Carmen's Cafe

Excellent service! Excellent food! Very clean and inviting atmosphere. We really enjoyed our…read moreexperience and will be back!

Everything is amazing. The southwest dish is my favorite. Outstanding decoration. Perfect place…read morefor brunch.

Cookie dough pancakes!

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Hot Chocolate

Toast 'N Jams

4.4(323 reviews)

3.3 mi

Great food, large portions. Wonderful homemade strawberry jam, to top a great piece of multigrain…read morebread. Our server was attentive and personable.

Sunday Mid-Morning: Wait time a short 10-minutes despite having quite a few names ahead of us…read more Vibe: quirky and upscale bunch vibes, without being stuffy. Jeans and a hoodie was perfectly acceptable. There's an indoor pergola structure which is neat. Server- Lindsay K. - She's awesome. Gave really good recommendations, great personality, and efficient. Food. Holy cow the portions are huge and delicious. I highly appreciated the number of photos in the online menu, but they did give "diner" or quick-shot vibes rather than the gourmet food we were served. Everything was so so good. I'm sure I will dream about that strawberry pancake. And, I took the entirety of my croissant home. We will definitely be back to try more of the menu.

Waiting area at Toast'n Jams

Mediterranean scrambler

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The Early Owl

3.4(83 reviews)

0.3 mi

Food was okay, ambience is fine... but such long wait times! Luckily we were seated right away, but…read moreit was about 90 minutes to get some eggs and French toast. Cute spot near the downtown and art market was nearby... it just took sooooo long. Maybe it was just really busy because it's the weekend in the summer. If you don't have wiggly, impatient children and don't mind relaxing on vacation, definitely check this place out.

So so good! This place has such amazing breakfast and the people who work here are fantastic! I…read morehighly recommend the breakfast!

Dining Room of The Early Owl

Mixed Berry Dutch Baby on the Breakfast Menu at The Early Owl (available until 3pm daily)

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Patio of The Early Owl

The Coffee Factory

4.7(84 reviews)

1.1 mi

I love this place and so happy to see it has survived since first discovering it many years ago on…read moremy last trip to Muskegon. I rank this place right up there with some of the best coffee shops on the west coast, including Seattle. The cold brew had great flavor. Too bad my diet restrictions won't allow me to eat the delicious looking pastries. However, I will be back to test some of the lunch items and other coffees.

I had high hopes for this place after seeing the reviews. We went in on a Saturday morning, there…read morewere a couple people in line and a couple people waiting for their items. There were only two people working, one making drinks and one taking orders. The man making drinks was focused on making one drink at a time which caused us to wait over 20 minutes for one drink. Once he made the drink, he sat it on a table and made the man taking orders call out the drinks which resulted in drinks sitting there for 5+ minutes after they were made. I watched him make my drink and he only put one shot of espresso in it, entirely too much milk, and about 5 ice cubes. I took about 3 sips before throwing it away. Overall, it was a really disappointing experience. The place was cute but it doesn't make up for exceptionally slow service and poorly made drinks.

Cozy, cool interior

The Caprese sandwich, Sarah's olive salad and a lavender flower coffee

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Pick up window and the hallway leading to the always creatively decorated bathrooms.

Getty Street Grill

4.5(63 reviews)

1.5 mi

Incredible service! The friendly waitresses come around constantly, filling your coffee cup! The…read morebreakfast was delicious! Omelets are huge and affordable! This little place is definitely where the locals go! It is clean, friendly and affordable!

AMAZING the food was so good I got a cheese burger and fries it was served fast warm and delicious…read more the staff was so kind and the pie was so good and very large slices I would recommend the burgers and fries the butter finger pie and Getty street griller they were perfect and yummy the staff was kind and it was almost like Luke's diner from Gilmore girls except with out Luke because they were so kind will be coming back VERY SOON

Inside dinner

Skillet

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Pie!

Lakeside Cafe

4.4(89 reviews)

1.8 mi

Lakeside cafe is a gem. We were passing through and ate here for breakfast. We split the spicy…read morehashbrowns with a biscuit. Both were absolutely delicious. We would have ordered more, but we had a few hours of drive in front of us and didn't want to be in a food coma. The coffee was decent, but it was the run of the mill diner coffee. Nothing to write home about, but coffee is not why I go to breakfast joints. The service was fantastic. We sat outside with our dogs and the waitstaff brought them them only the best water (iced). Very dog friendly staff and they loved our dogs, as well as most of the customers coming in and out. Hearing the staff and customers interact, it's that nice town feel --one that they know and care about each other and build a community. 10/10 would eat here again!

Always busy and that's a good thing! Great servers that will never leave your coffee cup dry. Best…read morepancakes in town! Next time you go and aren't feeling breakfast, try the BLT!

Omelette

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Lakeside Cafe

The Lake House Waterfront Grille

3.8(348 reviews)

0.4 mi

How can you not like this place!! Beautiful view, great food, excellent staff! They really go above…read moreand beyond to make you happy with your experience. I usually take business meetings here just for the food and drinks!

A beautiful restaurant sitting right on the water. The food was delicious and artfully served! Our…read moreserver was very polite and efficient.

Fully stocks bar

Brussels Sprouts

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Sunset views are coming and easily seen from the restaurant!

Mr. B's Pancake House

4.4(122 reviews)

2.6 mi

I can't remember what I ordered. However I remember I enjoyed it…read more Staff was courteous and friendly.

Food and portions are good as always my only complaint is when you order no mushrooms in the…read morestuffed hashbrowns there should be no mushrooms instead of a thousand mushrooms. Literally piles of mushrooms.

Counter

I think this was the Greek omelette

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Waiting area

Carlisle's

4.4(73 reviews)

0.4 mi

DELICIOUS Old Fashioneds -- they have a few to choose from. I had the honey butter one and it was…read moreperfection. Fish n chips and fried cheese curds were also tasty. My friend had a burger and the queso dip -- all good! Service was fine. Ambiance was casual. Bonus: there's a roller rink inside! Recently they used it for high school graduation.

Carlisle's was pretty good! Food was good, portions were good, prices were fair. The menu was huge…read moretoo, definitely something for everyone. I got the Salisbury steak with roasted baby potatoes, creamed corn and a little piece of bread and it was good. Drinks were good too. Service was fine. Patio seating was a nice touch, and it's attached directly to Trinity Health Arena which is such a random but fun detail. Also shoutout to the kids menu with crayons and an activity placemat, my kids were entertained the whole meal. Would come back. Good food, fair prices, and a spot that's actually fun to sit in.

Interior

Cheese fries

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Outside covered area

The Exchange Coffee Bar

4.2(15 reviews)

0.1 mi

I visited The Exchange Coffee Bar recently and it was an okay experience…read more The barista working was very quiet and not super cheerful. It seemed like she did not want to be there that day. Maybe she was having an off day and that's okay! But it made for an awkward experience. The music was very loud, and that was the reason I decided to leave. The seating is unique. Most of it is high tops. There is a couch area and 2 tables that are regular tables. It is a small space and the design is nice, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's cozy. I had a Valentine's special, a red velvet latte. It was okay. The cheesecake cold foam was the best I have ever had, but the latte itself tasted so artificial like maybe it had too much red velvet or something? Not sure! Maybe it would be better if I gave it another try sometime! I wish them great success though!

Cute interior here with the electric fireplace and big sofa right at the entrance, plenty of tables…read moreto sit at too. Seemed like a clean and quiet place to enjoy a drink, baked good, or sandwich at. I asked if they could make any of their fun seasonal drinks vegan. After some back and forth between four different staff members, they said their spinach, feta, egg bites were an option. Confused, I said, "Egg is not vegan. Cheese is not vegan." One of the staff responded, "That's good to know!" Finally, the manager (maybe?) landed on this response: "We can't do any of our seasonal drinks vegan, we also do not serve any vegan food. Our only vegan option is a cold brew with almond or coconut milk." I ordered a cold brew with a splash of almond milk and a tiny (emphasized multiple times) squirt of flavored syrup (a brand I knew was vegan). They didn't know how to make it. I heard two of them trying to figure out what the ratio of coffee to milk was. I ended up with a cup of iced almond milk, topped with some cold brew, and a thiiiiiiick layer of syrup at the bottom. It was like drinking cake. If you're vegan, heads-up. If you're a person who wants any adjustments made to your coffee order, heads-up. If you like coffee forward drinks, heads-up. It seems they have a dedicated/set menu and really don't or can't veer from it.

Salted Carmel Toffee Latte and Breakfast Bagel Sandwich

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My detailed Americano and a maple pecan frappe... both were done perfectly!

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6 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Kendall S.

9 years ago

My family and I came on a Saturday morning around 10:00. It was packed! We had a 15 minute wait which was not too bad in their little waiting area. As soon as we sat down we were able to get drinks. The waitress came a little while after to take our order. We sat there for 40 minutes not hearing from our waitress and everyone else around us eating their food around us. When we finally did get the food it was ok. Definitely not worth the wait. read more

Lindsay S.

6 years ago

Super fun atmosphere. I don't remember our waitress's name but she was super fun and had a great energy. The food was super good too

Caley N.

11 years ago

The staff is very friendly, and the atmosphere is great. The food is good and the portion sizes are perfect.

Jamie S.

2 years ago

I will never eat here again since they fired my favorite server. Hope they go out of business.

Adam R.

8 years ago

There is nothing bad about this place! Great food! Great service! Great management! Yum!

Liz W.

14 years ago

Very reasonable prices and friendly staff.

Carmen's Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated October 2026

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3.7

(58 reviews)

Pretty easy 5 star rating here. We had a large group of 9, so will start off with saying how much…read morewe appreciated being able to make brunch reservations. Not everyone is willing to do that on Sunday mornings. Everyone within our group was very happy with their food. Kids had Mickey pancakes. We had a mix of skillets and griddle combos among the adults. I enjoyed some eggs Florentine. It was excellent. They were super busy, but it was steady, smooth and really great service.

This place is exactly what you want + when you think of a breakfast/brunch place. The servers feel…read morelike friends. The food is always spot on. It might be a bit off the beaten track path but that makes it that much more enjoyable.

Rainy Days Cafe

3.8

(52 reviews)

I haven't been to this restaurant in a long time. The last time I was there, I didn't feel like a…read morevalued customer. Now, they are under new ownership. The service is a lot better. Rainy Day has outside dining, but it was a rather chilly morning, so everyone was eating inside. The place was crowded, but we managed to find a lone table tucked in the corner. Prices, I thought, were reasonable. Service was friendly and the food was tasty. My only complaint would be the uncomfortable wooden chairs. If I were dining by myself, it wouldn't be a big deal as I would be in and out in around 20 minutes. This time I had a partner with me, so of course we lingered longer. I'll be back to this place in the future, but as a lone diner.

My wife and I have mixed feelings about this review because we genuinely like this restaurant and…read morethe people who work there. We visited Rainy Days Café the weekend before the Fourth of July and had a wonderful experience. The food was excellent, and the service was fantastic. That's exactly why we decided to come back for breakfast on the Fourth of July. We arrived around 11:05 a.m. and were seated just after a table of 12. Our waitress, who was incredibly sweet and kind throughout the entire experience, told us she was able to get our order into the kitchen before the large party. Shortly afterward, a table of seven and then a table of six were seated outside after us. A while later, the owner personally came to our table to apologize and explained that our ticket had been lost and our breakfast had never been made. We really appreciated her honesty and the fact that she came out herself to explain what happened. At that point, we weren't upset because we understand mistakes happen, especially in a busy, family-owned restaurant on the Fourth of July. While we continued waiting, our waitress refilled our coffee, and we asked if we could have a cinnamon roll while waiting for our breakfast. It wasn't meant to replace our meal--just something to hold us over since we'd already been waiting quite a while. The owner later returned and very graciously told us our breakfast would be complimentary because we had been waiting nearly two hours. We appreciated that gesture. Unfortunately, the wait continued. During that time, the table of seven and the table of six--both seated after us--received and finished their meals while we still had nothing. With about 15 minutes left before closing, we finally went inside and asked if they could simply make our breakfast to go. That's when everyone realized there had been another misunderstanding. Our waitress had thought that when we asked for the cinnamon roll, we had decided that was all we wanted, so our breakfast order had been canceled--even though it had never actually been made in the first place. I truly believe this was an honest miscommunication, not a lack of caring. Our waitress remained kind and attentive the entire time, and the owner did everything she could once she realized the original mistake. Unfortunately, a series of communication breakdowns resulted in us sitting in the restaurant for over two hours, watching at least 30 people who arrived after us receive their meals, before ultimately leaving hungry and having to find another place to eat. This was incredibly disappointing because we know how good this restaurant can be. We will likely give Rainy Days Café another chance because our previous visit was so positive, and I genuinely believe this was an unfortunate chain of mistakes rather than a reflection of the people who work there. I hope they can use this experience to improve communication between the front of the businesss and the kitchen because the food is worth coming back for, and the staff clearly cares about their customers.

Gary's Restaurant

4.0

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Quick and friendly service, good food, fair prices. Recommended…read more My wife and I dropped in at Gary's while headed "up north." Everything was pleasant and the food was especially tasty.

Good food, attentive service. Ample parking. Decent prices…read more I had scrambled eggs, meat (I chose ham) and instead of toast I got American fries (hash browns were an option as well)

The Nest Egg Cafe

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8am visit on a Saturday…read more They have cute sage colored decor. Service was fast and efficient. We had Lucy and she kept the coffee full and hot. 10/10 Partner had corned beef hash. 3/5 He said it seemed thin sliced and not pulled, his preference. I had sweet tooth pancakes, because who doesn't want ice cream for breakfast? 100/10 Perfect portion sizes and fluffy pancakes. We will be back.

We love Nest Egg for traditional breakfast with a healthy twist. The staff are generally local…read moreand/or GVSU students. If you're looking for a bright, delicious and friendly start to your day head to Nest Egg!

Stanz Cafe

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At first this place looks like a hole in the wall, but then you notice the overflow on the other…read moreside of the wall. The atmosphere is very moody, which fits the hole in yhe wall 1st impression. The 2nd impression is it's very welcoming and gives small town vibes. I ordered a bowl of N'AWLINS GUMBO ($8) which has medley of rice, okra, Andouille sausage & chicken. It was very good and did give that southern feeling and would be especially good on a cold day. For my main I ordered the POLISH PLATE ($18) two kielbasa, three pierogies, cabbage roll and kapusta. This was excellent. The Kielbasa were tasty and just as good as dedicated Polish restaurants. The Kapusta is a Polish cabbage dish baked with onions, mushrooms, and sauerkraut. It was excellent, I don't think I've had it before, I'll definitely be having it again. I didn't think I like cabbage, at the very least, I like theirs alot. The pierogies were excellent and only needed the sour cream to be perfect. If you like Polish food, I definitely recommend this dish! The service was very friendly and efficient. Overall an easy 5 star review. Would I return? Absolutely. The only issue would be do I get the excellent Polish dish or try something else?

Everything on the menu is great, I especially love breakfast, the bread is so so good! Great…read moreservice, even when it's busy. Super cute cafe style decor.

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