Shantell’s Cafe

My friends and I were in town and decided to visit… We had dinner on New Year’s Eve, and although we didn’t have reservations, the staff was extremely accommodating!!! Collectively, we ordered the Jamaican Beef Patties, Gourmet Sliders, Fish & Chips, Jerk Chicken over rice and the Jerk Shrimp over rice! Sooo much food and it was SOOOO good. Yes, there was a bit of a wait, but the food was fresh and smoking hot, PLUS the owner, Shantell, came out to speak with us (on a busy night), and her personality equally shines along with her food!!! I only wish I lived in Florida, so I could make Shantell’s Café one of my regulars!!!

Finally decided to give this place a try after so many friends recommended it. The staff greeted and seated us right away. We ordered the chicken and waffles and the chicken platter with a side of okra. All I can say is WOW! THE BEST FRIED CHICKEN EVER! The prices can get a little pricy but well worth it. The only complaint I had was the wait to get our food. We waited about 45 mins for our food. Though it was worth it I hope the next time we go it isn’t as long.

From the looks of recent reviews, a lot of people seem to be down on Shantell’s but I had a GREAT experience. The wait staff was extremely pleasant and hospitable, and the fried chicken, waffles, and okra were great. Everything was crunchy, just the way I like it! I will, however, agree that the wait times are long (we went from hungry to borderline hangry by the time we got our entrees) and it is a tad pricey, depending on what you get. The fried chicken lunch platter is priced pretty fairly at $ 7 (two pieces of fried chicken and an overflowing bowl of okra) but the chicken and waffles is a little steep at $ 14, even if it is tasty. Still, I would 100% recommend Shantell’s to anyone looking for the best fried chicken in the Central Florida area. Bonus points for Shantell giving hugs to everyone when they leave (!) and being open late. I can’t wait to go back for Sunday brunch.

I really tried to like this place but I just can’t see myself coming back anytime soon. The place is mediocre at best and so overpriced it hurts. I hate to say it because the staff was very friendly, but I left feeling very unsatisfied with my meal.
I ordered the jerk chicken salad and asked if I could add shrimp in it too and the waitress said there would be a $ 2 upcharge which is understandable. The food took quite awhile to come out, at least 30 minutes, but the place was completely empty. My friend and I were literally the only ones in the entire restaurant so I was a bit confused.
After our food finally came out, my order was wrong. Instead of a jerk chicken and shrimp salad, it was jerk chicken and shrimp over white rice. At that point I was really hungry and didn’t want to wait another 30 minutes for the correct order so I just ended up eating it. First of all, the dish is supposed to come with yellow/​dirty rice which probably would’ve made it taste a little bit better. It was just so bland in taste. It was a lot of rice, not enough meat/​veggies and very overpriced. There were no sides included or anything. I couldn’t believe I was paying $ 15 for this dish.
Overall, I would not recommend Shantell’s Café. I felt like I could get a better priced and satisfying meal at Bahama Breeze :(

If this was advertised as a Caribbean restaurant it would get 4 ½ stars easy. We started with the beef patties. They were amazing and even came with a dipping sauce that wasn’t needed but was a good touch. This had us anxious for our entrees, and so comes the let down. The boiled macaroni with melted cheddar was not impressive, nor were the Italian seasoning collard greens. The fried chicken wasn’t cooked thoroughly to the point that marrow could be smelled. I asked for chicken breast but was given a thigh instead. The jerk chicken over rice was seasoned well and had the perfect amount of kick. I went here based on the obviously old photos from the old location and rave reviews. Sadly to say they totally missed the mark on soul food.

This was the second time I have been back to Shantell’s after the move to the new location. The last visit was at the grand opening of the new location and because it was a combination Birthday Party/​Grand opening, I chose not to post a review because grand opening day is ALWAYS a disaster in my experience and theirs was no different. If I was to have written a review for the experience that night it would have been a ZERO stars because the service was horrible, the food was not what we remembered and not very good but because it was their first day open and it was also Shantell’s birthday, I let her know quietly there were issues and to just call me on Monday because she ended up getting engaged and I did not want to rain on her parade.
Today I was in the area with my friend that just moved here from Georgia and though by now all of the issues were worked out… I could not have been more wrong. The service was slow but not as bad as the last time but a far cry from our first visit. I ordered unsweetened tea and my friend ordered sweet tea. She gave us the wrong glasses. We placed our orders and I ordered the chicken and waffles with a side of greens and Mac n Cheese. My friend ordered the Jerk Shrimp and rice. He wanted to try the Jamaican Beef Patties but but was told they were out. A while later our server came out to inform me that they were out of Mac N Cheese as well.
Our food finally came out and after taking a photo we dug in. First up were the greens. They tasted as I remembered them the first time but the portion was considerably smaller than my first trip. My friend liked them but I still prefer a more savory version of greens but they were good. Next up is the chicken. It was nicely cooked but lacking in seasoning. There was a leg, a wing and a thigh sitting on top of Belgian waffle. The waffle was not as light and fluffy this trip but it had a good flavor. Last up was my friends jerk shrimp and there was a lot more kick to it than the last time I tried it. There was a lot of heat but unfortunately the flavor was missing the mark. The rice was cooked properly but it was bland.
To sum it all up… For a waffle, a wing, a leg and a thigh I was charged $ 14. For a small dish of greens I was charged and additional $ 4. I do not know how to say this but that was NOT $ 18 worth of food. I can go to Publix and buy a whole rotisserie chicken for for under $ 10. The first trip I was given a breast, a thigh and a leg for the same price. The side of greens was half the size of what I was served the first time for the same price. To be honest, I just don’t feel like I was getting my money’s worth this trip and the only thing that tasted the same was the greens. Everything else was not the same. A lot has changed since the move and I have to be honest… It is NOT for the better. After the last two trips, I just do not see myself returning for another meal.

Saturday night and the buffet is on. 14.00 all you can eat. Mac and cheese, jambalaya, fried chicken, and more more more. We love it. We haven’t done the brunch yet but heard it is good too. Busy tonight but the food is coming our well. Live music starts at 7:30.

We came here hoping for some great soul food. My husband ordered the Jerk shrimp and rice and I ordered the fried chicken dinner. His meal was dry and he sent it back to the kitchen. He then ordered the fried chicken because that was edible. I had the macaroni and cheese as my side – it was dry but at least had a good taste to it. They did comp my husband’s meal but it was a disappointment.

I wanted to like this place. It was not only because it was recommended by other Sanford business owners but because the Orlando Sentinel also RAVED about it (p.s. Orlando Sentinel I won’t even read your online publications now).
I went to place a take out order and there were 7 other patrons in the restaurant. It seemed like the 2 servers working weren’t on sync with each other and folks were hesitant at first to speak to me. After breaking the ice with my excitement to be there because they were recommended I review the menu and had to wait a while before placing my order while they were figuring out the expedition of the food for the other guests. (It’s a super small place it should go really quickly). I finally did, Fried Chicken meal, fries, mac n cheese, wings, Jamaican patty. Feeding 4 of us across the street. I asked how long it would take as I was going to come back and pick it up. She was nice and said don’t worry about it I’ll bring it over.
45 minutes later no food so I figured they had gotten busy so I walked back over. They were not busy and again there was a weird communication execution environment. Not really anyone taking charge of making sure all guests were spoken too and everything was clear and understood about what was going on. My takeout order was done but they had to redrop my fries. So I was waiting I watched the server take two orders of fries out to the seated tables and I just kept waiting. When I asked how long she thought it would be she said — good thing you didn’t pay for them. I didn’t charge you for them. Huh?! I paid for two meals with sides and actually helped her on my phone as she went through what to charge me (old school calculator style — it’s a mom n pop kind of restaurant). I didn’t know what to say so she said she bring them over and I left.
I was so excited to try the food I didn’t care about the weird service– like I said I wanted to like this place. But the food was awful. The fried chicken was disgusting. Not crispy. No flavor. I had heard so much about how darn good the chicken was and all I can think it that all those folks have never eaten decent fried chicken or have lived off mushy piles of wet paper their whole lives. We actually did have fries already included that were okay. The mac n cheese was fine not the best but okay. The wings were the best part of the meal which was sad because we had to split 10 between 4 people since everything else was so awful. The Jamaican patty was flavorful but mushy in consistency — not fried well. Overall about an hour wait for not so good food. I wanted to like this place so badly but I will NEVER BE going back.
The people working though awkward with service level were nice and friendly. But the fried chicken was so bad and the wait so long. Ladies I’d have a beer with you but my family will die of starvation if we depend on your cooking.

I’ve said it before … And won’t be long Bc my food is in front of me and I can’t hold for long … Maaaan … I struggle to find real — food places … actual cooks not people with degrees … Amazing and delicious. Seasoned perfect. I love it ! Thanks so much for the perfect experience and also live music ! Whaaat… Shantell (owner and chef) came out and made our day ! Perfect ! Thanks so much and pls try the fried green tomatoes… I can’t even stop with this place. A GEM !

My friend and I went to Shantell’s this weekend after a fun night of exploring downtown Sanford.
We were floored by how friendly every member of the staff was. The restaurant itself is nothing to write home about but it was clean and tidy with beautiful mural on the wall.
The food took a little long to come out but was well worth the wait. My burger was excellent and better even than Five Guys. While my burger was fantastic, what truly made the experience was the Mac and cheese. It was so soulful and tasted just like grandma made it.
Having the ability to go on a great night of bar hoping and still being able to find a place that sells real food at 2am is a gold mine in my eyes.

I brought my wife to Shantell’s after hanging at the brewery beside it. It has moved across the street from its prior location. They now have plenty of outside seating and it was the right day to do it. I ordered chicken and waffles, and my wife ordered 5 wings, and fried fish, with collards and onion rings. After a very long wait they brought my chicken and waffles, then my wife’s wings. The fish came last, without the sides. We ate and I went to request the check. The server took off $ 8 for not getting the greens and onion rings. I didn’t have to ask. The food was good, but it was slow.

Food and service were well below par! We ordered fried green tomatoes, a macaroni stuffed portobello, fish and chips and chicken and waffles. I wish I could report on the appetizers, but they were never delivered and our food took over an hour to get to our table. Fish and chips were just average as if they came from long john silvers and the chicken and waffles were cold and the chicken had no flavor. I will not be returning here! I could’ve gone to publix and bought their fried chicken and some bisquick and been better off and saved money! What a shame I had such high hopes for this place…

Seriously disappointing experience tonight at Shantell’s. The food was ok, but it took over an hour to get to our table. Dinner for our party of five arrived in increments. One order of chicken & waffles (very good) came out with an order of jerk shrimp (almost inedible), followed 10 min later by an order of fish & chips (meh) and a veggie plate (disappointing). Then our appetizers (pretty good collard greens and pretty bad fried green tomatoes) arrived halfway through dinner. Finally, my order of chicken and waffles came out after everyone else was done eating.
Service was spotty — silverware arrived after the food started to arrive, drinks didn’t get timely refilled, it took forever to get the check, and no one offered dessert. After the crappy service, no one even tried to make it right.
We won’t go back.

The food was generally good, but came out of the kitchen very very very very slowly.
The fried green tomatoes would have been excellent had green tomatoes been used. Substituting reg tomatoes left the dish soggy.
Sadly we will not be returning. Nor can I recommend you waste your time here. Same or Better food can be found elsewhere, and you’ll still have most of your evening for other activities

Sanford has a new gem. Lets make sure it stays that way. The chicken and waffle is one of the best in the east coast. The atmospere is chic. I recommend this place for lunch or dinner. Did I mention Miss Shantell personally cooked my chicken and jerk shrimp…

The décor here is very dark almost black wood. Looks like an old pub. Couldn’t tell if it was always like this or they built it this way. I like the look of it.
Sat at the bar/​counter which was great because we got to talk to the cook and ask about the different foods and watch her work her magic.
Started with the jerk shrimp which were fresh, not fried and had a ton of great flavor.
Main course I ordered the fried chicken, mac and cheese and collard greens.
Greens were vegetarian but I couldn’t tell, they were delicious but kinda salty.
Mac and cheese was better than average, I prefer to put some sauce on my mac and cheese and they didn’t have any A1.
Fried chicken was very good, lightly cripsy, I ate it all.
Iced tea was made properly and tasted like it should.
Finished with coconut cake, it was pretty decent a little dry in the middle.
Chairs at the bar were awkward and uncomforable, some of them were leather and it felt like the bottom had no support and was going to fall through.
TV’s were showing ladies Scottish football which was weird, then later a Irish detective mystery show.
The hood above the kitchen had a very annoying fan noise like the hood fan was out of alignment.
Staff were very nice and super helpful.

This place is really cute and it has sort of a NOLA vibe to to it. We came for lunch on Saturday and there was only 2 other parties so we were greeted and seated right away. I ordered the 2 piece tilapia meal with a side of mac and cheese. My husband ordered the 2 piece chicken meal (specifically a wing and breast) with a side of greens.
My two large pieces of fish had a nice light coating and was cooked perfectly golden brown. The tartar sauce was sorta generic however. The substantial side of Mac and cheese was creamy and delicious. There was a spice not usually associated with Mac and cheese (I think oregano), but it was a nice change from the usual.
I sampled my husband’s greens and they were awesome! Slightly sweet with a nice red pepper kick. They were not over cooked mush, but had a nice bite.
My husband, who is a self proclaimed expert of fried chicken scored it an 8 out of 10 (that’s saying something). Only after seeing another patrons order of chicken and waffles was he disappointed. I think I saw a tear forming in the corner of his eye when he realized what he had passed up on! The chicken and waffles looked amazing.
Looks like we will have to return soon! Oh, and our bill came to under 20 bucks.

Shantell’s Soul Food is located in downtown Sanford, in the middle of some crazy road construction until the end of July. I’m looking forward to beautiful brick streets and expanded sidewalk seating with the completion of the downtown road improvements.
I enjoyed a lunch in and brought food home for the hubby on this visit. He enjoyed the fried chicken and especially the collard greens, which he said had a kick. He liked my leftover fried green tomatoes, too. I enjoyed the FGT a lot, no greasy, a nice portion size and great flavor in the coating. I also enjoyed the Shrimp Po Boy, which was very filling. Shrimp were fried perfectly and a nice size. I enjoyed the sauce on there, as well. If you are looking for Chicken & Waffles, look no further. I saw them arrive at the next table and they looked amazing. The diners were still tucked into their sizable lunches when I left.
Service at Shantell’s was super friendly, my server checked back often and made some nice suggestions. She put in my take out order so it was finished just as I was ready to leave, thanks! I’ll be back to try out some fried oysters, next time.

The words that kept coming out of mine and my husband’s mouths as we were eating at Shantell’s was WOW! Oh WOW! Hands down this is the best Chicken and Waffles I have ever tasted in my life! I cannot get the taste out of my head! The fried chicken was cooked to a perfect crisp and the waffles were hot, sweet and savory. The syrup was beyond belief, how buttery and flavorful it was. Shantell’s food tastes like it was cooked with love and love was what we got when we got up to leave, we asked for a hug because we felt so loved by Shantell and her food. She came around from behind the counter and hugged us!
Great atmosphere, great food, great service! One of my new favorite places to hang out and have the closest Mom food made with love you can get!
Shantell’s is at a pre-​grand opening stage right now, but I know this place is going to do really well, it has all the right combinations and atmosphere destined to succeed!