Manatee Cafe

I always hate doing this... rating any vegetarian restaurant under 4 stars, but we tried to find the good here and there was not much. Strengths: + All vegetarian, lots of vegan options + Fairly quick service even when busy Opportunities: - the tofu scramble only really had the flavor of soy sauce. For us vegans, we know Indian black salt + nutritional yeast will yield a very eggt flavor for tofu scramble. As such, the first couple bites were good, but the dish became inedible halfway through because it was just tofu with soy sauce. - the potatoes were very greasy and were underseasoned alone. So eating them with the tofu scramble balanced out a little but each should stand on its own. - the miso soup did not taste fresh. It had this dark, burnt taste. I've literally never experienced in the hundreds of miso soups I've eaten in my lifetime. - the waffle was by far the worst though. I know vegan baking (any cooking with flour) can be difficult, but this waffle was gritty and bitter. It was almost as if the batter switched the sugar and baking soda. My wife took two bites and couldn't do any more. I tried one and spit it out. The fruit was also not fresh and was bitter as well. With such high reviews, I'm so surprised at our experience. If it is a consistency issue, I hope they fix it!

An absolutely fantastic little place, filled to the brim with (mostly) manatee art! Fair trade coffee and sweets at the counter, filtered water, and even ocean friendly straws, this place is awesome! My waitress, Cheryl, was super sweet in helping me decide what to get, and the other young lady who brought me my food was cheerful and kind, as well. I got the breakfast burrito, made vegan with tofu scramble and vegan cheese. It was delicious! The hashbrowns were great as well. If you're in the area, and you're vegan or gluten free, you MUST check this cafe out!

This is a cute little restaurant in the middle of a strip mall full of other restaurants. What makes it stand out from it's neighbors is it's unique menu. They have a large variety of vegan and vegetarian options, served diner style, but plated in a fine dining fashion. The food looks beautiful and delish, and I'd say that it tastes even better than it looks. I had the breakfast burrito, which was really more of a fully loaded, tropical, fruity/savor, breakfast taco. My friend had the 2 eggs and potatoes breakfast. Both looked wonderful and tasted better than anticipated. If you're in the area and would like some local, delicious, vegan/vegetarian (they also have meat options) cuisine, then this is your place.

Always just a phenomenal experience here at the Manatee Café! Cheryl and her Crew do what they do, oh-so-well. We used to live in Saint Augustine and this is the one for-sure place we have to visit when we’re back in town. For we three, our go-to is the Manatee breakfast burrito. We have two with the side salad (fave dressings are both the mustard and the basil) and the third with the house potatoes. This “burrito” is actually more like a giant fat taco with the best, unique ingredients you’ve ever tasted put together, including hummus, sweet potato, scrambled eggs and a whole lotta Love! I’m not a huge fan of hummus, but something about this just WORKS—Cheryl is a true Genius! The coffee, both regular and decaf, is strong, just how we like it. Original artwork on all the walls is a delight, and the servers are super friendly and helpful. If you get lucky, you might even be able to bow at Cheryl’s feet as she passes hurriedly through the restaurant enroute back to the hot grill. You won’t be sorry you took a moment to thank her – she is always willing to take a moment to meet a new fan. Tell her Renge’, Mark and Shelby sent you! 🌟💜💙💚🌟