Manna Cafe

Manna is a mixed bag for me. I've been three times since they opened and perhaps I've been cursed by the worst days for service at Manna, but I can't go any further into the review without mentioning how bad the service was. I'm usually a very patient diner, and I understand that the dinner rush can be overwhelming, but on all three occasions, I have waited over 30 minutes after being seated to place an order. Two out of the three times when my meal did come, it was cold and had to be sent back. The last time I went I ordered a chicken dish and the center of the breast was not throughly cooked. I've never had that happen in really bad restaurants and that was probably the last time I will ever go there. The manager was very apologetic, and before we left he gave us a few items from the deli. I wasn't too excited but appreciated the gesture. Later that night, I got hungry and tried some of the food from the deli and it was really really good. Much better than any of the stuff that I have ordered on the dining menu. I'm not sure if they just have really bad kitchen staff or what. I've just never been overly impressed with anything on my plate at Manna. This is only compounded by the bad service. I can't recommend Manna, but I've heard many people rave....maybe I have just had three coincidentally bad expereiences there. (Three's the charm for me). I can say that the take out deli has some great finds - and perhaps is the star of the operation. more

Manna Cafe is a very interesting place to dine. It has a fairly extensive menu, and you can find Mediterranean, Caribbean, or American fare at any given time. The chef's specials are very tasty, and the salads are excellent. The service is fair to good, depending on the server. The bread is very good, but if you really like to eat bread, you will be disappointed to find that they go around and ask you what you like instead of leaving a bread basket on the table, so you might feel a bit shortchanged. The olive tapenade and oil dip for the bread is made at the table and is awesome. The entrees and salads are very good and are pretty large. They can most likely be split. The drinks are very good, and the restaurant offers a full bar. The place has never been packed when I have gone there. It seems that everyone is at Outback or Carabba's or one of the other ridiculously packed places in the area. It is a shame, because this is a local treat. more