Native Cafe is owned and operated by Joyce and Charles Brown and their three children, a fifth generation Pensacola family that aims to provide homestyle cooking to their neighbors and visitors.
Even when it’s gloomy outside, the restaurant feels like a sunny place, thanks in large part to friendly waitresses with bright smiles. The wooden tables are crowded with locals of every stripe, including families and kids and silver-haired retirees. Local art lines each wall, almost every inch of space adorned with images of pelicans, dolphins, and sandy beaches.
Spicy Bloody Marys and mimosas are a good way to start breakfast, which includes eggs and bacon, a pancake-wich, Benedicts, biscuits & gravy, and French toast. A Lil’ Native’s breakfast section includes bear-shaped pancakes and mini burritos.
My favorite is crab cake Benedict: crisp-edged English muffins topped with thick, salty crab cakes, runny poached eggs, and tangy hollandaise sauce.
The breakfast burrito is stuffed with scrambled eggs, cheese, and bacon, wrapped in a soft flour tortilla and served with salsa. It’s a relatively small one, but just right for a modest appetite, or as a side dish if you’re really hungry.
Shrimp & grits is a bowl of creamy grits topped with Monterey jack and plump grilled shrimp. Green and fried onions are included. We like to add jalapeños and bacon for a spicy, salty flourish.
Of the “Big Beach’n” omelets, the Southeastern includes thinly-sliced strips of steak, diced bell peppers and jalapeños, onions, and cheese. It’s got cheesy edges and gooey insides: delicious with salsa and sour cream added.
When we arrived at Native Cafe just before 8 AM on a Monday, we snagged the last available booth, and an eager crowd quickly formed outside. It’s clear the Brown family has created a Pensacola favorite destination.
Sunday | 7:30am - 2:30pm |
Monday | CLOSED |
Tuesday | 7:30am - 2:30pm |
Wednesday | 7:30am - 2:30pm |
Thursday | 7:30am - 2:30pm |
Friday | 7:30am - 2:30pm |
Saturday | 7:30am - 2:30pm |
Other Nearby Restaurants
-
The Union Public House
Pensacola, FloridaWith its eclectic take on Southern and traditional pub dishes, Pensacola’s Union Public House is the place for a good time and good food.
-
Polonza
Pensacola, FloridaIn Pensacola, fuel up on golden pancakes and sausage-and-potato burritos in the bright, open space at Polonza.
-
Carmen’s
Pensacola, FloridaCarmen’s is home to eclectic comfort food with a twist, such as carrot-whipped mashed potatoes with bacon and Spanish lump crab toasts with buttery manchego.
-
Shaggy’s Pensacola
Gulf Breeze, FloridaGet into a vacation state of mind the minute you arrive at Shaggy’s, then enjoy a western view of the sunset and crisp fried green tomatoes with crab cakes.
-
The Magnolia
Pensacola, FloridaCome for such specials as ricotta succotash toast and butterscotch-Heath trifles, and stay for half-off wine at The Magnolia, a Pensacola treasure.
-
Cub’s Crawfish
Pensacola, FloridaWhether you call ’em crayfish, mudbugs, or crawdaddies, Cub’s small, freshwater crustaceans are spicy and delicious. Gumbo is real tasty, too.