Orange Blossoms - Jacksonville — Restaurant in Jacksonville

I’ve been dreaming of eating pancakes or a Belgian waffle for the past three weekends, so I decided to realize my dreams today. I ate brunch at Orange Blossom and the experience exceeded my expectations.

First, I truly enjoyed my meal. I ordered a Belgian waffle, two eggs overeasy, sausage, gator nuggets, an OJ/Cranberry juice and a mocktail. The Belgian waffle was cooked perfectly. It was brown and crispy on the outside and soft inside. It was exactly what I wanted. The kitchen topped it off with fresh blueberries and strawberries and some butter. The fruit was fresh - firm and bursting with flavor. I truly appreciated the warm maple syrup provided, as well. That Belgian waffle was everything! The sausages were delicious and the eggs were made perfectly because the whites were fully cooked and the yolk underneath was runny just how I like it! I had never eaten alligator meat before, so I ordered it and the gator nuggets were very good. It was tender, juicy and it had a chicken thigh consistency. I’m unsure what it tastes like, but the flavor is mild. One of the employees, whose name might be Michael, and he was a big and tall middle aged guy, recommended I try the nuggets with horseradish sauce. Mmm, I’m so glad I followed his lead because the sauce gave the mild nuggets a gentle pop which created a pleasant and nuanced oral experience, particularly since the waffles were sweet, my drink was sweet and the eggs were neutral. I had a perfect brunch because it was prepared well and it exceeded my expectations.

Secondly, the service was five stars because I liked the way staff members worked together. My waitress attended to multiple tables and kinda disappeared for a bit. Michael, the big, tall guy in the kitchen really made me feel special because he anticipated my needs and I could feel that he was genuinely nice. I don’t know how he was able to handle his job in the kitchen and notice when things were amiss in the dining area. I don’t think he was into me, I think he was just really in-tune. Small talk, kindness and sincerity is priceless. I felt seen and cared for. Another lady and my waitress was nice as well, but the man in the kitchen’s energy stood out to me. He was so pleasant.

Last, the outside atmosphere was something else. There was seating outside and various games. After lunch I played a few rounds of corn hole. I was sooo excited to see games outside. I didn’t expect that. There’s Connect Four, a game I didn’t recognize and there are rocking chairs. I sat at the counter in front of the kitchen, so I had a unique view. I want to give a shout out to the kitchen staff who worked in tight quarters and under pressure. I didn’t hear or witness them arguing or anything. The cook killed it! I liked that I saw the kitchen staff wearing gloves while handling the food. If I had to mention one area for improvement, then it would be a request to keep the floor dry in the kitchen. The cook nearly slipped and fell due to the floor being wet. I’d hate for any of the staff to get hurt. That’s an easy fix and it won’t stop me from returning to try the pancakes and poached eggs.

Overall, I had an excellent brunch and I will return. I recommend you visit this...

I watched this place from the time they first started building it, and was so excited for it to open. I must admit that the decorations & theme of this restaurant is adorable. Outside, while you wait for your table, there is a bloody mary car that you can order drinks from. The outside area has TONS of covered and uncovered seating, which is amazing. From rocking chairs to built in wooden benches. That is a great thing to offer, especially if you plan on long waits, and wait long did we. We waited for about an hour. Prior to that there were 2 open stools at the bar. We tried eating there, but there were just so many bar stools crowded in that we really felt like we were imposing on the people already sitting on either side of us, because there just wasn't enough room. Not to mention the bar stools are a very cool idea (because they are made out of old kegs), but they can become uncomfortable because your legs/feet dangle. The stools nor the bar have anywhere to place your feet (mine actually fell asleep), and there aren't backs on them or hooks under the bar so if you have a jacket or purse there is no where to put them except the already crowded bar. Once, we got our drinks we decided to just wait for a table. The menu has a lot to offer. I ordered the chicken and waffles, which was ok. The chicken was a little soggy (just needed a few more minutes) and the waffle wasn't cold. I think had these two things not occurred it would have been fabulous. My husband got a grilled breakfast sandwich. He wasn't impressed but said it was ok. Our sides also didn't come out with our food, we had to flag someone down and ask them for it. The thing that honestly will keep us from coming back is the hostess stands inside and screams as loud as she can when a table is up. They give you wooden rulers with a number on it. This seems like a cool concept except if you are sitting on the side of the restaurant where the hostess is standing, it is so imposing and genuinely takes away from eating. This restaurant is a very loud place to begin and then adding a yelling hostess to the mix is just too much, especially when she can stand outside where all of the waiting...

Me and a buddy decided to try this local for breakfast. The menu has a tremendous amount of options for breakfast. So many that I probably need to make two more visits so that I'm able to try everything. Inside is not a lot of seating but they do have seating outside so even though it was a chilly morning they had standing heaters. It might be a little warm in the summer months outside so I would come early and prepare to wait if you want inside seating. The waitress seemed a little bit of a nuisance as she was constantly checking to see if we were ready to order every minute or two so we felt as if we were being rushed. We decided to try the cinnamon roll appetizer which was huge and is a meal in itself so glad we split that. It was a little on the dry side but was not bad. We both decided on the corned beef hash with the two eggs fixed to your liking and then your choice of toast. I opted for their homemade raisin toast but it did not seem to be homemade in my opinion. The spread was a nice touch as it was cinnamon, sugar and butter. The toast was pretty dry as well. For the upcharge I would pass on that. The eggs were cooked to perfection and we each ordered a side of bacon. I have to admit that's the largest side of bacon I believe I've ever paid for. I believe I had five slices and it was thick and very tasty. Probably some of the better bacon that you can find in town. However their version of hash is not hash at all. They really need to consider changing the menu or make real hash. They state that it's not out of a can however it's no resemblance of hash at all. It's basically ordering what most people consider a skillet meal but getting it on the plate and then calling it hash. The potatoes we're thick-sliced not diced as you would typically find in a corned beef hash. There was hardly any beef so you're basically eating a plate full of sliced potatoes. We both asked for extra crispy and there was no crispy whatsoever. We were both disappointed with the hash. I would like to make another trip to try something else on the menu as there were so many tasty-looking items that there was no way you could begin to scratch the surface with...