Cafe Fromage

I am perplexed about the rave reviews after having lunch here last weekend as we passed through Beloit on the way to Madison.
The venue is far larger than needed, resulting in awful acoustics. The young woman taking our order was pleasant, but not particularly helpful to two people who obviously hadn’t been there before. For one thing, the specials were listed about 6 feet away from where the menus a kept (next to the ordering station), so we had no idea there were any specials until after we had ordered. (Idea: When someone is going to order, point out that there are specials.)
Someone from the kitchen brought our order to the table, but didn’t ask if we needed anything else. Instead, she said something about the napkins as she was walking away. I didn’t hear her and had to go to the counter to ask where to find the napkins. (Idea: Bring napkins and silverware for people.) There is no server, you have to hunt for napkins, and you must bus your own table, yet when you pay (in advance), the screen asks you to add a tip. You gotta be kidding. I guess I expect a lot more in terms of ambiance (little to none) and service for a place that has 4.5 stars.
Food: 3 stars (at the most, but we didn’t try any pasteries, which looked beautiful).
Service: There really wasn’t any service.
Ambiance: 2 stars
My guess is that this place caters mostly to college students, who must have very low expectations insofar as dining is concerned.
They also sell cheeses, although I did not see any on the menu. Strange.

The food at Café Fromage is really good. But I gave it three stars for sanitary reasons (which I’ll explain).
We’ve eaten to Fromage three or four times having everything from breakfast to lunch. It’s all good.
On Saturday, Aug 15, we arrived at Fromage at 1:30 — so post farmer’s market.
I ordered a BLT. It comes on a seven grain bread (so it’s easy to build a dry sandwich). It wasn’t dry.
The bacon is top shelf and cooked perfectly. Fresh tomato, fresh lettuce and the perfect amount of mayo. It was a very tasty BLT.
My wife ordered an apple, walnut and blue cheese salad and loved it. She raved especially about the blue cheese.
Here comes my sanitary reasons for the downgrade of a star.
The person taking our order had a cold. She kept wiping her nose with her hand and coughing without covering her mouth. And I mean constantly wiping her nose with her hands and fingers.
When she handed my credit card back to me I rinsed it off with water and a napkin.
Our table needed to be cleared (not a problem). My wife asked the person clearing it if she was the owner (she wasn’t) but suggested that the person taking orders needed to wash her hands and to stop wiping her nose with them.
Lo and behold, it was that same young woman who took our orders that brought our food out.
We were hungry and prayed that she washed them in the interim.
36 hours later — neither of us have colds –so it appears we lucked out.

I came here for breakfast and a coffee while doing some homework. I really liked that they were open on Sunday, the coffee was great, and it was a quite place to get some work done while enjoying breakfast. Nothing bad to say about the place; definitely plan to come back.

What a find in Beloit! After being on the road for so long it’s awesome to find a quaint café with REAL food. Totally worth the 3 mile detour from the freeway.
The coffee is strong, the food is fantastic, and the people are kind. Homemade and thoughtful food and drink creations. Well done, Wisconsin!

Experience: ⁵⁄₅
Came in on a Tuesday afternoon around 2pm. Very pleasant atmosphere. Greeted immediately by friendly staff. Iced coffee is strong and aged for 12 hours, the way I like it. They have a wide selection of goods as well, like honey, chocolate, beers, teas, etc. If you have been to Bushel and Peck’s you will get a similar selection.
Food: ⁵⁄₅
Had to try a couple pastries. The lemon pound cake and raspberry bar are incredibly delicious. Tasted fresh and homemade. Check out the photo.
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Everything was served promptly. Staff was very easy going and pleasant.
Price: $ to $$
Fair price for pastries and iced coffee. Still cheaper and better quality coffee than Starbucks.
Overall: ⁵⁄₅
Want to come back to try other food offerings that have good reviews. Don’t forget to check in for 10% off your bill!

Love stopping in for lunch and a coffee! I can’t help but get the turkey sandwich with Apple every time I go. The house blend coffee is good and they also have lots of fun coffee drinks if your not a black coffee drinker. My only complaint is I wish they had the tomato basil soup everyday!

Awesome variety of coffee, tea, wine, and beer. Great food menu that’s always fresh. Perfect atmosphere to get caught up on some reading or meeting with some friends.

In town from Chicago for the weekend and enjoyed the cheese and Spotted Cow. Guy working the deli made us a custom spread of cheese varieties after we told him we were looking to spend $ 10.
Desserts are also great for those with a sweet-​tooth.

Love this place! The baguettes are fantastic! I wish that they could open another one closer to my house. Great food and great service!

Is it a coffee house or is it a cheese palor? Or is it both? I wasn’t sure what I had walked into at first but then I caught on. On the left is the café, to the right is the cheese. I had a Unilocal coupon to use, 15% off my first coffee… SCORE! The coffee was decent, I had the house blend, medium roast. I should’ve asked what coffee they brew but there was a line and I was on my way to work so I got my caffeine and moved on. Before leaving I walked to the cheese side and surveyed the many different cheeses. When I have more time I will positively be back and try some cheese. I’ve heard that the owner will let you sample a few types before purchasing.
I’m a little surprised/​not surprised that Beloit, WI has a cheese store like this. Beloit is such a small and obscure place but on the other hand it’s Wisconsin we’re talking about. Of course you’re going to find cheese in Wisconsin, what was I thinking!
From other reviews I guess I need to try the food also. There was not much left when I stopped by so I’ll have to come earlier next time.

I have been here several times now and have never been disappointed. The pastries are fantastic, the sandwiches are equally good, and there is usually an interesting daily special, too. The staff here is very friendly. My only complaint is that they are becoming such a popular place, sometimes there is a line to order, but is usually moves pretty quickly.

Tasty cheeses and baked goods. Tea selection is pretty impressive. Loved the local raw honey and the staff let me taste everything. Feels like a brick and mortar farmers market stand.

We have stopped in for lunch several times and have been pleasantly surprised by the food. The selection is limited given that it is a smaller establishment. We tried the veg wrap, a sandwich grilled cheese and some soup. One warning is that if it lunch time it can often times take a long time to get your food.
As far as the food, the ingredients are extremely fresh and mesh together well. The grilled cheese was excellent. They do have daily specials, so I look forward seeing how this café develops. I have hear from other customers the dinner entrees are excellent. They also have an assortment of wine and local beers that available in addition to coffees and lattes.