Wake and Bake Café — Restaurant in Harrisburg

I wish I could share a better experience, I wanted to love this place so bad. Me and my partner tried this out Saturday for brunch, we arrived at 11:30 and off the bat the large sign propped outside did not match the hours they had on the much smaller sign posted to the wall. I knew they closed at 12, but the board outside stated 7:30-2:30 without any dates to clarify. not sure why they would put that out on a saturday if the sole purpose is to state the hours which are incorrect. We waited in line, they were busy understandably. Less than 10 minutes later we placed our order for two baked goods, two specialty drinks, and two breakfast sandwiches. When it reached 12:00, I watched another patron get up from waiting and ask for a refund for two drinks she had ordered and never received, she stated she arrived long ago and now had to leave for work so won’t be able to wait any longer. Two patrons came in who were known to the cashier/barista around 12:05 and ordered drinks and food, waited maybe 5-10 minutes and received their entire order (including two of the exact same items we ordered 40 minutes prior) before we received ours, and before another patron who was sat next to us received his one drink he’d been waiting on also for 40 minutes. This gave a very sour taste in our mouth seeing the priority switch up and immediately serving their friends food and drink when several people were there waiting past closing time for those very items. at 12:10ish a barista approached us and asked if they could help us with anything, when we answered we have been waiting this whole time for our order, they informed us they lost our ticket. we were shocked considering the person who took our order of 6 items was watching us sit there the entire time and said nothing. we were offered a free baked good as an apology but again, we had already purchased two baked goods. We had to reiterate our order a few times and when making the drinks the barista again asked which milk would we prefer, we both answered “whole milk” and they turned around and grabbed the oat milk and made the latte with that. I was so confused. The vibe was friendly but wow what a frustrating experience. A person came in to order at 12:30(?) and they turned her away stating they close at 12, understandable but they actively had the propped up sign outside that said come in...

I stopped in today to try out this new breakfast and lunch spot just down the street from where I live, and overall I had a really nice experience. From the moment I walked in, the customer service stood out—everyone was friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. The restaurant itself is spotless: very clean, neatly organized, and designed with a minimalistic, chic aesthetic that makes it feel modern and inviting.

Since it’s Harrisburg Restaurant Week, they were offering some specials, which made it the perfect time to check them out. I ordered an iced latte, which was excellent—smooth, balanced, and exactly what I was hoping for. The food, on the other hand, was good but didn’t quite live up to the elevated expectations I had for a boutique-style café. It wasn’t bad by any means—it was tasty and satisfying—but underwhelming, as I anticipated something a bit different based on the overall vibe of the place.

One small thing that would really make a difference: presentation. My meal was served in a foil wrapper, which felt a little underwhelming in such a stylish environment. I’d love to see the food plated instead, especially since this is the kind of café where I’d want to meet up with friends and linger for a while. A plated meal would better match the upscale look and feel of the space and create more of a dine-in experience rather than something that feels quick or on-the-go.

That said, I see a lot of potential here. With a few small tweaks, especially in food presentation, this could easily become one of my go-to neighborhood spots for both coffee and a proper meal. And I really appreciate that they’re participating in Restaurant Week—it shows they’re excited to be part of Harrisburg’s growing food scene. For sure coming back and would recommend to anyone working or visiting in the...

The second time I’ve been here and the drinks are very good! However I came on a Saturday morning and they were not serving breakfast. Not a huge deal, they have bakery items. I also got a bagel with capers which was good. It was pretty busy considering it was a Saturday. The problem was I got my food before my drink. Everyone was sitting and waiting, not eating or drinking, just waiting for drinks. The couple that ordered after me got their 2 drinks before I got mine. The couple that ordered in front of me didn’t get their food while I was done eating my food. The service was slow and didn’t make any sense. Orders would be taken without any coffees being made. For being a new business which advertises greatly, they were not able to handle a weekend morning rush which was highly...