Home Cooked Specialties for Breakfast & Lunch

Cravings Cafe, Espresso Bar and Bakery is a quaint sidewalk cafe on the creek in Chester near Lake Almanor. Owners and chefs Heath and Christi Chase enjoy their work and it shows. The aromas of fresh baked goodness spill out onto Main Street (across from Holiday Market) as their love for cooking is displayed on every plate delivered inside.

The couple purchased Chester Old Town Cafe from Carol Fanchetti and turned it into Cravings Cafe, Expresso Bar & Bakery. They have moved to a bigger location with beautiful creekside dining. With over 15 years of restaurant experience under their belts they both felt ready to open a special place of their own.

They have stayed true to their mission, serving fresh, delicious food, made from scratch. Their full line-up of breakfast entrees includes many of their own specialties like their SoCal Omelette, the Belgian Waffle, Homemade Corned Beef Hash, incredible Breakfast Burritos and of course, their already-famous Buttermilk Biscuits with Fresh Sausage Gravy.

The lunch menu is brimming with entrees like Heath’s Tomato Basil Soup, their generous California Club sandwich and a healthy spinach or Cobb salad. Their tasty burgers are piled high with all the trimmings on fresh buns made by Truckee Sourdough Company.

Whether you’re craving something sweet like their mouth watering scratch-made sticky buns, Belgian waffles, or something belly warming like their homemade corn beef hash, you are in for a real treat.

Top it off with a hot cup of Joe or specialty coffee drink. They offer a full espresso bar. I enjoy ordering a latte to go when I take off on a road trip and who could resist the glass case filled with fresh goodies. Their made-from-scratch bakery includes several items each day. Some of my favorites are their cinnamon rolls, blueberry turnovers and cranberry-orange scones. The other day I picked up a wonderful walnut-chocolate chip cooke there that was nothing short of scrumptious, with plenty of chopped walnuts and a little crunch to it. It was one of the best chocolate chip cookies I’d ever had, no exaggeration.

The menu is loaded with tempting choices, and with all that home cooking going on, it’s no wonder they can whip up your favorite vegetarian or gluten-free choices also. They also prepare foods to go for folks on the run.