My husband loves a good diner. I am not much of a breakfast food person, but a good diner will serve breakfast food and lunch food all day. Neither of us had ever visited Stuart, Florida until recently. What we discovered is that Stuart has an unusually high number of diners and cafes. Perhaps this is due to their older population; I’m really not sure. However, it seemed like the perfect place to put our tastebuds to the test.
We both go to the gym six days each week and eat fairly healthy most of the week. But, on Saturdays, all bets are off. Saturday is Treat Day!
First, we tried the Flamingo Diner, which was 11 miles from the Courtyard Stuart on Lost River Road where we stayed. The Flamingo Diner is in a strip plaza and has been around for decades. We chose to break our tradition and eat here two Saturdays in a row. We were trying to make a fair assessment since locals seem to love the place so much.
Customer Service
The place was jumping when we entered. The hostess said, “I have one by the window.” She didn’t look up at me.
I said, “Do you mean me? Yes, by the window is fine.”
She said, “You can go sit down.”
A hostess who doesn’t host. We were off to a strange start.
The tables were so close to together I had to move the table to get to my seat without putting my tush in the face of the man at the next table. In fact, when he got up to leave, I had to move my chair so he could squeeze out. Why would any establishment think customers would want this?
My experience with the hostess was identical on our second visit. She did not make eye contact. She simply announced where the empty table stood and we were expected to seat ourselves.
Food
On visit #1, I ordered a gyro omelet and hash browns and my husband ordered a burger. On visit #2, I ordered a Philly Steak sandwich and my husband ordered chicken and waffles. This way we both tried a breakfast meal and a lunch meal.
The gyro omelet (made with egg whites per my request) was very good. It was heavy on the feta just the way I like it. The hash browns were golden brown, but a little too greasy.
My husband’s burger was ordered as medium and arrived very well done. Uh-Oh. That’s a cardinal sin for meat lovers. The fries were truly excellent, though. That’s a HUGE deal in my husband’s book. He is a French fry addict.
The chicken and waffles looked really impressive when it arrived at the table. It was actually half of a chicken on top of the waffle. Unfortunately, the breading on the chicken looked better than it tasted. There didn’t seem to be any seasoning in it.
My Philly steak and fries were the star of the show on this day. Really delicious! I was a happy camper.
Flamingo Bonus Tip: If you are not there in the heat of summer, consider eating at a picnic table outside. The view is just the parking lot, but at least a stranger won’t be sitting in your lap.
I stumbled across information online for the second place. Then, someone at our hotel said it was terrific. Berry Fresh Café (as the name implies) is really a step up from a diner. The restaurants were similar enough, though that we felt we could compare them. Berry Fresh Café is 7 miles from the Courtyard Stuart. This restaurant was founded in 2009 and has been so successful that they’ve added two more locations. It is still family-owned and it still focuses on using local farms to supply many of their ingredients.
Customer Service
The hostess greeted us and escorted us to our table. We were fortunate, because as we were leaving, we noticed a long line outside. We had beaten the rush. Our server arrived at the table and told us her name and then introduced us to a second woman, who was in server training. They were both quite smiley! We were with a friend and she ordered hot tea. The trainee gave her a little tutorial on how to use the fancy teapot that was delivered to the table with her loose- leaf tea steeping inside.
Food
Since I am not a huge fan of breakfast, I tend to look for something unique enough to encourage me to eat it. My Chicken-Avocado-Bacon Hash ($12.00) was to die for! It was roasted potatoes covered in diced chicken, crumbled bacon, avocado mash and finished with enchilada sauce and a drizzle of chipotle sauce. If I thought my heart or my waistline could take it, I would eat this once a week for the rest of my life. It was truly amazing!
My husband ordered Nashville Hot Chicken Hash ($13.00), which was spicy the way he likes it. He was very happy with his meal except that he regretted ordering the eggs. I can’t disagree. The eggs do come with the hash, but truthfully, the portions are so big, no one really needs the eggs. At any rate we both had plenty of leftovers. Those became dinner the next day.
We did not have time to visit Berry Fresh a second time. Next time we are in town, I would like to try something off their “What’s Fresh?” menu. This is a special menu that changes monthly and contains unique and creative dishes that their staff invents from scratch.
Berry Bonus Tip: Don’t order juices! This is a reminder not to drink your calories or your budget. The fruit juice here is a ridiculous $3.50. Skip it and eat more hash!
. . . And the winner is?
If you are ever in the area of Stuart, Florida, do yourself a favor and eat at the Berry Fresh Café. The staff is friendly and the food is memorable and fresh-tasting. The prices between the two restaurants were similar, but the flavors at Berry Fresh were bursting off the plate. I am so excited about returning some day and trying the lunch menu like the Crab Cake Sandwich or the Quinoa Burger or the Ham-Turkey-Bacon Club on toasted Challah bread. . .
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