Big Man's Cafe — Restaurant in Ocala

On a drive through Florida, hopped on google to find a Black-owned restaurant for lunch. The reviews and pics drew me in so a stop was made.

BAY-BEEEEE!!!!!!! This food!!!! Whewwww!!!

Definitely got more than I was looking for out of Big Man's Cafe! This food reminded me of somebody's grandma in the kitchen. I haven't tasted soul food cooked to perfection like this in more than a decade. People really do not cook like this anymore - the recipes are indeed being lost. Thank goodness Big Man is holding them tight!

We were properly greeted upon entry and welcomed to take a seat. I was surprised at the size of the restaurant as there are two large areas for seating. One side has booths and tables, the other has tables and a sizeable bar with several TVs. Enjoyed the large windows bringing in nice lighting to eat with. The servers here are very friendly and familiar - we were treated like valued returning guests even though it was only our first visit.

I ordered the smothered pork chops with dressing, collard greens and yams. This was a plate of classic soul food. The flavor. The flavor! Every dish was seasoned and cooked to perfection. If someone ever asked me what soul food tastes like, I would bring them to Big Man's Cafe to have all of their questions answered. The pork chop was fried crispy which the gravy soaked right up while the meat was tender. The greens had an amazing old school flavor - no frozen unseasoned greens here! And the yams. Mmm! Real sweet potatoes cooked with just the right amount of sugar so it still tasted a tiny bit healthy. LOL We learned on this visit that a cornmeal pancake comes with the meal but it has to be requested, so don't forget to ask.

Listen: the food was so good I made a stop back at Big Man's Cafe on the way back through Florida a week later. The service and food was just as good as the first time! There was also live music on a Friday afternoon, which was a nice touch.

On this visit, I had the smothered chicken with that good-good dressing, yams and green beans. Goodness gracious alive, that was some good eating! It comes with a half-chicken which was too much to eat at one time. But I will say that chicken came in handy later in my ride and certainly did not make it home. Also, the green beans were so good they inspired me to try and get that flavor at home more than a week later.

The prices are very reasonable, especially for the amount of food. Wait times were not long at all, even on the second visit which was right in the midst of the lunch rush with quite a few other patrons. Very clean establishment including the restroom.

I can't wait to get back to Ocala one day and make another visit. Big Man, you and the family keep doing...

This place was a very pleasant surprise when I ended up being a bit early for a rehearsal one Sunday morning.

I needed to burn up an hour and decided breakfast was in order, so I looked around for what was close to me and found this restaurant. When I walked in, the ambience was not at all but I expected, but interestingly modern and comfortable. I was immediately greeted by two smiling, friendly faces, and seated right away. I did have to wait what I thought was an extended period of time for service, but when she arrived at my table my waitress was very cordial, and that was appreciated.

I ordered scrambled eggs with cheese, smoked sausage, home fries and a couple pancakes. The food was not cooked exactly as I would’ve liked, as the eggs were a bit on the soft side, the sausage was just a few moments away from being outright burnt, and the potatoes were not crispy as I had requested. However, not having the time to send it back, I tolerated it and found everything to be quite tasty.

Those criticisms aside, I must in good conscience complement them on the delicious pancakes! I will go so far as to say those are likely the best pancakes that I have had in a very long time, and certainly ever in Ocala.

After paying what I felt to be a quite reasonable bill, I got to speak to the owner for a bit after breakfast, and we chatted about some of the art that he had on the walls of his establishment. I found him to be a very personable and friendly gentleman in the best tradition of the word, and was left quite pleased that I chose to patronize his establishment.

I would happily return to this location, as I found the family run and family friendly atmosphere to be quite pleasant, though next time I will make sure my order is clearly understood, and the food...

Sundays are JazzyPigs breakfast splurge day and today we visited big man’s cafe. If you’re in Ocala, visit this unassuming family owned and operated breakfast and lunch joint! Southern food with soul as they describe and we agree. Breakfast was awesome! We were greeted by the friendly staff and brought some great coffee. We were warned the coffee was good! Jazz had the country omelet with a side of potato’s and toast. Country omelet is full of spicy sausage, ham, sausage gravy, diced potatoes and CHEESE. It was stuffed. I had the loaded grits bowl with sausage, bacon, sausage gravy and topping perfectly cooked grits with two eggs to order on top. It was a great meal! We will be back-we have heard lunch is equally as good! These folks are awesome 🫶🏻 4/17/24 Lunch update: came back for more deliciousness and we weren’t disappointed. Big man warmly greeted us at the door like we were old friends we chose to site at the bar since we were having beverages. They have a varied selection of beers. The DW had the chicken sandwich with a side of slaw. Chicken breast pounded down and then fried perfectly. Looked great and she said it tasted great. I had the big man’s chicken which is 3 pieces of chicken soaked in big man secret sauce overnight and fried. No breading and it was awesome-juicy and tasty and not greasy. Had a side of collards and it’s clear they know how to cook them-they were tender with the right amount of heat. Also had a cucumber salad which was yummy and refreshing-it paired well with the other items. Holly was our server and like our last visit was great. All the safe our great and they make you feel like family! Good food at...