I HAVE TWO REVIEWS IN ONE POST! ENJOY!
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Conscious Cup is a coffee shop that is known around my town, even though it’s not even LOCATED in my town. Their headline
on their website is “Great coffee, grown and roasted by people who care about quality, community, and environment.”. That really draws me in right away (they did a good job on that). So
I grabbed a friend and finally went to this magical place that I’ve only heard about.
We found it easily as it was situated on
a main road. I walked in and immediately noticed a sign on my right that said something along the lines of “Only roasters can enter” and right next to the sign was a pretty big area where they most likely roast
the coffee (I never actually asked if it was for decoration or not but according to that sign, I don’t think it was). I thought it was really cool. My friend and I ordered and put together a list of what we liked and
what we didn’t like as much. So here you guys go!
Conscious
Cup Coffee Roasters
Pros:
* Nice decor. Very rustic vibe with wood signs.
* They have a drive-thru! I think that’s amazing for a place with only 2 locations. I bet that drives business WAY up!
* They have cute things for sale like a coffee drip or a cold brew machine. It’s not in your face “BUY THIS STUFF”, but it’s placed strategically where people pass by and look (like I did).
*
They sell their own coffee and hot chocolate! They have a salted caramel hot chocolate that I ALMOST bought but didn’t because I had to save as much money as I could for my coffee shop hopping.
* They serve the
coffee in a cup with no lid. There are lids next to the counter that you can take, but it’s super eco-friendly not to take a lid and I applaud them for that.
* Friendly baristas. I told the employee that I was new there and she gave me her recommendations and the specials and gave me a punch card (which I can’t wait to use).
* Their food is great. Simple and some less simple items are on the menu. I ordered Baba Eggs (which is one egg, ham, and cheese on an English muffin) and I was obsessed with it.
Cons:
* My
friend was confused on where to throw things away and put his plate. I wasn’t AS confused, but I wanted to voice his opinion!
* The drink, Sweet Honey Bee, is apparently popular. It’s a latte with honey and
lavender, which is everything I love. I didn’t completely love the drink, though. I didn’t know what to expect, so next time I go, I’ll ask for extra lavender!
* A little pricey. I got a large latte
and a sandwich and that together was almost $15. But the sandwich was WORTH IT!
Other things I want to point out:
* My friend recommends the caramel vanilla latte! It was foamy with a sweet taste of espresso.
Thank you for reading my review! I believe everyone should enjoy this place if they can! Their website offers things too!
Location:
Crystal Lake
5005 Northwest Highway
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
5005 Northwest Highway
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
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Smoothology Smoothie Cafe
Smoothology Smoothie Cafe
I heard about Smoothology opening up because a friend of mine landed a job there. I was on my way to another store when lo-and-behold, I pass Smoothology. I just HAD to try it.
Now, I'm not huge into smoothies, but sometimes I can find something I like. I walked in and the first thing I noticed was the menu on the wall behind the counter. Its main colors were pink and white and it was SO NICE. It took me some time to find out what I wanted, but when I did, I was not disappointed.
Now, I'm not huge into smoothies, but sometimes I can find something I like. I walked in and the first thing I noticed was the menu on the wall behind the counter. Its main colors were pink and white and it was SO NICE. It took me some time to find out what I wanted, but when I did, I was not disappointed.
Pros:
* I have never had lavender lemonade before. And now, I'm obsessed, thanks to Smoothology. It's VERY sweet and if you don't like that, skip it. But I promise you won't be disappointed. If you don't like lavender (like my mom), just get their plain lemonade and you'll be just as satisfied!
* I got their Chicken Cesar wrap without tomatoes. Fantastic. They don't drench their dressing and they have the perfect amount of chicken. It's really big too, so more bang for your buck.
*Nice decor with pictures of painted fruit and a hidden room with neon lights (see the picture below!) I thought the room was a bathroom until I went to get some napkins and looked inside. So cool .
* It's right across the train station, so a good location.
Cons:
* Not tons of plain yogurt smoothies. I have a thing for oreo yogurt smoothies but I understand, that's not the healthiest.
* Not tons of plain yogurt smoothies. I have a thing for oreo yogurt smoothies but I understand, that's not the healthiest.
* They're only open until 2 pm on Sunday, which I found a little saddening because I went in a 1 pm on Sunday when I was done meeting with a friend and I really didn't want to be that person who's in there at the last second, so I got my stuff to go. (UPDATE: the door said 2 pm but their social media says 4 pm. Not sure which is true!)
Other things I want to point out:
* It's kid friendly! They have high chairs in the corner for you to use if you have a little one!
* I, to be completely honest, don't remember the exact price. But I DO remember that it was cheaper then I expected!
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Location:
67 east woodstock st
Crystal Lake, Illinois