Real Food Cafe: “Like Mom used to make?”

When I was in college, I used to crave home-cooked meals. My mom would make my favorites whenever I would come home, and every time I would come back to Grand Rapids, a little part of my passion for food would go sour. (Let’s take it, dorm food is not good). So when I went to Real Food Cafe, located just north of the East Beltline in Grand Rapids, I was hoping to get that home-cooked meal that I always had longed for.

One step into the restaurant and I knew that this would give your typical diner a run for its money. The restaurant was packed, and the menu seemed to have several options that I could enjoy. It felt like a community of people eating together, almost as if everyone was around the dinner table.

Because it was lunchtime, I opted for a Chicken Caesar Wrap ($5.75) with a side of onion rings. My dining partner, on the other hand, went with a breakfast entree, which are served all day. His South of the Border Scramble included included “spicy” chorizo, tomato, cheddar cheese, green onion, salsa and sour cream for $7.50.

My wrap included what you would expect — fresh lettuce, chicken, caesar dressing and cheese. While the ingredients were no surprise to me, the lack of some of them was. My wrap was overburdened with lettuce. While there was a decent amount of chicken, the wrap was lacking in dressing and the amount of cheese. It was a little too plain for my tastes.

Now, over the past few years, I’ve literally become obsessed with onion rings. And while Real Food Cafe doesn’t fail in this area, it certainly doesn’t hit any home runs. While a few of my onion rings were crunchy, most seemed to be soggy and heavily greased. While I usually can’t put this side dish down, I ended up leaving some at the end of my meal.

Sam’s breakfast entree, on the other hand, was a bit friendlier on the amount of ingredients. Served with a few slices of toast, the South of the Border Scramble seemed to go well as his first meal of the day, and all the ingredients seemed to be fresh and really pop.

All in all, while there’s nothing overly wrong about Real Food Cafe, it certainly doesn’t “wow” you. While the service is prompt and friendly, breakfast definitely trumps lunch at Real Food Cafe.

Real Food Cafe  ( Rating: out of 5 )

Where: 5430 Northland Drive, Grand Rapids. Second location available at 2419 Eastern SE, Grand Rapids.
Hours: Tues.-Fri. 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sat. 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Ambiance: Traditional diner
How much will it cost you: Entrees range from $5 to $10.
Credit cards: No
Alcohol: No
Reservations: No
Contact: (616) 361-1808