This is a great café that has higher ratings based on their focus on offering healthy gluten-free, options as well as other options for other dietary sensitivities (dairy). I had the veggie omelette, which was a very generous portion in tasty. My wife had the pancakes, which were just a bit on the chewy side. It seemed to be all locals during the breakfast hour, and it was quite busy. There was one server who performed all functions of the front-of-house from the initial welcome, to ordertaking, to service, to closing the bill, to a fond farewell. Hardest and most efficient server I have seen ever. read more

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I cannot say enough good things about this place! I love every dish they have! I sometimes go two times a week and would go more but I have to limit myself! Hehe It's just good and fresh! I love the service as well! read more

We had brunch lunch at this casual adorable restaurant in St. Augustine. Offering a great menu of organic ingredients and also serving Vegan, Vegetarian and gluten-free food. The interior has an eclectic feel with original artwork. I had the Egg Salad on a crescent roll and a side salad $10.50. It was so fresh and delicious and very affordable. I love the alfalfa sprouts and homemade dressing. The service was very friendly and efficient. read more

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Walking in on a Sunday around lunch time we waited about two minutes to be greeted and seated. There were many vegan and gluten free options. I wanted some protein so I did the breakfast burrito. You could choose between scrambled tofu or eggs (I chose eggs), vegan or other cheeses (I chose goat) and a side. I chose hash browns. The food was clearly cooked fresh and tasted that way! Inside the decor is coastal with a lot of different art styles. Overall, a nice breakfast or lunch spot. I will return! read more

This isn't just "food", this is love on a plate. The quality of ingredients and the way they are prepared is extremely impressive! We need more restaurants like this in the world. After eating here you physically feel better. Avoiding seed oils and gluten are par for the course here! They can and will accommodate any dietary restrictions. I highly recommend the veggie pizza! I definitely will have to order that again. The wrap is also very amazing! I really wanna order their whole menu and come more often. This place is a blessing for those wanting healthy options when dining out. Wish there was a cafe like this in every city! Lots of quant artwork, upon entering. Please check the pics posted. The terrariums are amazing! I really wanted to bring one home. read more

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Excellent small local eatery, service was spectacular and food blew our expectations! The theme of this place is so cute with manatee decor filling the walls. We chose those place due to their allergy friendly menu and it did not disappoint. We were blown away by the taste of all our items! Specifically the breakfast items. Hashbrowns were crispy, seasoned to perfection and served piping hot. Their gluten free breakfast selection really set them apart from other places. You do not feel like you are missing out on anything! We cannot wait to go back again. read more

i loved the inside so much!! it reminded me of a cute nature crystal cafe and the people were so nice and accommodating. amazing food everything tasted great! please support them!!! read more

Warm greeting. Fast service. Fresh delicious healthy food. The apple banana smoothie delicious. Hummus amazing. Really happily surprised with everything. I'll be back read more

The food was very delicious and healthy. The waiter was champs and very friendly even know little American Sign Language and willing to learn some new signs. Highly recommended for the people who eat gluten free or vegan. We visited from California. read more

Split this with my girlfriend and we were both satisfied. Food was so fresh and healthy but still was packed with flavor. Chicken was tender and well seasoned and the sprouts add the best touch. I enjoyed the hummus as well, even though my girlfriend wasn't a huge fan of the texture. Might be our new routine lunch spot because it tastes great and makes you feel good too! The atmosphere was cozy and the staff were friendly too. read more

Manatee Cafe - Cajun chicken pita with chips and hummus - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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This was the best Breakfast Burrito I've ever had. The flavors were amazing and all the ingredients were so fresh. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed and though we were there at 9am they said we could order off the lunch menu if we wanted. Honestly, everything sounded great and only wish we were staying in St. Augustine longer, but we will be back Burrito read more

Manatee Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

Definitely try for a healthy on the lighter side breakfast. We were on our way to the beach and this was the perfect breakfast hidden gem. They have gluten-free options and dairy free options. read more

Manatee Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

The owners work here every day and are so attentive like family. They clearly have locals who frequent this location. It was our first time being here and we could feel the good vibes. Breakfast was super delish and came quickly. This is a white strip mall but there are some great finds -like Pampa for empanadas and La Nails. I love to get my nails and then lick up food to go afterward. read more

Manatee Cafe - Super quiet today and first time here as well - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

Amazing. Was in town for a quick visit and have been dreaming of the salad and delicious basil vinaigrette ever since. Easily one of the best salads I've ever had. Service was quick and friendly. read more

Vegan/Vegetarian options plentiful. Gluten free options on menu too. First time visiting and felt like we were definitely the "new" kids. Seated right away. Poor server running around like crazy! Felt a bit chaotic - but, he did a reasonable job keeping it all straight! It was a busy Friday morning! Omelette was large and quite tasty! GF French Toast good ... but definitely lacked in appearance. Coffee lukewarm at best ... Apple/Banana smoothie filling. read more

Manatee Cafe - French Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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My boyfriend and I had lunch at Manatee yesterday. What an absolutely wonderful little place! Love the vibe! And then the food!!! The vegan food is so delicious and fresh!!! Well prepared. I had the grilled cheese with the hash browns and my boyfriend had the Reuben with chips and hummus. He called it a "happy meal". So true!!!! Service was friendly and prompt. I will be referring the Manatee to everyone!!! Thank you for vegan comfort food!!! #veganfortheanimals You are a gem! read more

Manatee Cafe - Vegan grilled cheese - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

Came in a few weeks ago, service was stellar from start to finish. Upon entering we were greeted and seated just like that! Our lovely waitress was so kind and sweet as was everyone else working inside. I loved the menu, I ordered the vegan pancakes they were delicious and filling, literally only needed to order that to feel full. We also ordered two mixed vegetable fresh juices it had ginger so it was spicy and delicious, the side of potatoes were yummy. Inside had portraits of manatees all over hence the name. Very nice and calming ambiance. If you are looking for healthier options this is your place to try. At checkout they also sell little trinkets and stuff not associated with the restaurant itself, but cute souvenirs. Lastly, prices were fair; Quality is everything and this place is it ! read more

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3.5 rating. First visit to Manatee Cafe. Fresh food and outstanding service in a popular local gem. Sandwiches and salads seem popular. Soups look worth a try. Particularly good spot for vegans and vegetarians. Staff wore masks, and tables were spread out. Cajun Style Chicken: Mix of white and dark chicken sautéed with onions, carrots, cabbage, tomato, sprouts and salsa served on pita with house dressing (sides: blue corn chips and tabouli). * Excellent spicy cajun-style chicken pita. Plenty of fresh delicious fillings. * Excellent blue corn chips. Tasted fresh. * Good tabouli. Spelt-Flour Pancakes: stack of pancakes served with a medley of fruit or nuts and bananas. * Nice presentation. * I hadn't tried spelt flour pancakes before, and I didn't like them at all. They were not the traditional rich, fluffy, buttermilk pancakes I prefer. The odd flavor tasted like a combination of sourdough bread and unsweetened wheat bread, shaped in the form of small pancakes. Luckily, the syrup and fresh fruit were delicious and plentiful enough to cover up the odd spelt-flour flavor and texture. * Service was outstanding, so I'm certain that if I had asked to exchange the pancakes for something else, they would have happily obliged. * First cup of coffee seemed like it was from a sitting Bunn pot. The second was hot and delicious. Wishing they had an automatic coffee/espresso machine. * The rest of the breakfast menu is generally what one could prepare at home at lower cost. read more

Manatee Cafe - Excellent spicy cajun-style chicken pita - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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A local favorite that will satisfy all herbivores, carnivores, and vegans. I have been frequenting Manatee café for the better part of a decade, and their food is consistently top notch. Some of my favorite dishes include the tofu scramble, breakfast burrito #1, combo salad with basil vinaigrette and soup. I suggest sharing as portions are large. The staff is incredibly friendly and can answer all questions for those less familiar with vegan fare. But be wary of the time...kitchen closes at 3. read more

Great place to eat! Food was awesome - service great! Ambiance perfect! Definitely recommend

Stopped for breakfast on a Saturday morning. A very short wait and seated by a very friendly server. Very healthy choices, has an alternative vibe. Vegan options as well as traditional such as eggs, home fries, grits etc. Food was excellent and good sized portions. read more

My brother and sister-in-law invited me and my wife for lunch there recently & I never have been to a vegetarian restaurant since both myself & wife are red meat eaters. Well we're both very amazed at the presentation, size of portions value, and very good and quick service too. Was surprised they also have chicken sandwiches & salad . Will be back! read more

The waiter was awesome & the food was so flavorful which was very surprising considering it was vegan. LOVE IT will be coming back soon.

Visited in July 2023 and it was a great breakfast. We wanted to get away from the congested historic area, but it's really not too far away. They are vegan & gluten-free friendly, and from what I can tell they seem like they are much more ingredient conscious and trying to be healthy. We both ordered the breakfast burrito, and we were both very happy with. I'm not a huge sweet potato fan, and the burrito has, it, but the sweet potato along with avocado was a fantastic pairing. Pleasantly surprised. A really nice restaurant that we would definitely come back to. read more

had been wanting to try this place for a long time, after several friends recommended it to me. i decided to go out of my way to try it recently and was super impressed. my food was ready quickly and i thought the price was reasonable. i definitely recommend the breakfast "burrito" (not really a burrito but it's alright) with potatoes. read more

Manatee Cafe is a fantastic vegan cafe with a great variety for breakfast and lunch. My wife got the Reuben and I got the veggie burger. Both tasted amazing in their own way. The Reuben tasted like a real Reuben with a Tofu twist and the Veggie burger had so much going on with a black bean patty and fresh avocado. Definitely will make the 45minute drive again to try other items on the menu. read more

Manatee Cafe - Veggie Burger - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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Another delicious trip to Manatee Cafe. Came in while hitting up the outlet malls. Seated quickly and food was yummy as usual. Hubs loves all the vegan options. Friendly team and food is hot, fresh and quick. read more

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Loved it! Omelettes were delish with lots of different cut up veggies. Breakfast potatoes were yummy and crispy, GF bread was good and GF chickpea pancakes were yummy, too! They came with nicely cut up variety of fruit, not your standard boring cantaloupe/grape combo. Will definitely come back on our next visit to St. Augustine. read more

Love this little hole in the wall. The only place in town that offers vegan pancakes, and they're delicious. Great service too! The staff was able to accommodate me by giving me plant based butter and milk options for my coffee. They offer a bunch of options for people with other dietary restrictions as well. My only recommendation would be to maybe offer a vegan meat option to add to the scrambled tofu or breakfast burrito. Thank you for offering vegan cheese though! read more

Great spot for a healthy meal outside of old st Augustine. This was in a few miles of our hotel we were staying at so it was perfect. This is essentially a vegan restaurant but they do have chicken etc for meat eaters. I would suggest ordering ahead if you are not sitting inside the restaurant because it takes a while to get the food. They are also very busy. You can tell everything is made from scratch and it was pretty delicious. I got the Cajun tofu pita with the salad on the side. It was delicious! Very flavorful and filling. It was the energy I needed to get through the day. I would definitely suggest you try this restaurant for a healthy option! read more

Manatee Cafe - Cajun tofu pita - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

Apparently my review of our server did not please the manager/owner-- who has made contact. Even w/ a mask, a server can "smile" & not display an attitude that dampens the experience (i.e. CURT). Our server was not up to par, but his lackluster service was explained away by the dismissive owner. The implication that I was not "kind" (for honestly explaining our experience) is insulting. It speaks volumes. Service should always factor in to the amount of stars awarded! Still 5 STARS for the food. I frequented this eatery w/ my gorgeous bestie 25 years my junior from August 2013 - March 2015. We stopped in each time we drove to St Augustine Beach because "Home Skillet" insisted on organic food. And we found fresh, local, organic food here, as well as vegetarian, vegan, & gluten-free! The entrees are creative-- kudos to the chef! With each bite, it tasted as though the ingredients had just been brought over from the farm. I've never had anything but exceptional food here. The restaurant has always been clean. It's of a medium size w/ tables & booths. Various paintings & prints line the walls. Unfortunately today, our service could have been much better. Our older male server on this Friday morning (6/5) was rather PRICKLY. Either personal issues made him not want to be there or he's in the wrong line of work. Masked, but consistently standing much too far from us (to be effective), he offered no smile (yes, eyes & brow do "smile") & his responses were CURT. (He was slightly better by the time we left.) When a polite customer feels s/he is inconveniencing her server, that's a problem. And that's the reason our experience today was not 5 stars. Will I return? I had planned to, but unsure now if I want to fiscally support a business whose owner makes excuses for her server & totally dismisses a customer's honest concern-- even though plenty of positives were covered within the review. read more

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My wife and I have been eating at the Manatee Café in St Augustine for over two decades and it is our go-to restaurant. Delicious food, mellow atmosphere, extremely clean, and very personable staff. The café was recently purchased by Mike who couldn't be a nicer guy. He is a talented chef and has worked in the restaurant for many years and knows what he's doing. The Manatee serves up a mostly vegan and ovo-lacto vegetarian menu but has some non-veg offerings as well. My recommendations are the Tofu Rueben and the Veggie Omelet. Even a die-hard carnivore will enjoy the depth of flavor in both these offerings. The Manatee Café is most strongly recommended! read more

Manatee Cafe - Mike, the new owner of the Manatee Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

The best food if you like healthy food. Definitely my go to place!!! Always yummy and my kids enjoy it too.

Found this gem by accident when the restaurant we were headed to was closed. Delightful, tasty vegetarian lunch. Try the hummus and tabouli pita or the grilled cheese with tofu, sprouts, tomato and avocado. Delicious, unusual little breakfast brunch spot. read more

We had moved away two years ago out of state and recently moved back to the area. We are so happy we are able to visit and enjoy Manatee Cafe again. Food is always fresh and delicious! We always get the scrambled tofu in a wrap. It's our comfort dish and highly recommend it. :) read more

Manatee Cafe - Scrambled Tofu in a Wrap with Hash Browns - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

What a cute mom and pop restaurant. The restaurant is run by what I believe are the owners. Didn't really get a chance to chat with any of them, but there is only one person working at the tables and the register in one person cooking. At least what I could observe. The Manatee Cafe is small and quaint. The coffee was okay, no other options than just a typical cut of black coffee (personal preference is lattes). My friend and I split a tofu scrambled dish. The scramble was okay but the real star was the potatoes. We both really loved how the potatoes were seasoned and cooked. There weren't that many people there the day that we ate, however the one person working the tables and the register seemed to be very busy doing it all. My friend mentioned several times how we felt bad and how he wanted to help start bussing the tables. I let him know the least we could do was arrange our plates. We did have to ask for water several times. Based on our wait time and having to ask for water a few times, I gave a minus one star. It also seems like a great place if you're not into eating meat... I may have had a hankering to cook some bacon when I got home. :) read more

Great little restaurant with a focus on healthy meals. We both had burrito #1, very fresh and tasty.

Favorite brunch and lunch spot in st aug! Many vegan options but still great food that you want to eat! Veggie burgers are so tasty and hardy yet light but the best and my favorite are the burritos! Definitely try the #1 or #2 both awesome options. read more

I am their customer over 20 years..... Their food always fresh always the best quality, delicious. I don't know how they do it but I can't get food like this anywhere else but at the Manatee Cafe. read more

If you want breakfast vegan food that tastes delicious- this is the place to go! The place is quiet and service was fast. I got a veggie omelet and my hubby got the tofu scramble. Everything was well-seasoned and the hash browns, which was really potatoes, were crispy just as we requested. They had oat milk and almond milk for coffee! Score! The reason this place didn't get 5 stars, is because of the prices - our coffee was creeping into Starbucks territory at $3.50 and the portions were small in proportion to the price. It was good enough for us to come back when we visit St. Augustine again! read more

Manatee Cafe - Dining room - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida