Banyan Cafe and Catering on Central

Oh Banyan... I live two blocks from this cafe and have been dying to try it. My review will center on three areas; atmosphere, service and food quality. For starters, the cafe probably should have been closed due to an obvious problem with a kitchen exhaust hood. When I walked in at 8am, I was overwhelmed with smoke as I am sure the staff were as well. Despite this initial feeling of discomfort, I decided to place my order anyway and not allow this to deter my conviction to give them a try. I ordered the smoked salmon benedict, and I assure you that this was not influenced by the fact that I felt as if I was being smoked while deciding what to eat. The dish did not meet my expectation. The smoked salmon had the consistency of chunk tuna and was over smoked/cooked. It was also dry and lacked flavor. This may be due to it being a local product. I am a firm believer in supporting the local community but would not compromise quality to meet this end. The dish had what appeared to be steamed slices of tomato which did not appear to be fresh. Prior to getting my dish, I overheard the cook saying she was tossing the watermelon because it was beginning to rot. You can imagine that I was shocked when a piece of this rotted watermelon ended up on my plate. When I brought this to the cashiers attention, she disingenuously stated "im so sorry". She made no effort toward service recovery, perhaps another piece of fruit or just anything more authentic given she had knowledge of the aging melon. I overheard her scolding the teenaged kid who was serving for not properly checking tickets prior to bringing the food out. I felt bad for the kid. I would advise any business owner to instruct staff to handle performance issues in private and out of ear shot of customers. At this point, i had lost my appetite feeling like I was just as smoked as the salmon in front of me- asked for a to go box and left. From a pedestrian point of view, and out of fairness- perhaps the food is not awful... but the smoked salmon benedict is not at all good and far from great- and with everything else they had going on it was a push to give 2 stars. In St. Pete there are many great options- places like Uptown Eats and the Hollander are just a couple that come to mind. My first instinct is to not return because it is rare that I visit a place where the best attribute is its location. But even having said this, it could have been a really off day for them and I will probably give them another try,.

Had a meeting in St Pete this morning and we tried the Banyan Cafe. Cute 1940 fans, ceramic collection reminding everyone Banyan is housed in the Morean Art Center. Excellent breakfast.

The waffles seemed under done. Not bad just too soft without the syrup and toppings. I dig the location of the restaurant right by the Morean Arts Center and in the heart of DTSP. I'm sure their other food is decent.

Always enjoy Banyan Cafe. Had the breakfast sandwich and delicious strong lattes. Relaxing environment, friendly and superb service.

Great Cafe. Bring your appetite! The food was really delicious and there was so much of it. The wait staff is very friendly. We had no issues at this restaurant and will definitely visit again. Location is good. We were there early afternoon on a Saturday and parking really wasn’t an issue.

Excellent Breakfast!! I highly recommend and look forward to coming back soon. The Banyan bowl, Grits Bowl, Quesadilla, and BLT were all winners with my family.

The bacon and swiss came together to create a very wonderful omelet! I would highly recommend. If you are in the neighborhood, do yourself a favor and stop in!

Delicious meal and awesome atmosphere!!!! I ordered the eggs Benedict, cold brew coffee and have no complaints! The poached eggs were cooked perfectly and the hollandaise sauce was flavorful. I will definitely be back.

It is hard to describe how great this place is. From the staff, who are friendly and patient; to the owner, who takes time out of his day to connect with patrons; to the food, which tastes fresh and homemade; Banyan Cafe hits all the marks. I enjoy coming here on weekend mornings, where the atmosphere is bustling and casual. Thank you for a great experience every time I visit!

Had Sunday breakfast here just earlier. They have delicious food, good prices and good ambience! Great local eatery! Even better, there was no wait.

Adorable neighborhood cafe! I love the quirky unique atmosphere instead of a boring chain cafe. The eggs benedict came out fast and was delicious. You can tell the owner and staff care about the place greatly! Only improving comment was it felt a bit warm inside.

Best biscuits and gravy in town, hands down. Lovely place to eat just a block away from the crowded 600 block. 1000% times better than maple street.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. I go 2-3x a week because it’s a great atmosphere to be in. The staff is super friendly and love seeing me and my pup Lucía. They always come out and give her bacon and pets and lots of love. The food is really good, I’m currently on rotation between the breakfast sandwich, breakfast burrito, the Cuban and rosemary potato’s. It’s a great place to sit outside and do your homework. I’m moving at the end of the months and I wish I could pick up Banyan and move it to the other side of Florida. Definitely 10/10. The owner is also a great human and we will miss him greatly when we move.

Family owned restaurant, Which is always the best eating experience!! Very personable, kind people, The owners actually come out and talk to you. The father and son, who own it, are just really amazing people. It is truly the best omelet I have at anywhere in Saint Petersburg! I could not believe how perfectly well cooked, it was thick and tasty!! And rosemary potatoes and a slice of seasoned pita to go with, very hip eatery!! We were lucky enough to sample desserts prepared for catering an event at Morean Art Center, which is the same building they are located, and they were delectable!!! Hopefully they will start having those as options options to go with coffee in the mornings :)

While me and my good mate were in line ordering food the people behind us we're being very disruptive. It was a group of high schoolers, and they had ZERO manners! The food was bland and cold, and the coffee tasted like dishwater and sandpaper. Terrible name too, 1/10 Do NOT recommended. This is the worst coffee shop I've ever been to, BANYAN DO BETTER!