibe- but it's sad when two sandwiches take an hour and 10 minutes. Sadder still when your server walks past you 25 minutes after taking your order and says, "I was supposed to get you drinks..." and then ambles away again. Clearly, all those surfer/stoner references aren't for nothing. When the food did arrive, it looked okay at best and certainly not as if it was some Herculean task of preparation. And well it shouldn't have because the tuna HAD TURNED. Yep, after waiting an hour to eat, I bit into a rancid tuna sandwich. I waited for our waitress to return - why I was thinking she'd ask how things were only proves that I must have been smoking something too - and, since she didn't respond when I called to her, it was me who had to walk my sandwich to the counter and tell them their food had turned. After three minutes, she returned, apologized and told me they had "thrown out" the offending tuna. I ordered another sandwich (she had to steal a crayon from a box on the table, since she didn't have a pen) and she said she'd have that out soon. This sandwich came out in less than five minutes, despite the fact there were now more people than when we entered/ordered and she cheerfully told me that she "took the other one off". Well, hot damn! I don't have to pay for inedible food. I should come here every day. Hopefully, I'll get food poisoning next time! So the next sandwich was AMAZING, right? Well, it was amazing that it was on stale, freezer burned bread. That was pretty incredible. My companion said her espresso was probably the worst she'd ever tasted and the burger was good based only on the fact she was famished. On any other day, it would have simply been okay. The chocolate peanut butter brownie, however, was excellent and large enough to share. My iced latte was served hot with roughly three cubes in it, meaning it was made and then ice was added, instead of dumping the hot drink over ice. They really should just give up on the coffee house thing 'cos Denny's has better coffee drinks. As a space, I think the naysayers have been too harsh on it. It's a cute, if cramped, performance venue/gallery/artists' market with many eclectic wares. Sure, some are kitschy, but much of crafting is and it's good to see a place in the hinterlands supporting local creative efforts. People do seem to like and support the cafe, which is also nice, given that a majority of Dixie Highway in the area is one long strip-mall, with chain after chain edging out mom and pop businesses. Just know that service is beyond slow and the staff are pretty much clueless. The food, which was solid around 2009, has really slid into a black hole and the coffee? Well, here's where I suggest stopping at Tim Horton's for a cuppa Joe, rather than hitting up L.A. Cafe for a quizzical look.
(2)Little E.
Funky menu with a nice vibe and cool decor. Service is good. Has a hipster feel. So yes I like it a lot. Perfect lunch spot. Don't miss peace fest every year.....
(4)Wanda L.
Despite the touch and go reviews, I was hoping / wanting to really enjoy this place. But alas, my first visit today left me deflated. My son and I were on our own for the weekend so I wanted to do "local, new, and different" today. Been meaning to visit the LA Cafe for a number of years now and after a long stint working up an appetite at Indian Springs Metro Park, we popped in. I came ready to EAT! The initial start on the service end was not happy, smiley, or welcoming, but it got better throughout for whatever reason. Overall the pace was normal except towards the end when I wasn't sure if I was going to be brought a check so I went up to my server by the register to ask what the procedure was. The restaurant was about half full on a Saturday in the early afternoon. When you walk in there are tall glass retail cases on either side hawking kitschy / arty / cool / sticker / Michigan wares, along with a bunch of freebie mag shelves and such. Sign says to seat yourself. You can go right or left. To the right there is a small amount of counter seating, some loungy seats, and a small mix of high and low top tables. To the left was 4 or 5 high & low tops. No boths here. There is another large glass case selling more artsy stuff on the lefty side on the way to the bathroom. You can score a "super cool" COEXIST sticker and Peacefest t-shirt at the front if you're so inclined. Photo and art hanging on the walls are up for purchase as well. There is also outdoor, umbrella-ed picnic table seating across the front and towards the back there was a small gazebo and 2 uncovered picnic benches near the small body of water (a lake? river? didn't register exactly what). A peeling sign on a table said to place your order inside. Onto the food. In the name of "new and different", I started off with the house specialty of a glass of lavender infused honeyed iced tea. The tea was perfectly sweet and almost super refreshing, except that I guess I am not a fan of consuming lavender. My only real experience with it is using Yardley's Lavender Soap and, unfortunately, that's what my brain kept coming back to with every sip. I would say, if you're curious about it, see if they will let you do a sample taste 1st before investing $3 in a tall glass of it. They do have other, more normal sounding flavored teas. For my the starter I got the lemon rice soup. I said a cup, but I got a full bowl. It was an okay gut-filler. I had to add some salt. The packaged saltines it came with were on their way to stale-ville. For my main, I ordered the Hermosa sandwich ($5.95), made it a meal, and went with the Cowboy Salsa which, as another reviewer said, only had the black beans. I am not sure if the pickle that came with was part of the meal or just the sandwich, but in any event was large, whole, and pretty good. The Salsa side however was not a good value as about only 2 tablespoons of it came in one of those small dressing-on-the-side sized cups you couldn't even really dip the (too many) commercial bagged tortilla style chips that were on the plate. The actual taste was not exciting. I should give them my SO's mom recipe for Cowboy Salsa with actual black-eyed peas. I usually hate B.E.Peas, but hers is the shite! Anyway, the sandwich meal combo deal brought things up to just over $10. I asked for sour dough bread for the sandwich, but it seems I got white. Also, while the slices were thick, they were not super fresh on the way to dry stale-ville as well. I wished I would have asked for it to be toasted hot after the fact. The sandwich price/value as it related to serving size was there, the actual taste was good/decent, the lettuce was the dark green kind (yay), but it was so hard to choke down the plain, thick, dryish bread. My son had the kid stack of buttermilk pancakes (2) with chocolate chips. They were large, thick, and good. Syrup comes in another small dressing cup. The chocolate milk he wanted was the bottled Quik kind. The kids menu is on the coloring sheet they bring out with the crayons. Didn't notice it at 1st. Apparently you can create/color a version of the special house character that has a weird name for them to post up on their wall. You can also buy the actual toy version in one of the cases for about $10 or so. I would have been propelled to order one of their special coffees and/or desserts, but couldn't justify spending another several dollars after an already mediocre and semi-dissapointing meal (that totaled just over $22 before tip). They had some other interesting selections on their main and specials menu that I would like to try. There was a Jitters premium coffee drink that had something like 4 shots of espresso and cost $7(!). Again, I wanted to like this place and I appreciate what they are trying to do community/art-wise, but I wasn't jazzed. Maybe breakfast might be a better bet. Till we meet again, LA Cafe...
(2)Christina K.
This place is definitely overrated to have 4 stars. Probably the worst cafe I have ever tried. Lacked in Flavor, Service, and enthusiasm. The service was horrible. Had to keep asking for something every minute. And overpriced. Spent over $57 and probably had two bites of my food. My friend ordered a veggie chili and ugh it looked so gross. The hummus, no flair at all so bland. I'm so disappointed because the ratings made it sound great. I ordered a veggie egg white omelette and I think it was the worst omelette I have ever tried. I wish I can get a refund for the price I paid. I am so bummed.
(1)Emily E.
The one time I went I really enjoyed it. The service was good, the food was good, and the coffee was great. I love the decorations and the overall atmosphere was great. However, I've heard from several friends that the times they went the food wasn't prepared properly and the service was subpar so I'm hesitant to give it more than three stars.
(3)Savana B.
Stopped by today to have a sandwich and a coffee and was amazed at how good everything was service was good food was great and coffee was perfect the only thing bad i have to say was the menu's and table tents needed wiping down they were very sticky a pet pive of mine but other than that quite impressed
(5)