Park Café — Restaurant in Wilmington

Unfriendly staff. Would be revisiting if it weren't for that.

Came here for a girl's brunch last weekend. We made a 2-hour reservation one week in advance for 1:30 pm on a Saturday. We arrived at Park Cafe and were immediately told that they had a party that afternoon and that we would need to leave by 3pm. Everyone in the party (5 adults, 2 infants) agreed to stay and enjoy brunch in the time frame we had. The waiter took our orders (did not write them down), and when the food came out one of our guests received the wrong item. She kindly told the waiter that she did not order that food item and he very rudely responded with "I'll try to see if the chef can make you something different." The manager then came to the table with the same dish that was sent back with the wrong food item. It took an additional 15-20 minutes to get the meal she actually ordered. Around 2:45pm another manager (assuming) came to the table to remind us that they had a party that afternoon. One of our guests let her know that we were told we had until 3pm and the lady said "yeah, well you guys are really milking it, aren't you?"

It's a bummer that the staff was so unfriendly and unprofessional. Overall, it was a beautiful atmosphere, the cafe is small and cozy. The food was good, and pricing was fair. I feel that we would have had a great experience if it weren't for how rude the staff was. We had a reservation, and management could have easily called us to let us know that we would be in a time constraint that afternoon. We would have been happy to move our reservation or choose a different...

The restaurant itself is lovely—bright, clean, and charming, with a menu that shows a lot of promise. Some of the dishes absolutely deliver on that promise; the Strawberry French Toast was a true showstopper, perfectly executed and delicious. The classic "two eggs your way" was also solid and well-prepared.

However, the execution across the table was inconsistent. The Salmon Avocado Benedict, unfortunately, fell flat and was a real disappointment, while the yogurt parfait was simply average. There is clearly talent in the kitchen, but it doesn't seem to hit the mark on every dish.

What was most noticeable, though, was the atmosphere created by the staff. While our server was pleasant and a manager stopped by, the overall energy from the team was unmistakably tense. No one, from the front of house to the kitchen crew, was smiling or seemed happy to be there. There was no warmth, no welcoming energy. It felt exactly like walking into a room right after an argument has ended, but you had no idea there was an argument in the first place. It was a strange, uncomfortable feeling.

Verdict: A mixed bag. There are some gems on the menu, but the kitchen's inconsistency and the tense staff vibe were a little strange. It definitely has the potential to be a...

I’ve never been so rushed out of a restaurant that had so few people and hours left till closing. Very strange- I’d only been once before, several years ago, found the place by accident, and it has a lovely garden area. Used it as a meet up with a colleague to get some work done- we sat outside, by ourselves. Started with an appetizer (chips w/ 3 dips, tbh they all mostly tasted like sour cream, the menu didn’t say what the base was), ordered drinks, (would have had coffee but they don’t carry any non-dairy creamers), then I got the only vegan soup, a zucchini basil (I think) soup, which simply tasted like puréed zucchini. My colleague and I were happy to work until closing, ordering drinks and dessert or another snack- we were clearly working, laptops out, not bothering anyone, when the waitress comes and hands us the check while we’re still eating. Then she came out again to nudge us along. Then the MANAGER came out to nudge us along. I’ve never been so rushed out of someplace where I was legitimately not bothering a soul 😅 My colleague had the ham sandwich, which was apparently tasty. So. Maybe just get that to go if...