The Lunch Café — Restaurant in Berkley

This is a great lunch spot with quality food and very competitive/affordable prices. The soups, sandwiches, & coffee beverages I’ve tried have all been great so far — I am happy with the various options they offer.

However, I have been in twice now, and I’ve noticed each time I’ve been in no one seems to greet me or say hello. Yes, they get very busy during lunch hours, but is it that hard to look up and say hello to your customer(s)? Just something to ponder & reflect on, especially for new customers that have never been in before. Secondly, the young girl that always works at the cash register is friendly for the most part, but she informed me the other day (when I was in), that if I place a carry-out order and am going to be eating in their restaurant, I need to get my food in a basket and NOT in a to-go box. Just so your staff is aware, I order my take-out in a to-go box because I am not sure how busy the line will be to wait for my food, and I pick up my food during my lunch break sometimes when I am working. I am typically on a time crunch during my lunch break, so it’s just easier for me to get my food in a to-go box so I can take it to-go if I am running late… vs having it served to me in a basket and then asking for a to-go box anyway. I have a degree in Environmental Sustainability and am all about food waste/sustainable practices… but I thought this was just silly and a bit extra. Nonetheless, I understand, but will likely continue getting my food in a to-go box. Lastly, I would recommend your staff to increase your GF/DF baked good options. You have so many GF/DF/V options on your menu, why not expand your baked goods list as well?

Overall, I will be back at some point, and would recommend this restaurant to check out. Just wanted to share my two cents on what...

It was a busy time during lunch, since I know this I was okay with waiting. The cashier told me to come back and check in 20min. If my meal was ready,& I did. So when the cashier went to the ladies to check if the meal was ready, the lady that was fixing the sandwich part of my order must've though I couldn't wait for it, and that wasn't the case. So the owner (usually she's the sweetie lady ) came over to me handed me my food and said in an not so pleasant way here's my sandwich and since I couldn't wait it's not done. I tried to explain that wasn't the case and she kept walking. The customers were looking wondering what was going on ,I was so embarrassed 😳 I didn't nothing wrong, if was in an hurry that day I wouldn't have went there during lunch. I was so hurt because I love the food and really enjoyed talking with the owner from time to time when it's not to busy.. I could not eat that sandwich 😒 I tossed it. Now every time I want an Maurice salad & corn beef 😋. I can not bring my self to go...

TLC is exactly what you would hope for in this cozy downtown storefront setting: simple, satisfying cafe eats served in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Owned and operated by a family trio, this menu features paninis, soups and salads--not a sprawling list of options, which I prefer as it means they do a few things well instead of trying to juggle a massive inventory of mediocrity. We were treated kindly, helped with our dairy-free allergy needs without airs, and all the while the owners chatted amiably with us without losing focus on helping us zero in on what we needed.

The Reuben lunch special was tasty and well toasted without being greasy. The chicken noodle soup was balanced and not overly salty (grease and over-salting are the usual vices of sandwich shops).

Most importantly, the employees seemed happy and the vibe felt calm. You cannot fake that authenticity. We will...