Era Cafe — Restaurant in Waunakee

I've been here twice, mainly because it's close to home. Unfortunately, there are a few recurring issues that really hold this place back.

The service isn’t rude—but it’s clearly inexperienced. Servers often stand around near the kitchen, chatting instead of checking on tables. Both times, I went through an entire meal without receiving my water or drinks. No check-ins, no follow-ups, and once you’ve finished eating, you’ll be sitting for another 10 minutes just waiting for the check. It’s clear the staff needs proper training. This level of service drags the whole experience down.

The food itself is actually quite good—solid all around. But good food only goes so far when the service consistently underdelivers.

Another major issue: the noise. If you're sensitive to loud environments, this is not the place. It’s packed with families and young kids every time I’ve been here. The volume gets out of hand quickly—it honestly feels more like having breakfast at Chuck E. Cheese than a relaxing café.

What could be a charming breakfast spot instead feels chaotic. I won’t be returning, despite the food being worth a second visit.

If they could properly train the staff, implement some noise-dampening measures, and maybe create separate zones for families and quieter diners, this place could really shine. But right now, it’s...

We were just there this afternoon. First off, the service set up is moronic if u r sitting at the bar. U get service like u would at a table while the so called bartenders u don’t speak to. Weird. I will preface this review by stating our server, JOHNA, was fantastic. The, again, so called bartenders didn’t have a clue on how to make a drink. Took me three times to just get a basic vodka soda w OJ. Luckily the last try JOHNA said try it first before she left, and sure enough, I was now served a double patron drink. If u r going to have a brunch place w a full bar, then have proper bartenders and service by them behind the bar. Otherwise, don’t do it. Hubby ordered a LOADED Bloody Mary for 4 bucks more and it was comical as loaded to them apparently means a beef stick, one olive and a celery stick. He did say the spicey bloody was good though. Our food came and guess what, wrong order for hubby. They quickly brought out the correct one. He did say his salmon was good. I had a meat lovers skillet and it was ok. Greasy though, especially the hash browns. Tasted funny. Not worth the price at all. Aesthetics were nice, but rest needs a lot of work. Personally, once was enough for me. Will never go back. If wasn’t for JOHNA, it would have been even worse. She really tried to rectify all...

Disappointing Experience at Era Cafe

I had high hopes for Era Cafe, but unfortunately, our experience was less than stellar. From the moment we sat down, the service felt rushed. It took quite a while for us to even receive water, and after we placed our order, the wait for our food was long as well. When it finally arrived, it was cold, which was really disappointing.

What made the experience even worse was that tables around us, including ones who arrived after us, received their food and water much quicker. This inconsistency in service was hard to ignore, and it made us feel like our table wasn’t a priority.

To make matters worse, as soon as we received our cold food, we were handed our check. It felt as though they were eager to push us out, even though the restaurant was far not that busy. This left us with a sense that we were being rushed, and it was uncomfortable.

While I can't say for sure if it was due to being one of the only people of color in the restaurant, there was no other apparent explanation for such a poor experience. Overall, it was disappointing, and I’m unsure if...