Nina’s Cafe & Carousel

I went to ninas with my fiancé who’s nearly due with a first child. We waited about 20 minutes before we noticed people were being seated that came after. I asked te person at the counter about it and he said, «sorry human error man.» Thinking we would be seated next we waited. Then almost 4 minutes after two more groups of people were seated. I walked up again. They never changed our spot and other people were clueless. Worst experience I ever had. They never took ownership of the issue.

Wow could this place be good. I wonder if the owner ever looks at these reviews? I wonder if they know how SLOW service is here. Also, I wonder if they notice how DIRTY this place is. In the middle of the meal, I wanted to get a bucket of water and soap, and scrub the wall behind the table. If I did this, you would probably see exactly where it had been wiped clean. This is seriously too bad, because the food was pretty good. I don’t think I will be back though, because if you let your mind wander, you could only imagine what the kitchen looks like. BARF

This is my weekly breakfast spot in Kalamazoo. Amazing food at a reasonable price. Large portions, great service and atmosphere. I usually sit at the counter for the full Nina’s breakfast experience. I love the «Southwest Mess»!
Because Nina’s Café is such a great breakfast spot it can get busy, so you may encounter a wait. Check in at the counter to get on the list.

Food was good, coffe great, but service… I waited over 5 minutes before the server gave me the menu and it was after the cook told them that I was waiting there, I ordered a pancake side and the server placed a full 3 pancakes order then I confirmed: I want a SIDE pancake; only one, she apologized and told the cooks that was only one, despite that she still charged me with the full order of pancakes, she left me the check and left. I went to the cash register to pay and I told the other server that there was a mistake I only had 1 pancake, she asked me: so she gave you the 3 pancakes? I said no, only one; she asked me again: so you only eat one? I replied: trust me after a corn beef hash and toast I couldn’t eat 3 pancakes. Attention to detail! I work in the service industry and those little details will ruin what could be a great experience, the place wasn’t busy at all so it wasn’t that, just no customer service skills, you don’t need to ask several times the customer putting in doubt their statement, please use common sense, patrons are there to spend money and have a good experience not to commit fraud with the pancakes orders.

The problem with Nina’s is the food is great but they’re legendarily known for bad service. I’ve been coming here for a few years now since I moved in the neighborhood but I stopped going because regardless of how good the food is, the bad service is just not worth it.
The last time I went I arrived with a friend on a sleepy week day when they had only a few customers. Every table was open but the problem was that every table had dirty dishes on them from previous customers. Why the tables weren’t cleared off I have no idea but I’m not kidding — EVERY table had dirty dishes, even the bar. We’re standing there waiting and one of the girls working tells us it will be a minute. Almost 10 minutes later when we’re trying to figure out if we should just take our business elsewhere we finally get to sit down. If this was during brunch rush on a weekend I would understand but during the week when no one’s there? We were surprised.
I wish this kind of service only happened once in awhile but it happens nearly anytime I’ve been here. You never get any refills on water or coffee unless you ask, and even then it takes forever. Most of the long time wait staff act like it’s a pain to have to do their job.
I stopped going to Nina’s then in a moment of amnesia I brought my parents here from out of state and was excited to have them eat at one of my (used to be) favorite spots. Then when we sat down I quickly remembered how bad the service was. It took our waiter over 15 minutes to bring us silverware so we could stir cream in our coffee and over 30+ minutes to get a few plate of eggs. When my parents left they kept commenting how terrible everything was and I felt bad out of all the places I could have taken them in Kalamazoo I took them there.
Now I usually go to Cosmo’s for weekend brunch where they always remember me by name, have awesome food, and an even better/​friendlier and skilled wait staff. If it’s during the week I head to Crow’s Nest, Blue Dolphin, or somewhere similar. From seeing other reviews perhaps Nina’s has better service now or maybe I just go when every time they’re having an off day…

I cannot believe anyone would give this place a 4 star review. The oatmeal is microwave oatmeal. I asked for blueberries and they where spoiled. The place is filthy. First time I find the reviews on Unilocal ridiculous

I love breakfast food so I was excited to come try Nina’s Café. It fulfilled all my expectations and more. It has a great, casual atmosphere and you can tell that the restaurant frequently has regulars. I heard on multiple occasions the servers greeting people by name as they came in. If you are looking for a yummy breakfast, this is definitely the place to go in Kalamazoo.

Went here for a small brunch with my friends. I had heard good things about this place and decided to try it out. It is a small restaurant with a bar to sit around and if you have a small group or are going solo I recommend the bar rather then wait for a table. All in all it was a fine place. Had a small but nice selection for the breakfast menu but the food was nothing spectacular. Just a good place for a quick breakfast.

Just not what I expected. hash browns average eggs over cooked. Coffee decent. Service great. Guys work on being different from every breakfast place in town. Build for the future

This is a super cute little diner, and I can’t believe I just went for the first time. It’s quite small and has a counter and diner type feel. They’re menu is thorough with options to satisfy everyone. I had a veggie scramble and it comes with toast but don’t be fooled– get their homemade banana nut bread! They promote local businesses and have some local products to purchase in the waiting area. We went on a mid Sunday morning and didn’t have to wait too long for a table, but it was definitely busy. The service was fantastic-​friendly, prompt and they worked together– it was an overall great atmosphere!

This place lives up to the hype. I had my hopes up prior to eating at Nina’s and was not disappointed. Nina’s sits in a strip mall near a few other gems in Kzoo, Tiffany’s and Saffron. There isn’t a ton of seating inside the restaurant but we were able to walk in and get seated within 10 minutes for a Sunday morning brunch. By the time we left, though, there were many people waiting for tables.
The food came quick and was beyond good. I had the Southwest Mess with spicy hash browns. Being the first time eating at Nina’s, I had to ask what the spicy hash browns were. They are hash browns cooked in Franks hot sauce. Delish! Highly recommended. Especially if you’re a fan of Franks or hot sauce in general. My wife ordered the Banana Nut French Toast. Also delish. They use homemade banana bread which was a nice touch.
We will definitely be back. Keep up the good work Nina!

Went there with my husband for our breakfast date a few times. Loved it there! Great service and yummy food. Very reasonable prices. Would recommend this to anyone.

Great breakfast spot. I’ve been eating here for 10 years now, whether it’s carry out or done in the food is amazing and the service is great! Today I tried the breakfast burrito for the first time and it was amazing! Dining can get packed some mornings but it’s worth the wait!

Had delicious banana chocolate chip WAFFLES – It was like a sundae for breakfast! Cute small diner and a definite student stomping ground. You can tell that they serve up hangover treatments– and with a smile. Diner style service for cheap quick eats. Nothing over the top and no long wait like Crow’s Nest.

Food was great but for how small it is the waitress could’ve been better. I got the breakfast wet burrito. Comes with sausage gravy over it. Will come back!

I’d give it 5 stars but the waitress never came back and refilled our waters so 4 is what they’re getting. Food was excellent though ;) Went for lunch so busy but not crazy.

When I roll up to any greasy breakfast diner, I don’t have much expectations except my eggs better be cooked how I ordered it, my bacon comes out extra crispy, bottomless lackluster coffee (which always add to the whole-​in-​the-​wall breakfast experience) and my pancakes served with syrup and butter. Well, I finally had a chance to check this place out and my breakfast order was solid. The service was friendly, my breakfast was perfect and it came out quickly. I would definitely come back here again.

This was better than I expected. I have never been a fan of diners or eating out for breakfast, but I was pleasantly surprised by Nina’s. The food quality was decent, the service was swift and friendly, and the atmosphere was appropriate. The restaurant is smaller than I expected, so on a busy day, you might have a hard time getting a table. We were there in a Wednesday, and had no trouble getting a table for 5.
I had a 3 egg scramble with bacon and hash browns. I think my wife had the same. Pretty standard fare. The kids had bacon or sausage and pancakes; they liked the meat, but both my wife and my oldest said the syrup was pretty bad (they are spoiled with maple syrup at home).
To quote my 5 year old, «Best breakfast food ever!» I won’t go that far, but Nina’s is a pretty good bet for breakfast.

As far as greasy spoon diners go, this is a good one! They keep the coffee coming, and the food came out super fast (important with three young kids).
The food itself was pretty standard diner fair; the bacon was nice and crispy, and the portions of everything were really big. None of us liked the syrup (definitely the fake stuff, not real maple), but no complaints otherwise.

Nina’s Café needs a good bath! Mr. MVP, the B family and I had Sunday morning breakfast at Nina’s recently and the place was filthy. Our coffee cups were covered in grime, the silverware was caked with food stuff and the tables had a thin layer of grease. We arrived at 8:45 a.m. and the floor looked as though it had been already been through an entire hard day of business. My tote went on a chair. Ick!
Our waitress was obviously not having a very good day because her irritation with us was apparent. She handed us the menus and immediately asked if we were ready to order. When we said we needed a minute she actually sighed. I’m not sure if she thought we had planned ahead and reviewed the menu in the car, but breakfast for us is a social event. We are polite customers and we are excellent tippers. Jeesh, she tried my patience.
Our breakfast was only so, so. Even Mr. MVP who likes most anything said his meal of hash was only okay. My veggie omelet was not bad. The mushrooms were fresh and the green peppers were not mushy. The B family did say they had issues with runny whites on the eggs they ordered specifically the opposite way.
Nina’s Café until you, literally, take a bath, our breakfast will be served someplace else.