Caffe Social — Restaurant in Norwalk

This morning, my partner and I decided to try out Caffe Social after being recommend to come and try out their waffle dishes.

We came in and was greeted by a beautiful waitress who seated us outside as we requested.

My partner and I reviewed the menu and decided upon our orders for drinks and food.

My partner ordered a salmon and avacado sandwich with iced pumpkin latte with whipped cream. I order a waffle special with an iced chai latte.

After about 2-3 minutes after ordering, my partner decided to change his order because he was unaware that the salmon was smoked rather than fully cooked. He decided to go into the cafe to switch his order to a savory and sweet sandwich.

The waitress he spoke with stated the order was already made and he was unable to change it.

That’s when I decided to step in and have our actual waitress who placed our order, first, change it.

She was totally nice enough to do so after my polite request.

When she came back with the order once it was finished she proceeds to state the owner/manager said we’d have to pay 50% for the order we did not want.

Mind you, the dish was not touched nor eaten.

The cafe does not have any signage or any messages that’s states if you do not like your order you’re subject to pay 50%. Nor did any of the waitress make that clear.

My partner and I decided to be adults about the situation and not cause any uncomfortable by paying for the s dish anyway.

Now, I write this review, in hopes, that the owner trains her waitress and/or waiters to make that rule clear before people place their orders.

In addition, letting future customers to now to be EXTREMELY certain of their orders or you WILL be forced to pay at least 50% for not liking the dish!

Besides that the dishes we order was decently made. If we were to rate them on a scale of 1-10.

I would score them a 7 (3 stars based on google rate scale)

Those looking to try out this cafe feel free to try it out and experience it for yourselves.

This is my partner and I experience…I personally will not be back.

I wish this cafe the best of luck and I pray they learn to service customers better to make EVERYONE experience a...

So, I have been eating here since they opened. The fod and drink quality is very good, albeit somewhat limited in options. It is definitely pricy. The staff and family that own and operate are all very nice.

My problem is that they don't allow two people sitting together at one table to split a check into two. Have to pay together if by credit card.

Then, they included, without any notice anywhere, a surcharge. It just showed up on a bill after never having been there before. When I iqnuired what it was for, I was told it was for using a credit card rather than paying in cash. [IT IS ILLEGAL IN THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT TO IMPOSE A SRURCHARGE FOR USING A CCREDIT CARD RATER THAN PAYING IN CASH].

Next time I went in, I intended to pay in cash to avoid the extra illegal and hidden charge. I specifically told my waitress that I was going to pay in cash so that my bill would not come with the extra charge included. SURPRISE! The same exact fee was now called a service charge rather than a surcharge and we were told it was imposed regardless of how pay is to be made, again, without any signs or mention of this fee anywhere.

Given the explanation we were given last time, I told the waitress that I would not pay that service fee and asked her to check with the owners (always there) bc I intended to pay in cash and unfortunately, if the charge remained on the bill, it was going to be dedcuted from any gratuity I would leave. Not the waitress' fault, but a matter of principle. They took it off the bill thankfully.

Next time, same service charge appeared. Again, no notice and I told the waitress we would be paying in cash to avoid this fiasco again. This time, we were told the charge was to avoid raising menu prices due to COVID, despite the fact that this has the same effect and would not be hidden if it was actually on the menu and included in prices.

In summary, I like the food and the place, despite being overpriced for what it is. But beware of hidden charges adn check your...

I recently revisited Cafe Social with my family for brunch, and once again, the cozy spot in Norwalk did not disappoint with its delightful menu.

Our brunch experience was overall enjoyable, featuring delicious food and perfectly crafted drinks.

However, a minor hiccup occurred when I ordered a Tuscano Panini with a side of potato salad, which didn't quite hit the mark. Politely requesting to substitute the Potato salad with french fries, I was surprised to find a $7 charge for the fries on the bill.

When I questioned the server, she explained that while the potato salad wasn't charged, the fries were added later and thus incurred an extra cost.

From a customer service standpoint, clear communication about additional charges would have been appreciated. Despite the server offering a half-price adjustment, it left a slightly bitter taste. While the incident didn't break the bank, it highlighted a lapse in communication and billing transparency.

In the end, Cafe Social earns four stars from me, mainly due to the scrumptious food and cozy atmosphere. My hope is that they take this as an opportunity to refine their approach, ensuring customers are informed about any additional costs in a more upfront manner. I still highly recommend the place, and I believe this minor issue can be a learning experience for the...