Belleair Cafe — Restaurant in Belleair Bluffs

Having been to the Belleair Market for sandwiches and other treats three times in the last week, we thought we’d try the Belleair Cafe next door for a late breakfast.

We were asked to pick a table and provided menus by Donna, our server, as she asked us what we wanted to drink before we could even sit down. When she returned with our beverages, she gave my husband, Brian, his and placed mine across the table from me beyond my reach as she walked out the front door with the other server to speak to a person holding a small dog. Brian was perturbed as he reached over to give me my drink.

Donna returned to take our order - the corned beef hash and the Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream and bacon. She kept looking around, never at us, as she quickly took our order.

While we waited for our food, we saw Donna check on other tables being talkative, cordial and nice. She brought out our order not asking if we needed anything else. Brian’s request of ketchup and Tabasco was made as she was walking away from the table.

The waffles were served with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar instead of whipped cream. Brian noticed the error and asked the male server for a side of whipped cream. Our beverages needed refilling, but no one ever bothered to check. At that point, I just wanted to eat my food and leave. At the end of our meal, the male server cleared our plates after which Donna dropped the plastic tray with our bill on the table as she quickly passed by. We waited a while for her to return for the bill and payment, and as Brian was getting up to take it to the register himself, the male server came over to take it.

Donna’s unfriendly demeanor towards our table was quite palpable. As the only POC in the cafe, I couldn’t help question Donna’s issue with our table. It’s a shame, as the food itself was of great quality and preparation, but was diminished by the treatment...

I specifically chose Jewel Café & Tea Room because I am a "Tea Party" enthusiast, as is my mother, and traveling to different Tea Rooms is something that we enjoy doing together. It is "our" thing. We drove an hour just to experience the Tea Party that the Jewel Café & TEA ROOM had to offer. A huge part of a Tea Room experience is the ambiance. When we entered the café, I was a little alarmed by the setting. Although very quaint, for a café, certainly not your typical Tea Party setting. I thought for sure that we would be led into another room/area, but much to my disappointment, we were not. Then I thought that maybe they would transform our table into the "perfect Tea Party," but this did not happen either. Next up was our choice of tea; another major staple of a Tea Party. We were able to chose any flavor tea bag we wanted from the store bought box of tea bags that were available. The waitress let us know that the cook thought our Tea Party was scheduled for 1pm, not noon, so the scones were just put in the oven and would be done in about twenty minutes. Lastly, our tier arrived (only 2 plates, instead of the usual 3), the other major staple of a Tea Room. The sandwiches were not finger sandwiches, they were full size sandwiches with the crust cut off, and were comprised of tuna fish and egg salad sandwiches, (which are not part of a Tea Party) and chicken salad. Our dessert portion was store bought bite size cheese cakes. Our scones finally arrived when we were done with our meal, and to our disappointment were not scones, they were more like cookies that were shaped oddly. The "scones" were so hot the clotted cream immediately melted when spread it on the scone. I did give it two stars because the amount of food you got for the cost was good, but it definitely was not a true...

Just OK

Bellair Café is pleasant and even charming inside and out. Service is a bit confused. It seems I was forgotten when I wasn’t ready to order about one minute after sitting down. After about 15 minutes I had to wave down someone to take my order. Prices are average.

I try the same standard items when trying out a new breakfast restaurant. The scrambled egg could have been fluffier and more flavorful. The ham was excellent—thick and well seared on the grill and not spongy like in so many other places. The French toast was, unfortunately, soggy on the bottom—the result of condensation when a hot food is put on a colder plate. It was also wet in the middle. But the flavor was good. The grits consistency was OK, but they were so bland. Lots of butter, salt & pepper made them only barely palatable. Even though they make their own biscuits, I’m told, they don’t appear on the menu except as part of a biscuit & gravy meal. Nevertheless, you can get a biscuit and mine was quite good but would have been improved by a sear on the grill.

So, it’s a mixed bag. Unfortunately, the good ham doesn’t make up for the shortcomings. I probably...