Kool Beanz Cafe

Great food and an eclectic atmosphere! Love this great local establishment.

This is one of the best places in Tallahassee. The menu is dynamic but keeps a few goodies that seem to stick around. The service is usually really good and you really can’t go wrong with any of the dishes. Lunch is a better deal as the dinner price point is pretty high for the city.

Kool Beanz is amazing! I’ve never had a bad brunch or dinner here. I can’t say anything about the lunch because I haven’t had it yet. I went with a rather large group for my birthday, and they were able to accommodate all of us-​a vegetarian, a vegan, someone with a gluten allergy, a picky 9-​year-​old, and a handful of picky 30-​somethings. My only wish is that they had a full bar. They do have wine though, so I’m not complainin’!

I was in Tallahassee on business for a week, and I heard a lot of hype about Kool Beanz. I decided to pop in one night, had the beer battered cod (fish & chips), the fish was EXTREMELY salty, I think I literally drank 6+ glasses of water to finish this thing. I usually like my food on the salty side, so that says a lot if I think it was too salty. Later on in the week, a Tallahassee local wanted to come here, so I ventured here once more. This time I had the chilled asparagus soup and calamari for the meal and a tres leches for dessert. These dishes weren’t bad, but they were also very standard. I really don’t understand all the hype surrounding this place. The bright colors, the wacky décor and the funky spelling of the name, really makes me feel like I’m dining in some kind of preschool by day, sub-​par restaurant by night place.

This is perhaps my favorite restaurant in tallahassee. Ive been living here for a few years and i am yet to find something better than this. Food is style is genius. I dont know who comes up with the recipes but its working out. This place is packed most of the times but if you get a seat, you must try the chorizo rice they have. Its great and very filling. Portions in general are decent and prices are not too bad. They also have good beer and the restaurant has a great vibe. Dont get discourge by the long line, its definitely worth it. Been here almost 4 times and each time I come out satisfied.

Kool Beans is good but not great IMO. I can totally see why so many ppl love it and for the most part I agree with them.
Yes, the menu changes daily. Yes, it seems like a relatively innovative concept. Yes, it’s a local and charming spot. It is always packed so the popularity speaks for itself. But based on my two visits, the food didn’t wow me.
I actually ate here when I flew into town for apartment hunting last summer. It was on the top of my list to try as I had heard so much about it. So I came, sat at the bar, and ordered the grouper. My dish was pretty decent but nothing I’d write home about. That explains why I haven’t been back until recently. This time I sat at the patio and got the pork chop. Again it was a decent dish but the pork chop was a bit dry and the Brussels sprouts were somewhat mushy.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Kool Beanz! But it’s just not a five star in my book.

I’ve been running circles in my head trying to figure out what I could say about Kool Beanz that hasn’t already been said in the 300+ reviews that have been left to date. As the most reviewed spot in the city of Tallahassee, I was hoping to contribute more to its high rating. So let’s see what I come up with.
I’ve lived in this city since January 2011. I’ve driven and walked past Kool Beanz more times than I can count. I’ve always dismissed it because 1) the décor was very playful in a childlike manner that didn’t particularly interest me, 2) I didn’t know what it was (because I wasn’t an active Unilocaler), and 3) I probably didn’t know what it was because I was surrounded by other college students who probably weren’t fond of spending $ 20+ on an entrée who’d rather pay $ 10 on AYCD bars ;). I wish I could take back all those times. If I could have celebrated all my special occasions from birthdays to anniversaries to new shoes here, I would have. (I’m kidding about the shoes. Although, who doesn’t want an excuse for a fine meal?)
My boyfriend and I ordered fried oysters for an appetizer and the mojo chicken and shrimp and grits for entrees. The portions were large and we honestly shouldn’t have gotten the app because we barely made a dent in our entrees and opted to take them home. Don’t worry though. We devoured the rest hours later. Haha.
Don’t pass this up. I don’t care if you’re a local or a tourist or a ninja turtle. Come here and enjoy their ever changing menu, but make sure your wallet can handle it first!
Go. Now.

Kool beans is a pretty neat place located in Tallahassee. They serve a variety of menu items but as the waitress told me, they’re known for their fresh seafood. Although apparently the menu changes everyday, I got the Wahoo fish with mash potatoes and cilantro rice. The fish, in my opinion, is a hard one to cook and get right, but they did a swell job with it. The side sauce really ties it all together. The rice wasn’t impressive but the mash potato had a nice buttery taste.
The service is slow, and mediocre at best. The waitress couldn’t remember the smallest thing asked but she was polite and attentive (although that didn’t help the forgetfulness). After waiting a good amount for a table, we waited an even longer amount for food. But I guess that good things take time. It’s definitely a once in a long while restaurant. Not a big fan but I respect the food. Definitely worth a try

This is place is absolutely delicious; it’s hands down my favorite place for Sunday brunch. Everything is fresh and they have such a great selection that choosing from the menu is actually the trickiest part!
I am not originally from Tallahassee and upon moving here, finding a place for Sunday brunch was at the top of my to do list. It took a few weeks, and through the process I found several places that were good, but the portion size for the price paid was disappointing. Kool Beanz was the first place that I felt like I had enough food for what I was paying.
The only thing I don’t like is the actual title of the restaurant and the weird art being displayed. I find it embarrassing to tell people that my favorite brunch spot is Kool Beanz Café, and the ambiance leaves something to be desired.

Really wanted to visit his place but they do not take reservations ! Really a bummer when you try to plan your weekend from out of state.
So we did finally get a table around 830 on a Thursday night after a 40 minute wait. Tables just don’t turn quickly here. We watched folks just hang out after paying their bills.
And the food was pretty good. The duck confit was crispy on the outside and very tender and rich. Really like the sauce they paired it with .
My Mahi was cooked just right but the coconut rice lacked in flavor. There wasn’t a hint of coconut at all.
The beer and wine selection was above average too.
I gave this average rating due to an inefficiently run establishment. Way too laid back too me. Don’t get me wrong, everyone was very friendly. I just like a restaurant that pays attention to details.

Went here with a group of new friends when I was in town for a conference. Very interesting local restaurant. The menu seems to change daily. The food was fresh and made to order. The food was interesting as it does have a twist to the flavors that may be familiar. The service was nice as well as quick for lunch. Can get pretty crowded during lunch time.

Well I’m back in New York now. The best food I had hands down in Tallahassee! A must for anyone. The entire staff goes all out to make your dining experience top shelf. The menu was the best I ever had, period! I’d like to thank the Chef’s and staff for all their efforts! My entire body thanks you for the dining experience. If I come down to do more business, I will sit at the Bar for the show, thank you so, from the bottom of my heart/​stomach…

I was pleasantly surprised to find a place of this
caliber in Tallahassee. I went there late on a
Friday and the hostess informed me that it would
be about a 15 minute wait. About 15 minutes later
I was being seated. The menu was full of interesting
selections and I ended up ordering the Sesame
Crusted Gulf Cobia. I also ordered the Lamb Patties
as an appetizer. Plus ordered a beer which was nice
and cold. My server did an excellent job as did the
kitchen. Not really a fan of brussel sprouts but the
fried brussel sprout leaves worked well with the lamb
patties, feta and red pepper catsup. The ginger rice
cake and and veggies that accompanied the cobia
all worked well together. And the cobia was nice and
moist and not overcooked.
Overall it was an excellent experience and I wish I
could have tried a few more things on the menu.
The atmosphere and décor inside the restaurant
was a positive for sure. It also has outdoor seating.
Definitely worth a return visit when I am in the area
again. Giving it four stars may be underrating it.

Kool Beanz was very good. Caramelized Brussels sprouts and asparagus starters were delicious. The salad, with cilantro/​chipotle dressing, was tasty. My companion enjoyed her gnocci. The brownie with Vietnamese coffee ice cream and bruleed bananas was exceptionally delicious and satisfying. Lots of creative cookery going on here!

We’ve experienced Kool Beanz Café two different ways: regular dinner service, and a private event in their new space. Both were excellent experiences.
Our regular dinner service for this past Valentine’s Day weekend, and needless to say, even though we got there early and before opening, there was already a long line. We got one of the last two tables and expected service to be slow considering everyone just sat down and placed their orders. But it was still a wonderful experience, and the service staff stayed on top of things.
The food was delicious both times, with very generous portions. Which means we definitely didn’t have room for dessert. *sad* But perhaps next time! Since they don’t take reservations, we do recommend arriving right at opening or right before to secure a table quickly.
Definitely one of the best restaurants in Tallahassee we’ve tried.

This food was spectacular. It was an expensive restaurant but easily worth the money paid. I got the lamb shank with mashed potatoes and green beans and I was very impressed. The lamb was cooked to perfection and covered in a delicious, slightly spicy sauce that complimented the soft lamb meat magically. All of the foods were combined and exposed to the sauce creating quite a wonderful blend of flavors.
The staff was kind and helpful. Our waiter recommended my wife and I wines to go with our dishes and we were not dissapointed. Overall this experience was wonderful.
The walls were decorated with art by local artists that was all for sale. This is a great idea and my wife and I both enjoyed it.
We will be back, but maybe not for awhile. It is too expensive to go there often for us.

My favorite place to take my parents when they’re in town for a visit. The portions are huge so definitely share with the table! The menu changes everyday, but there is always a seafood dish. Try the salmon, the chicken, or the bean appetizer. Do not suggest ordering the fried calamari, it was not cooked and probably from a freezer package.
Pricing is up there but it’s worth it.

I recently visited Kool Beanz and absolutely loved it! They have very unique dishes, which i LOVE. For my appetizer, I started off with octopus with potato salad. I absolutely loved it. For the main dish, I ordered mani with a pineapple salsa on top. The dish also included black beans, rice, and plantains. GREAT DISH. If it’s on the daily menu, I would suggest ordering it. The one thing I would say is the fish was SLIGHTLY dry, but I’ll let it slide because that’s how much I enjoyed this restaurant. I read great reviews about the chocolate cake but they already ran out by the time I had ordered it. I’ll definitely go back again, and hopefully try some chocolate cake!

After visiting so many times and now living in Tallahassee for nearly six months, I FINALLY made it to Kool Beanz. Don’t chastise me for the sheer absurdity of this statement for I regret not coming here sooner.
My friends and I decided to come here for dinner tonight and I was super excited since I have heard and read so much about this place but surprisingly had never been. Since we arrived on a Saturday night, there was a wait but we didn’t mind at all.
The interior of Kool Beanz is loaded with local art. I didn’t get to see all of it, but nearly every inch of the walls inside is covered with a variety of paintings on canvas, cardstock and even actual window frames. Really cool and adds a lot of brightness to the restaurant.
We were seated outside which wasn’t too bad since they had fans running and the weather has started to cool off. We asked for a couple of recommendations from our server, Elliott, and ended up getting the fried oysters.
The fried oysters came out in a decent amount of time and were smack dab in the middle of a deliciously creamy remoulade and cheese grits. Now, cheese grits are totally hit or miss for me. I’ve only been to one or two places that make cheese grits the way they should be made (in Nashville) and these were just okay. The remoulade was incredible though and the oysters were so tasty dipped in it. Truly a southern classic.
We were supposed to receive bread for our table but the bread did not come out until we had asked and after our entrée came out. Even then, it took forever to get it. But, moving on.
For my entrée, I ordered the salmon which came with some sort of feta battered pancake like topping on it. I asked to substitute the sides for brussel sprouts and cauliflower.
One of my friends also ordered the salmon and my other friend got the pork chops. Our food took a little while to come out. Once our entrees came out I realized the topping for my salmon, which was an aioli and artichoke mix, wasn’t on my salmon. The only way I knew this was because my friend ordered the same thing, so I thought it was strange they’d leave it off of one meal and not the other.
The food itself was really good. The salmon was a decent portion and the toppings were excellent. I loved the variety of flavors with the aioli, artichoke and the salmon. The vegetables were cooked perfectly. They weren’t hard or too mushy.
My friend let me have her green beans with bacon on them and they were quite good. They were dipped in some kind of sweet bacon marmalade which really complemented the vegetable taste well.
We topped all of this off with the chocolate cake, which had layers of mousse and ganache. The cake was quite good. Not the best cake I’ve ever had in my life, but definitely a solid contender in chocolate cake world. The mousse was rich and decadent but the dessert itself didn’t give me a huge sugar headache afterwards. It felt light and flavorful.
The service was pretty decent but we were there for quite a long time, a little too long. Of course it’s not too bad when you have great company to talk to, but noticing tables who had arrived after we did get their food and their check before we did didn’t sit well with me. I also don’t think we should have had to ask for the bread and I think our server should have been more watchful as to what happened with the topping on my salmon. The service wasn’t terrible, but it was slow and jarred at times. This is the reason why I’m giving Kool Beanz four stars instead of five.
The food can be a little pricy at dinnertime, but the quality of my meal was probably one of the highest I’ve had while living in Tallahassee. I would love to try this place out for brunch and I will definitely come back for lunch or dinner to see if I can bump this rating up another star.

We arrived at 7:30 and the wait was already 40 minutes long. We tossed our name on the list and grabbed a spot on the bench. The hostess took a drink order for us and brought a glass of wine out for my wife.
About 20 minutes in, we were offered a spot at the counter, in front of the kitchen. We took it and I am glad we did. It was fun watching everyone in the kitchen, and reminded me of my time in the biz.
The menu was really great, diverse, and apparently always updated. I ordered the wild boar ribs that were on that night and they were terrific. I saw some amazing food coming out and seeing it all made me want to come back and try other dishes.
My wife had another glass of wine, and I has a beer — none over the top price wise. All in all, the prices were on point with the food and service and we can’t wait to come back!