Northstar Cafe in Shaker Heights — Restaurant in Shaker Heights

I went to North star for the first time to have lunch with my friend. I walked in and wasn't sure if I had to wait to be seated or if someone would come to seat me. I saw a lady wiping the tables off. I asked her if I had to seat myself. She said yes. So, I sat at the table after she finished cleaning it. My friend was running late. While I was waiting for my friend (about 10 minutes). This white man in a grey jacket came over to me and asked if I had my food yet. I said no I was waiting on my friend to arrive. He explains the design of the restaurant -stand in line, order your food & find a table. I stated it was my first time here I didn't know but thanks I will know for the next time I come. He tells me well I need you to wait for your friend at the bar because people who follow the restaurant's rules are waiting on the table. I could wait for my friend at the bar or in the line. His tone was so disrespectful. I couldn't believe he was telling me to get up and move. I refused to move. He tells me again you need to move these seats are for the customer you made a purchase already. I'm still not moving. He gets upset and walks away. I'm to out done with his behavior. My friend arrives at this point. She stayed to the table. I got in line she text me her order. Im watching this man the whole time I'm in line. I asked the cashier if he was the manager she yes no & pointed the manager out to me. After placing my order the two are standing there together. I walk over to inform him of the treatment I was given. He agrees with the guy regarding him telling me about the rules. I stated it was his tone & customer service. He should of never told me to get out my seat. He just said ok. I was over him too. My friend & I stayed due to timing we both had something else too do. About 20 minutes later the manager comes but over with 2 complimentary coupons for a free meal. The meal was good I had the chopped salad & the homemade ginger ale was amazing!! And the female staff I encountered were great! I will not go back due to these too men in charge was ok with telling a black women to get out her seat for another guess with everything going on in the world right now. Honestly no person should of been told that but white men telling a black women...

December 2022: This restaurant has been on my radar for a while, and I never had time to visit until today. It was always busy, and I was always deterred, thinking that there would be lengthy wait times. I also thought that such an upscale establishment would not be welcoming to children. My preconceived ideas could not be any farther from the truth.

The way things work at Northstar is that people queue in a line, then they order and pay for their food. The patrons have the option to takeout or dine in taking any available table. If dining in, then the patrons are given a badge with a number on it so that the wait staff can deliver food to your table. The fountain drinks are self-serve while alcohol is delivered.

My family ordered the Margherita pizza with prosciutto, the Pad Thai, french fries, a chocolate truffle brownie cookie, an oatmeal raising cookie, and 3 fountain drinks. Everything was delicious. The Pad Thai was tasty, but a bit different from what I am used to--it had green beans in it.

Pros: Friendly wait staff and cashiers The decor is amazing. Our corner booth offered front row seats to the visiting jazz band and to see the entire restaurant in a panoramic view. The restaurant has a clean appearance and passes my quick visual inspection. Good food with portions that are just right. Prices are fair. The whole prepaid option is great and allows for people to exit whenever they are ready without having to wait for the bill. Their fountain drinks are pretty good with a limited variety of pop flavors such as blackberry, root beer, creme soda, and cola.

Cons: The whole prepaid thing comes with a tip request. I typically do not like to tip until after the meal. And when I tip, I usually give cash to thwart the taxation on it.

Conclusion: We will be back to try out a few other items. It is a very cool hangout spot and could easily be a date...

I really hoped this place would become our new favorite. After 4 attempts, we’ve decided not to return. We kept trying to find a silver lining here because we love their sister restaurant, Brassica. Below is a list of things we’ve encountered each time.

Long line to place order. Don’t expect a smile from the person at the register.

The baked goods display at the register is either empty or the “baked fresh time” is 8 hours prior. Not a big deal normally, but with the price you will pay here, baked items should be fresh within the past 2-3 hours.

You will wait a very long time for your food. When it finally does arrive, it won’t come out together. One persons order will arrive, while the 2nd person waits another 15-20 minutes for their food. The first person will be done with their meal when the 2nd persons meal arrives. This has happened all 4 times and it’s tacky.

You receive a pager with a number on it after you order. The pager system does not work. Twice we’ve watched our orders make the rounds throughout the whole restaurant. This is also annoying because you will get asked about 5-10 times what your number is as they now carry someone else’s meal throughout the restaurant.

Some part of your meal will be cold. They will gladly bring you a new one.

We’ve tried 8 different entrees, including breakfast. They were either greasy, lacked flavor, or were missing ingredients stated on the menu. Not one was something we would order again.

I sincerely hope these issues get corrected. We love the location. The restaurant is beautiful. But at the end of the day, we are there for the food.

Two stars for the staff who always try to make things right. Also, some nights they...