Blue Box Cafe — Restaurant in Elgin

Being a Whovian, and not a New-Whovian at that, I was excited to learn that this cafe was nearby.

I kept meaning to come here, and see it. My work schedule keeps me out of town a lot, so it has been difficult, thus the anticipation grew.

This week I was finally able to visit this cafe, I read reviews and everything seemed positive.

I also follow their Facebook Page, so I see that they’re proactive in hosting events.

I arrived and I felt a twinge of disappointment with the decor, I felt like more could be done, but then again, a lot of Doctor Who is proprietary, so I understand.

I looked at the menu and again, disappointing, there was nothing that included The Doctor’s name or even one of the many names he’s been called.

I ordered something simple Soup of the Day: Bacon Potato(it was more like assisted living facility potato soup, no bacon, and bland), Dalek Delight(doused with way too much mayo, and looked like it was put together last minute) and a Latte(simple, yet they went so wrong with it, I wasn’t able to finish even 1/4th, not sure if they tried to use regular coffee as espresso or the espresso beans they used were not good, either way, it tasted like old, stale coffee).

As I waited for my food, I noticed that the tables were dirty as was the floor, I would understand if they were busy, people line out the door-only had 2 people working-rush hour. However it was not, there seemed to be 4 employees working, one at the till, two making sandwiches and one making coffee. Making it seem like the employees did not care to the state of the cafe, so long they’re making money.

Once I got my coffee, that’s when I tasted the monstrosity. I didn’t make a fuss, because I thought “maybe it’s just me, since I just brushed my teeth”.

I received my food, and the soup was nice and hot, steaming, I really liked that; however when I tasted it, it had no taste, I felt like the just added the ingredients to the pot without any condiments or giving them time to boil separately to let the flavours simmer. There was also NO BACON, again, I didn’t make a fuss, because everyone has a bad day.

While the sandwich tasted ok, there was more mayo that I would’ve liked, I thought it was going to come on a brioche bun or at least a sub bun, but nope, it came on toast; like they suddenly ran out of buns and they went to the grocery store and bought a loaf of bread. The way the sandwich is described I thought I was going to get this “Grand” sandwich.

It’s been almost 2hrs since I left the cafe, and I’m still not able to finish drinking the coffee.

I’m sure the owner did not have this in mind when he/she opened the cafe. While I was in there I didn’t feel a sense of pride, it seemed as if the decor was an afterthought, by adding knickknacks on shelves, ledges, some pictures on the walls...and the employees didn’t help by not cleaning the tables or floor. I almost felt compelled to ask them for a broom to help them clean.

I will sadly not be returning here again. Hope they make the necessary changes to have a successful place of business, as it does have great potential. Maybe it has gotten complacent due to the fact that it’s somewhere where there’s not much around it to compete with it, but I feel like they need...

The food was good and worth stopping in for. We liked the concept however, last night we walked in and the noise level from the IPOD filming was way to loud for the small dining room. We had a hard time ordering, talking and enjoying the food due, to the sound bouncing off the wall. There was no way to make conversation about what was being said and because it was too loud it was actually hard to hear what was being said due to the sound bouncing out and off the walls.

It's a great idea but, the dining room isn't big enough for the sound. It would have been a more enjoyable evening if it was softer and more open like being in your actual dining room and sharing ideas.

I can't say that I'd return when they are banging the noise. I had to remove my hearing aid and when I left my ears hurt.

I was the most painful sandwich I've ever had!

Fresh icetea is always a plus! I've stopped in for their coffee which is good.

What got me in end was that the co-owner asked for donations.....Owners are there to run a business and draw a crowd. I go to alot of restaurants in the city as my husband works and designs them. I have never ever heard of an owner asking for...

I decided to stop in the Blue Box Cafe to grab lunch and treats for my kids and I. It was PACKED in there, and yet the lovely people at the counter weren't even breaking a sweat and still took my order & made our food promptly. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ I was SO grateful for the short wait time despite being so busy b/c my kids were just "done" and ready to go home lol. I ordered them the "Cheesy Goodness" and I got myself a Turkey Cesar Wrap. Those sandwiches are no joke, SO good! 🤤 But let me also tell you about dessert.....I got some "Magic Bars." 💫 I even asked if there was real magic added in them, to which the man at the counter replied, "Yes, of course." 😎 And ya know what? He was right. 😍 They were SO good, my kids inhaled them, and I was lucky to taste a piece! Go grab some of those of you're in the mood for something sweet!🍪 Or grab one of their amazing sandwiches if you want something savory! 🥪 Also, expect great service, no matter how busy they get, and of course, magic in...