Loreen’s Village Cafe

This is now Dexter Coney Island — Stopped in for breakfast Tuesday morning and it was really good. Hot and fast. Cheap as you would expect a Coney to be. Menu looked like the typical coney fare too.

I am saddened to say, that after 30 years of living in Dexter I will no longer be a patron of Loreen’s Village Café. It was the Lighthouse prior and we’ve always enjoyed a quiet Sunday breakfast there. Yes, the food is just so-​so, but we’ve always tried to support local businesses.
This morning (Father’s Day), I was suprised to see that the wait staff had new T-​shirts sporting Political and Religious beliefs on the back. My mother always said, «no Politics, no Religion, and no Sex talk in Public» and I believe she was right. Those topics are very personal and have so many view points that there is no forum in the public sector. I spent my entire meal fuming. Not what I had in mind. It was so «in my face» I couldn’t ignore it. When they went to the patriotic theme, my thought was «Well that’s a little over-​done» much like someone who puts too many roosters in their kitchen. It didn’t bother me though, because I fly my flag like the next person on Memorial, Labor and Flag day. This other stuff though, I can skip.
Sorry Loreen. You’re blowing it. Find another venue for your religious and political crap. I will pass.

My memory has been failing me lately. I had been to a diner in Dexter years ago, which I remembered as being tasty and inexpensive. I finally figured out that it must been in the spot Loreen’s now occupies, so I dragged my Mr. there the other day.
And wow. There’s nothing I can say that hasn’t been said. The mug photo pretty much sums it up. Politics in your face, though perhaps that’s to distract from the Gordon Food Service items on the menu. Your average Coney Island offers up better value and fresher ingredients.
I think this time around, I won’t soon forget this place.

Was glad to see new owner for the Lighthouse. So tried it for the first time today.
Sorry to say, I was completely put off by the extreme right-​wing political and religious décor. The food was terrible, too. Don’t see how this business model survives, unless it is subsidized Rush Limbaugh Enterprises, Inc.

This place does have good/​friendly service and a fast kitchen but the military flags and American chochkies are just too much for me. The food is below par, I had a hot rosy beef sandwich and it was obvious the mashed potatoes were powdered and the green beans were canned! This restaurant is the only breakfast joint in town so I think that will keep it going but honestly they need to step it if they want to stay in business.

Yeah, it a right-​wing, religious nut factory in here, but it is also a dang fine greasy spoon. I live so close I was upset when the Lighthouse closed, mama needs her biscuits and gravy on the weekends! Loreen’s delivered good tasty breakfasts at cheap prices. Service is a bit hit or miss just as it was at the Lighthouse (you will wait for a cashier to ring up your bill) but everyone seems friendly and it’s much cleaner than the old Lighthouse. It would be nice to not be beat over the head with the religious and «all-​american» themes, but that won’t keep me from my gravy.

I drive past it all the time, so I found the right opportunity to finally sample Loreen’s.
It was midmorning, so either breakfast or lunch items would be appropriate. I opted for breakfast.
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Typical breakfast menu: eggs, breakfast meats, 3-​egg omelets, pancakes, etc. I tried the ham & cheese omelets and some coffee.
It’s hard to mess up an omelet, so no surprise that it arrived acceptably. With a side of rye toast and a cup of grits, it was a decent offering for $ 5.50. I don’t see grits on Northern menus (least of all, properly prepared), so it was a pleasant choice as a side. They were good. Coffee was was pretty good, but mild. I never got the cup below half before the waitress was along with a hot top-​off. Big plus!
Yes, the motif of the restaurant is a boisterous Red, White and Blue, with lots of overt proclamations on the t-​shirts and coffee cups. It’s no big deal to me. Every restaurant has a theme.
What is important is this is a restaurant and that they deliver a reasonably quality meal. In that regard, Loreen’s faired okay.
In Dexter (proper) the best place for breakfast is still Alpha Coney Island (in Country Market plaza), but Loreen’s is an alternative.

Excellent crispy fries and just the right spicy chili. Only thing, slow to get food and they push their religous and politic beliefs way too much (brochures on all the tables, walls, etc). Was told they’ve been through 10+ cooks since they opened. So worth trying again if you had a bad experience.

Can I get a side of civility with those eggs? Oh, you’re out? Pity.

I’m saddened to have to write this review given that I was excited to see a new restaurant opening in town. I ordered pancakes and eggs and neither seemed to be cooked enough. I was pretty much ignored at the cashier table for about 5 min as I waited to pay for the meal so I could leave. On another note, the restaurant is politically themed (far right). The establishment sells very agressive t-​shirts that sarcastically say something along the line of «I will keep my guns and my religion and you can keep your change» and «If you don’t like the American Flag dial 1800 Leave The USA». There is likely a strong underlying anti-​Obama/​anti-​Democrat sentiment behind the t-​shirts, since the first t-​shirt is modeled after something Obama said. The waitresses all wore these shirts. The context is kind of ugly for a restaurant. I agree with the right to own guns, religious choice, and what our flag represents. I’m not a big Obama fan, but I am a fan of the American system of government, and Obama was elected by that system. His time will end and our system will replace him with someone who will repair what he’s broken and likely break some of the things he has fixed. Attacking Obama, our elected president, and Democrats to the degree that some do, is destructive to the American system of government.