Walking into Milkstop cafe in LaGrange there is an immediate sense of community. The cafe is owned by a small group of locals who came together to create a relaxed and inclusive environment. The location on 700 W. Burlington, previously Circle of Stones, is both modern and inviting.

As I walked in I was quickly welcomed by a hostess who sat us almost immediately in the comfortable but compact restaurant. I sat at a small table by the window which was cute and quaint. The tables are pretty close together which isn’t my favorite spacing arrangement but it does create for a more community oriented restaurant.

It took us a while to order because the menu had so many different options. The menu ranges from classics like a cheeseburger to unique items like the Shichimi Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna. The server was quick to take our order.

As a salad lover, when I saw the Adobo Orange Chicken Avocado Cobb I was immediately excited to try it.  I ended up starting with the cobb ($10) which was an interesting combination of flavors that I didn’t enjoy. The flavor of the chicken didn’t combine well with the other flavors of the cobb. The orange chicken and the creamy cobb dressing didn’t pair well. The twist on the classic cobb salad wasn’t as enjoyable as I would’ve hoped. The salad also included a fair amount of onions which I thought overpowered the flavors of the salad.

On the other hand the ABLTA club, a BLT with apricot and avocado ($9), was delicious and had a great addition of apricot flavor. The sweetness of the apricot added a unique spin on a classic sandwich. The sandwich was portioned well and included a side of fries that were crispy and salted nicely. I didn’t finish this sandwich, but I took it home to eat later because I enjoyed it so much.

A friend of mine ordered the Milkstop Flat Cheeseburger ($12) which was a delicious basic cheeseburger. The partial owners Chris and Mary Spagnola previously owned a LaGrange favorite, Back Alley Burger, so it was no coincidence that the burger was tender and flavorful.

The food came very quickly and was visually appealing as well as delicious. I hope to eventually return for dinner and for breakfast, although the restaurant doesn’t have breakfast hours yet. The restaurant opens at 11:30 a.m. for lunch and then begins serving dinner at 5 p.m. I have heard good things about the dinner so I am excited to see what more they have to offer.

I would recommend Milkstop to others because it is delicious as well as affordable. The total bill was $36.30 which is affordable for two high school students considering it was a sit down meal where we ordered three iteams.

Paws 4/5