Cafe At the Overlook

This is a cute little place with fun fixtures and a nice atmosphere. It’s a bit tucked away so I didn’t even know about it until a friend recommended it.
We arrived abt 11:45am and it was just starting to pick up for lunch, so easy breezy to find a booth. I ordered the Cubanish sandwich with a side salad. The food was delicious and will bring me back again. The bill was abt $ 11 for food, water and small tip.
The service was a bit unexpected. The cashiers acted as if we were somehow interrupting their lives. As we stood there waiting to order (we did not approach the counter until we were ready to do so) they continued their conversation abt someone’s FB page, and only when the conversation was complete did they acknowledge our presence. Then, with no greeting or even a pleasant attitude, they took the orders speaking as little as possible, with no traditional «thank you» at the end. The woman delivering the food to the table pretty much slapped it down and walked away.
I asked my companion if this was normal here, and since she said it wasn’t, I will give it another try. When I do, I’ll revise this review accordingly.

Awesome sandwich and salad combo. Perfect for a quick break between interviews at the law school. They have fast wifi and a great drink selection – worth the walk!

Cheery, cozy, unpretentious café serving delicious breakfast at criminally underpriced rates. We visited this place on a trip to South Bend, and it was one of those culinary diamonds in the rough located in a pretty nondescript setting.
The staff is pleasant without being too chatty, and very efficient.
Even though we went on a Sunday morning, we had no problem getting a huge corner booth (there were 7 of us) without a waiting time. I’m guessing the place was not as full as it normally is, since the college students must be on their summer vacations.
You have to place your order at the front, and you’re given a number. Your order is brought to your table.
I built my own breakfast sandwich, substituting meat for two veggies, with the English muffin, scrambled eggs, red peppers, caramelized onions, spinach, and mushrooms. I took suggestions for the cheese (provolone) and the sauce (honey Sriracha) from the cashier, and both suggestions elevated my breakfast sandwich. The sandwich looked small but was so satisfying and the perfect remedy for my hangover.
I also had a hot chocolate with whipped cream, which was good until I reached the end, where the cloying syrup had pooled up.
My order rang in at $ 8.03 for all of that brunchy goodness.
I’ll most certainly be back here on my next trip!

I was in Southbend this weekend for a wedding, and needed to find a place where I could get food and coffee and find a quiet corner to study. Thankfully, Café at the Overlook served all three purposes! I loved the place so much I even took my parents back later that weekend after all the wedding festivities had ended! It definitely beat paying for overpriced food at the bistro next door.
I tried the Jerk Panini and also the BBQ Pork sandwich. The first with a side of soup and the second with a side of salad. Both were delicious options and super reasonably priced for a filling meal ($ 10 with the add-​on side). The pulled pork sandwich was pretty standard, nothing spectacular. However, I found the Jerk Panini to be very unique. It is served with mango mayo and banana smear which really gives it a tropical flavor! It also doesn’t hurt that it comes with a healthy serving of bacon as well. :)
I’d definitely recommend this place for students looking for a good place to hang out or get studying done. They have free wifi and are very courteous to students — although they do ask that students be courteous as well and not take up tables for long periods of time during peak hours. However, I didn’t notice this being a huge problem when I was there.
PSA: From Burdette street (and even the main road), it is difficult to spot the Café, but drive to the end of the parking lot and you will see the entrance around the corner.

Great food and nice ambiance. Good almond milk latte. Had the build your own breakfast sandwich — pizza dough, egg, peppers, spinach, cheese. Outstanding.
Great service. Reasonable prices. Highly recommended.

If you want a place like no other try the Overlook. Unique food and reasonable prices makes this place one of my favorites.

You have to check out the sandwich menu here! They cater to bacon-​lovers, veggie-​lovers, and those with a soft spot for the classics– BLTs and taco salad. You can also put a fried egg on top of anything, or an outrageous sauce like mango chipotle hollandaise. Free refills on coffee.

LOVE the vibe of this place! Very pleasant atmosphere.
Pro Tip: the Benny Waffled is delicious but the chorizo made it too spicy. Instead I made my own «Benny Waffled» (minus the chorizo) by choosing to «build my own» breakfast sandwich. Waffle, eggs, same sauce, + 2 veggies (sauteed green peppers and roasted butternut squash) + colby jack cheese. And it’s $ 3 cheaper.

When I hear Café in a restaurant name I don’t expect the kind of food we had at Café at the Overlook. This place is in a really unassuming area, i.e. below apartments on the ND campus. For lunch, I ordered a beer and the pulled pork nachos. I could not stop eating the nachos and could not figure out why, until I actually put them down and looked at the chips… DORITOS. I’m pretty sure that great meat, cheese and other toppings were on a pile of Doritos. I was in love. Overall it’s a pretty cool place and when back in town I’d like to try it again.

Great food and atmosphere. Came for breakfast and to work a little bit, but there isn’t much room so didn’t want to stay too long! Breakfast all day and very well priced!

I had the BLT A Trios. It’s a really tiny sandwich with a normal sized price tag. Tasty but tiny.

I love the look and feel of Café at the Overlook! It is a place you definitely want to go and just hang out. The décor is artsy, modern, and cool. The seating arrangements are cozy and comfortable.
I got an iced vanilla latte– it was perfect. And I bought my daughter a chocolate chip cookie. It was huge and only a couple bucks. It tasted delicious. While sitting and sipping my coffee I took a look at their menu. They offered a really fresh and interesting variety of options. Plus, I noticed they serve beer and wine as well.
I can’t wait to go back and enjoy some of the rest of their food!

I’ve been here a few times. I have ordered the Roadie both times. My favorite dish is eggs Benedict and this is a unique twist to it. The food here is unique and very gourmet for a little café.
The parking can be difficult, because of construction it’s not off Vaness. You have to park in the Overlook apartments to get to the café, and parking is pretty limited. Because of their proximity to the Notre Dame campus they seem to cater to ND students who walk or ride bicycles.
The atmosphere is very cool, almost an indie Alice and Wonderland theme. This is crazy, but I have to give them a thumbs up for the awesome bathroom setup, it’s very cool mural artwork.

It’s pouring down rain. This is the least expensive place with vegetarian food on Unilocal.I pull into the lot. Every single parking space is reserved for football parking. I call the restaurant, stating that I don’t even like sports, I’m here for the food. They tell me they’ll charge me $ 50– I’m not kidding– to park and come inside to purchase a meal. The only other option is to park far away in the overflow lot and order carry-​out.
You’ve permanently lost my business.

A quaint little café in the heart of Notre Dame with a varied menu that unfortunately didn’t live up to expectations.
The good: The menu here has a great variety of fun items for great prices. They have coffees and teas and soups and sandwiches and a great breakfast selection as well. We tried the Parfizzle (yogurt parfait) and the Hash It Out (small potato hash plate), as well as an iced Americano and a green tea. The Hash It Out was excellent, especially at only $ 4. The atmosphere was also very nice, with indoor and outdoor seating available and a nice view of campus.
The bad: The girl making the coffee drinks was picking at her chapped lips and licking her fingers the entire time she was making espresso drinks. She had her fingers in her mouth and picking at her lips no less than ten times. She also went back and forth between cleaning tables and carrying trash to making drinks without ever washing her hands. Additionally, the iced Americano took nearly ten minutes and was made incorrectly. Note to whoever: it is not made by making a hot Americano and pouring it over ice unless you’re looking for an incredibly watery Americano. Even that I could looked past, but I could not get over the barista’s poor hygiene.
The yogurt parfait was also disappointing. I’m not sure if the granola was stale or if it simply sat in the yogurt too long before serving, but it was mushy, which is a bit like eating soggy cereal. Yikes!
The bottom line: While some of the food is good, much more was disappointing. Even this is something I could let slide with the excellent prices, but there is simply never an excuse for such poor hygiene in food service. Unfortunately I won’t be back to this little café.

Just had a great light lunch after a day at the zoo. The chicken salad croissant I had was good, but the hash with a poached egg on top made the meal. My husband got the BLT a trois and enjoyed his sandwich too.
Wish we lived closer because I would come here all the time. Ambiance was nice, staff was super friendly, place was clean.

While visiting from Chicago, my girlfriend and I had a tough time finding local coffee shops within the South Bend vicinity. Lots of Starbucks, not a lot of character. Then we stumbled across this place on Unilocal and we were very pleasantly surprised!
It is set up as a restaurant, but they do have free wi-​fi and space for studying. Pretty empty on a Sunday morning, but I can imagine it can get packed at other times. The store is set beneath some apartments, which makes it a unique location. However the store itself is great, with lots of personalized touches.
Got the «Hash It Up» which was excellent. Number of different types of potatoes paired with peppers and a great poached egg. I have tried a countless number of different hashes and I have to say this one was up there as one of the most creative and tasty.
Definitely coming back!

Where has this been all these years? The laid back café/​restaurant that «most good college towns» have, but with really unusual offerings. A counter service setup, with cool booths, unusual décor, bright and open.
Out-​of-​ordinary items like «roasted potatoes with poached egg and Parmesan», apple persimmon crumble, heros with balsamic reduction.

I’m a big fan of Café, mostly because it is conveniently located in my building but also because I’ve been more than satisfied with everything that I’ve tried!
The parfizzle is now my go-​to breakfast. $ 4 but worth it for the fresh cut fruit, Greek yogurt and homemade granola (delicious!). I haven’t tried the other breakfast foods but you can create a variety of breakfast sandwiches by choosing your bun, meat, etc.
I’ll likely be in for breakfast a lot because it’s a nice place to start the day– lounge-​y chairs with a TV and relaxing, coffeehouse music (which is on point). I’ll take this time to also mention that the ambiance is great– definitely not what I was expecting from an apartment complex café. It feels trendy yet relaxing, and the staff is great!
I’ve yet to have dinner here, but I’ve grabbed a panini for lunch and some friends and I split the pita and hummus. Both exceeded my expectations.
&& for the 5 star rating, they will be serving beer and wine soon! They also serve Gigi’s cupcakes=]

I am so happy they opened the café. It’s great having a restaurant so close to home and not having to walk to Eddy St. You walk in and you are automatically greeted by the employees. The staff is very friendly.
The café itself is very nice. I just returned from South America and the café reminds me of the cafes in Buenos Aires. The place is very clean and the décor is pretty cool. Great place to have coffee on your own or dinner with a group of friends.
The café has a vast menu with fresh items. They have items for vegetarians and vegans which is great since I have a couple of friends who are vegan. I came for lunch and ordered the Cuban sandwich with a side of hash. It was very good and worth the price.
I am definitely retuning for the breakfast. It’s served until 11am. You can build your own sandwich with a wide array of bread and protein options. I was super excited to see chorizo on the menu. They also have unlimited coffee with four different types of coffees. The only thing I wasn’t too happy about was not being able to drink my coffee out of a mug. I know most people wouldn’t care but when I am in a restaurant, I enjoy drinking my coffee out of a cool mug.
I highly recommend this restaurant. It’s great food for a good price. It’s a pleasant environment and great staff. I hope more places like this open up around the Notre Dame campus.