The Breakfast Club — Restaurant in South Bend

I came here hoping to enjoy a meal with my family. Instead I enjoyed watching everyone around me with their meal and my ‘unlimited refills’ coffee (yes that you pay extra for) never get filled. Also, I don’t appreciate any sort of political agenda being pushed on me when I’m a paying customer. Especially when our group was coming from a conference at the center nearby, I felt like we were profiled from the second we walked in.

When we arrived, we informed the wait staff that there’s be a couple more joining us. They very abruptly responded with “no one else can come”. We thought maybe that was a joke? But soon realized that was not the case. Once seated, we noticed that it was a mobile menu. As we look up the menus we were told to order straight from the website. We should have just left right then and there. Not only do you order from the website, but you also pay for everything (including tip) ahead of time. How can I tip on a service I haven’t even received yet?

The prices were way too high for the quality and service we got. I wanted just regular drip coffee that at any other breakfast place you can get a mug and they fill it as needed. Typically you’d get complimentary cream and sugar with that as well (it’s just common sense, really). But this place makes you pay way more for refillable coffee, and additional cost for any cream or sugar needed. The server informed me that it was well worth it. Speaking from the experience, it was not. They didn’t refill my coffee once, I had to ask someone who wasn’t even our server.

My husband and I ordered at the same time; paid for and tipped for our meal. The entire table we were with got their meals and finished before I even got my meal. My husband had his food a good 20-30 minutes before I got mine, and as chivalry is not dead, he kindly waited for me to get mine so naturally his meal was cold by the time he ate. (He got a basic burger, and it was way overpriced and he didn’t even get fries with that). My meal did taste ok once I finally got it, the potato cube was odd so I didn’t care for that take on potatoes. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel!

I felt as if they had profiled us from the start. As it was July when we went, they still had all their pride paraphernalia all over the place. They must have sensed that we are not of that community, because the service we got wasn’t conducive to other tables around us. I felt like we were forgotten about and tolerated for us being there. However, in todays society, I guess I shouldn’t expect decent service or...

I'm all for progressive restaurant experience where the ordering and serving and paying is done via phone or ziosk. But this was an absolute failure of a dinning experience.

The prices are insane, $19.00 for an average burger with frys. Of course you could just get the burger for $15.00 which is still too expensive. For a non gourmet burger. Listen red Robin is cheaper. Guess what they have servers and they take our orders and still get us good food at a faster time then this place did.

The advantage of ordering online is stream of service. But in this case it was a cop-out. Me and my wife ordered from her phone at the same time, our food was 12 minutes apart, And we ordered after my parents order which they just seemed to forget about after my father got his food my mom didn't eat for another 25 minutes.

They charge 5+ dollars for a normal brewed in a massive pot of coffee and upcharge for cream. We had to flag then down to get the refill too.

No one got their meals in a similar time

I have to pay ahead of time so tip is gouged before service can incentivise or deter bad service.

Meals were over priced for the flavor (I enjoy going to fine dinning)

There was 1 thing that seemed worth the price and it was the MINATURE plate of waffles. Nothing else had flavor worth it. And in this case the thing that matches flavor is still expensive

The server was rude and even said "you can't have any more people come" like they wouldn't care about turning away service.

This establishment was also using their political agenda to get popularity and guilt people out of their money. It may be subtle but the political agenda that they represent should promote helping and being nice to everyone. I bring up the political agenda because it's ironic. I didn't feel accepted, i felt like they just wanted my money and wanted me to get out.

I'm from out of town and have no idea what the standard here is, but from Milwaukee/Chicago it was over priced and...

This was my first time coming to this place, and I don’t think I’ll be rushing to come back.

My review has nothing to do with the kindness of the people working there. They were very friendly.

Starting right away, we were confused as to if we were at the right place or not. “The Breakfast Club” was hidden amongst four other spots inside a collective restaurant “unit”. Not easy to see from the outside from the POV of a new person to South Bend.

From there, we were not thrilled that there are no paper menu options. It cannot be that expensive in 2025 to have handheld menus available.

The water had a funky taste to it. Not sure if that was a South Bend issue or a flavor added in, but certainly was not the best tasting water.

I cannot comprehend why a customer would tip service prior to receiving it. That seems unethical to me as part of the pre-eating experience. Pay for a meal before eating? That’s a cafeteria philosophy and is wrong.

I feel bad for the workers. They seemingly have to go from being servers to bakers to bartenders and more. That’s certainly a lot of responsibility for a job that i’m sure doesn’t pay all that well.

The food was fine. Nothing amazing. I wouldn’t pay the prices we did for a breakfast burger that was battling itself to see who would have the strongest flavor coming out of it.

In my opinion, a good breakfast sandwich is harmonious. The ingredients compliment the centerpiece of it, which is usually the protein. This sandwich had a McDonalds hashbrown on top of meats that had competing flavors to it, with a mayo that we barely had any of.

Overall- the place is confusing and not what we’d hoped for. The review is not a shot against the staff who were kind and worked very hard. I think systemically the place if flawed. I’m sure it is going for a GEN Z appeal, but for people who are from a small town, it’s not something we’d hurry to come back to eat at.

Potential is there with a...