Crepe Amour: Small local restaurant is truly worth the visit

If you think the only place you can get a good crêpe is in Paris, then you would be wrong. Not only does the atmosphere have a quaint European style, but the food at Crêpe Amour also resembles that of a small, Parisian cafe.

Crêpe Amour is a little cafe off of Maple Avenue, (they have another, more popular, branch of their restaurant in D.C.) and when people say it’s small, they mean small. The restaurant only has two tables and a countertop inside, and two additional tables outside. What this means is you are not guaranteed seats, (especially anytime around noon, as their lunch rush always seems to be their busiest time), which is why many people take their crêpes to go.

Despite the lack of space in the restaurant, the workers keep up with the incoming orders; they never seem to get behind, and customers have their food within 15 minutes at the restaurant's busiest.

This crêperie does a sensational job when it comes to food, but the customer-server interaction is very limited and impersonal. When you walk inside, there are one-to-three people standing behind a counter of ingredients, much like at Subway; these employees take your order and then proceed to not talk to you for the rest of your time at the restaurant. The standoffish feel of Crêpe Amour compares to the relationship a Starbucks customer would have with their barista.

Even though there is not an overly personal vibe the food makes up for it, leaving the customers content and coming back. Crêpe Amour is not only a crêperie, it is also an espresso bar. Additionally, their D.C. branch has dessert waffles and salads, whereas the small, Vienna storefront only has crepes and an espresso bar that doubles as a milkshake and smoothie vendor.

There are many other differences between the two restaurants, just in terms of style. Customers in Vienna will find that they receive their crepes on paper plates, with plastic utensils available on the side of the store (the plastic utensils make it increasingly harder to cut your crêpe). Although the ambience is not as fancy as that of a French crêperie, the store is still cute and allows the customer to relax.

Of course, the atmosphere and design really do not take away from the food itself. Even if their customer service was nonexistent, the food might still make it worth it. The crêpes are delicious and packed with flavour; even the smell walking into the store is enough to make a person hungry. If you are able to, bring a friend along; this way you can split a savory and a sweet crêpe, as it is nearly impossible to finish two on your own.. However, if you are only able to get one, trying a sweet crêpe will never be the wrong choice; their dessert crêpes are the perfect amount of sugary sweetness and fruit, causing the customer’s mouth to water. (Recommendations: Monsieur (a savory crêpe with ham, cheese, and mushrooms) and Carnivale (a dessert crêpe with nutella, strawberries, and bananas))

Although the food was fantastic, there were a few concerns. While a vegetarian or gluten-free customer could eat here, as they had accommodations, vegans or people with severe allergies would have some problems. Nutella is regularly used on the cooking platform, which does not appear to be cleaned before each crêpe is prepared. If you have a serious nut allergy, I would suggest not eating here.

Even considering the allergy concerns, the restaurant does not lack in many places. Along with their storefronts, Crêpe Amour has a catering business for major events and a food truck (which is often used to cater large venues). Due to all of their amenities, they have achieved the goal they set out to accomplish.

Their website states: “The goal was to create a family-oriented and fast-casual alternative that would be successful as a small footprint location and be complemented by a professional and personalized catering service.”

Clearly, they’ve been successful in adhering to this mission. With a growing customer base and wide range of options, this small business shows big promise for years to come.

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Costs: Crêpes ~ $6

Drinks (coffee, smoothies, milkshakes) ~ $3-$6

Warning: Nuts, Eggs, Milk (ask if you need a vegetarian or gluten-free option)