Crema Cafe — Restaurant in Madison

I recently grabbed a Sunday brunch at the Crema Cafe and was impressed by my first meal there. I ordered the Killer Scramble (smoked salmon, leeks, goat cheese, three eggs) with a side of the sweet potato hash.

Things I liked: Holy mammoth portion size, Batman. My plate was literally brimming over with food when the server delivered my meal to the table.The cook did not scrimp on the salmon when preparing this this dish, which I appreciated on every forkful. Even though they are nestled in a rather non-descript strip mall, I really enjoyed the indie coffeehouse vibe of the restaurant. Cozy and welcoming with no hint of pretentiousness. Bonus points for the great view of Lake Monona. The sweet potato hash was extremely fresh and flavorful - it really highlighted the natural sweetness of the sweet potato. I would have liked to have more caramelization on the sweet potatoes, but I thoroughly enjoyed them as evidenced by my empty plate at the end of the meal. As mentioned by other reviewers, bonus points for their use of local ingredients and products from small farmers...

Get the breakfast sandwich! Seriously, just do it.

I'm tempted to use the phrase "hidden gem" based on its location. It's sort of tucked away in a strip mall that doesn't really have the kind of shops you'd expect around a cafe with locally-sourced food and fancy, but not pretentious, menu options.

The staff here has always been friendly, even when they're busy. I've had a few questions about some of their drinks, and they happily speak loudly and clearly over the clanking of dishes and chattering of other patrons. And if you weren't able to guess from that statement: this place can get fairly loud and crowded. It's a popular stop and a small shop, so be prepared for that. That being said, the wait for food isn't long.

Some of the options have bigger portions than others. The french toast falls on the small side. But most of the options are just enough food, not so much that I have to roll myself out of the door and regret my choices, but not so little that I need another meal an hour later.

Did you get the breakfast...

I really like Crema, I’ve been there a couple times and it’s been great.

This time my partner and I ordered takeout and our experience was not so good. My partner has Crohns, there are certain things he can and cannot eat because it will cause flares ups.

He also really can’t have a lot of cheese because he’s one lactose intolerant but also it really upsets his stomach. We ordered a smash burger, I politely asked (on the notes) for no cheese and if we could add tomato and lettuce if possible and sub chips(which is an option on their online ordering system).

When he picked it up and came home it’s like no one read the notes at all and they are clearly on the receipt… The smash burger was covered in cheese, side salad even though online we subbed chips. We scraped off the cheese as much as we could, but he ended up just eating one patty and half the bun. It was a bit disappointing.

I don’t think we’ll order online again, maybe go once in awhile but this was a bit of a let down! My order was...