The trio reteamed with their founders Foster & McElroy to work on the majority of the album, with additional contribution coming from musicians Raphael Saadiq, Dem Jointz, Taura Stinson, Kid Monroe, Ne-Yo, and Curtis "Sauce" Wilson.

Upon its release, Electric Café received mixed reviews from critics, many of whom praised the band for their vocal performances but found the material too generic and uneven.

While the original quartet performed several spot dates in North America and the release of new music through Los Angeles-based Movemakers Entertainment and Funkigirl was announced.

"[10] Initially planned as an electronic dance music record, the trio reunited with their founders, producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy, to have them spearhead the album.

[16] While Jointz and Stinson would contribute two tracks each, Saadiq collaborated with the band on his song "I'm Good" during recording at the Blakeslee Studios in North Hollywood.

"[19] AllMusic editor Andy Kellman gave Electric Café three and a half out of five stars and called it "a whimsical yet surprisingly steady collection of material that continuously switches eras and styles with positive energy beaming all the way through it."

He considered "the six songs the singers co-wrote with [McElroy and Foster] the most adventurous" and added: "Going strictly by the unfussy ease with which this enjoyable album seems to have been knocked out, one wouldn't know that the group's status was ever in doubt.

In the ways that matter, En Vogue's trademark multiple leads and lush harmonies remain: each vocalist retains her distinct flavor throughout and the production.

"[22] Guardian journalist Caroline Sullivan called the album "a freshly enlightened approach to songwriting and a crisp live set to show it all off.

"[24] Spectrum Culture's Dominic Griffin called Electric Café a "a jubilant comeback album produced and performed with palpable glee and inspiring self-confidence.

"[23] In her review for Australian online magazine Renowned for Sound, Rachael Scarsbrook wrote: "On more than one occasion, Electric Cafe loses a sense of cohesiveness needed for a comeback album, but it’s nice to see a heritage band still committed to making music all these years later.

"[21] In the United States, Electric Café debuted and peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart in the issue dated April 21, 2018.