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    Shelly's Cafe

    4.6 (574 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Shelly's Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    SHELLY'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Shelly's Cafe

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    Beignet bites
    Seth L.

    The food is delicious! A nice spot to frequent if you stay in north Tampa or if you love somewhere else, this is a spot worth checking out. The beignets were really good, reminded me of my time in New Orleans and the pancake combo was my go to. Great service and the food comes out pretty quick so not much of a wait.

    Shelly's French Toast. Freshly made and absolutely delicious!
    Kameron C.

    A local gem and a must visit for breakfast. Splurge and get the Shelleys fresh fruit version of Pancake or French Toasts, and make it into a combo for a savory and sweet delight. The place is not fancy but has a calm and breakfasty-vibe. The servers treat you like its a family joint - welcoming and warm. You will enjoy this!

    Beep-Beep.
    Pietro M.

    The menu is small but that allows them to ensure that all of the dishes are always consistent and tasty. We both ordered Shelly's French toast and it was just perfect. The French Toast was cooked to perfection with no soggy spots. The food came out pretty quickly as well. I noticed that even though there were a few open tables, they still had people waiting which shows me that they're managing the pace to NOT overwhelm the kitchen staff. Again, this was evident with the quality of the food and the speed at which it came out after ordering. This a a great spot for a casual meal, nothing fancy about the place so don't expect violins and a sommelier.

    Mellissa D.

    I was driving home through Tampa, starving! I asked Siri for breakfast places near me. I like to try 'hole in the wall' places because they are typically the ones with the best-tasting food. Upon arrival, the area of town was quite sketchy! It looked to be vacant & rundown. Can't really blame that on the business owner, tho. There were people standing outside the restaurant waiting to be seated. I stepped inside the door expecting to be greeted by staff. That was the first mistake -- expecting anything! I locked eyes with two of the three visible employees, so I know my party was noticed. Not one of them approached me for any reason. After about three minutes, I decided to go to the counter and ask what I needed to do in order to be seated. Apparently, patrons must walk to the back counter, find the yellow steno pad and add their own name to the list. How would anyone unfamiliar with the restaurant know this??? I was told there was a 20 min wait... it ended up being about 35 mins JUST to be seated, which included 2 sets of guests leaving before their party was called. After being seated it took another 15-20 mins just to have our order taken. The food AND beverages all arrived together another 30 minutes after the order was taken. When the food arrived, it WAS appealing to the eye! It was flavorful & precisely prepared. The drinks were canned soda --- so absolutely NO reason they couldn't have been served in a more timely manner! Our waitress was very polite but seemed quite disorganized and spread extremely thin with all she was doing. The table next to me had to ask for a to-go box 3 times for a to-go order that she also forgot to have prepared for the customers at said table. While the food was tasty, it was absolutely not 'to-die-for! The service was lack-luster at best. The cleanliness left A-LOT to be desired (literally saw the person bussing tables wipe the food left on the table onto the floor instead of into the bus pan. Patrons had to walk on/over the food in order to leave the restaurant. And the bathroom --- disgusting..... overflowing toilet, rust, and mildew all around the sink! Not sure I'll ever visit again.... But if I were you, I'd wait until they have more or at least better staff before visiting.

    Shelly's French toast
    Alex B.

    Read the reviews and Shelly's Cafe was a must try. Their breakfast is the best! Service: Upon entering, we were greeted. The entire staff was very friendly and welcoming. Such a wonderful diner experience and highly recommend everyone in the area to try. Will be back!

    Delaney A.

    Shelly's is our go-to spot now. It gives a mom and pop vibe in a little strip mall. From the first visit we were hooked! I'm not a pancake person usually for breakfast but I dream about these pancakes every single weekend. They are perfectly soft in the middle, crisp on the edge, and not too sweet. My MIL who is a FIEND for pancakes loves them too! My wife always gets the chicken and pancakes and it's always consistently delicious. Also, if you are like me and pine for the days of Sweet Tomatoes, come here and get the strawberry lemonade!! It will speak to your soul! Prices are super reasonable and we don't normally have to wait unless you get there in the early morning on the weekend. But they have quick turnaround so even if we do have to wait, it's not long and it's VERY worth it.

    Chocolate Chip Pancakes
    Samantha Q.

    Love that they open 7:30am on the weekends. I stopped in Saturday morning with my nieces and they had plenty of seating still available and also plenty of parking spots out front. Our server was super nice and attentive. I ordered the chocolate chip pancakes which were so yummy. They put the chocolate chips on top which I really like because on warm pancakes they melt and spread so good with the syrup.

    Toast, home fries, sausage, fried eggs
    Kim W.

    The food is always delicious and the service is pleasant. There 8s chatter and laughter which gives it a warm feeling.

    The child added the extras to her meal
    Dana M.

    Using yelp for breakfast near me we located Shelly's. When we arrived my daughter reminded me that we had been there before. What can I say - the food was once again awesome

    BLT
    Tasha B.

    We arrived there was a short wait. As we were seated, order beverage request were taken. As we waited we were asked to switch tables, because of a 6 person reservation. I wasn't pleased with the request however my sister said sure. As we sat at the new table for 4 close to the restroom, the party of 6 never arrived. A couple was sat at our previous table. Anyway .... Let's talk about why I rated it 4. The server was nice, the restaurant was clean & the food was served fast. I enjoyed my omelette & the coffee was good. The server kept my cup full. The BLT looked like plenty of bacon. However the bacon appeared extra crispy.. I would return.

    Chocolate chip pancakes
    Chandani S.

    This was my first time visiting Shelley's Café. When I arrived, there was no one at the front or any signage about seating, so we stood by the entrance for a bit until someone noticed us. Once we were finally seated, I ordered the chocolate chip pancakes with scrambled eggs and extra crispy bacon. The bacon was perfectly crisp, which can be hard to get right, and my little one had the home potatoes, which were surprisingly delicious--he ate every bite! The atmosphere was pleasant, and the staff were friendly, although the place was packed, with every seat taken. When it came time to pay, we had some trouble flagging someone down since it wasn't clear who our server was. We assumed we could go to the counter, but were told someone would come to us. Despite the slightly higher prices, I would return because the food was really good.

    THE SOFT SOFT PANCAKES! THE GORGEOUS FRIES! THOSE AMAZING EGGS! And an empty plate that had fries for the table aka for me!
    Jayvyn S.

    The food was so good I can't even describe. The pancakes,The fries, The chicken, The fruit salad, THE BACON?!?!?!?! OMG I was in my chair dying for more! The bacon was crispy with NO FAT STUFF... IT WAS CHEFS KISS the pancakes were as soft as my bed and my bed is not even that soft! THE PLACE AND A GOOD ONE HOUR NAP?!?!?!. This place deserves a Gordon Ramsey visit ASAP! I should gatekeep this but ITS TOO GOOD!!! 100000000/10

    2 Egg Combo with a Side of Sausage.  Subbed Bread for Fresh Fruit for an upcharge.
    Cindy G.

    I do enjoy a weekend brunch and Shelly's Cafe in Tampa has become my go-to place... I've visited many times over the last year that I've been in Florida and they are consistently serving up farm fresh everything! Aaand their fruit bowl is as beautiful as it is fresh and delicious! If you're looking for a locally owned and operated breakfast cafe, give this one a try. You won't be disappointed! In fact, when my high school besties came to town for a girls weekend, this is where I chose to bring them for breakfast. They loved it as much as I do.

    Pancakes, toast, and sausage

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    2 months ago

    Great food not really much more I can say we were blown away by the freshness of it all!

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    10 months ago

    One of the best breakfast spots in Tampa. Service and food is excelleant Easy to get to, and plenty of parking spaces

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    Excellent food and great service . I ordered the shrimp omelette and it was stuffed with shrimp . My next visit to Tampa, I shall return.

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    Ask the Community - Shelly's Cafe

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    If you're driving on north Dale Mabry in Tampa... and you see the Carrollwood Village neighborhood…read moreentrance- make a safe uturn and head in. Inside this winding housing development, you'll find a small shopping plaza-gasoline on one end, dry cleaners on the other... and in between those bookends, a string of small businesses. And behind the door with all the flowers around it: Perfect Press Coffee. It's a hopping and popping kind of place. I've been there twice in the last year-and it's busy. It's a fun mix of neighborhood moms with strollers-people stopping on the way to or from work-and a few remote work workers-who thrive in the happy buzz of a booming business. To the right when you walk in: coffee, tea and sweet and/or savory small bites. There's bench seating along the wall, several small tables and two little couches in the middle. The decor is cute, cozy, modern and slightly caffeinated. It's not a huge place but it's super popular. There are tables out front on the sidewalk, too. It's busy, but the skilled baristas keep things moving. On this most recent trip, I tried the ube matcha-my first. I liked it! There were lots of tempting pastries, etc-but I had a lunch date coming up, so I stuck to just the beverage. If you decide to stop in, bonus: this business shares space with a fun kitchen store that has everything from gourmet salts and oils-fun towels and mugs-and all sorts of other items. I should have bought the cola flavored candy bar. Next time! Yes, the parking lot is a little hectic-but be patient, it comes and goes in waves-you'll get a spot. Oh! And really nice restrooms. This is worth a stop and shop. I'll be back for round three.

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    Felicitous

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    An aerial view of my new crush: the Grind Haus toasted sesame bagel (with butter). June 2026
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    Cookie butter latte

    Shelly's Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated June 2026

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