Olivia's Organic Café — Restaurant in Burnsville

Driven by many times and finally tried it. Intrigued by the sign stating organic but didn't realize til ordering that it was gluten/dairy free. Had we known upfront, probably would have passed since we have eaten that way many times with gluten intolerant family members and its not our preferred food choice. Unfortunately the food was the best part of the experience and the meals were alright considering. Cost was more expensive than just about any breakfast place we had eaten. 2 basic plates of food with waters (no paid drinks) and 20% tip (reluctantly paid upfront when ordering) was over $50. I understand the higher cost for natural, local raised products, but if your cost is this much, the service and experience needs to be outstanding. Food came out fresh in a reasonable time.

Upon entering, the host stand says "please wait to be seated" followed up with "order at the counter " so there was immediate confusion. After standing there for a moment obviously unsure of what was to be done, one of the multiple employees (3-5 at all times with no customers up there) called us over to the counter to give us menus (not walking up to the host stand). They told us to seat ourselves and come back up to order when ready. We walk back up and order at the counter (where we tip on the computer and have a tip jar) then walk over to fill our plastic compostable cups with water and both water jugs are empty. We notified the socializing/ on their phone employees that they are empty. Walk back to our booth (that the seat surface material was flaking off and same as the row of chairs next to us) Once refilled, we went back to fill our $50 brunch plastic cups full of water and waited. I kept a menu to read over while waiting and read the story on the front of the menu. Probably the most ironic part of the experience is their tagline "Dolce far niente" on the menu and in giant letters across the dining room which means "the sweetness of doing nothing." Since we had to seat ourselves, go back up to order, continually walk back up for water including refills, had to go find a to-go box for ourselves (surprisingly didnt have to buss our own dishes) while not a single person checked on us during our meal, I assume the saying is for the employees hanging out behind the counter talking amongst themselves and on their phones getting double tipped upfront which is the sweetest job ever...but i cant blame them because the system is set up and managed by owner/ management not the young hourly employees. So maybe the saying is for the owner idk. I do know that you CAN charge $50 for basic breakfast that is local, natural etc but the service and atmosphere need to back it up and...

Olivia’s fills a much needed niche in the food service scene, catering to those who are unfortunate enough to be cursed with both gluten and dairy allergies. Oftentimes, I find the awareness of these dietary restrictions in restaurants to fall under one of two categories - many gluten free options slathered with cream or cheese, or many dairy free / vegan options with an unavoidably glutinous foundation. Under the category of meeting these specific dietary needs, Olivia’s has no equal in the twin cities.

Not everything I’ve tried here has been outstanding, and some may be a little put off by their relatively short menu, but listen when I say it’s for the best, because the things they do well, they do really, really well.

Full-bodied cappuccinos with a great selection of natural flavor syrups - I recommend the pistachio.

Their pancakes? Fluffy inside with a crisp exterior, just sweet enough to be enjoyed with a bit of whipped coconut cream. Definitely the best gluten free pancakes I’ve ever had.

Their breakfast potatoes when eaten straight from the kitchen are absolutely lovely. Skin-on and with variations of slices for the perfect mix of fluffy, crunchy, and crispy, fried up with large chunks of tender sweet onion.

The potato-chip coating on their chicken sandwich providing a particularly satisfying crunch, while the brioche they make for their burgers has a lovely texture and subtle sweetness which contrasts well with the savory sandwich options.

The atmosphere is very nice and bright, though a bit minimalist without much to look at. The dining room looks clean, well maintained, and inviting, with a fully stocked bakery case at the front door to ogle over on your way in and out. Heated patio with plenty of dining space.

Anyone can appreciate the care and attention to detail given by the team at Olivia’s, regardless of their dietary restrictions, and I would encourage anyone looking to brighten up their morning to stop in and let themselves be swept...

The food is always amazing! Although my partner and I went there yesterday and had terrible service. It was about a 25 minute wait, which is understandable as we came at lunch time on a Sunday and it gets busy. We ordered nothing too crazy, pancake, waffle, eggs, bacon, and breakfast potatoes between the two of us. We waited over an hour to get our food. After about 45 minutes of waiting we had asked someone if they could check on where our food was and they said we were next up to get it. We then proceeded to watch more and more tables get their food and we waited another 30 minutes before receiving ours. We had asked again during this time where our food was and the host responded that she can’t control how the kitchen organizes and sends food out. We totally understand that things were busy. The extremely frustrating part is multiple parties who were say maybe 20 minutes after us, had received their food, eaten it, and were leaving by the time we even got our food. Again it’s not like we ordered anything crazy. There was even a party of 7 that was seated after us and got their food a good 20 minutes before us. We would have left if it we hadn’t of paid for the food prior to receiving it. Everyone was nice about it but didn’t seem to care or do anything about us not getting our food. I’m not sure if there was a mix up in the back or something but I would appreciate if there was an issue that it be communicated. As we were told time and time again that we were next or that our food would be out shortly. We will not be dining in again, if we do come back it will be pick up only. Very disappointed with...