With winter coming and the cold winds blowing through campus, knowing where warm drinks and wholesome food is served is a must. Last Monday at 3 p.m., I went to Beezy’s Café, located at 20 N. Washington St. in Ypsilanti, for a late lunch and to warm up from the cold.

As soon as I walked through the back door of Beezy’s Cafe, adjacent to a convenient parking lot with private parking for Beezy’s customers, I was greeted by friendly voices. I stood at the back of the dining room for a moment to admire the atmosphere.

The yellow walls and soft lighting made Beezy’s very cozy; the perfect place to enjoy a hot drink while cramming for upcoming finals. I was amazed by Beezy’s large menu, which is posted on a massive chalkboard on the wall.

I salivated as I scanned the chalkboard menu. The breakfast menu excited me with items like the chorizo scramble, breakfast burrito and the French toast made with vanilla custard. I was crushed when I saw breakfast is only served until 2 p.m.

My eyes moved over to the sandwich menu, and I had trouble deciding between the BBQ bacon chicken salad full of applewood smoked bacon, black pepper, barbecue sauce and tender chicken, or the avocado veggie stuffed with sundried tomato pesto, avocado, roasted red peppers, lettuce, onion and tomato.

I looked at Beezy’s hot drink menu and saw their range of coffee drinks. Beezy’s serves lattes, cappuccinos, espresso and teas as well as a variety of fruit drinks. I knew I wanted a hot chocolate, a winter classic, to warm me up.

I made my way to the counter and ordered the BBQ bacon chicken salad sandwich on wheat bread for $6.95. I could have also chosen rye or sourdough bread. I also ordered a large hot chocolate for $3.95.

I took a seat in the front dining room and looked into the open food-prep area. The employees make the sandwiches right in front of the customers. This made me think of Beezy’s motto: “Simple, honest food.”

My hot chocolate came out almost immediately because it was not very busy while I was at the cafe. It came in an attractive, tall glass instead of the usual porcelain mug. I grabbed a spoon from the cabinet next to me, which was filled with things like carry-out trays, ketchup and mustard, cloth napkins and utensils.

I dug my spoon into the mountain of whipped cream and grinned like a child. The whipped cream was a perfect accent to the dark chocolate. With the first sip of hot chocolate, my insides warmed and my goosebumps subsided.

My sandwich was ready one sip later and I was taken aback by its size. I had never seen a chicken salad sandwich look so intimidating. The bread slices were at least an inch thick and there was a huge pile of chopped chicken, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and red onions between them.

I carried my boat-sized sandwich to my table and took my first large bite. The first thing I loved about my BBQ bacon chicken salad sandwich was the bread, which was so soft and fresh. It had a wonderful, subtle crust that made it completely incomparable to typical sandwich bread.

When I got a taste of the chicken salad and mayonnaise, I was floored. The sweet mayo was a great contrast to the tangy BBQ sauce and spicy black pepper in the dressing. The crispy bacon pieces in the chicken were excellent; I could taste their salty sweetness in
every bite.

The veggies in the sandwich were so crisp I could hear it when I bit into the sandwich. The lettuce mixture of light and dark greens added another unique quality to this sandwich and the tart red onions gave another level of flavor.

The sandwich was so big I could only finish half of it. I asked the kind woman behind the counter for a box and it fit my sandwich perfectly. For $10.90, I got a large hot chocolate, a large sandwich, another meal and a great place to relax for a while.

I left Beezy’s Cafe full, warm and happy. I cannot wait to go back on a chilly morning to try some of Beezy’s enticing breakfast menu items.

Beezy’s Cafe is open Monday – Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can visit beezyscafe.com as well.

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