We are not locals and we absolutely love this spot for breakfast and we always stop here when we are visiting family. Good gluten free options and a nice variety breakfast menu. The inside dining area could use some "freshening up" but it doesn't affect the taste or quality of the food. read more

One of my favorite breakfast spots! The coffee is fantastic and always served with a smile. The omlettes are out of this world. There are many healthy options such as whole wheat pancakes and fruit and yogurt parfaits. I have only had breakfast at the Serving Spoon so I do not have any comments on the lunch menu. read more

Very good place for breakfast happened on it as my first choice was closed and glad I did! Yvette was awesome and the choices endless had a spinach egg white omelet with toasted muffin and turkey bacon. Oh and cold pressed carrot/apple/ginger/lemon fresh juice. Delicious read more

This has been a go to spot for a quick delicious breakfast on break from work until the last two trips. Twice in a row it took 10 minutes to even get acknowledged that we had entered the restaurant, then after another 15 minutes we still had not been seen again for our orders. We ran out of time and had to leave before even ordering. Very dissatisfied and likely looking for a new breakfast spot. read more

In all fairness I would actually give 3.5 stars if I could, but it just wasn't quite worth 4. A cozy little place which offers good service, really good coffee (and I am a real snob about that) and freshly prepared food. I had the pancake special - whole wheat with raisins, apple and carrot. You have the option of paying a little extra for real maple syrup, but I just opted to eat it with butter. It was good, but not great. It lacked spices which would have brought the flavors out and it was a little heavy with the leavening which made it a bit bitter. My husband had a skillet which was filled with fresh ingredients. The potatoes could have been cooked a bit more, and again, the seasoning just wasn't there. Overall it was a decent breakfast. read more

I visited The Serving Spoon back in January with my family that lives in the Sarasota area. They recommended it and said The Serving Spoon is a popular breakfast place around Sarasota. It's located on what feels like the main street of a small town. There are several small shops and restaurants surrounded by residential areas. If you were blindfolded and had it removed in front of The Serving Spoon, you'd probably think you were in Small Town USA. For that reason, I'd recommend visiting The Serving Spoon simply to get away from the hustle and bustle of Sarasota. After a short wait, our group was seated. The menu is fairly large and everyone found something they liked. The food was decent, if not average diner fare. We got good service and everyone had a good time. I was trying to think of why this place was so popular with locals. I think it's the fact that it's an old time diner nestled into a big city. It seems like a decent, old fashioned diner experience is getting harder to find this days and The Serving Spoon is a good choice if that's what you're looking for. A relaxed atmosphere, decent food, and a classic diner experience make the Spooning Spoon a decent pick for breakfast in the Sarasota area. read more

This place is ok in my opinion which is based one one experience. I admit I am an omlette snob so I was not pleased with a ham and cheese omelette where its folded over but the cheese is melted on top, not in it(why even fold it). Sausage links.... meh I dont like soft brown and serve style links. I will give it another try like the menu and atmosphere a lot read more

Great little breakfast place and they even serve skillets! Reasonably priced and good friendly service. Will return

DINERS, BEWARE!!!!!! The only reason I gave it one star is because Yelp will not allow me to give it no stars. The service this morning was terrible. We were a party of five. We waited 1 hour and 10 minutes for our breakfast. The orders were brought out one at a time, in 3-5 minute intervals. So some of our party was eating while others were not. The manager would not come to speak with us and the waitress lied through her teeth about why our meal took so long. The entire dining room was turned over during our wait. Unbelievable!!! How did they make up for the lousy service and bad food? Well, they comped our one iced tea and two coffees. This place used to be one of the best in Sarasota. We should have suspected a bad restaurant when we arrived there on a Sunday at 10 a.m. and there were only three tables with customers. For a place that only sells breakfast, that is a major sign. read more

I've been in Sarasota with my siblings for a whole week and the service has been great everywhere....except for this place. We had a blonde adult woman w pig tails (?) as a waitress and from the moment we sat down we felt unwelcome. We could all see by her facial expression that she did not wanted to be there serving us. Maybe it was the fact that we have dark features (we are Europeans from Spain) or maybe she was having a bad day (though it was only 9 AM and the place wasn't busy at all) but she was not at all friendly nor her service was in any way special. To add to the bad service, the coffee was probably the worse coffee we ever had in our lives (and we have all travel to 73 countries combined). Coffee was literally water with a hint of dirt. I ordered the special breakfast sandwich which was supposed to come w American cheese and it came w a tasteless synthetic white cheese. Neither the eggs nor the bacon tasted right. We all felt that the only thing that actually tasted right was the hash browns. Everything else, was just terrible! We left a tip despite the bad service cause it was the right thing to do. Unfortunately this restaurant does not believe in doing right by serving people good food nor service. I suggest whoever is reading this to have breakfast at Yoder's were you'll get great service with a big smile plus really amazing food. read more

This is a family run restaurant established in 1998. I liked the family photos hung throughout but the decor could use an update. Floors were slippery from food/drink spills even though I had sneakers on. Around 10am on a Sunday this place was pretty crowded. Our group of four waited approximately 30 minutes to be seated, 5 minutes to get menus and 40 additional minutes for food. The lady at the front counter was nice and checked on us periodically even after we were seated. Our waitress never introduced herself or asked if we had visited before. She approached and asked what we wanted to drink. My food was good but service is very important to us. Our waitress forgot to bring us water after we asked for it, she didn't offer to refill my sons orange juice. She didn't notice that the syrup container she brought had syrup all over it and had spilled into the plate it was on. I realize they were busy but we didn't feel welcome so we won't be returning. read more

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I've been to The Serving Spoon around 5 times, and they have consistently delivered. The omelettes are great, the service is polite, and the kitchen is quick. read more

The Serving Spoon has consistently been very good all around. I have reserved the right to review any individual experience in the case of this restaurant in favor of a more I compassing assessment but I can't wait any longer! I love the service, the food is great and the location is prime, for us at least. Classic diner, you can't go wrong at The Serving Spoon. read more

Amazing small family restaurant with great food and great service! Food was fresh and made with love. Spencer was excellent serving us and was very professional and courteous. Visiting from outta town it's tough to find good food and service combined but at The Serving Spoon you'll definitely get both! read more

In summary, it was ok. The place was clean and seating was immediate. The coffee, which came first, was actually quite bad. Weak and flavorless. The sunny side eggs were a bit runny, and the hash browns, which had the appearance of good, were sort of bland and flavorless. The link sausage was atrocious. The toast was done the way I like it (dark) but lacked any flavor. If "ok" is a reason to go back, I guess I'd go back, but for $20.00, a breakfast should really be a bit more interesting. Without mentioning any names, I'll go back to Fruitville Road, where I was headed in the first place. read more

My brother and I grabbed an early breakfast here on a weekday morning. My oatmeal was really good- not the pasty stuff I so often get at most breakfast places. It came with all the fixin's. My brother's eggs were fresh and perfectly cooked. His rye toast was thick and tasty. Coffee was good. Servers were friendly and courteous even first thing in the morning. I highly recommend - read more

Delicious food and great service. They also made us sandwiches to take on our fishing trip

Nice little place, came here early in the morning (7am). Staff was very friendly. Had a pancake (which was surprisingly good) with sausage link on the side. Hot chocolate was good too. Place was clean and cozy, definitely a nice spot for breakfast read more

Family run eatery. Quick, friendly and great food. I always get the power wrap with fruit. They have a great selection of fresh juices. The Popeye Power is a great one. read more

It was so-so. Not a great selection of breakfast foods. The chipped beef and gravy was good, but the corned beef hash had No potatoes. I've never had hash with out potatoes. Service was not great. Only thing I liked was how fast the food was served. read more

A typical Sarasota restaurant, not! Ray's provides a unique, memorable, gourmet dining experience, in a most unusual setting. A casual breakfast and lunch establishment, the Southside Village location of the Serving Spoon, is transformed on Friday and Saturday evenings, by the addition of white linens, candles, place settings, and smooth jazz music in the background. Serving a 4 course Prix-Fixe Dinner for $42.00. Rays, is BYOB with a $5 corkage fee per bottle. (Ray's does not take credit cards, cash or checks only.) One's first impression might be,expensive for a place like this. Do not let the price discourage you. This is high end, high quality food with ample portions. All served in an atmosphere that uniquely defines Ray's. There are always 2-3 appetizers, entrees, and desserts from which to choose, all accompanied by a salad course. Since the weekend menu is usually available by Tuesday or Wednesday, you can check out the offerings while making your reservations. All of our dishes were elegantly served, with ample portions (in fact we took some home), accompanied by a very good bread service, and absolutely delicious. Ray's is not your typical restaurant. Chef Ray Schilcher and his wife Melanie Haddock have created a casually elegant, uniquely defined, gourmet dining experience. A must try. The first time we went to Ray's, it was just me and my husband. We returned a few weeks later with a group of friends. Each couple brought 1 bottle of wine and we created our own group dining and wine tasting event in a unique dining experience.. read more

we came around 130 on a sunday when it was about to close. The owner and staff were very excellent. Quick service, great quality. The mexican style breakfast was an excellent choice as well as the sandwiches. They really were friendly and went out of their way to make the visit a great one. read more

Sarasota is well known for breakfast spots and serving spoon is one that sits at the top of the list. Their daily specials are always diverse, and there regular menu has something that will always fulfill your breakfast needs. The only issue that can be said for the spoon is the lack of good parking, but that is the devil of having such a good location. read more

I was extremely disappointed in our dining experience for breakfast yesterday. While the restaurant was not even full, the waitress sat our 5 top table in the back corner of the restaurant. When my dad came to join us after parking the car, he didn't like the table so he said lets sit at that table near the front so all proceeded to do so in agreement. She came back upset that we, the PAYING customer moved. She shrugged us and basically said that server in the section would be overwhelmed. She brought my moms food later on and didn't even say a word when she served the plate - talk about attitude. She was rude and had brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. The food was sub-par, but the service was a real turn off. Needless to say, we probably won't be maintains our 'regular' customer status. read more

The service is really friendly, however the food was not so great. Veggies were undercooked and also I had some burnt potatoes. Kudos, to the service and help. Do better on the food preparation, and presentation. Had some biscuit and gravy. It was good, not hot, a little too salty. Could have used a side with that breakfast entree. read more

Great spot for breakfast! Friendly service and tasty food and fair prices. Try the salmon scramble.

Huge disappointment. We've been coming here for the 4 years we've lived in Sarasota. Unfortunately, the last three times we visited within the last two months have been abysmal. Last week's visit was by far the worst. When we arrived there was virtually no one else in the restaurant. Took over 20 minutes to get our meals. My wife's salad of the day arrived missing half of its items. My meal of the day, a breakfast, arrived with a burnt cold sausage patty, burnt cold hashbrowns and cold French toast! Sadly only the two scrambled eggs were correctly cooked and hot. Our server was largely MIA until the end. When we paid our bill, which totaled $28 with tip, I described the problems to the owner's son. He apologized, but actually seemed indifferent. If it was my establishment the meals would have been on the house. Had he offered, I would have declined but we would have believed the restaurant wanted to make things right. We will not visit or ever recommend this restaurant again. We gave them ample opportunities to fix the problems over the last several visits, because every restaurant experiences a one off here & there. But this appears to be the new standard for this once good restaurant. Three strikes, they're out. read more

I really like this place. It is VERY similar to The Broken Egg, without The Broken Egg prices. Service is great, food came fast and hot. Delicious breakfast! read more

Sorry, not a fan. Weak mediocre coffee for a breakfast spot is a deal breaker for me. But for the food, I ordered the spinach mushroom swiss omelet, and swear there was no cheese visible or to taste. Maybe a mushroom or two...Whole grain toast boring. As well as the cold breakfast potatoes. Best thing about my visit was the company I was with. read more

yummmmy if you like brunch this is a nice little place to go. prices are pretty low and the food is pretty good. read more

Love this casual, unfancy breakfast/brunch spot! Consistently good food at reasonable price points and the staff is attentive and polite. They offer gluten free toast which is a win and they always are very helpful at finding out what is and isn't gluten free - offering suggestions and substitutions. I'd like to see them expand their gluten free menu by offering gluten free French Toast and Pancakes at some point but that's merely a suggestion. It is a busy place but you can typically get in and get seated within a reasonable amount of time. I've always had a good meal there and frequent it and that's saying something because Sarasota has tons of great restaurants! read more

When the owner's son is not there the food and the service are not good. One waitress does not work at all. She just spends her time chatting with the customers. Another one is similar. The only waitress that works is the blond one. The fresh squeez drinks come so late that you are almost done with breakfast. Potatoes are all dried up and inedible. read more

I came here with a friend after a work meeting for a quick lunch and it was surprisingly good. It looks a little questionable when you walk in, not much of an impressive atmosphere and it smells like old people. However; I ordered the french toast and my friend got the village grilled cheese. She absolutely loved hers and my french toast was pretty good as well. Our total bill came to 18.40, so I definitely can't complain about the prices. I'm not sure this is some place I would go as a regular but for a quick lunch, it was satisfying. read more

This place was so great, that even with all the restaurants to choose from, we came back and braved a flash flood for brunch the next day!!! We walked in SOAKED! The sweet waitress brought me some paper towels after I joked about it, and 2 coffees, an amazing salad and omelet later, we were again, so happy, and can't wait to go back! read more

Went here for breakfast on a weekday in August. Service was great and food was super fresh and served fast. Wide-ranging menu choices sure to please everyone. Some thought the coffee was a bit weak, but probably fine for most of us. read more

Wonderful little place with great breakfast and homemade muffins. Also a good selection organic offerings. Fresh juice menu. Seems a large regular patronage. Beth was my waitress. She was super friendly and made me feel welcome. read more

Stopped in for breakfast this morning. Got a free coffee for checking in. Nice. Prices were very reasonable. I had a wholewheat pancake with blueberries and bananas. It was a giant pancake, couldn't eat it all. Had to pay extra for real maple syrup, never have had to that before, but it was very good. Server was nice it was a cute place. I would go back again. read more

It's good breakfast. No complaints and no raves. It's solid with one of the most friendly staff ever.

Nice atmosphere, GREAT service! Food was delicious and quick (we had a Popeye Omelet and one of the daily specials)! Lots of good choices. My kind of breakfast place! read more

This place has a good diner feel with friendly staff. I was happy with the "Jmans breakfast sandwich." My friend ordered the Parkers omelette and it was delicious. read more