Sugar Apple Organic Cafe & Market — Restaurant in Key West

What a terrible owner this place has. I went to sugar apple organic Cafe every single day of my stay at key west, not because the food was any good but only because it was the only organic fully vegan place I found there. If anything the portions were small and the food was the equivalent of what I would quickly make at home if I wasn't in the mood for cooking but it was vegan and organic so there I was. I am a foreign diplomat and have a tax exemption card from the US government which means that by law no business in the US can charge me for tax. This is stated very clear on my card which is signed by the US government. On the first 2 days I went there I presented the card to the person behind the cashier and had no issues whatsoever. On the last day the owner happened to be there and let me tell you that in my 37 years on this planet and after serving my country in China, Colombia, México, Middle East and other countries, never have I ever encountered such degrading and humiliating service. Not only did the owner charge me tax but he argued that it was just a dollar and a half and isn't a big deal. I explained that my card was accepted in his store the previous days and that by law he is not allowed to charge me tax and that it wasn't a matter of how much the tax was more of principal. He then got even more aggressive and and told me he basically didn't feel like doing it cause he didn't have a computerized system and he wasn't going to open a file for me. He could have easily found another solution like discounting the tax equivalent, after all like he said it was only a dollar and a half. I told him what he was doing was a federal offense and he told me not to trouble him with my nonsense!!! He then had the odesity to ask me if I wanted to leave a tip?!? And I said no thank you, he then started laughing and said well I guess you guys don't top either!! After I left a tip every other day I was there. I mean this guy couldn't get any more rude. I called the ministry of foregien affairs and they should take care of it but I highly encourage you to stay away from this place. I believe as vegans our main goal is promoting kindness to all living creatures and that is definitely not what this...

This is one of the best places to be in Key West if you are looking for some great vegan food. Again, like many other cafes in Key West, it's a grocery store + cafe. Great food. They have a low seating capacity - a majority of the folks just do a takeaway. Great staff.

Food: We went for Pesto Rice and Grilled Tofu Sandwich. Both the dishes came with a side of salad and also had a good overlap of ingredients which we realized later on. Pesto Rice was totally amazing. The rice was well cooked and tasted great. The tofu was very well grilled and along with the rice and vegan pesto, gave an amazing combination. Grilled Tofu Sandwich was great. The bread was amazing - something which is also key to an amazing sandwich but often ignored. However, these guys nailed it. The filling inside was great - the freshness of avocado and the greens, along with the amazing grill on the tofu brought amazing flavors together. The salad with Tahini sauce on top was too good. For drinks, we went for Bright Eyes (apple, carrot, celery, spinach) and a Banana Pineapple smoothie which was great. Bright Eyes is a must try.

Ambiance: The ambiance as well is very vegetarian and vegan-friendly. In a tight space, they have tried to create an atmosphere that encourages vegetarian and vegan diet - with lots of books on the topic, a cool t-shirt that says "V for Vegetarian", a plate that says "Will travel for vegan food" and of course, the menu. They have a small seating capacity of 5-6 people inside the cafe (high chairs with a wooden platform against the wall acting as a table) and one round table outside for those who enjoy street view. A majority of their customers seemed to be doing a to-go.

Staff: The staff was quite good and service was pretty quick.

Overall, a great place to have breakfast/brunch. Definitely to be tried if you...

This review is for the grocery side of the business.

I've been in a couple of times ... it is so hard to find things as they're not organized in any logical way.

Last time I was in, there were two people working, but they were conducting pleasantries with another customer for about 5 minutes. I didn't interrupt and they didn't stop chatting, though I stood there like a dolt as I couldn't find the 5 items (supplements) that I wanted. I walked out. The time before this, the clerk tried to help me, but she also seemed to have trouble locating the item I wanted. Eventually, she found it and the purchase was made. I also bought 3 other items during this visit.

Today, I went in to return a product that I felt was not satisfactory. The clerk offered to help (after I loudly cleared my throat so he would come to the front of the store). When I explained my situation, he suggested I come back two hours later when the owners would be there. Ideally, he should have explained he wasn't authorized to approve the return but would take my contact information for the owners to contact me. I don't have the desire to walk there again (about 15 minute walk) to discuss it with the owners, so I told him to throw it away.

Unfortunately, three strikes and you're out. I always prefer to support local businesses. I guess the $500 or so dollars I spend annually on these types of products will have to go to an on-line company.

Customer service is the name of the game - especially in today's market where ANYTHING can be purchased at the click of a mouse. I hope they perform better for their...