Wildberry Pancakes & Cafe — Restaurant in Schaumburg Township

We have been to Wildberry many, many times. I continued to return because my kids love it despite a multitude of issues. This most recent visit will be our last. Every single time something has been wrong with someone's food. This most recent time my husband had a hair basically on top of his food. He hates going here, has a terrible experience every time, and I MADE him go... and he got the hair. The online system they use that allows you to get in line before you arrive is great, but has flaws. You get in line and it says to check in by a certain time (for us it was 11:50) but then you get a text from the restaurant that says to check in within 5 minutes of their next text. We weren't sure if that meant we did or didn't have to check in by 11:50, so we went by then. When we checked in they said we hadn't needed to until the next text (which comes when your table is ready). This means we were told to arrive and check in by 11:50 and did so, only to have to sit around for another half hour with 2 kids and a baby. They also require you be within a certain distance to check in.One weekend my daughter and I were getting our nails done .5 miles outside the radius and it wouldn't let us get in line, even though we were only 20 minutes away and the wait was an hour. They only allow parties of 4 or less to get in line with the app. This means larger parties are required to GO to get in line. Since we are a family of 5 (4 + a baby) we technically need to go in to check in and take up space in their waiting area for an hour and a half. They can't really fix the next issue... but OMG the parking. Forget it. People park in spots that definitely aren't meant to be parked in. People block the areas you're supposed to drive, park blocking their dumpsters, park behind other cars. We drive around for about 10 minutes searching for an actual spot every time. Between the restaurants and Costco the parking is impossible. Today a car was parked in the driving lane when we arrived and was still there when we left. They need to start towing and they need to figure out a way to make the parking less terrible. They share a bathroom with the restaurant next door. I don't understand how that works and I'm always uncomfortable when I have to use it. The location of the changing table in the men's room is kind of gross and inconvenient. It's right by the urinals. Ew. I don't understand why they weren't using their outdoor seating today. It was an amazing, beautiful day and instead of seating the area there were people using it as a waiting area... sitting and waiting at tables where they could have been sitting and eating instead. I took a picture because it was so ridiculous to me. I heard the hostess tell someone that the kitchen closes at 2:30 so if the wait extended beyond that they couldn't seat them. I think it's crazy to choose not to use all of your tables and then to turn away customers. I don't like that the host staff isn't in a uniform. I often feel some of them are dressed inappropriately and very revealing. If you have endless patience and don't change anything about your dish, you'll probably have a decent experience... but if you ask for something to be left off or extra crispy or if you hate walking half a mile across a parking lot, you may want to try...

This morning, my family went to the restaurant for breakfast, as they have many times before. They’ve always received good service, especially from the young man who helped them today — polite and professional as always. However, this time there was a very uncomfortable situation. While my wife stepped away briefly to use the restroom, my kids stayed at the table waiting for their food. When the food was brought to them, one of the staff members who delivers the plates —not the server— made an inappropriate comment directed at my son, saying something like, “I don’t think you’re going to finish all of that,” in a sarcastic tone. My son has schizophrenia. He is 5’9” and weighs around 110 pounds. What may seem like a joke to some felt like an insensitive remark based on his appearance, with no understanding of his condition. My daughter, who was with him, felt really upset and said she felt humiliated by the comment. She didn’t even want to keep eating, even she was crying while described this situation. My wife addressed the employee directly, and then asked to speak with a manager. However, the employee rushed to speak with the manager first. When my wife was finally able to talk to the manager, the response was to downplay the situation as a “misunderstanding” and say the employee had already apologized. I want to be clear — this wasn’t just a misunderstanding. It was a comment that should never have been made. Staff should be trained to treat every guest with respect, without assumptions or personal remarks. You never know what someone may be going through, and kindness matters.

I hope this experience serves as a reminder to reinforce professionalism and empathy in the workplace. Everyone deserves to be treated...

I love this place! Food: Always hot and fresh and they are very accommodating with some substitutions. Experience: I never had a bad experience there it's always a good vibe. Cleanliness: I'm a germphobe, so I come prepared, but for the regular person it would suite them. 🤷🏾‍♀️ I would like the bathrooms to be better and that's only because they share a space with a neighboring restaurant/bar. Overall: I like that they have a the complimentary mimosa bar on Sundays and that they do make it a point to be as accommodating regarding most situations whether that be seating or if there is a problem with the food or service. They are also handicap accessible in case that's an issue you are wondering about.

Negatives: Parking. It's atrocious on the weekend and because it shares the space with the restaurant and a Costco, geezus! The busiest time is gonna be on the weekend and between 10 and 12 and I'm not too sure about reservations... So call ahead. Negative: Wait time. You may as well come with a collapsible chair because you will be standing. You may get lucky and get a seat in their benches... maybe 🤦🏾‍♀️🤏🏾 but they'll give you water if you ask, lolz. Typical wait times are at the very least are an hour if you come between those times but once you get in and are seated, finally, it's smooth sailing. Other than that, I still love this place, it's my go to for brunch, I couldn't get in today because it was hot and I didn't want to wait the hour this time but we will always...