Mecatos Bakery & Café — Restaurant in Alafaya

First impression? What a nice option to have. It was my first time visiting this place. I could hang out there all day, after all, you could get coffee, mimosas or wine here and a variety of meal options.!

Nestled away in a corner of the shopping center, there's plenty of parking. Huge bonus for location. You enter into a homey, comfortable spot that yearns for you to stay a while. Different types of seating is available; sofa and chairs for relaxed vibes, great for coffee and book reading or coffee and chats, window seating in small, intimate wooden booths that get lots if sunlight. Wooden tables set up throughout the open dining area for small groups or casual, relaxed seating along the wall with large pillows for your back. Well thought out space with quality displayed. Trash/condiment replenishment areas are well kept; clean.

Food options available for the pickiest person - me! From breakfast sandwiches to pastries and quick lunch items, it could easily be a comfortable lunch and early dinner location. The only con, I didn't know what some items were, and a staff member had a hard time telling me. She spoke only Spanish and didn't try to answer in English. Be sure to watch what the person in front of you does because as a first timer, you don't know to order, then move to pay along the opposite side of display cases. We thought our person just walked away from us after we ordered to get our order to bring to us. Nope. She was waiting way at the opposite end of the counter for us to pay but she didn't speak english so she didn't tell us.... Yikes.

The place was clean and inviting. Staff member came out periodically to clean tables where guests left things. I'd go here again. They show pride in...

Oh, where do I begin with the majestic journey that was my visit to this café? Picture this: a crisp day begging for a hot cup of coffee, and there I was, ready for a simple, serene experience. Little did I know, I had unwittingly signed up for an episode of "Survivor: The Café Edition."

First, let's talk about the wait. I waited 54 minutes for a coffee. Yes, you read that right. Not for a hand-painted mural of coffee beans, not for coffee beans slow-danced to perfection by unicorns, but for a regular cup of coffee. During this near-eternal wait, I managed to finish my meal, which, by café standards, was probably faster than average.

But wait, there’s more! I inquired—thrice, because apparently, that's necessary here—about the status of our cosmic latte. Each inquiry seemed to plunge the staff deeper into a philosophical quandary, reminiscent of Hamlet but less about being or not being and more about brewing or not brewing.

And just when I thought the saga had ended, a young gentleman approached, not with the long-lost coffee, but with a barrage of questions that would make a conspiracy theorist blush. Was I attempting the elaborate scam of the century over a $3 drink? Who knows!

Alas, I had to wave the white napkin of defeat and exit stage left, coffee-less and bewildered, leaving behind not just a few dollars but a piece of my soul. This café didn’t just miss the mark; it was a masterclass in the art of anti-customer service. Truly, a performance...

This was a happy discovery today as we were visiting this side of town. This cafe features both indoor (few tables) and outdoor seating. You order at the counter and you receive your food there or they deliver it to your table if it takes prep time. The bakery cases are full of both sweet and savory items and it’s hard to contain yourself to just a few items. Sine we don’t have a place like this on our side of town, we picked much more than we would eat for lunch. Things we ate today are the chicken pastry which is a light croissant like pastry filled with a delicious seasoned shredded chicken. We had a ham and cheese roll that was a slightly sweet roll filled with thin sliced ham and tasty mozzarella cheese. We had the Colombian Hot Dog which is a hot dog with pineapple, crushed potato chips, onions, mayo, ketchup, garlic sauce and cheese. This was an amazingly tasty hot dog and we look forward to having it again. We also ordered Tequenos which are soft pastry wrapped around a stick of tasty mozzarella. We have empanadas to eat later and I’m sure they will be amazing. We also are taking home a guava pastry and almond cookie. We ordered a cafe con leche to drink and it was the best I’ve had. Our bill for all of these things was quite low and the staff is very friendly and helpful. The staff speaks both Spanish and English. We will definitely return to this cafe and recommend...