Real Food Cafe — Restaurant in Grand Rapids

What follows is my best attempt at keeping this brief, yet detailed enough for you to get the picture.

This place has always been great to me and my family. While there always seems to be about a half hour wait to get in, it’s always worth it because the menu is ginormous, the food is all done very well (and other than the fact that we live in MICHIGAN, they use the cheap, fake “maple syrup” that is really just maple-flavored corn syrup), all ingredients seem to be of good quality, and the service is typically quick once you have been seated. It’s a small place with limited seating and all the workers there seem to bust a** getting out food on time. The staff has also always been super friendly.

All of this changed this past Mother’s Day. For the record, nearly the exact same thing happened the same day the previous year.

They don’t take reservations, so it is first-come, first-served. We had a party of five. One person in our party arrived at 8:45 to put our name down. I showed up at 9:00. We were not seated until 10:00. We had drinks and our order was taken by 10:10. Food did not touch our table until 10:45. Drinks were never refilled during this long wait. I had to leave to go to work right as the food got there. The extra funny thing was that everything placed at our table seemed like it had been sitting for a while. My bacon was dry and overcooked and honestly inedible, pancakes were cold, eggs were cold, and during our wait nobody’s drinks had been refilled and the waitress only stopped by after we called her over to ask how long it would be until we got our food, a question to which we never received a response until twenty minutes later when we finally received our orders.

As far as I know, they never offered to comp anything. To be fair, I’m extra pissed because I got up early to make it there on time. At least we all got to spend time together and more importantly, with our respective mothers.

We will likely never...

let's see...below average food (both ingredients and preparation technique), good prices, terrible setup. worst of all - do not accept credit cards.

the pates are full. they are overflowing. mostly with half burned and half mushy potatoes that they call "home fries". they are terrible. just because they are made there does not mean that they do not need to be cooked right.

the spinach was not cut/chopped. just whole leaves. the eggs in the eggs benedict were hard and not soft the capicola was slices so thinly i was not sure what i was eating oh, the Hollandaise sauce had a tangy taste. a taste closer to vinegar. and yes, i have had Hollandaise sauce before and this was far from it.

the prices are ok. $12.50 for eggs benedict is not bad.

setup is weird. instead of opening that middle wall so that it does not feel crowded and stuffed, they kept it and have window openings in that wall. the waitresses have to go ALL THE WAY AROUND the wall and fight with the people waiting to be seated. it's just not thought out

my order was $37. i had to have cash. i understand not taking cards for orders under $5, but come on... how much are you saving by not taking cards? i think they must be getting a kickback from the ATM in the back of the store that's used by all the people that did not have cash. ridiculous.

would not eat there again would not recommend a great place if you want to stuff your face and intake 4k calories...

I’ve visited this restaurant several times, and my overall rating would be a solid 4/5. Each visit has been enjoyable, with a few highlights and minor areas for improvement.

Parking: Parking is street-based, but I’ve usually found a spot without much trouble. While this may vary depending on the time of day, it hasn’t been a significant inconvenience.

Wait Times: The wait times are generally reasonable, especially when I visit after 11 a.m. I can’t speak to the experience earlier in the day, but later visits have been smooth and hassle-free.

Service: The staff are friendly overall and contribute to a welcoming atmosphere. On several occasions, they’ve gone above and beyond by offering pastries to-go when we’ve dined close to closing time—a thoughtful touch that’s much appreciated.

Food Quality: The food has consistently been fresh and served quickly, which I value. Their chocolate chip pancakes are a standout item and a personal favorite. However, I do wish they offered flavored lattes in addition to flavored black coffee, as this would elevate the drink options.

Overall Experience: This restaurant combines good service, fresh food, and a friendly vibe, making it a spot I would recommend to others. While there’s room for small enhancements—like expanding the drink menu—it remains a reliable choice for a...