It's been a while since my friend and I met at the Nordstrom's Marketplace Café, but like a familiar friend, it's like the cafe is frozen in the early aughts, which is not altogether a bad thing. We almost had the cafe to ourselves in the early evening and sat at one of the large booths. You order at the counter and the menu is familiar, soups, salads, sandwiches. My friend ordered the creamy tomato soup, which comes with some toasted bread and I ordered the cilantro and lime salad with salmon. There were mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, toasted seeds and tortilla strips ( a little stale) nicely dressed with cilantro and tangy citrus. The salmon was cooked well. The wait person brought our drinks quickly and then timed our food to come out together, after a short wait. He checked on us, refilled drinks, took away plates and gave us a lemon ricotta cookie, gratis. It was almost like a biscuit with a nice lemony and tart frosting. As I remember it, the cafe can be busy and crowded at lunch but for dinner it's rather quiet and sleepy. My friend and I were able to catch up without being disturbed or rushed.
Simon Urbietis
Walked around the whole mall. I couldn’t find the location.
mario a.
Staff are very friendly and always gets the job done. Food is excellent and never disappoints. I have to thank Alyssa Ward for always being very professional and patient with the customers as well as the rest of the staff
Alyssa L.
This place is great! Staff is amazing and love love love the food! I really loved the cashier, she was lively, friendly and helpful. Our waiter was quick with our order and was super polite. Will visit again soon!
J F.
What happened to the coffee? I have been visiting Marketplace Cafe for over 10 years and it's always been awesome. That is, until a couple of weekends ago when the served us coffee that hardly had any coffee in it! I wonder if this is a weak attempt to save money, but it's not a smart idea. Other than the coffee, the rest of the menu is consistent. They have a secret breakfast menu you can ask for and you can sit outside on the patio when the weather is nice.
Eric B.
Old school in-store dining survives in just a handful of department stores. The chow in this café, which has a combination of counter- and table-service, has been consistently fine through the years. But the décor is starting to look timeworn and, compared to stand-alone eateries of similar caliber, prices are a bit steep. The menu continues to feature both trendy dishes and comfort food standards. I ordered the wild salmon with roasted vegetables and saffron couscous ($19.75). The salmon was a tad dry (I prefer it grilled or poached), but the portion was more than ample and the fish was expertly seasoned. The generous couscous & veggie side was as scrumptious as it was colorful. My Missus began with a cup of tomato basil soup, a longtime menu staple which we've enjoyed here in the past. Her entrée, the grilled skirt steak ($22), used to be one of her faves here, but the chef has revamped this dish. The meat is now accompanied by a polenta corn cake and baby carrots, and anointed with salsa and queso. She was not pleased with the toppings or the sides (I tasted the polenta and it was really very good). The naked steak, while still delectable, was smallish and not sufficient to satisfy her appetite.
Edgar Urrita
Excellent Food?Great Servive?❗
Allyshia L.
Ignored this place practically my whole life that I have been going to old orchard but happy I stumbled across it. Perfect salads and even better atmosphere. Great place to eat while doing some weekend shopping. I always appreciate when salads are hearty and satiate you, in which their quality matches the hefty amounts that they are charging you. I've found this to be true of their other dishes as well, like their paninis and homemade chips. Definitely have been missing this place since the quarantine has continued to get extended, can't wait to go back.
Joanne M.
I went here with my husband on a date afternoon for lunch. The menu looks good and there is something for everyone. The food is somewhat overpriced for what you get. I got a tuna sandwich which was on par of what I could get at Corner Bakery. The spiced chips were very heavy on the spice and not very good. Service was good but the restaurant needs to decide whether it is table service or quick service. This hybrid is kind of strange. As a mom, I noticed a lack of high chairs as well.
Padma A.
Good service, conveniently located inside Nordstrom with a calorie conscious menu ... not as nice as the Oakbrook location but not bad either.
I have dinner here with my family about twice a week. We have busy schedules so cooking dinner isnt always feasible. Food is always fresh, delicious and healthy.
Jon f
Walked in girl taking the order....unfriendly,made the experience of to a bad startCan’t figure out why you would have a greeter order taker that has a lofty attitude Food is ok
Marykay V.
The smell is terrible - a definite urine smell. The booths are filthy. Although the food is good, I will never go back.
It's been a while since my friend and I met at the Nordstrom's Marketplace Café, but like a familiar friend, it's like the cafe is frozen in the early aughts, which is not altogether a bad thing. We almost had the cafe to ourselves in the early evening and sat at one of the large booths. You order at the counter and the menu is familiar, soups, salads, sandwiches. My friend ordered the creamy tomato soup, which comes with some toasted bread and I ordered the cilantro and lime salad with salmon. There were mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, toasted seeds and tortilla strips ( a little stale) nicely dressed with cilantro and tangy citrus. The salmon was cooked well. The wait person brought our drinks quickly and then timed our food to come out together, after a short wait. He checked on us, refilled drinks, took away plates and gave us a lemon ricotta cookie, gratis. It was almost like a biscuit with a nice lemony and tart frosting. As I remember it, the cafe can be busy and crowded at lunch but for dinner it's rather quiet and sleepy. My friend and I were able to catch up without being disturbed or rushed.
Walked around the whole mall. I couldn’t find the location.
Staff are very friendly and always gets the job done. Food is excellent and never disappoints. I have to thank Alyssa Ward for always being very professional and patient with the customers as well as the rest of the staff
This place is great! Staff is amazing and love love love the food! I really loved the cashier, she was lively, friendly and helpful. Our waiter was quick with our order and was super polite. Will visit again soon!
What happened to the coffee? I have been visiting Marketplace Cafe for over 10 years and it's always been awesome. That is, until a couple of weekends ago when the served us coffee that hardly had any coffee in it! I wonder if this is a weak attempt to save money, but it's not a smart idea. Other than the coffee, the rest of the menu is consistent. They have a secret breakfast menu you can ask for and you can sit outside on the patio when the weather is nice.
Old school in-store dining survives in just a handful of department stores. The chow in this café, which has a combination of counter- and table-service, has been consistently fine through the years. But the décor is starting to look timeworn and, compared to stand-alone eateries of similar caliber, prices are a bit steep. The menu continues to feature both trendy dishes and comfort food standards. I ordered the wild salmon with roasted vegetables and saffron couscous ($19.75). The salmon was a tad dry (I prefer it grilled or poached), but the portion was more than ample and the fish was expertly seasoned. The generous couscous & veggie side was as scrumptious as it was colorful. My Missus began with a cup of tomato basil soup, a longtime menu staple which we've enjoyed here in the past. Her entrée, the grilled skirt steak ($22), used to be one of her faves here, but the chef has revamped this dish. The meat is now accompanied by a polenta corn cake and baby carrots, and anointed with salsa and queso. She was not pleased with the toppings or the sides (I tasted the polenta and it was really very good). The naked steak, while still delectable, was smallish and not sufficient to satisfy her appetite.
Excellent Food?Great Servive?❗
Ignored this place practically my whole life that I have been going to old orchard but happy I stumbled across it. Perfect salads and even better atmosphere. Great place to eat while doing some weekend shopping. I always appreciate when salads are hearty and satiate you, in which their quality matches the hefty amounts that they are charging you. I've found this to be true of their other dishes as well, like their paninis and homemade chips. Definitely have been missing this place since the quarantine has continued to get extended, can't wait to go back.
I went here with my husband on a date afternoon for lunch. The menu looks good and there is something for everyone. The food is somewhat overpriced for what you get. I got a tuna sandwich which was on par of what I could get at Corner Bakery. The spiced chips were very heavy on the spice and not very good. Service was good but the restaurant needs to decide whether it is table service or quick service. This hybrid is kind of strange. As a mom, I noticed a lack of high chairs as well.
Good service, conveniently located inside Nordstrom with a calorie conscious menu ... not as nice as the Oakbrook location but not bad either.
Restaurantji Recommends
Pricey but yummy
I have dinner here with my family about twice a week. We have busy schedules so cooking dinner isnt always feasible. Food is always fresh, delicious and healthy.
Walked in girl taking the order....unfriendly,made the experience of to a bad startCan’t figure out why you would have a greeter order taker that has a lofty attitude Food is ok
The smell is terrible - a definite urine smell. The booths are filthy. Although the food is good, I will never go back.
Pricey but yummy