Café Vino Tinto — Restaurant in Safety Harbor

OK, first off I have to say my 1 star is based off my overall experience (for food review please scroll down to the last paragraph). I am a member of a few local "mommy & me" groups comprised of 800 local members and every 4-6 weeks I personally wanted to start hosting a breakfast. I've been an active member and volunteer in our community for years and like to choose locations that are locally owned and operated. 6 weeks ago I reached out to Cafe Vino Tinto via FB and after not hearing back, I called and spoke with Logan, the owner. I told her that I wanted to host a mommy and me breakfast at her cafe. I asked her if she would be willing to provide a free small waffle for the children since we would be buying breakfast and coffee. She was hesitant but verbally agreed to providing 1/4 of a belgian waffle for the children since I was going to be bringing her new business and we were all going to be ordering waffles and coffee. I asked if I could provide the juice for the children and she said that was fine.

Today was that breakfast and when I ordered the children's waffles in the window I was told they would be $5 each. I told the girl that Logan said the children’s waffles would be free and next thing I know, Logan is sticking her head out of the side window into the patio seating area and loudly proclaiming that she doesn't provide free waffles, that she can't just give out free waffles to people and that she told me that she would allow me to bring juice.

To say I was completely embarrassed would be an understatement. Not only was that a super unprofessional way of handling what clearly was a misunderstanding, she could have pulled me aside and said that she either didn't remember our agreement, no longer wanted to abide by our agreement or whatever the case may be rather than yelling it out of the window to me in front of my guests... who, I'd like to mention, I didn't really know!

Let me be transparent and say that out of the 10 mother's that RSVP'd only 3 showed up & that is just how these gatherings go; sometimes 10 moms will show up and sometimes, like today, only 3 moms show up. So, I can understand if as an establishment she felt that I didn't bring enough guests to fulfill the verbal agreement we had and that the free children's waffle no longer applied, I totally would have understood. I was too mortified by how she was handling herself and not wanting to create anymore of a scene I just told her to put the children's waffles on my tab.

Lesson learned, next time I'll make sure to confirm in an email whatever verbal agreements I make over the phone and will plan our monthly breakfasts elsewhere because I will never go back there.

In regards to the food, completing negating my experience with the service, I give it 3 stars. I ordered the guava and cream cheese waffles and a coffee. The waffles were good but nothing special and I have to say the same about the coffee. My coffee was really good, I can definitely taste the freshness and I appreciated that it helped cut down the sweetness of the waffle but what really makes the coffee "special" is the narrative behind it and not necessarily the flavor. It's not everyday you know exactly where your coffee is coming from and that's what this coffee has...

There is a lot to like about this place. The service is usually good. The waffles are light and delicious. Personal favorites are the guava waffles and the hashbrown waffles they're amazing. The coffee is sourced from a Costa Rican farm, and I think that's pretty cool. Pricing is ok.

The reasons I can not give 5 stars are as follows. Most importantly, the ordering system. The need to run between inside and outside around the building to grab drinks when you're right next to them inside and they're going to bring your food to your table number anyway is ridiculous. Second, speaking of drinks, not offering actual mugs upon request. We live in a day of convenience, and I understand that, but you have to have at least a few for the people who want to sit and enjoy their coffee in that way. You can't keep shortcutting the essence of a coffee shop experience. Lastly, the fact you can't even sit on the OUTSIDE with your dog. That's so bizzare being you're in the heart of a walkable downtown with a large demographic of dog owners. I can understand insisting that only well-behaved dogs are welcome on the patio and that owners of misbehaving pets will be asked to relocate/leave. But outright denying service even outside? I just don't agree, but hey, it's not my business to run. This is...

My parents and I dined here for father's day breakfast. The place was packed on Saturday and we knew we had to come back on Sunday for breakfast. The crowds were well deserved. My mom got the Mediterranean frittata and it was delicious. Stuffed with vegetables and cooked perfectly. My dad and I got the waffles, him the mixed berry and me the seasonal peach cobbler. His was amazing, stuffed with blueberries and fruit garnish. Mine was less impressive, but still good. The "peach cobbler" was just a peach yogurt type sauce to spread on the waffle. They gave us our orders in to-go boxes, so we had to put our orders together ourselves, so I'm not sure if they would have plated it differently.

The main draw was definitely the coffee though and it was perfect. We all got a hot brewed coffee. They offer blonde, medium and dark roasts, but they give medium by default unless you ask. The coffee was smooth and not bitter at all. I drank mine black with no cream and sugar and it was delicious. They also sell their own whole beans, I'll definitely be picking up a bag when I need more coffee.

Overall, it was a wonderful breakfast spot. The courtyard had a lovely atmosphere and the coffee and food was delicious. Make sure to get here early though, it was packed by...