Thrive Tribe Cafe — Restaurant in Barrington

I came by thrive for their soft opening day and what I can say is that the people are really excited and very kind. I ended up going with a iced coffee that had pear and maple syrup flavor notes listed so that intrigued me. Per the recommendation of the nice lady behind the counter, I added caramel flavoring and of course oat milk, because If you have the option of oat milk you always take oat milk. The coffee is pretty good and I think that has to do because of the beans are locally sourced from what I saw and I believe that all the syrups are vegan as well which I'm not necessarily vegan but might be making it a bit more light than I'm accustomed to, which is good. It was also fairly competitively priced with a 3.75 price tag for a large. Thankfully even though it's Barrington the prices aren't obscene.

They also had baked goods like macaroons available and I got one of the caramel apple and one of the honey gram. They each are very different. Whereas the caramel apple kind of is a very soft bite and has a apple puree filling or flavoring, the honey gram has a more chewy consistency to it which I would assume is due to the honey haha. Both are really nice and depending on what you're looking for I don't think you can go wrong with several of the macaron options.

I'm definitely interested to see how it opens with everything fully but the space is very nice and I'm intrigued enough to go back in the...

There's something off about this place for me. I guess I just associate veganism with sustainability, but sustainable living is clearly not a value of this establishment. Everything here is thrown out -- paper plates, plastic bowls, plastic forks...is it that hard to take one trip to Ikea and purchase some glass bowls and a couple of spoons? On top of that, I don't share the great experiences of the other patrons. The last time I went here, I was overcharged (the guy who works here just types in/selects whatever price he wants to charge you rather than what's listed on the menu). Another time I got a hot coffee, and it was cold...I had already driven away, but I couldn't believe I paid over $3 for a cup of coffee and it wasn't even warm. Finally, there's just something weird...the business is hardly ever open, and there were no customers in the place every time I went. The prices for coffee and food are pretty exorbitant but probably not high enough to sustain an empty, closed cafe long-term. Just...

There is a lot to say about this newly established hidden gem in Barrington! For starters the staff is spectacular. They are very welcoming and make you feel right at home.

The ladies behind the counter greet you with a warm smile and a hello as soon as you walk in.

The charming ambiance and positive energy is the perfect pairing to the amazing locally sourced coffee with many non dairy options (Love the oat milk!!) creating the perfect pick me up at any time of the day.

The all vegan menu is bursting with flavorful options that make even this non vegan a regular!

My favorite is the green dragon (their take on avocado toast) and the Arepa paisa taking inspiration from the cultural background of some of the owners! It’s bursting with flavors that make my taste buds dance!

If your looking for great coffee, great food, a great setting and and amazing staff, look no further than Thrive Tribe Cafe!

Keep up the amazing work ladies...