Pelican Cafe

Reviews

Name: Pamela Egan 
Occupation: Business Owner
Lives In: Palm Beach Gardens
Restaurant Pick: Pelican Cafe
Reviewed: Pelican Cafe

I met my girlfriend Debra since my husband could not come, it was Friday after a long day at work, I arrived around 5:15 p.m. they opened at 5:00 p.m. Walked in and was greeted right away, I was fortunate to be able to sit at the bar and had saved a chair for Debra. Mark immediately came over to say hello, the bartender came over and offered warm fresh bread and homemade hummus, so delicious. I looked over the wine list and decided on the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano while I waited for Debra. Once Debra showed up we quickly caught up on conversation and the bartender told us of the specials, and the grouper sounded amazing and that was what we decided to order and share. By the time we ordered the restaurant and the bar was full, not a extra seat in the house, it was full of excitement in the air. Mark came over with two small plates and said here try this, (Mark is so well known for doing that I remember the first time I was there, he gave us a dish to try and share) The eggplant he said freshly homemade just now and believe me it was amazing, not too cheesy, wonderful warm crust and just enough cheese and sauce. Than our entrée’ came out and they put it on two separate plates was a full meal, beautiful with warm plates, the bartender would fill our glass with our wine and we enjoyed conversation and our meal. Once done we ordered the amazing creamy NY Cheesecake with the warm blueberry sauce to go with our coffee and Sambuca. Just a wonderful evening full of fun, laughter amazing people and food. I received the check and was pleasantly surprised for all we had very reasonable. We left and I told my husband what a wonderful time and we can’t wait to go back once he is back on his feet!

Name: Patricia Stauber 
Occupation: Psychotherapist
Lives In: Aventura
Restaurant Pick: Via Emilia 9
Reviewed: Pelican Café

What a pleasant surprise, driving up, the restaurant was unpretentious. Maitre d’ Carol was warm and welcoming. New England décor, extensive menu options, superb service- couldn’t be better, every item we ordered was seasoned perfectly + delicious. Quaint, intimate cozy spot, would definitely recommend for atmosphere, great service, menu selections for everyone, every dish was delicious.

I feel the attraction to Tom Sawyer is probably about the entire experience. While the breakfast is nothing out of this world, the warm service within the cabin-like environment is a desirable change, especially within the posh surroundings of Boca.

Name: Michael Masciale 
Occupation: Software Engineer
Lives In: Boca Raton
Restaurant Pick: Nori, Boca Raton
Reviewed: Pelican Cafe

Pulling up to this location it did not look like anything special. Set off a main road the location looked like a house with a deck that had a number of tables on it. Upon entering there was a very small hostess area, nicely decorated. The hostess greeted us immediately and within a minute or less we were seated. The ambiance is very nice, geared towards the sea/beach feeling. Nice artwork is displayed on the walls which you can purchase from the artists themselves. We were immediately greeted and asked about water and drinks. The entire wait staff was very nice, courteous and quick. Neatly dressed and clean cut. In less than 5 minutes of being seated we had water and complimentary donuts at the table. The menu is nicely written, easy to read and had more than enough options. I noticed that Bloody Mary’s were at most tables so had to order one. The menu states each couple gets 1 donut but we received one per person. Since we were two couples we were able to sample each of the four donuts they make. I looked around and that seemed to be the norm. I found the donuts although to be very tasty too heavy. More like something you would make for Passover sans flour. The waiter was very accommodating. I asked for no cheese or sausage in my Huevos Rancheros and he immediately stated he would add extra veggies. That was really nice and something I rarely experience. I did not like the quality of the napkins. I like cloth, there were some odd kind of paper, not paper, not cloth but somewhere in the middle. Like a thick wet nap. All the tables had a nice sunflower in a vase on each table. Along with the artwork and the dark shiny wood floors really added to the homey feeling. The seating was comfortable. The tables were sized accordingly. And not too close to each other. I did find the glass top to the table a bit annoying for it seemed to be sliding around. I would be pushing it and my guest would be pushing it for it never seemed to fit properly on the table. It was kind of funny because neither of us said a word but we kept jockeying it around. All in all I would say the food was average but overpriced. My Bloody Mary was bitter so I did not drink much of it. I asked what Bloody Mary mix the used before I ordered it so when I was told it was made in-house I was very much looking forward to it and then upon the first sip my heart sank as I pushed the drink to the middle of the table. It is hard to judge what I had since what I had most people will not order it as I did. Since I am a vegetarian and I ordered the Huevos Rancheros with no sausage or cheese which obviously provides oh about 99% of the flavor. The eggs were cooked nicely, the vegetables were also cooked nicely. I did not like the corn tortillas I found them to be very strong in taste and I did not like the black beans. I would have like them to be more of a black bean paste or mash instead of just black beans strewn on top of the corn tortillas. I did though enjoy the eggs, spinach, mushrooms and onions. All our dishes came with a choice of a side, we went with the fruit salad. The fruit salad seemed fresh, cut nicely to fit into the cup and the melon was not hard, soft and sweet like it should be. It was definitely not from a can. The vegetable omelet was made very well, vegetables were fresh and cut nicely. Both items were presented well. When we asked for a check it came swiftly and we had no delay waiting for the waiter to come back to the table. I noticed something very interesting on the check. Being relatively new to Florida asking for separate checks seems to be the norm here but in New York it would be seen as an insult. The Pelican Café did not ask about separate checks but instead on the receipt it showed each meal broken out with a sub total. So it said Seat #1, what that person had and a subtotal for that person and then went on and did the same thing for Seat #2, #3 and #4. So if you wanted to divide the check up by person or by couple or family without having to ask you can easily do it this way by adding your subtotals together. That was the first time I have ever seen this done and found it interesting and helpful if needed. On our way out we were sent off with have a “nice day” by a number of staff. A nice final touch. All in all I would say you should try this establishment once, try the donuts, try a Bloody Mary and also give one of the five types of Eggs Benedicts a try which seemed to be very popular with other diners. This place might become your favorite place it just was not mine. On a scale of 1-10 I would give it a 6.5-7.

Restaurant Information