(c) K. Fannon
A couple of weeks ago I had to go into work a little later than usual so I could stay for a business meeting at night. I didn't have anything in the house for lunch (or supper), so I did what any healthy person would do...I pulled up the Yelp app on my iPhone!
I had one particular place in mind but they didn't open until 11:00am. I was hoping to be at the office by then, so I dug around so see what I could find in the area that might open at 10:30. I found Cafe' Fresh and they open at 10:00!
I read the reviews on Yelp for Cafe' Fresh and they were all very positive; seven out of eight reviewers gave it 5 stars and they were all very excited about the food and service there.
So I decided to give it a try. (Really, what choice did I have if I didn't want to starve?) But I was excited about the menu with fresh veggies on the variety of sandwiches and salads. They also use real fruit for smoothies and the soup is homemade!
See the Cafe' Fresh menu here.
I ordered the Red Veggie Wrap to have for lunch. It had a sundried tomato & basil tortilla with hummus, lettuce, tomato, red onion, green & red peppers, cucumbers and carrots. Oh man, it was SO good!
(c) K. Fannon
I ordered the Cobb Salad to have for supper. It was massive! I put about half of it in a bowl to eat and my husband ate the other half later for his supper. They were kind enough to give me oil and red wine vinegar for dressing. Very good salad!
(c) K. Fannon
This past Thursday after work I met a friend in that same area for coffee. Cafe' Fresh closes at 4:00, so I told my friend I'd be a few minutes late for our date...I wanted dinner to bring home!
After a week of craving the Red Veggie wrap, I got that for me. I ordered the daily special for my husband (which I forgot to take a picture of) and it was fabulous! It was a "Smokey 3 Cheese Turkey Club" with hardwood smoked turkey, jalapeño cream cheese, cheddar and swiss cheese, bacon, aioli mayo, lettuce and tomato on English muffin bread. Wow! Incredibly good! (Yes, I was jealous!)
(I did find this picture of it from their website:)
(c) Cafe' Fresh
I asked the woman behind the counter if she was the owner and she said that yes, she and her husband are the owners. I told her I found them on Yelp and the reason why. She immediately remembered me from the week before and what I had ordered! (That impressed me!)
While I love that Cafe' Fresh opens at 10:00, I am disappointed it closes at 4:00. I suppose their fare is more thought of as lunch-type, but for the nights I work a little later, I'd love to be able to stop there on my way home, but the early closing hour prevents that. They are only open 10:00 - 2:00 on Saturdays and closed on Sundays, so likewise, I won't be able to take my husband there. But for sure, when I can get there, I will!
Cafe' Fresh opened in 2011 and I love that it's a local place. I feel the prices are extremely fair for what you get, and they have a gluten-free bread option. They also deliver and cater. (I made a mental note of the catering part!)
Cafe' Fresh is at Knapp's Corner (Knapp and the Beltline in Grand Rapids) in the strip mall just south of Meijer. And definitely worth the trip!
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