As the weather finally begins to warm up once again and Champaign County’s greenery returns, many people will find themselves looking for outdoor activities.
While my adventure today will eventually lead me to the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve, let’s start with the most important thing for this Chambana Eats audience — coffee.
Yoyo’s Coffeee & Bar in Mahomet is open for business as both a coffee shop (in the morning and afternoon) and a bar (in the evening).
If you’re wondering whether the trip out of Champaign-Urbana is worth it, it is. I promise. Yoyo’s is the most visually distinct coffeehouse I have visited in recent memory.
Approaching the building from the north side, you’re greeted by a large mural inviting you to ‘step inside’. The parking lot and entryway are also fully decked out in art and novelties— the parking lot entrance is marked by an installation reminiscent of Stonehenge or perhaps stalagmites, and walking towards the front door takes you past an impressive array of seating options.
(Photo by Brandon Snyder)
I didn’t think I would spend a paragraph of this piece talking about seatings, but quite frankly, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so many different ways to sit outside of one restaurant before. There are two swings, an assortment of typical outdoor chairs, a coin operated Model T ride for kids, rock slabs and wooden cubes. About half of the seating is covered by a rustic wooden overhang adorned with gentle yellow lights.
And for decoration and added rustic charm, there’s an old, rusted truck situated near the seating area. The last thing you’ll see before heading inside is a painted wall bearing the phrase ‘I Coffee.’ Me too, wall, me too.
The party at Yoyo’s doesn’t end when you get inside — a mix of clay bricks and beautiful wooden tables and chairs gives it a very homey feel. The dining area has not just a table for checkers or chess, but also a cabinet full of board games for all ages, as well as activities for younger kids. The drink menu is fairly expansive, with options for not just coffee and tea, but also house-made energy drinks.
Although not apparent from the menu, Yoyo’s offers two non dairy milk alternatives in both almond and oat milk for those who prefer. Animal lovers will also be delighted to know that they offer pup cups for your animal companions. In addition to the drinks, there is a selection of bakery, breakfast, and lunch items available.
(Photo by Brandon Snyder)
I was feeling rather consumed by the theme of Spring as I ordered, settling for the iced raspberry bon bon latte (a spring special), alongside a raspberry scone. The inside edge of my latte was rimmed with what appeared to be caramel syrup (or maybe sweetened condensed milk?), though I could not pick out a distinct caramel flavor.
The latte was very raspberry forward, but not so much that I could not still taste the espresso in it. I much prefer a flavored latte where the espresso taste is still apparent, and this latte had the ideal balance of added flavoring and espresso taste. While the latte was fantastic, the raspberry scone was the real star of the show here. The scone was stuffed with flavorful raspberries & drizzled with a pleasantly sweet icing. It was on the denser side-but not too heavy-and it made the perfect accompaniment to my latte.
Paired with the price (only $10!) and the sense of place and atmosphere, this made for a lovely afternoon treat.
Yoyo’s Coffee & Bar is not just distinct in its decoration style, but in how it goes above and beyond to be a comforting gathering place for people of all ages.
The staff are helpful and polite, and from the looks of Yoyo’s social media pages, they love their jobs.
Yoyo’s uniquely charming atmosphere and fun seasonal menus are its biggest draws. I have no doubt I will be back for a second round at Yoyo’s to indulge in their evening food & drink menu.
Brandon Snyder is an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.