Cafe M

Had a very good breakfast this morning! My favorite was the cinnamon sugar raspberry filling donut-​yum! Coffee was very good and the breakfast burrito was good as well. The veggie wrap lacked some flavor but all in all was a good breakfast with great service.

If you are in Norfolk and hungry for Breakfast or Lunch, eat here.
Are the prices good? Yes.
Is the coffee good? Yes.
Are the donuts good? Yes. Well, maybe, no. They’re not just good, they’re paradigm shifting.
Are the breakfast tacos good? Yes. Better than Texas.
Are the chicken biscuits good? Only if you have red blood running in your veins.
Is the owner the cook? Also, Yes. Talk about Quality Control.
Are there cloth napkins and Tuxedoed Staff? NO WAY!
Are there a bunch of pastel soccer moms or «suits» or pencil-​thin-​mustache hipsters?
Not yet. Better hurry, though.

Went here 10am on a Thursday
We were greeted promptly by a young lady who we later found out was the owner. The place is cute, and eclectic, small, but has some outdoor seating right next to a plant nursery which is so cute. Next door is dog groomers/​boarding which is awesome. I love dogs so seeing different breeds walk by us was a plus. Ordered 2 coffees and to our surprise was a well known Italian brand, only other places I have had it was Chicago and Dubai. It is amazing, and for food we had Banana french toast, turkey sausage, and breakfast bowl, with homemade sweet potato biscuits. Service was great, and attentive. Really enjoyed this local spot and encourage others to go there, enjoy it for what it is, and it’s style. Great food, and unique atmosphere which is good! Not ever place has to look the same, or be the same, that is why there are different places in the world. Dogs walking by, garden surrounding the place, great coffee and food, outstanding service. Enjoy.

Great food an price an customer service is wonderful very kind… when I leave I’m happy.

Had the breakfast burrito and banna but bread french toast both were pretty damn good. Was scared to try the French toast bc it sounded weird but my wife insisted and I was like oh shit. Definitely going back to try something else

This place is great! Great food for a great price. The woman working was all by herself and she was able to waitress and cook like a pro.

We visited this place a few weeks ago & was impressed! Very small local place, the type of place one would like to be a regular at! I ordered the donut french toast, very good & the donut was house made. The biscuits and gravy were good as well; it’s not always easy to find good b&g! Service was amazing!

Found this café to be cute and homey feeling. Had the Banana Bread French Toast w one cheddar cheese scrambled egg, no regrets. Absolutely delicious. The French Toast tap danced across my taste buds. Would def come again.

As much as I love small businesses, I can’t but state this place has a lot of work to do. I went and ordered donuts, coffee, and a breakfast bowl. The breakfast bowl was pretty decent. The eggs were cooked a little too much but to be a small business, I was satisfied. The waitress was nice. She was attentive. The donuts were wayyy too thick. Almost as if they haven’t been cooked all the way through. I respect the fact the owner was cooking. Her story is admirable. I hope the perfects her shop. I think it has potential.

This place is GOOD!!!
My wife and I came to Café M for breakfast. I ordered a banana nut bread French toast and my wife ordered the breakfast burrito. Both were OUTSTANDING. we got a chocolate expolsion donut that we spilt. You could really taste the love that was put into it. I will be returning hopefully tomorrow or soon. I give this place a standing ovation. CHEERS to places like this.

There is nothing spectacular about these restaurant however I also believe that there is always room for improvement. I feel like the entire place needed a refurbishment perhaps enough ventilation so you won’t smelled like food after dining in. On the positive side, the outside deck is totally spot on. Thought its a great space to chill out and have fun with friends specially this summer.
One thing that caught my attention with this place is the sumptuous dessert posted of the Unilocalers. Unfortunately, during my visit I didn’t see one aside from the cupcakes displayed. I didn’t try it because it wasn’t look appetizing at all. Also I super love the idea of home cooked meal but it has be properly done.
I come here with a friend for Sunday brunch. We’re both quite hungry thankfully it wasn’t busy so we directly served and seated. The food came out really fast and I just thought it was forgettable. I have nothing much to say as it seems ok. Yes, it was tasty and delish but it didn’t wow me on so many levels. I must commend that the customer service was spectacular.
I don’t think I’ll come back soon but you never know. This review is based on my current experience and truthfully honest.

Amazing food (get the breakfast burrito), coffee is awesome, biscuits are amazing and the hand made donuts are devilish. The décor is a dive but adds to local feel. Tip– When they get busy service takes a little longer so be ready for a wait… but it is worth it.

I came here on a quiet Saturday morning by myself for some breakfast. There is a small parking lot in front as well as street parking. I was greeted as soon as I entered and told to sit wherever.
There was only one other customer who had ordered take out, and afterwards, it was pretty quiet and perfect for a quiet breakfast and reading. I ended up ordering the special of the day, strawberry and nutella french toast with a side of fruit, and the chicken sweet potato biscuit.
The food fell a little short of my expectations. The chicken biscuit came out first. The chicken was freshly fried, but it lacked spice and flavor. The sweet potato biscuit was okay, I liked that they had small pieces of sweet potato in it, but it was a little crumbly. The french toast was good. The presentation was beautiful. There were 3 or 4 pieces of french toast, layered with nutella and strawberries in between. I was really expecting to be wow-​ed from all the reviews, but everything was just okay for me. However the food is very well priced, and you get a very good deal. I know they serve breakfast and lunch all day.
I wish I went with the donut french toast or maybe one of their pastries, which seems to be their specialty. The next time I’m in the area, I want to try their donuts or pastries.

Cafw M just misses being awesome due to lack of attention to detail. The place is dirty with unsightly things just placed haphazardly everywhere. Dogs barking endlessly nearby was a turn off
We had the breakfast biscuit sandwich which was good but nland. The biscuit was good. Dont order the hash browns. Very bland
The best was the Italian coffee. A huge surprise considering the rest.

This place is cute! A little hidden, off of Granby Street, near Norfolk Zoo. My boyfriend and I came here for lunch today — he Unilocaled the place of course, and that’s how we ended up here.
We arrived and what caught my eye first was the chalkboards. I love chalkboards, typography, & nice fonts! Anyway, the menu is written on the chalk board — food and coffee menu. There were still little menus with descriptions of the items.
We both had coffee & I loved that each cup came with a little container of (liquid) creamer. Good coffee! My boyfriend ordered the Donut French Toast with bacon. I had the Fried Chicken with an over easy egg, on a sweet potato biscuit. Also a side of home fries. The meal wasn’t bad at all — we just thought the French toast would be a tad bit softer.
Service was great, and the woman (I think she was the owner), was very friendly.
After my boyfriend paid, she told us that we each get a free cupcake — Free Cupcake Friday! You get a free cupcake with each entrée purchased. We took ours to go — I chose Peppermint Mocha and he chose Salted Caramel.
I would definitely return if ever in this area of Norfolk. Maybe this time, for a sandwich.

No pictures of food because I was too busy demolishing my dishes. The dog got the occasional potato and piece of bread that «accidentally» fell.
We had the chicken biscuit, the breakfast bowl with pork sausage and the French Toast donuts.
The biscuit is a sweet potato biscuit that puts other notorious sweet potato biscuits in the area to shame.
The fried chicken was ridiculously amazing… I don’t know what kind of secrets Missy has in her prep of that chicken but it is something I will stab you with a fork over because I’m eating every bite, capisch?
Oh yeah, pork sausage is homemade too, I was shaking my head with disbelief as I was eating it because it is impossible to find quality like this out of a good home kitchen.
Scrambled? Over easy or medium? Sunny side up? She gets them right on the money to take your experience over the top.
Please come here as often as possible, it’s home cooking in a beautiful part of Norfolk that will set you at ease and put a smile on your face; buy local support local, and give hope to the American dream.

Ughhhhh. I sat on writing this review for a while and almost didn’t. But, having consulted some trusted Unilocalers, the consensus is maybe some constructive criticism can help… especially since they’ve notice a decline in the quality but feel awkward/​uncomfortable writing about it.
I’m not sure if it was because of the previous 3-​star review I wrote or if it happened to be a bad week but when I had picked up my order it was straight icicles in the café from Missy and from her cashier. Not a good start since we had just eaten lunch at an establishment right down the street which I needed to write an upgraded review for. I thought after these doughnuts that I’d be doing the same for Café M.
I put in an order for a dozen doughnuts thanks to a Groupon deal that I was über-​excited to get/​use. I called in the day prior to see what flavors were available and apparently 5 flavors were available for the Groupon deal. I placed my order online and indicated I had wanted the variety of the flavors that I was told on the phone that were available for Groupon orders. Keep in mind my previous review and how impressed with the doughnut I had been. Although kind of dense, I loved the chew and the texture and thought t to be delicious (& a bit different)! So when I saw the Groupon deal pop up, I had to get it and therefore I could justify to my muffin top and arteries why I NEEDED a dozen doughnuts.
Imagine my disappointment (after the less than friendly interaction w/​Missy and her employee… to which I just used the kill ‘em with kindness route) when I received my 5lb box (yes, 5lbs) of smallish, super dense, and undercooked cold doughnuts. The variety of doughnuts was 3 flavors and not the 5 told to me over the phone. Still, we tried to eat two (after nuking them in the microwave to soften and cook them longer) and ended up throwing them away… all while envisioning my mom and grandparents chiding me about wasting food. Actually, I threw two from my deck into our lake and those bad boys plopped in the water with a good splash.
Anyway, I really do wish them the best of luck and still think the first time I had her doughnut that it was fabulous. Maybe it’s just like French fries… something best when eaten fresh out of the fryer.

I had lunch here last Wed. with fellow Unilocaler Lance F. The special of the day was a Mushroom & Swiss Burger with Fresh Cut Fries. I have to say that Café M is not at all what I had pictured in my head. It’s a small hole in the wall location with a couple regular sized tables, a couple of medium sized tables and a couple of 2 person tables. The counter and kitchen run along the back of the room, and to the right there is a small patio outside which is quite nice as it’s next to a garden center.
I ordered my food from the counter and had to point out the special on the chalk board to the guy taking the orders, he seemed new and a bit befuddled. We’ve all been there. The lady working the grill appeared to be the owner. Once I placed my burger order I sat at the large round top table next to the condiments stand. It had a black table cloth on it and the first thing I noticed was there was white hair all over thing. It made me wonder if the grooming shop next door had used the table. About that time Lance walked in and walked to the counter to order his food and then joined me. I pointed out the hair, but there was really no where else to sit in there, and was to hot to sit outside so we stayed put.
My burger arrived a short time later. It’s a house made patty and the bun is also made on site. Unfortunately for both the burger was well done when I asked for medium and they bun while fresh was a little on the tough side and in fact was just like the house buns that everyone was complaining about at ⁸⁰⁄₂₀ when they opened. (they changed their bun after months of complaints). My fresh cut fries were also room temperature, they had definitely been sitting for a while before they were put on my plate. Lances burger arrived about 10 minutes after mine, which I thought didn’t bode to well for the kitchen. I don’t know if it’s a multi-​tasking issue or just plan bad communication because our orders were put in practically back to back.
Long story short it was a decidedly mediocre meal and experience. I’ve heard the Doughnuts are great, and that Taco Tuesday is good so I’ll give them another try down the road and update my review then.

I dropped by Café M for a nice relaxing weekend breakfast with my two best guys. (my husband and my dog). Oh! Did I mention the pet friendly patio? Well. they share it with the garden center next door so surrounding the patio are lots of cherry and plum trees. Just beautiful.
Turns out, this place just opened up about a month ago. So they aren’t fully equipped with outdoor furniture but they were extremely accommodating and allowed us to bring out a few chairs and enjoy the sun on this gorgeous spring morning.
Our order consisted of the delicious pumpkin donut holes, breakfast burrito and the sausage biscuit with egg and 2 cups of coffee. I like that she offers 3 varieties of coffee, too. We ended up getting the French Roast though next time I might go for the Sumatra. They also have a flavored coffee but I don’t mess with those because I’m a real coffee drinker. heh.
The donut holes were fantastic. Pumpkin and cinnamon flavored, rolled in sugar and what really set this apart was that little hint of salt. Salt makes everything taste better.
Well. So do butter and bacon but everyone knows that.
My sweet potato biscuit, made totally from scratch (so homemade in fact. she had run out and had to bake a new batch for my meal), was worth the wait. Just lovely. Well balanced. Not doughy. Not dry. Sweet but not overly sweet.
My only critique would be (as Lance had mentioned, too) the sausage. It was a very lean sausage (which I appreciate) and you could tell it was made from scratch (impressive) but it was definitely under seasoned. It lacked salt. I might suggest going with some different spices. I think I might’ve caught a little thyme and chili pepper but I’d also consider adding some toasted fennel and cumin seeds and maybe a little more fat (I prefer pork) and fresh herbs like parsley and chives. But definitely add more salt.
The same goes for the gravy. It, too, needed more salt. I am a big fan of fresh cracked pepper so you will never see me use the canned stuff. I just refuse. I’d rather take peppercorns to a mortar and pestle before using that stuff.
In total, I really did enjoy my experience at Café M. Her baked items were really fantastic. I’m hoping she takes into consideration the constructive criticism offered through this forum. I think she is well on her way and totally support any small local business but especially those that are women owned and food related.
I’ll definitely be back to try something else and I’m hoping that outdoor patio furniture gets there before the weather gets too hot.

I stopped by Café M this morning to give breakfast a try. And, overall I can safely say that I will be back. When I walked in, I was greeted by Missy, the owner, and I placed my order. I got the sausage and gravy bisuit with egg and a banana streusel muffin.
The muffin was a nice start to the meal, moist and delicious. It’s made fresh every day and you could tell it was made recently. Very good. The biscuit with gravy and sausage was good but not great for me. The biscuit itself was really good, again made in house and had great flavor. The sausage, which is also made there, lacked whatever seasonings you need to make it sausage. It was good but not quite «sausagey» enough. The gravy needed more salt, in my opinion, and I told her that when she asked for my opinion. The sandwich itself was only OK for me personally.
The best thing I ate was the pumpkin donut holes. She had some ready as I was finishing up and I had the chance to try them warm and right out of the oven. Dear heavens those were good. I would go back for those alone. Again, they are made in house and from what I can gather they go quickly. If you want to try them, get there early.
So, to sum up my overall impressions, I am a fan. It wasn’t a perfect meal but there was enough there that was good to make me want to go back. The pastries were definitely the stars of the morning and I will be back for those at a minimum. Missy said they have meatball subs (which my wife loves) on Thursday lunch and tacos on Tuesday so we will probably hit it for lunch soon too! This is a new business that is locally owned and trying to build itself up. Give it a try and see what you think!