Good place to get coffee downtown.

I get the chance to visit downtown Pekara a few times a week because it’s conveniently located near where I work. What I love most about Pekara is how friendly the staff is. Every time I have visited, Luis has gone above and beyond to make sure I enjoyed my experience. As far as their food - you cant go wrong. They cover all bases: whether you want lunch or a sweet tooth killer they have it! I love buying their fresh baked breads and bakery items to share with others. If you’re near, give this place a go!

Delicious food and friendly staff, always!

Mediocre lattes. I didnt try the baked goods, but everything looked wonderful.

Had lunch here today and it was amazing!

This weekend, my best friend and I had brunch at Pekara. We were both impressed by the options on the menu, as well as everything displayed in the bakery. As first time customers, the woman who was serving us was so helpful and friendly in her recommendations. The cinnamon roll was *amazing*. Great people, great place, great food. We enjoyed the atmosphere of this downtown location as well. We are looking forward to repeating our business here!

I love going to Pekara for a bright, happy place to grab breakfast and sit and work for a while. The quiches are my favorite, but the cinnamon roll is amazing (i think theres a hint of almond extract in it... Yum). Im a tea drinker so I cant comment on the coffee, but Im a big fan of the tea and can usually get a second cup out of it if I ask for more hot water.

Good macaroons. They serve Intelligentsia coffee which is awesome. Cozy and seems like a good spot for studying/doing work. Friendly and accommodating customer service.

Ive loved everything Ive ordered from here. Personable staff, great coffee and baked goods, and inviting atmosphere. I really enjoy their new location, as well!

I went a few weeks ago and was impressed by the Monte Cristo. It was absolutely amazing along with my cappuccino. I figured I would give it another try for a bite before work.I came in earlier this I decided on an omelette and another cappuccino. The omelette that I tried was the cheddar and bacon. It was so salty that I couldnt even finish it which was pretty disappointing. Its definitely not something I would return for.Overall opinion after two visits? The coffee makes it worthwhile.

My father placed a custom cake order for my mother’s 70th birthday celebration. He spent half an hour in person sitting down with the employee - Amanda - to make sure every detail was exactly right. The day before he was supposed to pick up the cake, they informed him that they had no record of his order, and their attempt to remedy the situation was to offer him a “leftover” Valentine’s Day cake to the tune of $40. They then said the manager would give him a call first thing in the morning. Surprise... no one called. He is not one to make a fuss, so he simply gave up trying to get them to make the situation right. So, I’m taking it upon myself to make sure people understand just how little this company cares about their customers. I am appalled that they tried to make him PAY for a LEFTOVER cake as a way to fix their enormous mistake that significantly impacted my mother’s celebration. Shame on you.

My daughter and I stopped in after playing in a nearby park. I had a delicious latte and we split a fantastic croissant. We began a conversation with a woman who was standing nearby who turned out to be the owner. I commented on how delicious the food was. She told us that they use all natural organic butter from grass fed cows from New Zealand. I could definitely taste the natural butter. I couldnt taste New Zealand or grass fed cows but I could definitely taste the butter. They put the rest of my coffee in a to go container for me and we departed. Overall it was a very satisfactory experience and the amount of foot traffic leads me to believe that it is quite the spot amongst the locals.

Nothing special. We have gone twice for desserts, since they call themselves a bakery, and were highly disappointed both times. This time we got cupcakes that were so dry they should have been in the trash. I have also heard they bake almost nothing themselves, I think they need a new distributor of baked goods....cupcakes should not be so dry and tasteless. On a good note, the latte was delicious.

This is a great bakery! Their Marcarons are really good. They also have a lot of cakes and cookies, some of which change seasonally or even monthly. I really enjoy the chocolate mousse tart. Their big cookies are also really popular - you can even get cookies for your dog! They have coffee as well, although seating is fairly limited. They also offer breakfast and lunch options.

I use to order hotdog buns for pickup on a regular basis. The one time I ordered buns for a Wednesday but forgot and called on Saturday. A lady I spoke to informed me that she did see the buns earlier but did not know where they went. She said she needed to ask a manager and that she will call me back, she never did. On Sunday I called again and this time a young man picked up and told me that the buns had gone hard and moldy and he personally threw them away. He claimed that due to being freshly baked they do not last long. When I inquired about a replacement for the buns I prepaid for he informed me that I would have to pay again to place another order...I am a very fair person so I would agree that if I forgot to pick something up then I would have to deal with the results, such as receiving slightly dried out or old buns. However, I have never heard of or experienced buns getting completely hard and moldy two days after purchase. If that was the case then I shouldnt have been sold them. I am also a frequent buyer of buns and bread from the central Illinois bakehouse (same bread sold at Pekara). While preservative-free, they certainly have never had such a short shelf life. I am very big on supporting local businesses so I attempted to speak to the manager first to resolve this experience. I called several times without success then sent an email. I received an email that the manager was traveling outside of the country and would get back to me. It has been over a month and Ive heard nothing. Thus the poor rating is both for the initial experience and the disappointing lack of follow up.

Solid menu, good food and espresso drinks. Had to repeat my order because The cashier seemed to be confused by my request for an extra shot [of espresso] in my latte, thinking I wanted it flavored. Also served my death by chocolate torte for here when I asked for it to go, and the consistency of it was very different from the free sample Id tried (although both were delicious).If its decent weather, check out the patio in the back, I didnt see it until I went to the back for water but it looked like a great place to sit and enjoy your breakfast.

Cute little place with a nice outdoor patio. They have a lot of coffee options, but only lose leaf tea. They also have some really yummy lunch foods and lots of pastries. Pretty typical prices.

Went for breakfast on a Sunday morning. The whole experience was thoroughly meh, the line to order was long and moved very slowly, our breakfast sandwiches were just ok despite being made with really fresh ingredients, and the coffee was pretty bad. I’ve been recommended this place many times for the pastries, but we didn’t try them so maybe that’s what you should get here.

Went twice and never again. Felt insulted there. Nasty food and awful service.Staff dont pay attention to you and mess up orders. I bought two pieces of desserts today for to-go and BOTH were WRONG. Unbelievably arrogant service.Last time the chocolate cake for my friends birthday tasted like granulated sugar. I was super embarrassed.TIP: If you are going, check your order and receipt.

Mixed bag. Their sandwiches and savory crepes are a reasonably good deal for a quick lunch or dinner. There are better places for coffee, though (too weak for my taste). Desserts mostly good. They also sell bread, also mostly good. For a while, new owners didnt have free water, you had to buy a bottle, but enough people complained that they changed it.

The first time I visited Pekaras I was amazed at the sheer beauty of the food in the entryway glass cabinet. But, looks could be deceiving, I ordered with my eyes: two different types of quiche, mini-tarts, and slices of cake which I took home to my family. And, yes, it was all as good as it looked - delicious!!!! I plan to spend to do lots sneaking away and buying little palate pleasing treasures.

Great food, well-priced and a good variety of vegetarian flavors too.One of the only European style cafes in town with a great atmosphere and friendly staff.

Pekara is one of our favorite places for a casual lunch in downtown Champaign. They have lots of options - my favorite is the Cuban sandwich - and their prices are reasonable. They also serve breakfast sandwiches and crepes all day. The coffee is excellent, and there are usually several seasonal flavors to try. The bakery offers all sorts of tasty treats, though many of these are more expensive.

Great service, friendly staff. Breakfast food is delicious and filling especially the omelettes. Seating is good but not a lot of big tables to spread out. If youre in need of a tasty treat Pekara is your spot.

Everything i have tried here is delicious. My favorites are the carrot cake, pesto quiche and almond croissant, but there is nothing you can go wrong with. I did catch a batch of dried pesto quice once, but they are usually made better. Their coffee is OK, nothing special. I also recommend the lunch sandwiches, since they use their own breads, they come out tasting 10/10 :)

I love their pastries! Their quiche is also amazing.

Im come to Pekara as a treat of myself. I find their treats to be delicious, but definitely need to be consumed in moderation. I appreciate their amazing chai latte and stop in a couple of times a month. They also have some great baked good (breads and what not) that we like to stock our apartment with.

Food was great. Service was friendly. Good variety. A great stop for lunch.

Pekara made my daughters wedding cake and it was WONDERFUL!!!!!Thank you so much for making her day a great one. I would recommend Pekara for a wedding cake, a nice lunch or pastry. Thanks again!!

Love this place and the food is awesome. However some days the staff are iffy. My friend and I came in for lunch today. She has a sore throat, and basically lost her voice. The female cashier came off rather rude about about this. I could understand if there was a significant number of people waiting to be served, but it was literally just us in line. So this lack of patience on their part has definitely lowered Pekara a notch in my opinion.

Service is friendly. We agreed it was the best iced coffee and hot coffee weve ever had. The fresh donuts were fantastic as well as the back of the house outdoor seating.

Went on a scavenger hunt that said it ended with a free cookie from this place. Got there and the woman started yelling at us that there was no free cookies when we had a paper that said it. It was absolutely terrifying. I have no idea what happened and why a paper would say that but was utterly shocked by this insane woman yelling at us about a cookie. Unless you want to be yelled at about a cookie, I wouldn’t step foot in this place.

I LOVE the Bahn Mi sandwich, and the crepes are also delicious.

I was served frozen Tiramisu yesterday. When I mentioned to the staff they said yeah... It just arrived...I guess if it is frozen and you know it...perhaps dont sell it?I didnt get a refund.... And it was 2 Tiramisus for 5 dollars each!

Food is good. Drinks are pricey, and they dont serve water, which frankly seems a bit shite. Bread is extremely nice.

Expensive. 9.50 tuna sandwich and cup of coffee before tip.Coffee was weak, gave me half and half instead of milk, tuna was exactly what you would expect at home, but 7.99.Badly laid out, noisy banging dishes and moving furniture. Flies everywhere.Yet another place happier to be hip and organic rather than good.

Get the maple bacon cronut (Saturdays only). Best bakery in Chambana.

I like this cafe, however, this cafe closed at 6 pm, Friday. I was reading a book in the cafe today around 6 pm and one staff let me know that they are closing soon. The google information may need to update their hours.

It’s rare I complain but I’ve been here twice and both experiences have been poor. A few months ago my first experience was horrible. Lady serving me was rude, messed up my order and food was just bad. When I contacted the manager she was extremely friendly and helpful so I figured I would give this place another try. Today I decided to give it a try again. Ham and cheese croissant was cold, even when I asked if it would be served warm or not. Also, my “frozen” java chip came out like milk and was blended so poorly that I couldn’t even drink it through the straw. Just not worth a visit.

The patty melt I had was just okay. Atmosphere was fine, but it was pretty crowded. Still, its a fine place to meet a friend for lunch.

Its my go to place downtown. Great soup and sandwich choices. The bakery choices are beautiful and delicious.

This place is ok. Everything is so over priced. Their bread is not the best. French bread is hard as a rock. Their pastries are very delicious and varied but almost 5 dollars for a chocolate pastries is a little bit too over the top. Otherwise cool cafetería to spend the afternoons or evenings.

Love this place its so good.Each one of my classmates say it looks amazing

Good fast service. Have gone there before to get snacks for meetings and always been satisfied.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Smoked Gouda is life changing.

I Brought my own water based on the review and loved everything else!

I like this Bakery. They serve real espresso drinks with a smile

Roasted red pepper soup is fantastic!Macarons and French pastries the best this side of the Atlantic!

Nice place, pretty good sandwiches and coffee. The desserts look tempting :)

They have crepes and theyre good! Owned locally and just a great atmosphere

Too expensive for average quality and taste. Again, too expensive for fake authentic and home made attributes, especially regarding pastry.

Really good coffee and basic breakfast/lunch foods. The staff is friendly and super nice, but they can be a little slow if understaffed in the morning.

One of my most favorite places. Try the Cronuts!!

Best place to get crepes and coffee!

There lorraine quiche is so good!!!!!!!! Only $6 for a whole slice of quiche! Compared to other restaurants, great price

Their Banana/Nutella crepe is delicious with a latte.

Love their crepes and Intelligensia coffee :)

Good tasting bakery and food

Fantastic! Love the food, drink, and atmosphere!

A little pricey, but good.

Their tiramisu is best in town.

They have been making bread for a very long time but still dont know how to do it! Also, please stop adding more flour to the bottom of each bread in order to cover its burn!

Always wonderful good and services!

Pistachio macaron is fantastic 😃

Great place, friendly staffs.

Delicious baked goods!

Great lunch, best sweets!

One of my favorites downtown

Great coffee and pastry.

The food and drinks are delicious, but sometimes the lunch/dinner food is a bit overpriced. Friendly staff!

Manager was yelling at her staff on the floor.

Just totally awesome

Only place to get crepes in Champaign

Great bread!

Delicious breads

Horrible, rude,and stale.

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