Curry Creek Cafe

The food is always terrific here, and so is the comfortable friendly attention from the owner. I’m bringing friends there tonight!

You would never know from the outside what a gem of a restaurant is waiting for you inside. The food was excellent, the service was friendly and accommodating and I would go back in a heart beat. Actually we have been there twice. The Indonesian food is spot on, so flavorful. The first time I enjoyed a delicious seafood special, very fresh and tasty. I’m almost afraid to say anything more as it will just make the restaurant all the more popular and crowded.

This is the place to go for Indonesian food. We went there for lunch, although the place looks run down from the outside and the open sign was not on. Despite first appearances we trusted the positive reviews and went in to find a small basic but very clean and nice dinning room with a partial view into the kitchen. The Owner/​Chef greeted us and remained conversational throughout the visit. It felt almost like having great food at a friend’s home!
My wife had the grouper cheeks basket and I went with the Nasi Goreng with shrimp. Everything was prepared quickly and was delicious. Portions were large and presentation was basic, but the quality was superior.
Our server was reserved but friendly and attentive. This husband/​wife team worked seamlessly to make a very casual and fully enjoyable lunch experience for us.
I would not hesitate to fully recommend this establishment to anyone who has a goal of great food, good prices and a laid back ambiance.

I don’t give five star reviews very often, especially for restaurants I’ve only been to once, but this place definitely deserves it. Our meals at the Curry Creek Café were so expertly prepared that I have no qualms whatsoever about giving it the highest recommendation possible. The Indonesian dish my husband ordered was truly superior in preparation, flavor and spice level. Absolutely delicious. And my seafood basket was excellent in every way. Talk about delectable! Portion sizes for both meals were more than ample. The outside of the Curry Creek Café building doesn’t look like much and the inside is modest, as well, but don’t let that prevent you from indulging in some of the best food available in the Nokomis area.
The owner/​cook of the Curry Creek Café is quite friendly and enjoys interacting with his customers whenever possible. He doesn’t mind answering questions about his cooking methods and clearly takes pride in the finished products of his labor. Our waitress was also friendly, just a bit on the reserved side, which was fine. Her service was prompt, polite, efficient and attentive.
What more could one ask for in a restaurant? Oh, yes. Prices at Curry Creek are reasonable, as well! So you see that our experience was five stars all the way. We could not have been more pleased.

You wouldn’t know it by the location but the food is very good. Every time I’ve gone I’ve tried to get something different and haven’t been disappointed except for when I got a crab plate one time which wasn’t the greatest. Otherwise the plates are good and pretty filling so I’ve never had dessert there but the nasi goreng, fried calamari, and the seafood curry with lemongrass shrimp are excellent.
The food is reasonably priced and the chef is always friendly and eager to please his customers. It’s a casual dining restaurant with a relaxed environment, clean, and quality food. The waitress could be a little more friendly and attentive but it’s not so bad I wouldn’t go back. Before you go you might want to make sure there is seating available because it’s a small place so larger parties more than four I would recommend to call ahead.

This place is consistently good. Even above good. The Chef is right there available for discussion before, during and after the meal. He can give you very interesting facts about what the recipe is and maybe even how he created it. We went a few weeks aback and had a special osso bucco ravioli– It was off the charts. Others there had the same. Their comments «better than Italy» !! We had to agree.
Give it a try you won’t be disappointed.

I went there with my grandfather who is in a wheelchair and they had 1 table occupied and told us we couldn’t get in because they were full. The lady was rude and did not even apologize for the inconvenience. If you are so busy during season, you should recommend reservations on your website… and not have empty tables when you turn a party of four away early in the evening. Especially when we live here year round and would frequently come in off season. Bad move for your business to be inconsiderate to people who can keep you afloat in the slow months.

Dinner was delicious. .great service… chef was very personable. .good wine selection. .prices were very reasonable. .will definitely be back…

I’ve always (almost always) made it a point to try something different on the menu when I return to a restaurant.
Can’t help myself at Curry Creek Café. The Seafood Curry is SO FREAKIN DELICIOUS! Been there three times in last five months and ordered same entrée each time.

Great food in a casual setting. My wife and I split an order of chicken Sate, very flavorful. Two skewers was plenty. She had the beef rending which was packed with flavor. It was a little too spicy for her so if you don’t like much spice, order it mild. I had the grouper cheek curry which was delicious. Nice spicy yellow curry with large chunks of grouper. Nice dish. The owner /​head cook came out and greeted us and asked us if we enjoyed the dinner. Overall good food for the price.

It seems that the food at Curry Creek Café is very good. Unfortunately I’ll never know. The family stopped by Wed night but we didn’t realize they closed at 8 and it was 7:55. The owner (wife) seemed put off that we would even consider entering her establishment despite the fact that we were unaware of their hours as we’d just rolled into town moments before. We politely told her that there was no need to do anything because we didn’t expect to make them stay late but that we’d be back.
True to our word we went back the next night. This is when things really went bad. The «curry» in the name didn’t click. We were looking more for seafood and less for Indonesian. We tried to find something everybody wanted but it was clear that it wasn’t going to happen. We had our 8-​year-​old with us so I asked for a kids’ menu. The wife seemed uninterested in helping us but did finally tell us the mac & cheese from the sides menu was the kids’ menu. Seriously? One flippin’ dish for the kids?
When I realized there was no way it would work I went to the owner/​wife and told her that we couldn’t find what we wanted to/​or could eat (some dietary restrictions in the group) but could I get the sweet tea and lemonade we’d received to go and I’d pay for them.
Rather than being an understanding proprietor she ignored me so we got up to leave. As we walked out the door she rudely told us that next time we should look at the menu outside (which we hadn’t seen) before we come in.
Rest assured there will never be a next time. This woman had to be one of the most rude people I’ve ever met (especially considering she’s in the SERVICE industry. Maybe that explains why there were only two parties dining when we arrived.
If you want an enjoyable dining experience rather than being made to feel as if you’re putting the owners out (she didn’t even seem happy to put two tables together for us) then do yourself a favor and head to Saltwater Café. The service is excellent and they’re actually happy to have you walk into their restaurant.

Been meaning to stop in here for a while and finally went for lunch yesterday. As others have said, the ambiance isn’t great but the owners are super friendly and the food is top notch. What an eclectic menu … Indonesian, Pasta, burgers, sandwiches, american comfort food … and we will be back to try more.
We both chose Indonesian dishes. I had the beef rendang, an incredibly flavorful Sumatran stew … think anise, lemongrass, kaffir lime. The meat was wonderfully tender and was served with jasmine rice and a cucumber salad side. Definitely a 5 star dish and it will be hard to top for my next visit.
My husband had the spicy eggplant with chicken and it was true to its name. Wonderfully spicy, not overpowering, but if you don’t like spice don’t order this. Actually they custom make everything and can make any dish more or less spicy to your taste.
We both ate every morsel on our plates and didn’t want for more. The serving sizes were just right and so were the prices, about $ 12 each. Can’t wait for our next visit!

Great friendly service and curries were outstanding. Egg rolls were cold in middle — get something else. We would def come back!!‘n

Very small-​only 9 tables. Only 1 waitress working so service is slow, but the food is excellent! I’ve been here twice now and it’s been the same both times. Worth the wait though.

Just tried this place, based on Unilocal reviews. It was terrific. Very homey. The Nokomis native and his wife who is a native of Indonesia, do a wonderful job with both American and Indonesian dishes on the menu. No «fusion» food here… they just do the dishes from both countries well. Very reasonably priced and great specials on dinners for very early birds… (4 – 6 pm). The Indonesian grouper cheeks curry was very flavorful and not spicy, unless you wanted to add it. The bread is home made and some of the best that I have had in any restaurant. Large portions that we were able to bring home. The owners are friendly and include you in the conversation if yo wish. Easy to park here. Can’t wait to return!

Found this place after seeing sign on Tamiami Trail.
Great lunch spot. Disappointed they did not have their award winning chicken chile on the menu yet.
Chicken sate, jasmine rice, egg roll, s tasty, well presented and total lunch under $ 20 for two.
Great taste, great value.

Our first time there and we had a wonderful meal. We selected 2 shrimp dishes from the Indonesian side of the menu, they were both excellent! We will go back again, soon!
The service was adequate and we were able to interact with the chef/​owner who was very colorful and helpful. It is a small place, but we were able to get a table for 4 at 7:30PM on a Thursday night.

Small Asian-​American fusion place right on 41S in Nokomis. Good food, service. Do not come for the ambiance… :) Family-​owned. Great crab cakes!!!

Reviewed January 13, 2012
had eaten here last year (and reviewed in 2010) and it was very good so i figured it deserved a second chance. was not disappointed in quality of food or price. try the pasta mediterranean (14.95) or the chicken sate (12.95) which comes w/​rice and a cucumber salad… and…ask Rolfie for some of her homemade red sambal.
fresh fish available daily.
service is excellent and friendly!
sadly, no more bass ale, but newcastle is available as is a new addition, magic hat #9.
my 4^th (5^th?) trip here… still very good.

I sit at this restaurant and laugh LAUGH LAUGH at the people across the street at Captain Eddy’s.
See, just over from that overpacked tourist joint (who does buy Florida seafood and thank you …) is Curry Creek. A bastion of arrogant curries, man meatloafs, stark raving mad pastas and salads that could make you put on your boogie shoes.
Plus they aren’t served in a basket and you get left overs. For days.
The seafood stew is this passionate blend of spices silently and alternately catching your attention. I used to work in a fish house – this is good cuts of fish, shrimp and scallops. Often a stew gets the leftovers or about be not so fresh pieces of fish. This stew is first choice from the start and tastes like it.
The man meatloaf is huge and will satisfy any person in your dining party who is scared of the curry. Scared? On no, you should be amazed. I haven’t had curry this good since the 90s in SoHo where this hot Dutchmen took me to dine because in his well traveled experience it was the best.
Curry Creek is right there.
The salads shouldn’t be ignored. The various menu changes should be celebrated. This isn’t a café routed in old Florida… but a vibrant place where the old and new play… and dare I say it? Get mad happy naked and mix it up.
Recommended and then some.