Eastgate Café/Bistro

I wandered in while exploring the neighborhood but knew nothing about the place. I walked around the shop area but honestly I wasn’t sure what was available for purchase, what was for sit-​down service only (example: bottles of wine), and what was just décor. It was pretty confusing.
The two people (a man and a woman) behind the counter seemed nice enough and were showing me the menu and explaining what they did. I had just eaten so I decided to get a caramel latte. It came out so quickly that I hadn’t even had a chance to ask the woman if they had a minimum for their credit card purchases (which they do). So there was this awkward moment where I’ve got this drink already made and sitting on the counter but I can’t pay for it because I don’t have enough cash on me. I explained my predicament to the woman at the register and to be fair she was gracious enough to accept the $ 3 I thankfully had in my wallet (I normally don’t carry cash). She accepted the payment with a sly smile and «you will just have to come back and maybe become a regular?» which I thought was a little strange but figured it was just her sense of humor. (I was so embarrassed that it didn’t even dawn on me how strange it was that they were able to make the drink so quickly.)
Then I tasted the drink. It tasted powdery… not sure how. I’ve had all sorts of caramel lattes in my time (after all, there is no shortage of fantastic coffee shops within a short drive of the places I live and frequent) and some were bad, some were meh, and some were great. This was just… I don’t know. It didn’t even taste like a latte. I’m not sure how to describe it.
I felt really bad for not having enough cash on me so I had originally intended to come back, but I haven’t and I probably won’t.

There’s a lot to like about this place. Tucked in a shade filled area with a nice patio and eclectic seating. It looks like a fantastic neighborhood spot.
However I was handed a latte that was pretty much like a coffee flavored ovaltine. I was reassured that it was, indeed, an unsweetened latte. I left very confused.

Ordered through grub hub. Arrived fast, soup was warm and order was correct.
Pros– lobster bisque, fruit bowl, and the croutons for soup were good.
Cons– literally the worst quiche I have ever had. It came with potato hash and bacon. Bacon was fine– if they messed that up I would call the authorities. Quiche was so dense it could nearly be lethal. Both the potatoes and quiche tasted artificial, like they used velveeta cheese. Throw some cheddar in, regarding more money to use actual cheddar cheese.

The owners are extremely rude, especially the woman. There is nothing good about this place. Overpriced bad food and the place just seems dirty. Do yourself a favor and avoid these rude owners and walk a few extra blocks to Buzz Café.

Great food and welcoming owners! Very delicious soups and feels more like home made meals than anything!

We love this cozy spot for a fresh, homemade meal in a generally quiet environment unless you happen to come on Ukelele practice night when the place is filled with folks playing their ukeleles. That can be entertaining in its own right but we like quiet date nights. The baked lasagna and fresh salad are favorites for us. Lobster bisque and other fresh soups are fresh, delicious and very generously portioned, too. Street parking is never a problem. It has been hit or miss with the wait staff when we have come as a larger group but generally the staff has been attentive and pleasant. We usually get some cookies to go, the colorful french macaroons are perfect.

Someone connected to this business has
been harassing me via Unilocal Messages. I see they have done it to others too. While they have used a fake name, it is clear that it is coming from the owners of this business since the message came from this restaurant. The owners have also been reported to have been writing their own good reviews which are an apparent violation of the Terms of Unilocal since the reviews have been taken down and they are now blocked from use. Very sad,

The owner likes to harass people who have given honest reviews of his establishment. You know, instead of being a mature adult and business owner and trying to remedy the problem.

OMG — This was the most disappointing restaurant experience I have had in Oak Park. Unbelievable. It was Friday night and my son (9 y/​o) just had dinner another local establishment. We read in the Wednesday Journal that there was live Jazz from 7 to 8pm at the Eastgate Café so we walked in not really knowing what to expect. I had seen the place from a distance and the outdoor tables in summer. As we walked in we were greeted with a suspicious hello. I walked up to the register and the owner was talking to an employee and ignored us. So we walked into the backroom to == jazz band and guy hunched over his guitar on a chair and woman on a chair with a mike and a dusty speaker. It was stuffy — two customers only had drinks we sat down and listened. The older female owner came by and said, «so are you going to eat dinner?» I told her we had just eaten and we heard there was jazz at the coffee shop. She told me, «I think we have a misunderstanding, the music is only for paying customers.» My response was that we could have hot chocolate or dessert. She left stiffly and in a huff after assuming we would not order anything. My son, normally one to embrace new experiences, immediately expressed his discomfort at her lack of hospitality. Feeling unwelcome and like I was at govt mess hall behind the iron curtain — we left. I wished them well and they did not respond since they achieved their intended purpose. I will let at least 20 others know about my crap experience and your lack of enthusiasm for adding customers on a dead Friday night — is this place a front?

I’ve ordered food here before and thought the menu was average. However the other day I had to pick up a package from UPS there, and the male owner was extremely rude. As soon as I walked in, he snapped at me not to touch the package. He then proceeded to ignore me, and moved all the packages to the back. I had called in earlier to confirm my package was there, and the person I spoke to did not answer my question and hung up on me. The owner was very confrontational and this was one of the worst experiences I’ve had with someone in the service industry. After reading other negative reviews and seeing that mistreating their customers has been a common pattern for the Eastgate Owners for years now, any misgivings I had for posting a negative review went out the window.

From my first visit, I was immediately drawn to the artsy, cozy atmosphere. It has an eclectic, bohemian feel which I enjoy.
The food is nicely presented and is very tasty. I ordered the smoked salmon salad and a cup of americano. The portion was generous.
The americano gave me the boost I needed! :)
I am giving four stars because the service was a little slow, and the server seemed kind of harried.

Great lunch spot in an adorable section of Oak Park. I had a salad to-​go and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was and how much salad for the money! I’ll definitely be back soon

Stopped by on a whim on a Wednesday night. Was seated immediately, and my perfectly prepared poached tilapia with a garden salad and scalloped potatoes was served very promptly. The food was prepared in a simple, wholesome manor that instantly took me back to weekend dinners at my mother’s table. No need to gild the lily when you start with high-​quality ingredients. Had a brief chat with the owner who seemed very personable. Was a little surprised when I read a few of the negative reviews! I had a lovely evening and will definitely be back.

Well, I never knew about this place until I had to pick up a UPS package. If this is their tactic on attracting customers to their business, they are going about the wrong way. First of all they need to learn a thing or two about Customer Service and how they treat people coming into their business because you never know who you’re going to encounter. To make a long story short, my husband had to pick up a package for me and the owner or owner’s husband was very RUDE and told my husband he could have stolen the tag off the door. Really? UPS never does this to us in Franklin Park… Well we definitely won’t be spending ANY of our money with people like that!

Although this place has good food and is quite when they are not having live music. The owners are really rude. The first time I went they were yelling at one of the workers telling them not to mess up again and going on and on in front of us, not a boss like thing to do usually conversations like that are to be had after hours. That same visit never once did the owner come up to us to ask us how everything was. Now the second time I went it was to pick up a package from ups. I had the other lady owner help me when I asked if I was in the right area she made smart responses that made me feel like I was a dumb child when all I ask was if I was in the right place because there was no sign up letting me know where to get my things at. Based off of the second time going there I will never go there again not even to pick up a package.

Awesome service. Went in with friends wanting a capuchino, but I only had a credit card (minimum is 10 $). Needless to say the gave me a coffee on the house, and totally made my day. :)

Found this gem of a place one Saturday about a year ago. I had to renew my parking permit for my wife’s car and was late or something. So I had to go really early on a Saturday morning and get a number and wait to be called at the oak park Township. I realized after a while it’d be hours til my number was called so I yelled nearby breakfast places. And that’s when I fell in love with their lobster bisque. Fast forward to today:
For the past few weeks I’ve been craving lobster bisque for some reason. I recall costco selling it pre-​made but never was able to get any. I checked this week and they said it was more of a holiday item. Bummer. Luckily I remembered that eastgate café has lobster bisque. Wife baby and I went early, around 5pm. There was no one else seated indoors, so it was very private. The place has a very rustic old school feel. The owner lady took our order, and was very pleasant. She said that most items on the menu were homemade, which was very impressive. I had a bowl of the lobster bisque. Wife had the trio: house salad, ½ of the roast beef sandwich, and a cup of lobster bisque. Before she mentioned most items were homemade I was expecting subway quality roast beef lol. Boy was I pleasantly surprised. It even came with a side of au jus to dip the sandwich in. The salad was organic and tasted very crisp and fresh. I ordered the quiche special: roasted red bell peppers and spinach. It was very fluffy and light. Mine also came with a fruit cup and 2 pieces of breakfast sausage. Overall everything was very tasty.
The one thing that would’ve made my experience better is if the food was slightly less salty. But other than that everything was cooked quite well.
Will definitely return for the lobster bisque sometime in the near future. Oh the ‘croutons’ were delicious as well.

I come here every Thursday with a huge music group. The owners are always very happy to serve any request, even though our group is so large. They don’t even charge us to use their space for music – they are great community arts supporters that way. Their drinks and food are delicious. This place becomes more of a favorite of mine every time.

I come here in the evenings sometimes for a bite and to people watch. They often have specials and they are usually good. I tried a cuban special called Cubano Picadilo. It had plantains, red cabbage salad with cilantro, a little cuban sandwich, and too many other side dishes to mention. The Picadilo was good but i prefer a little more heat. The point here is don’t be afraid to try the specials and try to hit the place when the music is playing. A great neighborhood find.

Sat outside and enjoyed a half & half soup and salad. I had the Mediterranean salad (big chunks of feta, thinly sliced salami, really good!) and then a cup of the lobster bisque soup which was excellent. Everything was really tasty and fresh. I do feel like the portions were small for the price. I’d return, though! Was sold on a fresh baked warm chocolate chip cookie at the register… Yum!

hole in the wall gourmet, café that is straight outta France.
what a jem,!! Cute date spot. live jazz every Friday and Saturday from 6−10pm.
Nearly a 5 star place but a lil unorganized being a mom and pop shop. They didn’t even write down the orders or drinks. they simply bring you whatever you want and pay at the cashier when your ready to head out. so simple. what is not simple is their fettuccine with lobster sauce. Greek Potatoes which were described as «scrumptious, smooth and lemon-​y». These Greek taters came with the 24 hour broasted (or something) chicken.

What a charming little restaurant! It really feels like you’re eating in your grandma’s den. Very cozy. They have a little shop with interesting books/​cookbooks/​food/​random things that are all very cute.
The food is pretty good. I really enjoy the Italian Tomato salad. The corn is an unexpected but excellent addition. Their lobster bisque is also quite tasty.
The best part (besides the décor and feel of the place) has to be the desserts. I get a macaron every time. Yum.

I have looked at other reviews and concluded that you really like or don’t like this place. The area its in is the Oak Park Arts District and that is to its benefit. I am not sure if this place would survive if it were on Lake Street in Oak Park, or even Madison Street in Forest Park.
I’ve eaten there about 4 times, each time was ‘good.’ Today it was a domestic beer for myself, white wine for my friend, along with a quiche, pomm fritts, and bacon with a side of fresh cut fruit. All was good and light, and the potatoes were not overly greasy.
A family owned business, and quirky in the character of the area.
The atmosphere is friendly and cordial. I am sure I will be back when I can.
Tres Bön!

Let’s get the good out of the way: the place is quaint, quiet and lovely on the inside, with a very European feel to the atmosphere and décor. The music is quiet and the space is intimate and conducive to reading or snuggly conversations. Cool.
Now to the bad:
Never a good sign when the $ 4 latte you order is on the counter before you’ve even finished paying the cashier. Not sure where this latte materialized from but it was not from an espresso machine (and no, the big ass mug did not fool me.). And after I sat down and tasted it I was not shocked to discover the worst latte-​thing I’ve ever paid $ 4 for. Gross.
Also, service is not great and it’s very hot in the café itself, not much cooler than the 90 degrees outside.
Had high hopes for this one and was disappointed.

I have some really mixed feelings about this place.
Pros: Local business. Nice store that is very small and cozy. It feels like you are sitting in someone’s living room, if their living room was full of bistro tables. It is pretty quiet with nice classical background music. The service was excellent.
Cons: The biggest problem is the food. When I came here I didn’t realize it was a «be seated and served» type of coffee shop, but that was ok. The menu is kind of pricey for a coffee shop with everything around $ 8-​$ 10. I went with the quiche. It tasted good but was all hard on the outside and burned on the bottom. It came with bacon, which was fine. Also had potato pancakes which were very soggy. The fruit salad was nice. It is clear that when you order, your food is going straight in the microwave. The microwave «ding» indicates that your meal is about to be served. I also need to say something about the temperature in here. It was seriously 90 degrees in the café. I wanted to sit there and study for a while, but I just couldn’t stand it any longer.
My recommendations: I would come here for a coffee or a beer (Miller is $ 3.50, fat tire is $ 4.50) to hang out with some friends, meet with clients, or do some studying. I would avoid the food options. If you want a nice meal then I would suggest buzz café right down the street.

A friend and I had finished dinner at a nearby restaurant and wanted some coffee afterwards. We passed by Eastgate Café and decide to stop in.
«You want it for here,» the owner said.
How could we refuse? There was a folk guitarist playing and the whole atmosphere was inviting. So we found ourselves seated at a table listening to live music and having two large cups of lattes. When we were paying the tab to leave, the owner and her husband engaged us in conversation and told us all about how they started the café, how long they’ve been in business, and about several menu items.
Hmmm. Customer service like that is hard to find and after the lattes, we now have a new favourite coffee shop. We’ll be back.