This restaurant is a must visit! From the first moment you enter the decor sets a mood. A relaxed ambiance that is trying to do something different. Indeed they do that and do it well. The staff is extremely pleasant in all ways and very accommodating. The best thing on the menu are the malt vinegar fries. They come out fast and hot. They are presented on butcher paper and first your eyes are over taken and next their salty smell hits your nose. When a fry finally hits your tongue you will be enjoying every mouth watering bite. I have been a few times and I cannot wait to go back. read more

Stopped in today about 2 pm for the very first time (thanks, Yelp) and was really surprised but the great atmosphere. Cool decor, good music, a well done ambiance, for sure. The server, Anja, was attentive, even though it looked like she was the only one on the floor and had about 4 tables inside and out. Made suggestions of the specials but I went w the French American - BLT w Brie was right up my alley! My only complaint was the bacon was cold, like it'd been sitting all day. While not greasy, I could still taste some. The only bummer. She did offer to take it back, but I didn't bother, the long roll, fresh tomatoes and crisp greens made it easy to overlook. French fries rocked. I was working thru lunch, papers and iPad spread out across the table. Was never rushed, was even offered coffee and told to take my time. I'll be back, for sure. read more

My husband and I stumbled on this after a Dr.'s appointment in Bradenton. The atmosphere was neat and the food couldn't be beat! I had the Tomato Blue Soup and my husband had the Mediterranean salad. We shared the home cut fries. The soup was flavorful and creamy, served with a healthy sprig of parsley and a tasty crostini. The salad was bountiful with goodies and delicious fresh lettuces. The fries were served with malt vinegar. They were a little on the salty side but were flavorful. We would absolutely come back here and recommend it most highly! read more

Not enough good things to say about Central Cafe! The atmosphere is very cool and chic. High ceilings and cement floors, cool decor and a pretty large space. They had a full bar and a great craft beer selection. Can't go wrong with Darwin's and Motorworks, just to name a couple. Yaneli was our server and she was quick to greet us, grab drinks and let us know about today's specials. Very sweet and personable. We started out with the Bruschetta appetizer which was very different for me because I have never been a tomato fan, but the description made it sound like a must. There was a heaping pile of greens, cheese, and tomatoes topped on the warm seasoned bread it was served on. The vinegar reduction drizzled on top was "the icing on the cake." Great way to start. Mom and I had a rough time choosing so we decided to split the crab cake, and the pulled pork taco special. Nice portion sizes crab cake and it was filled with chunks of meat. Had a bed of greens on the side, along with some skinny crispy delicious fries. The pulled pork tacos were out of this world. Tender, well seasoned, great sauce, awesome portion. Unfortunately had no room left for dessert but Yaneli didn't fail to mention how good the peanut butter pie is, which I'll be sure to try next time I'm in! She also mentioned a few other desserts which sounded good, but too fixated on the pie to remember. Overall a great experience, and looking forward to returning. read more

Central Cafe - Bruschetta app - New American Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

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Everything I've had is GREAT. Only been in for lunch -- need to try it for dinner soon! Tomato Soup - my absolute favorite thing. Cheeseburger - good. Marley Bread - OMG. Amazing. Chicken Salad - huge and very tasty. read more

I love this place!! It makes me think I'm in New York and not in the middle of nowhere town and the price is not to extreme either, unless you're me and why to order everything and usually do!! So far I've had: 1. Blue Tomato Soup - blue cheese in tomato soup: awesome!! It's not to sour like most tomato soup, which I can't usually take. I'm also not a big fan of blue cheese because it's always so strong, however I can proudly say that I really like this soup and I order it every time. I would also suggest drink this while its still hot because the colder it gets the more sour it taste. 2. Figs with hot Brie Appetizer: Amazing! They don't have this on their menu. It was one of their specials the first time I went, however if you ask for it to see if they have it, the chefs may make it for you. 3. Their bread is really good too! Always fresh right out of the oven, we always have to ask for an extra basket especially when we have the Brie. 4. Seared Tuna - they have it anyway you can think of. I've tried the taco and the sandwich. I think the sandwich tastes better due to whats put in it. The fish on both is seared the same way and is alway done perfectly, not to overcooked for searing. Every time I go is when I'm craving these items so I really haven't had anything else. I know the chef's alway creating now entrées so I'm always up for trying them out next time. However, here's one bad thing, they do charge a "cork" charge for anything you bring in... even a birthday cake.....=_=;;!!!! This is the only reason why I would give it 4 stars read more

Service was lackluster & inattentive. Hostess seated us and we waited an extended amount of time prior to the server greeting us (more than 5 minutes). Restaurant is not that grande, nor were we seated in a corner, for our 3 top to go unnoticed for such an extended period of time. All the photos online had a mouthwatering appeal.... however the actual food flavor was mediocre. Went with the bacon blue burger- the patty seemed like a sams club clearance frozen patty that was over cooked. Heed my warnings. read more

Great seafood spot. Really nice "industrial-looking" interior and friendly staff too. The shrimp tacos were bomb. Would highly recommend to anyone. read more

Central Cafe - Shrimp tacos - New American Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

Great gem in BRADENTON. Love the rustic charm of the brick wall in the dining area. Had the tomato blue soup (off the charts) and the Mediterranean salad with ahi tuna. Amazing! Loud during lunch but vibrant indeed. 5 stars! read more

Good seafood spot in central Bradenton. My go to is the gulf coast salad which is a pretty awesome. Ahi fish tacos are also fantastic. Seafood tastes fresh and would recommend you try those offerings. Place can get busy around peak times but usually not too bad read more

Best food in the area by far. Delicious, unique culinary creations with a diverse menu.

Amazing cocktails and huge portions! It's sad that due to staffing they are closed on Sundays and Mondays. The coconut mojito and fried okra was prefect for a Saturday afternoon lunch! read more

Food was incredible and outstanding customer service. We ordered bruschetta for app, pizza, salmon special and pork tostadas. Everything was delicious. We would definitely come back. read more

Very nice place for an early dinner or late lunch. Cool antique furnishings but food fresh and delicious! Fries were out of this world! Crispy and perfectly seasoned read more

Central Cafe - Very cool vibe! Antique feel but food is really fresh and delicious! - New American Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

Everything was excellent. Comfortable seating, food was perfect and atmosphere is relaxing, except for the noise level. It's a bit too loud for me. We had pizza, burgers, salads and chicken. One member had the pumpkin soup to start and she loved it. Everything was wonderful. Party of 7 read more

I love Central Cafe and have been coming for several years, all of the ingredients are fresh with a lot of fresh seasonal produce. All of the specials are fantastic, and I frequently order a special even if it's something I might not usually order because they prepare everything so well. I love going to dinner because they have a large parking lot, and the dinner specials are fantastic. read more

Great lunch. To be honest I was planning on going to The restaurant next door which is as closed on Labor Day. The special sandwich- soft shell crab BLT was very well prepared, the beer was cold and the service excellent. I'm only in town for a couple of weeks so I will retire to Central Cafe to try some additional menu items. Excellent meal with quality ingredients. read more

My husband and I went to the central café last night for the very first time. We first looked at the menu and the specials. The specials had no prices on the sheet so we had to ask the waitress each item individually what it cost. She knew half of them but was unsure of the others! Prices please! We ordered the blue soup it was OK didn't love it. We also ordered the baked brie platter. We did like the Brie cheese with the jam but it was served with the wrong bread it was a very soft bread so when you spread the cheese and the jam it crumbled in your hands. It was messy. It should be a crunchy bread with some firmness. read more

What a great hidden gem! Never even knew it was here! I had the "Blt" which was warmed by our servers recommendation and it was fantastic! Next time, I would ask for balsamic and drizzle it on the mixed greens for an added zip! My husband had the tacos and loved them! We will definitely be back! read more

Central Cafe - New American Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

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This was our first to Central Cafe. I have to say we were totally impressed by the food. I had the pork chop and my wife had the shrimp tacos. Both generous portions and cooked perfectly. The service was great and we had an enjoyable time. The alcohol selection was ok, but I would have liked to see some local Bradenton spirits available. I can see this place being very successful. I wish them well read more

Lunch was incredible Crab cakes the bomb Italian sandwich with homemade dressings Insane Piles of home made fries excellent service was excellent and quick Even though I just ate I'm ready to comeback read more

I have enjoyed several good meals here. The Tomato Blue soup, since I read it was good on Yelp. Takes like Campbell's with a smidge of blue cheese. I would recommend Central add some crush tomato to give it a fresher feel and crumble some blue cheese on top and some fresh chopped herb. I had the Gulf Salad, always good. It's a cute place in an old building that needs to be more welcoming when one enters the front door. Chairs stacked up, messy stuff, no welcome smile. I almost knocked down one star because of it. Hope the warm up a bit. Was a little let down. read more

I stumbled across this place in the search of Dragos. So, the place I really wanted to eat at was closed. But, this place was pretty good. Nothing spectacular when it comes to new and exciting foods, but pretty good. I had a cup of the Tomato Blue Soup which was very good. The Italiano Sandwhich was HUGE and delish. I'd recommend this place. read more

The 2 ladies (Coty & Rina) who wrote the bad reviews sound bitter to me. I went and read some of their other reviews of places I've been to in the Tampa Bay area (I've lived here over 20 years). Some people are just jaded and decide they don't like a place. Who knows? Maybe they were having a bad day. These people sound like high maintenance whiners and they are quite simply, wrong about Central Cafe. I live on the Manatee River and frequent Central Cafe. The food is delicious and fresh. The wine list is great. The people who own the restaurant and work there are wonderful. It has ambiance. It's a brick hotel that was built in 1903. The reason for the long line? The food is delicious. They have wine tastings once a month. "The good people of Bradenton" think it's "trendy and city like"? Don't be ridiculous. If you ate here Coty, you live around here too. Are you so sophisticated, really? Bitter, nasty people shouldn't review anything. Don't let the whining of some brats influence your decision...try it yourself. You will not be let down. I've lived in NY City, San Fran, and a bunch of other cities (including Europe). Central Cafe would rank among the elite restaurants in any major city. Try it for yourself. Everybody I've brought over has RAVED about the place and their food!! read more

Good food and service... we were visiting and was truly impressed with the food. We asked for a sample of the soup and they provided it to us. It was delicious! read more

I love everything about this place EXCEPT the food. The atmosphere is great whether you're eating lunch or having dinner. However, decor and atmosphere can only take you so far. read more

Great food , service and venue! Came here while visiting from Pa on my friend who is a local's recommendation. Thanks. We had a salad with chicken, fruits, red lettuce and mixed greens etc. Yummy read more

This is probably the best restaurant in Bradenton. The food is beautifully prepared, with the freshest ingredients. Just had the beet salad and banh mi. Incredible. Everything we've had here has been excellent. read more

Central Cafe - New American Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

First of all I don't give out many 5 stars and this one is for the tomato soup. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of good items on the menu, but the soup is worth the trip. Pizza and sandwiches for lunch. A great little bar at night. Outdoor covered seating on the patio. Several homemade Wines to compliment your meal. read more

Wow! So much awesome! From live music to cocktails to fresh food and amazing dessert. This place was terrific. Salads, burgers and peanut butter pie. All delicious! Go! read more

We really love this place; although it can be super loud when they are busy. The wait staff is always super attentive and helpful. The food has always been excellent. I've ready a couple reviews about their menu options and preparation methods and feel quite the opposite. We are from San Francisco which is a culinary mecca. Now being locals, we were very pleased to come upon this hidden gem in this land of fast food, fried everything, crap food. Want a traditional burger, go to a traditional burger joint - lots of options around. Want a great tasting artisan burger, or their adaptation of ahi tuna (Californication) - this is the place! Enjoy! read more

3 and a half stars. I have to remind myself to rate on an absolute scale and not just on the 'good for the area' curve. I used to go here for lunch almost once a week when I worked nearby and just went back last week when I was in town. The tomato blue soup is good but not quite as good as I'd recalled. Same with the chicken salad sandwich--absolutely above average but not quite in the I'd-go-back-just-to-get-it-again ballpark. The fries are still excellent and my wife had some really nice tuna tacos. Absolutely one of the better options in the area. read more

This is hands down one of the best restaurant in Bradenton! They always have fresh ingredients and change their menu up to the season! The owner is amazing and friendly, and the waitress are great! read more

Here's the deal with this place. It's quaint, hip and the food is an attempt to put a gourmet twist on some everyday items. What this produces is a cool atmosphere with a handful of items which are good, but not as good as they should be for the price. An atmosphere like this is hard to come by in that area which is why I think it's so popular. My wife loves the places for their large salads, I always have to pick up something to eat a few hours after we leave. She would give it 5 stars, I give it 2.5. It's just - Ok. read more

Used to be our favorite spot, but the prices went up so high we rarely go here any more. The food is great, especially the homemade shoestring fries. Big salads. I hear the burgers are great, too. They took some stuff off the menu that we liked. We would probably return if the prices dropped back to normal. read more

A fantastic surprise. We stopped by traveling from St. Pete to Anna Maria. Great chicken salad (it's a BIG sammich), and the ahi tuna tacos are brilliant. On top of that the atmosphere was cool and the staff was super friendly. We'll be back! read more

Loved the tuna tacos, fries were good too. Bruschetta is best ever had. Cant wait to try other items on menu. read more

Central Cafe - Yum - New American Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

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Excellent food and a rustic environment. I had the Havana burger special with hand cut fries. Havana burger was a beef patty with pulled pork, pickles, cheese, and fresh greens on a bun. Absolutely amazing. Tuna fish tacos were to die for.. read more

Marsha the owner and Jordan the bartender are amazing they make you feel like family when you walk in. Great food and drinks. Hidden gem in Bradenton. read more

We were lucky to find this place, great atmosphere, excellent appetizers and cocktails. Steak and salad were great! read more