Underground Coffee & Ales — Restaurant in Town of Lloyd

I must confess I’ve broken my own code and committed a “cardinal creators sin” and not photographed when inspired. I was on a time crunch and had to take my order to go. I had decided that whilst food was being prepared and was accommodated so promptly they had my food and drink ready before I could get all my layers on for the hideously cold rainy day. This is definitely a casual place. I would not bring children here, (maps asked me my opinion on this) only as if I was a kid, I’d be bored, and I’d run around and make noise, in between eating the items off the kids menu. But they do serve alcohol, so it is up to the parent who know their child best and if they’ll dig the place. But it is a very non traditional, funky, folky, fabulous Cafè-ish style establishment for those who love a diverse assortment of handcraft and local brews of bottled or tapped beer, as well as coffee, and tea. When I say Coffee and Tea, I mean that as a plural noun for both and not in just 2, but many of. If you think of coffee or tea as in 1 type of beverage then, unless you love your sanka, or daily folgers in your cup, or Tetley or Lipton for Tea in which case if you are strictly “married to that taste” then it’s not for you, and for others who are looking for a variety and something new in your brew, then you’re in for a treat! If you’re a veggie or vegan, they’ve got options, and they will accommodate dietary restrictions (I can’t speak for all of them, does such a place exist?). And also plenty of meat options as well. If you’re vegetarian I’d recommend what I had- The Fried Brussel Sprouts, which I personally would not describe the Brussels Sprouts as fried, as you get the image of a thickly coated deep fried vegetable ball, and it was not that. It was more like a crispy seared brussel sprouts and lightly glazed with an asian style dressing. I can’t remember if the name of it was specified on the menu but was reminiscent of a teriyaki or general tsaos type of flavor but not quite, it had a perfect balance of savory/salt, tangy, and sweet. I also had “Boneless”Tofu Wings and I chose to go with their house buffalo sauce which was perfectly spiced where I enjoyed the flavor without needing to put the fire out afterwards, and the flavor was perfect! The texture of tofu was excellent. The atmosphere was quiet for that day although I’m certain on busier days and times it might feel differently from my experience. I believe they do also have special events from time to time. It is a server table eatery, but casual enough that it is table clothed, and fairly certain you do not need a reservation. Great...

Underground has changed a lot since originally opening. Since reviewing a restaurant from years last is essentially useless to everyone, I'll just speak to recent experiences.

Weeks ago I visited during the lunch hour and learned that they did not have any beer available for sale. I assume this had something to do with their license, but it was definitely unusual and disappointing for pub fare. They used to have so many great options available. We decided not to stay for lunch.

This past weekend we showed up at opening for their newly offered Brunch. Now in the past I've really enjoyed their burger offerings, but brunch was new. Unfortunately, they were not ready to open at 8am, as the lone scheduled server did not show up until 20 minutes after open. Eventually she showed up and we overheard her mention to another guest that she simply "forgot" about her shift. We weren't in a rush that morning, but this should honestly never happen.

We ordered the avocado toast and chicken & waffles aling with some coffees. The seasoned potatoes were enjoyable, as were the coffee drinks, but the chicken and waffles wasn't much to speak of. The waffle was no better than one you'd make at home and the chicken was a bit too thin. I also had to ask for syrup, which I assumed is a staple condiment served alongside this entrée.

Overall, I think Underground has really fallen off recently. It's just not what it used to be and I unfortunately don't think I'll be back after many years of patronage. I wish the restaurant well, but the shortcomings are just too...

We went to Underground Caffee for lunch. As we walked in, the waitress asked us if we wanted coffee or something to eat from the other side of the room. No 'Hello!', no 'Welcome!', no 'I'll be right with you!'. NO SMILE. We already knew we were in for a mediocre experience. We ordered 2 toasts (1 mushroom and 1 Italian). We were the only open ticket. It seemed like someone was in training in the kitchen; and did not mind waiting a bit longer than what it should take to make 2 toasts. BUT... one of the two toasts took longer than the other and we were not served at the same time when only two other people there were already eating their meals, and no one else needed to be served (you would think that toasts are easy enough, but nope). To make things worse, the mushrooms were cold, and the home fries looked old, flat as a pancake, drenched with oil and cold. There was also very little of it. The toasts being small, we asked for two extra slices of bread. That was a mistake that cost us an extra $3 (we don't expect to eat for free as the waitress insinuated but we don't like being ripped off). Overall, the food was cold and it sucked. Also the waitress seemed more interested in talking to her friend seating at the bar than making sure that we enjoyed our experience as customers. She asked us once how 'things were' and ran back to her friend without even waiting for an answer. We don't recommend this place unless you want a truck...