Cafe Santa Rosa

Review Visit: October 1st, 2020

Is ‘third times the charm’ applicable for coffeehouses in this location? Only time will tell.

Having been two other coffeehouses in the past (Caffe Bogota and 30/30 Coffee), will the Cafe Santa Rosa be the one that makes it in this location? Hopefully!

I try to avoid discussing the state of the world in these blogs but 2020 has been a year of staying home and traveling via imagination. When my friend Maria mentioned there was a new coffeehouse that opened in Peoria, we decided to try it out. Worst comes to worst, we would get our drinks and enjoy them outside. Luckily upon entering, everything was spaced far enough apart that we could sit inside instead of the dreary rainy yet sunny weather outside.

Having visited Caffe Bogota prior to Cafe Santa Rosa opening, I noticed quite the similar layout and decor. Maybe they inherited the stuff from the previous owners or what. But I liked the decor of the prior place so this brought up the feeling of something slightly new yet familiar. Despite the feeling of deja vu, the menu and food offerings seemed to be unique to this new place. They had some quiche in their baked goods merchandiser, which I don’t think I’ve seen in any other coffeehouse.

Maria had already ordered her drink by the time I got there as I was held up in traffic due to some incident about 2 mile from my destination. After watching the menu switch between different images on the tv behind the barista, I decided to order a black cold brew. Lately, I’ve been enjoying the bitterness of cold brews and americanos, so that is why I deviated from my usual ice caramel latte. I placed my ordered and bought some of these cheese breadsticks that Maria said she was eyeing. We split those as I waited for my cold brew to come out. The drink itself was $4 for a 16 ounce while the breadsticks were $0.75. The sticks were a good deal considering the amount that came in the little bag. Maria brought me some homemade banana bread but I saved that for the car ride home :3.

As we sat there enjoying the remnants of the breadsticks and our dwindling coffee, I instantly recognized a problem with this place. It wasn’t packed by any means… maybe 5 people total minus the staff… but the place was loud. I had some bad flashbacks to my times visiting Zion Coffee Bar and mentally being overwhelmed at the sheer volume of the place. It got hard to hear Maria as we conversed. Luckily this issue slowly faded as a few people left, but then it felt like anytime we talked, everyone could heard every single thing we said at full volume. This lead to some uncomfortable conversations and awkward silences.

All that aside, we are here to discuss coffee. How was the cold brew? It was…. a cold brew. Nothing exciting yet nothing disappointing. It was no different than cold brews that I’ve made myself. But at the same time, cold brews can be flavored (which I didn’t do this time), so the sky is the limit on flavoring it to your liking. I did feel that the ice was a bit much in my cup and actually cut down on the amount of coffee I was served. But maybe that’s a good thing as what I did have was enough to wake me up without making me jittery.

Maria said she had been here the week before when there was a car show and she really enjoyed the coffee she got then. This is how she discovered the place and piqued my interest in coming. I am glad to get out of my place and explore a place since it had been about 7 months since I’ve really gone anywhere besides work and the store.

I do hope this place sticks around for awhile as I have recently gotten in to teas in the last few months and really want to try some of this… Rishi?… tea they have on the menu. Overall, not a bad place to get some coffee that might be better to take out than eat in due to interior volume issues.

The best coffee I’ve ever had in my life hands down! Fair warning…after trying this coffee there’s no going back to the stuff you were drinking.

This is an absolute gem of a coffee shop. Some of the best coffee and drinks I have ever had anywhere! If you love coffee or tea this is the place to go when you are in Peoria.

This place is absolutely adorable.

Really good coffee, with a ton of options and they have house made syrups.
Love the vibe of this place, you can take some well deserved time off to enjoy a fabulous cup of tea or coffee with decadent pastries.

Super friendly family owned coffee shop!
The owner's family grows all the coffee in Columbia! Highly recommend ♡
This will be my new go to coffee shop!

The atmosphere is wonderful you have indoor dining and outdoor dining. The coffee is very tasty first time being there and I love it and I will return

Great vibes, tea, and croissants! Was able to do work here well, a little loud but still able to focus.

If you haven't been you should go! Great family, service and story. Get a pour over and talk to the barista.

Extremely friendly service , and even better, the coffee is the best I’ve had in Central Illinois!

Best coffee in Peoria, hands down.

I'd recommend to stop in for a cheese danish and an espresso. That's all you need to start your day right.