Just down the road from campus is a fantastic place to grab a quick lunch. Whether you’re a sandwich lover, pasta lover, a vegan or vegetarian, or if you want a smoothie or dish of ice cream; Café Ollie has everything you could want in a simple restaurant.
Located in the heart of Depot Town at 42 E. Cross St., Cafe Ollie will make you a regular customer in no time. Café Ollie is open from 8 a.m.8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 9 a.m. 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Upon entering this little café, I noticed they have indoor and outdoor seating available for the customers with a wide array of art on display.
The best part? You don’t need a reservation to get one of their delicious meals. Walk-ins are always welcome for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even coffee and dessert. You could even call and order ahead of time for take-out. It’s also extremely kid-friendly, as they have a wide array of games sitting out.
Their slogan of “50% meat eater, 50% vegetarian, 50% vegan, 150% delicious!” rings true as I spoke to Christina Ponter about the restaurant.
Ponter said that while the restaurant is largely influenced by the vegan/vegetarian option, they serve meat and other products as well.
“Everything on the menu ranges in price from $6.50 to about $8. The owners, Mark and Danielle Tiecho would have a difficult time finding somewhere for her to eat because she was a vegetarian…” Ponter, an employee of 5 months, said. “So that’s where the idea for the menu came from.”
While they do serve beer and wine, the style of the restaurant is as a café experience, a more traditional European style café with desserts, sandwiches and more.
When I asked the owner, Mark Tiecho, what he would recommend to someone who has never been there before, he suggested their Mac and Cheese.
“It’s not only Christina’s favorite dish here, but mine as well. Classic Mac and Cheese that your mom would make but better is how I describe it to people.” Tiecho said.
When I tasted this, I couldn’t have said it better myself. With the cheese melted to perfection, I fell in love with it. Pair this delicious meal with one of their fantastic shakes and you’ll never want to go to another restaurant again.
After enjoying my meal, I asked fellow student, Sara Saxman, to tell me about her experience at Café Ollie.
“I love coming here because it’s really cute here,” Saxman said. “It’s a nice little quaint café where I can study and enjoy a nice meal from time to time. It breaks up the monotony of the busy campus and gives me a place to breathe and I personally enjoy it over Starbucks.”
If you’re looking for events to participate in, Café Ollie has some interesting for the near future. Starting next Wednesday, Café Ollie will have weekly wine tasting event. For $10, you can partake in various different types of beer and wine from all over the state of Michigan.
Christina also let me in on a little secret: The Tiechos are going to do a Sunday Night Folk Night. Though the idea is still in the works, it looks like it would be every other Sunday, and you would be able to come in and enjoy folk music from Ypsi locals.
If you’re looking great place to cater your parties or social events, look no further. Café Ollie also does catering. I hope I’ve sparked your curiosity to check out this fantastic café just down the road!
For more information call 734-482-8050 or email cafeollie@gmail.com.
