Toast and Roast — Restaurant in McHenry

Brand new to the area and needed a coffee/brunch spot to act as a central location to meet with my baby shower planning committee - myself at 7 months pregnant, 91 year old grandmother in-law, 2 70 year old mothers and a friend. Due to the plan to meet on a Saturday morning and not being familiar with the shop I called in 2 days ahead of time in a shoot-my-shot kind of way to just inquire if it would be at all possible to set aside a table for 5 at the meeting time to make sure my pregnant self and the elder (who was coming from an hour away) could for sure secure seating so that we weren’t left to scramble or worse not be able to sit at all. I was not expecting anything and just always in the spirit of you never know unless you ask. The girl who answered the phone was really unfriendly and rude about it and understandably (just wish the actual tone & attitude of the convo was kind and friendly) they couldn’t promise anything. I ended up coming early and was able to ask a table of nice people if I could snag their table when they left, and when we all ordered the gentleman at the register was extremely friendly, nice and attentive. We will definitely be back, but I almost considered cancelling our plans due to how unfriendly the staff member was when we called but I’m glad we went and we had a nice time! In-person experience definitely redeemed...

Boom Chicka Boom – this sandwich is a bursting BOOM of explosive flavors (that’s right, plural!) FLAVORS, and diverse textures, that are sure to carpet bomb the pleasure parts of the brain and saturate your tastebuds with satiating satisfaction! If you order your own be prepared for the possibility of your head tilting while your eyes involuntarily spin backwards and everything you thought you knew about sandwiches is called into question. Two BOOM’S is fitting, because this sandwich has dynamite flavors and textures!

Trying to explain it is like going to the movies but only getting the audio, my point here is that there are some things that you really just need to see for yourself. Don’t even get me started on the Tuscany Turkey.

Ok, so for the Tuscany Turkey, we have a wildcard of a sandwich that probably bullied its way onto the roster (August only – insert sad face…should’ve made the final cut). This sandwich evolved as you chewed it. At first you recognize familiar ingredients and they all come together to present a quality product. Then, just as your most inner being requests another bite, new flavors kaleidoscope your entire palate.

If you’re looking for a quality bite to eat, for something different then be sure to stop-by, I know I’ll...

My wife and I just moved to the area. We were really looking forward to trying this place and having it become our go-to local coffee shop. The menu looked great and the atmosphere had a great vibe but the service was just plain weird and rude. It wasn’t particularly busy and we go out of our way to be polite. But the staff were just super unfriendly and looked like they hated being there. To top it off the smoothie wasn’t made with ice so it was warm, but I didn’t dare ask them to add any for fear of another death stare, and it was already an almost 15 minute wait for a small smoothie. I hate judging a place off of one experience, but it all added up to one unpleasant and disappointing experience. Guess we will search for somewhere else.

Update:

We tried Toast and Roast again and had a decidedly different experience. The cashier, who also made our drinks, was incredibly professional and pleasant despite the coffee shop running out of milk and a long back up on orders. She maintained a friendly demeanor, and though it took approximately 40 minutes to get our drink order, the coffees were great. But the real star is the toast. I had the McHenry and it was fantastic. We are glad we gave this place another try and will...