The Red Bud Cafe — Restaurant in Daytona Beach

I don’t even really know where to begin. It all started when I called to ask if they were dog friendly. The AI machine said that they had front outdoor seating and back outdoor seating for non-service dogs and that service dogs were allowed inside. our dog is not a service dog so we were relegated to the back patio. Which normally would be OK. But this back patio was not your average back patio. It looked like it was completely abandoned, and that they had never sat anybody back there. And the journey we had to take to get there was mind blowing. the server had us walk around the outside of the restaurant through a field of weeds and grass to try to find a wooden door to get into the back patio. she could not find the door. once I told her there was a set of hinges on the fence line and that meant that had to be a door, she was able to pry it open. And when I say she had to pry it open, I’m not joking. It was as if the door had never been opened and was sealed shut. Once we finally got to the patio and pushed all the chairs that were piled up out of the way, we sat down in the one spot that had some shade. And by some shade, I mean very little shade. It was blazing hot. There was no air movement. There was no fan. There was no music either. It was very quiet, very hot, and very strange. We saw three or four different servers. a new one kept coming out for some reason. multiples took our order. One guy even came out and just stood there, staring at us for a while. It was kind of awkward. Eventually, he spoke up and said oh it just looked like you guys were deep in thought looking at the menus. After we ordered our food, it came out pretty quick, and thank God because it was so hot and I just wanted to hurry up and leave. the sausage was room temperature and it was OK as far as flavor. The baked beans were disgusting. They were somewhat cold and had a vinegar flavor to them and the thing that I thought was bacon in the baked beans was so tough that I started to think maybe this is not edible. But I’m pretty sure it was just a really overcooked hard piece of bacon I think. The eggs were decent but they were just eggs. Nothing to write home about. the hashbrowns had no flavor although they were at least crispy so they got that part right. the sautéed spinach and mushrooms were barely sautéed at all. In fact it seemed like they just picked the spinach and mushrooms out of the ground and just threw them on a plate. There was little to no flavor in them. Overall, the experience was awful. getting to the back patio was a journey to say the least. I sweat about a gallon of sweat. why we couldn’t just walk through the restaurant to get to the back patio seeing how my little 13 pound miniature schnauzer was in a stroller kind of blows my mind. I don’t know how this place is rated so high. there was almost no redeemable feature about it. Oh I almost forgot the toast. The toast was awful. It was very chewy like rubber, like gummy bears or something. chewy toast. My daughter did say that the mango smoothie was really really good. And my niece said that the crepe was pretty good too. But all the other food sucked. The servers were weird. The back patio was weird. And my bill after tip was $84 which I feel like was...

What an incredible 5 star experience we had at the Red Bud Cafe yesterday! A meal here—now that is something special! Like you I read the reviews searching dozens of spots in the Daytona or Ormond Beach area for a meal, in our case particularly one offering gluten-free dairy-free entree options. When I called ahead, the quality of the information and willingness to answer my detailed questions, even during lunch hour, left me assuming I must be speaking to the owner, and indeed I discovered later that I was. Where to begin to tell you how impressed I was with the experience we had at Gio’s cafe?! Upon entering we were seated at a comfortable table with cushioned chairs and he thoughtfully brought an extra cushion for my elderly parents’ backs as well. Ordering from the interesting and delightful menu was fun but offered so many options that we simply focused on what we were craving: crepes! We were amazed to find that they offer 4 batters to select from—gluten free, vegan, traditional, and even gluten free vegan (dairy free!!) Oh and the selection was so wonderful ranging from savory to sweet! Gio allowed us to customize to our dietary needs and interests but nothing could have prepared us for the HUGE portion sizes!! Served so quickly that we were very pleased, the lovely crepes were garnished and presented on rustic carving boards. Then the mouth watering tasting began! I even had dessert first! Covered and filled with fresh strawberries and delicate warm honey and walnuts, it was one of the most scrumptious delicacies I’ve ever enjoyed! I was reluctant to share even though I had more than I could finish! My parents split a beautiful veggie crepe finished with our first ever taste of chimmichurri sauce. I had an entree of the very freshest spinach, matchstick stoplight peppers, mushrooms, onion and egg with a bit of cheese. Phenomenal!!! Our family member who required allergen caution was so indulged with a gluten-free dairy-free crepe and even a dessert option! One of the happiest moments both for him and for me was seeing his pleasure in enjoying a filling complete meal made to his exact needs and yet delicious! This is so rare as anyone with these allergies can agree! The happiness of all the employees preparing their menu specialties with evident pride was memorable. We can’t wait to go back and try some of the gluten free homemade cookies and other goodies on display. Red Bud even offers plant-based milks for your coffee! The owner took time to visit with us even though it was near closing. We felt so welcome and appreciated as guests in this cafe. The food was well prepared and so good!! There is a reason this restaurant has such high reviews!...

Overpriced, missing items, and unexpected fees: disappointing experience

We were in town for a conference and decided to try Red Bud Café based on the strong reviews and good-looking menu photos. Unfortunately, the experience didn’t live up to expectations.

First, they don’t accept phone orders. We had to place everything online. For two people, our total was $94.24 for one “Big Brekkie,” one avocado toast, and two lattes. The pricing felt excessive from the start, with lots of nickel-and-dime add-ons: $0.50 for gluten-free toast, $6.50 for two eggs, $4.25 for bacon, $0.75 for oat milk, and additional charges for flavor shots.

Even after opting for pickup, we were charged a $3.50 delivery fee. There was also a 3% credit card surcharge and a tip prompt that made it difficult to avoid adding 15-20%, bringing the total close to $100 for breakfast for two.

Despite the steep price, our order was incomplete. The “Big Brekkie” was missing the beans, and the bacon I paid extra for with my avocado toast never showed up. Because everything was tightly packaged for take-out, we didn’t notice the missing items until we were already back at the hotel.

The food itself was decent but not exceptional. Certainly not worth nearly $100 for a simple breakfast. Portions were modest, sides were sparse, and the overall value just wasn’t there. It felt more like luxury hotel pricing than a local café.

The staff seemed friendly and the presentation was pretty, but between the missing items, unexpected charges, and inflated prices, this isn’t a place I’d return to or recommend. There are plenty of better options in Daytona Beach that offer more transparency, better value, and more...