Blissful Banana Café

So, I’m gonna be the 200^th review for this place. Does that get me a free coffee? Worth a shot, espresso? Seriously though, I’ve eaten here a couple times, and their sandwiches are pretty tasty. They have regularly changing specials, and the atmosphere is pleasant. I’ll be back, but not like the Terminator, because that fool did some real damage upon his return, remember that? I’ll probably just go with the wife, comment about how they clearly bought some of the café furnishings from the Borders books nearby that closed years ago, then go home. But, I’ll keep Unilocal posted on any exciting developments at BB.

Love this place it’s my go-​to for a healthy meal for pick up or dine in. Super cute inside and coffee is delicious. I have never been disappointed by the food, and I’ve had breakfast, salads, soups, and sandwiches.

Bananas !!! I am a huge banana fan and this place is heaven. I ordered a manzana and a gorilla coffee, and it was better than I could imagine. :) if you love eating healthy natural foods this is the place for you. And it’s so cute and clean little place. The barista was very nice also, he helped me out w all my questions. (:

Would give this place 5 stars because the food is terrific and so different from any other restaurant I’ve eaten at except the service is so slow!!! Thought it might’ve just been the chefs except there’s been times when I’ve had to wait 20 minutes for a waitress to return after giving us our meals to ask how we are and if we needed anything (which I did) and also have waited 40+ for even my appetizer to arrive. Food is terrific when brought up, just hope management asses the time issue

I’m lowering my 5 star rating to a 2 based solely on repeatedly slow service over the last year. The food is terrific but you really have to be prepared to wait. I realize the food is freshly made which is why I LOVE this neighborhood gem. Healthy food options is so important to me so I have dined here almost weekly since it opened.
But, I am still sitting here waiting for takeout for over a half an hour… it’s not that busy either. This has become the norm, unfortunately.
45 min. And not even an apology when we asked if our order would be ready soon.
Final review is a 2. 50 minutes. No apology for the long wait. I seriously hope that management takes action on wait times or let people know before ordering that the kitchen is behind. Offer waiting customers a coffee when they are getting aggravated. Something. I have spent a lot of money here. But felt like I was not a valued customer tonight.

Normally I am in love with this place! But today my waitress gave us the worst service. Took 15 minutes to come to our table. Then forgot our drinks. Someone else brought our food out. And our waitress never checked on us again. Leaving us to go find her for our check.

Amazing coffee drinks and food. A small place so food takes a little while to get out but all around it’s a really cute atmosphere!

I have been here on multiple occasions and have enjoyed my experience each and every time.
Friendly staff; fresh, organic, range– and cage-​free products, along with a warm and inviting atmosphere to house it all.
The coffee here is by far my favorite in the area. Forgo the Starbucks and enjoy a macadamia nut or lavender latte. I promise that you will not be disappointed by giving this hidden gem a try!

I’ve been here a few times. Coffee and deserts are always good. Serving staff is a bit flighty. Check out process is a bit sloppy. The broccoli soup is pretty bland if I’m being honest, but I’ll keep coming back for the cookies!

This place has been on my hit list of places to go in Orland. Just my work schedule would never line up with their hours.
Price of the food is any were from $ 6 – 11, so not very expensive.

The food was a 10 definitely. The staff was nice but not attentive. My water was empty before my appetizer and meal got to my table. Had to wait for fresh silverware. Went to use the restroom and no toilet paper! The girls were busy cleaning and one was by the restroom counting something. The food really did it for us but if not for that I wouldn’t come back. I will definitely give it a try again and hope this can be a usual place of mine.

I love Blissful Banana. They have great food, yummy drinks and I just love the creamy banana dessert. This place really reminds me of the type of café that would be in a trendy part of downtown. The staff is really nice and responsive. It’s cute that they have banana-​grams on the table to play with. I’m definitely going to go back. The only reason why I gave it ⁴⁄₅ stars is because its a little expensive and sometimes it takes a while to get your food. The banana muffins are amazing!

Love this adorable little café! Food is healthy and delicious! I go there by myself or with friends and have experienced a very calm, tranquil experience as well as a lot of fun with Bananagrams on the table. Big fan of supporting local businesses! Great spot!

The place is homey, clean and inviting. The food is fresh, well seasoned and had good sized portions.

This was my husbands first time here and he was really excited to eat out somewhere with healthier options! This being my third time, I already knew I wanted the Gorilla coffee and I recommended it to him– we both guzzled it down. Who knew banana and coffee would taste so good? Well when there is chocolate and whipped cream… It’s hard not to be. Nicole was our server and she was extremely polite, we had two little ones with us, (both under 3) so things weren’t always peaceful at our table, regardless she kept a smile and was patient with us! My youngest spilled some water under the table and she came back so quickly to clean it up for us. (: Which she didn’t even have to do, we were just hoping for some extra napkins or something to do it on our own.
We ordered the margarita pizza as an appetizer– it was very yummy! The tomatoes were fresh and seasoned well, it gave the pizza a nice almost addicting flavor. My husband got one of the Specials for today, it was the O’ahu Burger (I think that’s how it was spelled) anywho, it was a juicy burger with a teriyaki flavored pineapple slice on top and even though my husband only let me have one bite, it was amazing! Honestly, I hate burgers– they’re always done wrong. dried out and over cooked, but that was not the case for this bad boy. I’ll definitely get another one of their burgers next time I go. I went for the Turkey and Swiss on a Hoagie and that was yummy too!
I will say that there doesn’t appear to be a ton of food per plate, but honestly we went there hungry and left pretty full. Plus the fact that I could get my little ones some healthy ice cream and a nice little banana, Nutella and peanut butter sandwich (The V.I.C) is really nice. It makes me feel not so guilty, even though the Nutella.
Regardless we all enjoyed ourselves and plan to support this business for many years to come!
Thanks again Nicole, you were really sweet and made the experience even more enjoyable!(:

Wanted to come here for some time now, & finally came. What drew me in was their special banana bliss, & I was REALLY good, my daughter loved it as well, the waitress we had was super nice & constantly checking on our table which is always a plus, their iced coffee was good too, only thing I didn’t like was they didn’t have a big range of food but that’s to be expected from a little café restaurant but food was good & will definitely come back in the Summer (:

I really do enjoy the food this place has to offer. Unfortunately, the experience I just had was unbelievable. They were pretty busy, but one of the servers was just plain ignorant. It’s a bit loud in here, but I did hear all the nonsense coming out of her mouth. «They don’t pay me enough to do this & I’m not a Mexican!» Are Mexicans the only ones that can wipe a damn table & sweep a damn floor. Un f’n believable. Won’t ever eat here again if this server is still employed there.

Bunch of hits and misses here for our Sunday lunch. They are detailed below which equates to a 2.5 star review.
Pros:
Unique menu items — Sweet Potato Hash was a tasty side where you don’t see it at any other places. Appreciate that an organic green salad is also a possible side as well.
Coffee is brewed perfectly for those ‘purists’ like me who like to drink it straight black.
Huge sandwiches that are more than enough to share among two people.
Cons:
–No free coffee refills — I kept on ordering more not knowing that my small mug full of coffee would be charged $ 3 a pop.
–Mother in law’s muffin order was extremely dry and bland.
–Service was on the slow side. They had enough servers on staff considering the amount of clientele, but our waitress didn’t really seem to know how to multi-​task. She would only visit a table at a time during her visits to the floor, take care of that task, then move on to the next. Really she should talk to all of her tables before heading to the kitchen or barista stand. In the end we had to wait 15 mins to simply get our final bill.

I love Banana Blissful! The food, atmosphere and staff are amazing. The chicken salad and sweet potato hash are indescribable The taco salad is delicious. The beer, coffee, tea and banana blissful dessert are great, too. The staff is extremely welcoming and knowledgeable about menu.

by the name of this place, you’d think oh this is just a coffee shop that serves beverages and desserts. to my surprise they have food, like actual food, pizza, sandwiches, etc…
The food was delicious, the coffee was spot on, but the best part was the dessert. They make their own «healthy» version of ice cream. yes I said healthy and ice cream in the same sentence. I guess that is where their name comes from. They make this frozen banana which tastes just like ice cream. I don’t know how they do it but i recommend you try it if your ever in that area!!!

Service was friendly, a bit slow, but nothing to gripe about. Chicken tortilla soup was very tasty but only luke-​warm. I had an excellent Angus cheeseburger; the tuna melt was reviewed as «pretty good, could have been warmer.» For sides, they were out of pasta salad and sweet potato hash at 1:30 pm. They could use a double door to keep the cold air from blowing through the front section.

They really need to make sure their blissful banana nicecream is made with only really ripe bananas which is KEY to a delicious banana custard. last 2 times I went you could still taste that green banana flavor & the texture is also different when the banana isn’t fully ripe. So won’t be coming back for those anytime soon.

Went back here today because some family members wanted to eat here. I read recent reviews and saw that service is still an issue here but went anyway because I decided the company was more important than the food.
Well, the service still sucks. What kind of server brings out a hamburger with no ketchup or mustard? I might be able to overlook bad service if the food was stellar, but that was not the case here.
I should have known better than to order a Cuban sandwich in the midwest. The roasted pork on the sandwich was definitely reheated – it had that nasty leftover taste to it. I had to ask for more of the horseradish mayo to mask it. Also, they are really skimping on the meat on their sandwiches. Two super thin slices of pork, maybe two thin slices of ham, and barely any cheese or pickles on my sandwich. A good quarter of my roll was meatless. Another person with me got the philly cheesesteak and she said the same thing. I expected a lot more from a $ 12 sandwich.
I had to ask for water and coffee refills – always a bad sign in my book. The coffee was delicious but since I had to ask for more creamer twice, it was cold by the time I got to drink it.
Sorry Blissful Banana Café, three strikes and you’re out.

I think everything here is amazing. My boyfriend didn’t think they gave him enough meat in his sandwhich. which was kinda true. especially since things are a little pricey… and he said it took too long. what a complainer… i love all the food especially their bomb pasta salad! Coffee is good.

This place is wonderful. Our waitress was very friendly, the food was delicious and the desserts were extremely unique and delicious. The Banana Bliss is pretty much an ice cream made entirely of bananas so not only is it delicious and smooth, it’s actually not bad for you too! The Gorilla Coffee (coffee blended with banana and topped with chocolate and whipped cream) was completely unique and phenomenal. Highly recommend.

We were in town for a wedding & dined at this gem of a café often. As somebody who has dietary restrictions, vegan & gluten free, I found this café very accommodating. They catered to me & everyone else in my group that did not have the same restrictions, making it a great place for mixed groups. The food was fresh, tasty & creative. They also serve Metropolis coffee and make some great coffee drinks. My only regret was leaving before I got to try the spaghetti squash with homemade pomodoro sauce.

We ordered from the dinner menu. I wasn’t feeling adventurous so i ordered the adult grilled cheese with no bacon. It was average. Not terrible but not amazing.
I also had the lemongrass mojito which was tasty at first until I realized that it didn’t have any alcohol in it. Please add more alcohol to your drinks.
The steak sandwich had deli style steak on it. Again, average. The potatoes that came with it tasted like they were precooked and just heated up for the meal.
I cannot comment on the coffee as we opted out on that. Price was fair for what we ordered.
Atmosphere was cute and comfortable.

The Blissful Banana has been the closest thing I can find to an independent coffee-​house place in the South Chicagoland area. The silky wooden booths along the left are for those interested in serious eating, which the right side had the quintessential overstuffed couches of coffeehouse lore. Blissful expertly manages a fusion of gastropub-​style food with well-​made coffee drinks in easy-​going café style. Blissful also manages to serve up some decently tasty gluten free options, which is even less likely in the burbs.
On their website they have «Most items on our menu can be made gluten free for $ 2.50 extra,» which means they have GF bread they can make a sandwich with, along with GF pancakes and substitutions like corn for flour. They work hard to keep the food GF compliant and maintain a feeling of normalcy about being gluten free, which is important for people that wander this cold, lonely, wheat-​ladened world with Celiacs.
We really enjoyed the garlicky flavor of the spinach artichoke dip, the Cuban sailed right into my hubby’s stomach and I waded into the Angel-​Lea salad with gusto.
While waiting for our food, we indulged in some booth-​available Bananagrams, which was a nice touch. Blissful really seems like a nice place to read a newspaper and brunch it out.

The Blissful Banana has been the closest thing I can find to an independent coffee-​house place in the South Chicagoland area. The silky wooden booths along the left are for those interested in serious eating, while the right side had the quintessential overstuffed couches of coffeehouse lore. Blissful expertly manages a fusion of gastropub-​style food with well-​made coffee drinks in easy-​going café style. Blissful also manages to serve up some decently tasty gluten free options, which is even less likely in the burbs.
On their website they have «Most items on our menu can be made gluten free for $ 2.50 extra,» which means they have GF bread they can make a sandwich with, along with GF pancakes and substitutions like corn for flour. They work hard to keep the food GF compliant and maintain a feeling of normalcy about being gluten free, which is important for people that wander this cold, lonely, wheat-​ladened world with Celiacs.
We really enjoyed the garlicky flavor of the spinach artichoke dip, the Cuban sailed right into my hubby’s stomach and I waded into the Angel-​Lea salad with gusto.
While waiting for our food, we indulged in some booth-​available Bananagrams, which was a nice touch. Blissful really seems like a nice place to read a newspaper and brunch it out.

I took to Unilocal to find something new for Lunch. I was left neither disappointed nor excited.
We went around lunch and there were only a hanful of people. It probably took us a little longer than it should have to be seated. It seems like they have a dozen waitresses. My group got two Waldorf salads and I ordered the black bean burger. They enjoyed their meals and so did I. I’ve had better and worse. Nothing about the meal really stood out as anything other than average.
They have good coffee though, and I like good coffee. They also have tea, and will make almost any blend you’d like from what flavors they have on hand. The place is attempting to portray itself as a coffee shop and has a hipster vibe going. Their strength, in my opinion is the coffee. They’ve got a good thing going, and good coffee.
But the place lacks anything to distinguish it from a handful of other places that are attempting to serve the same crowd. The name isn’t well-​known, the location in a strip mall is a little off the beaten path, and their food isn’t really that sensational. They’re not really a neighborhood staple yet.
My main gripe was that they were too expensive. I sound like a rambling old man, but for what we got, I could have gotten rhe same meal somewhere else, cheaper, and better.
They need a little buzz, and maybe a little price drop, and I think they’ll be somebody.

I haven’t even paid the bill or finish my meal, and I’m already starting my Unilocal review.
Lately, I’ve been bored of the same old restaurants. Oh look, another corporate chain restaurant pops up on Lagrange. Yuck!
I found this place on Unilocal and noted it’s location last time I was on 94^th avenue. Then today happens! We drop a car off at the dealership and are left to kill time.
After a trip to target, we decide to eat but we don’t want fast food or the same places we’ve been a trillion times. Blissful Banana Café is the answer!
So it’s a Saturday afternoon and the place isn’t too busy. We’re seated and given menus. Of course were 10 minutes too late for ordering a breakfast item… We’ll just have to come back.
Then were offered the banana soft serve (made only from frozen bananas). As someone who loves Ice Cream but doesn’t have the metabolism for it, this is a great healthy option.
So we have a great lunch here and return twice after that. Once for breakfast and again for another lunch. All of the food we had was great!!! For breakfast, I had crepes and Dan had the breakfast sandwich. We were in love with it!
Both of our lunches were just as good. I’ve had soup and I also had a panini with the organic salad.
The service is a little on the slow side… it feels more like a café than a restaurant. So your server isn’t going to be there every two seconds. So if you are in a hurry, you might want to order quickly and avoid delays.
I’ve had coffee from here as well and I would definitely recommend the coffee. I also had a latte and liked that as well. I liked everything here!
Don’t forget to play the Banana game on the table. It’s a fun version of scramble and makes for a productive wait for food (or distracts you from eating, which always happens to me).
I can’t wait to continue coming here and would recommend to everyone!

I located the Blissful Banana through Unilocal.Another solid find. My wife, son and I were out and about and we needed a bite.
i usually avoid corporate chow houses and Unilocal helps me alot with that pursuit. The Blissful Banana Café is a great example of this. The location is off of the main drag and chaos of La Grange Road. It is large and spacious in side with a front and back area. There is even a large loungish couch table for whatever… right in the middle of the place. The tables are spaced out and you feel like you have a bit of privacy which is really refreshing.
We had a great server (one day I will start remembering names) and she brought us some of their blissful banana stuff they are known for. Really good! AND HEALTHY!
The only negative… they make it fresh and you cannot freeze or keep it in the fridge…
Crud. But a great and healthy alternative to taking your kids out for ice cream.
We were all very pleased with our lunch items. I ordered a sandwich and my wife ordered a salad. I’ll be damned if I remember what the hell we ordered… but we loved them.
Give the Blissful Banana Café a try, you will not regret it!