Char’s Cafe

So we tried Char’s Café in downtown Kenosha. It was the alternative to Frank’s diner — due to way busy that morning. It was OK — average. We came in no greeting so we went to the front counter and asked could we sit anywhere and took our own menus from the counter. Once seated the Man of the restaurant greeted us — very friendly and let us know what the specials were and our waiter will be with us. The waiter not so hospitable. She acted like she didn’t want to be at work — umm ok. I had questions because this was our first time there. She was just, don’t know the word not rude but not nice either. She answered then about 10 – 15 minutes later the food came out.
My husband ordered the breakfast wrap (onions, spinach, cheese, hash browns, bell pepper) minus meat. I order one of the specials the berry– banana French toast. I added scrambled egg with onions and home fries. My french toast was luke warm. The food was average. My husband liked his breakfast wrap.
Overall: Ok. Most like won’t revisit.
Waiters/​Service: 1 star (the might be owner [man] 5 stars)
Food: 2 stars (food not bad but not excellent either)
Décor: 3 stars average for a café
Price: 1 – 2 stars for the price the food should be piping hot and better service

I absolutely believe in supporting our downtown local businesses and wanted to like Char’s café but I left without my order. It was hand’s down the rudest service I have ever encountered anywhere. Will not be back. Wish I could say it might be a fluke but I have since talked to others who have had the same experience. Too bad. One bad apple can ruin for the whole bunch!

I walked in and spoke to the lady behind the counter, she did not offer a salutation, she turned away from me as if she did not want to serve me. When I made it back to work I called to speak with her and she would not give me her name. She made it clear there was no one above her to take my complaint to so I assume it was Char herself. I told her I would share my concerns with the BBB. I gave one star because there is no option for zero!

Walked in with my baby and the lady at the counter was rude! Turned around and went to another café down the street. Didn’t even get to try the food.

Char’s is the WORST café I’ve ever been to. The food is bought in and marked up. The people are rude and they are rarely even open. One of the employees with blond patchy hair is outside smoking often and littering her butts in the parkway.
Go to Common Grounds, they are the best in town.

My wife lost her mind at Chars. The staff at Chars refused to seat our family of 4 due to a lack of seating, while a woman sat at a 5 top alone on her cell phone. She feels as though the staff should have alerted her to our presence, and relocated her and her phone to a smaller table. I have worked in the service industry, and understand the frustration from someone walking in as we’re about to close. They should have been more accommodating, although I would never write a review such as this. But I love my wife, and she really wanted me to write this. So be sure to show up at chars at least a full hour before they close, or else your wife may ruin your Sunday.

Just your average breakfast food. Something you could make just as well at home. But if you’re not feeling like turning on the stove top, Char’s will do just as well.
Now, regarding the famous, or rather infamous server. She does not have the warmest attitude. But she takes orders fast, gets them right, refills coffee before I even notice I need a refill, and gets the check as soon as we’re ready. To me, that’s all I need for my server.

Tried this place for the first time with a friend for lunch. The woman who took our order was so rude! The woman who took our payment was also rude. And the food, especially for what I paid for it, was lackluster at best. Will not be going back.

I’ve been here a few times and it’s always the same. There’s some woman behind the counter who’s extremely rude. There are plenty of friendlier places downtown.

Char makes a wonderful omlett. Ingredients are high end and it’s perfect every time

Food and drinks are good but the lady who took my order wasnt very pleasant. She looked at me like i was crazy for ordering a vanilla chia tea and repeated it back to me like a question then asked someone else to make it because she didn’t know how… its chia w vanilla :-/​this is the my second time trying this place and I dont think I’ll be back

I had a nice breakfast by myself. Eggs with potato pancakes, toast and coffee. Service from the waiter/​counter guy was great. Then when I went to give him my credit card and he told me cash or check only, it all went downhill. Seriously? How can you not take credit cards? He said «There’s an ATM right there you can use».
So I swiped my card and entered all the info, etc and the thing just kept saying «processing». Processing. Processing. I tried canceling the transactions to start it over, didn’t work. Processing. I looked at the country guy and asked if it normally takes this long and he said he would get the owner to help me. She comes out if the kitchen and does something behind the counter, not acknowledging me at all. when she sees me looking at her her says she was checking the fax line. No apology, not even a smile. Processing still. I look at her again and she is talking to the counter boy about the homeless guy asking for a coffee refill. Then she tells the homeless guy he needs to leave now or she will call the police. More words are exchanged. I can finally try my card again. Processing. More processing, turn to look at her and she’s gone back in the kitchen. She comes out with a tray of potatoes and the phone in her ear. She is calling the guy that owns the ATM machine. He has her unplug it, have to wait another 10 minutes for it to reboot. She never once apologized or acknowledged the inconvenience of my having to stand there 20 minutes… Ridiculous!

Met a business associate for breakfast at Char’s. The place was clean, attractive & the food was very good. The older lady who waited on me, though, was really crabby. Thought I’d cheer her up by dropping a nice tip in the jar. She watched me do it and didn’t even say «Thanks» or «come back again.» It’s not like there’s a shortage of cafes in Kenosha, if you want my business, service has to be great or I’ll go somewhere else.

My friend and I met here with her two young kids (ages 4 and 1) for an early Sunday breakfast. The staff was very friendly with the kids and we didn’t feel rushed. The food was fresh and very tasty. I had the traditional breakfast omlet that was served with a generous amount of sides. I loved that you can get potato pancakes instead of the usual hashbrowns! I had decaf coffee which I thought was good as well. Next time I’ll try the regular, just to compare. My friend had one of their chicken wrap sandwiches that was big enough to have leftovers later. They were very accomodating for swapping out ingredients too. It is a small restaurant, but with the high ceilings it has a really nice ambience. Something else that is important to me, it is very clean. Walk towards the back to the washrooms and even that area is kept neat and clean. I think that says a lot about a restaurnt nowadays. There is room for a large group, but you might want to call ahead to see if they can put a couple tables together for you ahead of time. Hope you enjoy!

It certainly doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the inside is clean and well lit. The staff were kind and smiling and regularly asked about the meal and offered assistance if I needed anything. The young man that took my order was cheerful and made the suggestion of the Grilled Chicken Caesar wrap. I’ve had it twice and both times it’s been wonderful. It also came with a cupful of Broccoli salad — chopped broccoli, golden raisins, sunflower seeds and a touch of a mayo-​type dressing. It was really fresh and healthy.
Next time I’m in town I’ll be back here for lunch. Only downside is that they close at 2pm — so make plans to be able to enjoy lunch here… Just not a late lunch :)

We love Chars food and service
Todd and Libby

Great family owned diner, my family goes here regularly. The food is great, nothing fried and nice healthy options in addition to dangerous homemade baked goods. The service is friendly, and the small dining area gives you the feeling you are in grandma’s kitchen. I’m surprised by negative reviews for this restaurant, when you walk in you should know immediately that you are going to have an IHOP experience with fast service and a kitchen stocked with unlimited Sysco food. If you want that experience go to IHOP. If you want to support a locally owned and operated Konosha business run by good people with good food, go here and just know some days you get to enjoy more than 1 cup of coffee while waiting for your grub. If we supported more business like this instead of driving out to the strip malls, downtown Konosha could become the beutiful downtown it once was

I decided to eat at Char’s Café while downtown today. I have wanted to try it for a while and was pretty excited about trying a new restaurant. I ordered a veggie omelet to go. I was a little shocked when the boy behind the counter told me that the total was $ 8.97, but what the heck, I was hungry. After waiting for my order for 20 minutes, I asked about it’s status. No one seemed to know if the order had been put up in the kitchen or not. I told them that if the order had not been put up, I would like my money back, per I was very hungry and didn’t want to wait there any longer. I was told that it was being prepared. After another 10 minutes went by, I was given a «to go» box. I brought it to my car and opened it. Just on omelet. No potatoes, no toast… I thought that it must be a mistake and went back inside. I was told that potatoes and toast usually come with the omelet, but I had not specifically asked for these items. I told the woman behind the counter that I would like my potatoes and toast. I’m glad that I did. The toast was actually the best tasting item. The omelet and the potatoes were absolutely not worth the $ 8.97, the time spent waiting for them, or the aggravation of having to go back. If you are looking for mediocre food at a high price and you don’t mind waiting for it, you might like this place. Me, I’m not going back. If you do decide to try it, make sure you specifically ask for each item that is printed on the menu as included, per if you don’t, you won’t get it but will still pay the full price.

I’ve been to Char’s Café three times now and I like it. It is a family owned café, with grown daughters Erica and Erin helping behind the counter, and I believe their kids help out too.
They’ve recently expanded their menu to include more vegetarian options both for breakfast and lunch, including a hummus wrap and black bean salad. I usually get eggs though, and think they do a great job. I’d ask the ladies what they recommend as not everything is homemade.
I like Char’s because the food is good, and the atmosphere is relaxing. It’s also a great location right next to the Farmer’s Market.