River Stop Cafe — Restaurant in Newaygo

The place looks nice - like a new cafe in a bigger city. Went for a late breakfast meal and were handed menus with breakfast on them. Only when we ordered breakfast were we told it was past cutoff time, which was ??? (No one knew - the kitchen staff responded by shaking their head "no" in response). Is it really that hard to cook eggs instead of grill a sandwich? At River Stop Cafe, it is. Lunch menu had some variety and the food was good. Not great but good. $50 for a soup and sandwich, a wrap, and 2 drinks. Ok, but the drinks were (no exaggeration) less than 1/2 tumbler full. Ok - it's a big city cafe vibe they're going for and the place IS nice and new and clean - I get it, but also, we had 2 (full size) drinks next door, the day before, for 1/3 the price. Even so, glad to pay a reasonable amount for a good experience. No big deal. BUT... We sat at the bar with 6-7 people on staff - maybe more - for what's really a very small place. Not one of them made eye contact, nor spoke to us beyond asking what our order was or if we were done - and the place was not busy. They got the order wrong for my date not once, but twice - then barely apologized. I never saw one of the staff even attempt to smile the whole time we were there. It was bizarre - even standing directly across the bar from us making drinks/coffee, putting bottles back, washing glasses, or chatting among themselves, they (almost uncomfortably) avoided acknowledging your existence. Everyone there seemed angry - like we'd called the cops on their party last night and ran over their dog on the way in, and then they were forced to wait on us at gun point. That's the vibe. The feeling throughout the whole experience was that we'd interrupted a marital dispute between the employees, and that ruined it for me. The place was just completely devoid of any kindness, friendliness, gratitude, or interest in other human beings - it felt actively...

OK, on the outside, this appears to be a great Cafe. Even the inside is inviting. The service was fast and kind, the place was very well kept and clean. The problem, though, is that the food was not good. Had a "Thanksgiving Leftover" wrap. Where to start. First, you don't mix mayo with an acid. It will cause it to separate into a disgusting mess. They combined canned cranberry with mayo, and there was a disturbingly pink sauce that had the consistency of baby vomit. You should put a layer or cooked cranberries, and separate out the mayo on a different layer. Second, processed grade school cafeteria turkey is not acceptable. The BLT was another misfire. Third, overcooked bacon should be a crime, along with that very odd tasting mayonnaise. My relative is a chef, but we couldn't place what the strange taste of their mayo was. It was probably a hit of mustard powder, but it was bad. Sandwich was extremely dry and needed expert help. This would be acceptable at your own home, but not for paying customers. Fourth....oh boy, I cant believe im complaining about this....but the chips. Unsalted Whole wheat, slightly stale tortilla chips, spinkled with what must have been parsley. We have so many great local brands to choose from, using a stale, tasteless chip without any dip? Is just unfathomable.

Hire someone to improve the quality of the food and preparations. Your servers are great, but people will stop coming if the food...

We ordered breakfast and coffee upon arrival. Then proceeded to use their WIFI which was advertised as free for customers. After an hour or so, we paid for new drinks (not refills) and planned to order lunch. Shortly afterwards, we were told we needed to leave because we were "just on the computer" and it was the lunch rush. I understand making space and courtesy would dictate we give up our table to those waiting to eat, but there were three open tables inside plus four outside, and no one waiting to be seated. We are from out of town and staying at a cottage without internet, so it's only accessible to us offsite. That's part of the reason we chose this establishment, which did not post a time limit on the premises for WIFI usage or a minimum puchase requirement. In addition, the way we were approached was very abrasive. We would have happily left without feeling any ill will had the individual phrased the request in a respectful, kind fashion. There is no reason to be demanding or rude even if there had been a wait. We decided not to make additional purchases and promptly vacated our table. We left feeling devalued as patrons and mistreated as people. It's a shame some forget their manners once they go into business. Many places can provide a great meal, it's the service that sets you apart. Customers who have a good experience can be your most...