Twisted Cafe Closes for Relocation
During temporary closure, the business will host brunch pop-ups at downtown's Tropic.
Former site of Twisted Cafe, 1505 N. Farwell Ave. Photo taken Aug. 17, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
Twisted Cafe is temporarily closed as the business prepares to reopen in a new location. The restaurant and hookah lounge hosted its final brunch service earlier this month.
And though guests will no longer be able to visit the original location at 1505 N. Farwell Ave., Twisted Cafe continues to offer its most popular dishes through a series of pop-ups at Tropic, a Jamaican restaurant and lounge. Brunches take place every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 518 N. Water St.
The pop-up menu features nearly a dozen choices ranging from indulgent, coconut cream-infused golden waffles with ice cream to crispy, spicy wings tossed in soy garlic parmesan, Korean sweet chili BBQ, twisted chicken hot or honey buffalo sauce.
There’s also a mega-filling breakfast burger topped with Canadian bacon, onions, American cheese, a fried egg and special sauce; french toast stuffed with honey ham, Swiss cheese and a fried egg; and a fried chicken sandwich with Japanese mayo.
Brunch items are accompanied by an order of chef’s potatoes or french fries — depending on the order. A variety of breakfast items are also available a la carte.
Each brunch service features live music from local DJs and specials such as $20 bottomless mimosas, $20 hookahs and drink discounts.
Owner Melissa Latavong said she’s leveraging the brunch pop-ups to stay connected with customers as she searches for a new home for Twisted Cafe. She aims to reopen the business at a downtown location, but is waiting until a plan is finalized before sharing additional details.
Back in December 2021, Latavong achieved a lifelong dream of becoming a business owner when she opened Twisted Cafe. The Farwell Avenue space was previously home to Elephant Cafe, a Thai restaurant.
During its nearly two-year tenure at the address, Twisted Cafe attracted a loyal following with its unique menu of street food-inspired dishes with a twist. Korean-style corn dogs, stuffed french toast and cheeseburger egg rolls were standout dishes, and paired well with the cafe’s selection of coffee and cocktails.
The cafe also regularly played host to entertainment and events such as karaoke, game nights, Wing Wednesdays and holiday parties.
Twisted Cafe was originally located at ground level within a two-story building. Khamphet Nanthasane, the owner of Elephant Cafe, purchased the building in 2010 for $235,000, according to city assessment records.
Nanthasane is still the owner of the property, as well as eight others — mostly residential homes — across the city.
A reopening date and new location for Twisted Cafe will be announced at a later date. Stay tuned to the business’s Facebook and Instagram pages for more information.
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