Restaurant review: Coffee and Crepes

The Out and About team went into this one with mixed feelings. Could Coffee and Crepes in Cary satisfy our lunch hunger or would we just end up on a sugar and caffeinne high? I would say it did both. 

The Location: 315 Crossroads Blvd. in Crossroads Plaza across from Old Navy. Parking is great because it is a strip mall. The atmosphere is relaxing. It is basically a coffee shop vibe with some larger tables for people to enjoy lunch or dinner. 

The Food: The menu has brunch, lunch and dinner crepes available from the savory (turkey, bacon and tomato) to the sweet (banana split). They also offer whole wheat and buckwheat crepes for those who want an alternative to the traditional crepe. In addition to crepes, they also sell smoothies, frappes and tea and Larry's Beans coffee,

The Meal: Here's what we thought of lunch at Coffee and Crepes:

Kathy: I had the raspberry chicken crepe on whole wheat and a small salad. It was entirely too much for me to eat, but very good!. The raspberry preserves and walnuts offered a great burst of sweetness – a great contrast to the inside which was filled with grilled chicken, spinach, ricotta, diced tomato and melted cheddar. I saved some room for dessert and ended up falling in love with the Banana's Foster crepe - crystallized brown sugar, banana slices, caramel and whipped cream with graham cracker crumbs on top. YUM! I found the menu to be a perfect alternative to the typical wraps and sandwiches you can get just about anywhere. 

Jodi: When crepes and coffee was proposed, I balked. That sounds more like breakfast than lunch, and a light one at that. But I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of savory options and the portion size. This is no scant snack. My chicken cordon bleu was cheesy and tart, with Grey Poupon dressing. And the accompanying salad had a zing of vinaigrette. I barely had room to try a bite of our shared sweet crepe desserts. While the crepes were pleasing, the coffee was the star of this meal for me. Coffee and Crepes serves locally-roasted Larry's Beans, and the red eye was bold enough to power me through an afternoon of meetings!

Tara: I’ll admit that when I first heard that we were getting crepes for lunch I was a little worried. I thought there was no way I would be full from eating a crepe. I was extremely wrong and pleasantly surprised. I went with the Western Omelet from the brunch crepes section of the menu. The crepe was huge and stuffed full of eggs, ham, cheddar, onions, peppers, and there was salsa served on the side. Everything was delicious and packed full of flavor. My only regret was not getting more salsa. The salsa was a little spicy and gave the whole meal and a nice kick. Though the brunch crepes do not come with the couscous or salad like the lunch and dinner crepes , it was satisfying and filling on its own. After my breakfast crepe I could think of nothing I wanted more than dessert! I mean you can’t pass up dessert at a crepe restaurant. We tried out the Banana Nutella and the Bananas Foster dessert crepes. They were both incredible and though both banana based, they were very different. This was my first time trying crepes and it certainly will not be my last. With the western omelet crepe totaling about $5 this is an inexpensive and unique place to come for lunch!

Caitlin: Compared to the crepes I ate during a recent trip to France, this one was served in a different manner. In France, crepes are served very flat and are kind of folded up toward the center. This one (the raspberry chicken crepe) was all folded up like a little package with chicken/cheese/spinach goodness wrapped up inside. So it looked different, but still tasted good. I thought the sweet raspberry sauce countered nicely with the spinach and chicken. Although there was a lot of spinach inside, it was finely chopped and wasn’t overpowering. The walnuts added a nice crunch to the whole thing. Ok, food critic moment over.

Lisa: There was absolutely no lack of spinach in my Spinach Ricotta crepe (spinach, ricotta, and parmesan cheese topped with marinara sauce) and that was a-OK with this vegetarian. I loved that the side salad wasn’t just iceberg with a few other veggies added for color – bring on the dark greens! And oh boy, the dessert crepes that we sampled? I’ll be back again soon.

The Service: You order at the front counter and then your order is brought to you. It takes a little longer than a trip to Subway, since they have to make each crepe to order. But the service was prompt. 

The Bill: These filling crepes were reasonably priced with brunch ones starting at around $3.50 and lunch/dinner crepes starting at $5. The lunch combos, which include a salad or couscous, topped out at just over $7. The sweet crepes started at $3 and topped out just above $6. The current in-store special is the classic combo – ham and Swiss or turkey and cheddar crepe, strawberry or Banana Nutella, and a medium iced tea, small coffee or bottled water – for $10. 

The Verdict: With tasty and filling portions, we are definitely excited about taking another Out and About field trip there.