Canopy Road Cafe

Jacksonville has a new breakfast/lunch spot, Canopy Road Cafe. They are located in the Bartram Park area, taking over the recently vacated Bayard CafĂ© space. I was invited during the first week of operation to try them out, so try them out I did. I arrived at 1pm on a Tuesday and there was a wait for tables. Luckily, I spotted a few open spots at the bar, so I headed that way. After reviewing the menu for a few minutes, I placed my order then started scrolling through my phone to pass the time. I heard my name being called so I looked and there was Anna Eatz Jax! She had also just ordered so I relocated to her table (which was not a huge problem with my original waitress, thankfully). Our food came out a few minutes later and we quickly realized that our table was too small. (Not because we ordered way too much food. It was the table’s fault. Totally.)
The menu is very large and diverse, so we ended ordering items from different sections on the menu. I opted for The Douglas (avocado, bacon, turkey, diced tomatoes, and provolone cheese $10) along with a specialty pancake as my side, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup (a mixture of chocolate and peanut butter chips. $5 as a side, $9 short stack, $11 large stack.) You have a couple of different choices to make with the skillet so I got wheat bread, my eggs scrambled, and home fries. Let me tell y'all about these home fries. They are battered and crispy. Easily some of the best I’ve had.

The Douglas
As for the pancake, it was heavenly. So rich and sweet. I tried it with and without the syrup. It's great either way but I say go with syrup. The sweeter the better.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup specialty pancake

Anna went with a lunch option, the Black N' Blue Burger (seasoned with blackening spices then topped with caramelized onions, crisp bacon, Maytag bleu cheese $10). It came with seasoned fries but she also ordered a side of onion rings.

Black N' Blue Burger, onion rings

I've been back twice since my initial visit with friends/coworkers. My first return visit was with my friend Jennifer. We started the meal with a Cinnamon Roll (cream cheese icing & powdered sugar $4) for the table. This thing was deadly. It is served warm and is incredibly soft. No knife needed. I will neither confirm nor deny that I ate 3 cinnamon rolls this week, 3 days in a row.

Cinnamon Roll

I wanted to try something new so I went with a Waffle add Chocolate Chips ($7 + $1 for the add on). It was the perfect size since I had previously stuffed my face full of cinnamon roll. Jennifer went with The Roger (corned beef hash, grilled peppers, onions, and Swiss cheese $10.50) with a specialty pancake as her side, Pineapple Upside Down Pancake (brown sugar caramelized pineapple, maraschino cherries, and a caramel glaze. $5 side, $9 short stack, $11 large stack.)

Front to back - Waffle, Cinnamon Roll, The Roger

Here is a brief description of my friend Jennifer's meal, as described by her:
The Roger – Huge serving size, sorta regretted getting the pancake when I saw how big it was. Home fries were cooked perfectly, corned beef hash was very good, much more in the skillet than I was expecting. Three eggs was kind of a lot, 2 would have been perfect but not complaining.

Pineapple Upside Down Pancake – No regrets once I tried it. Possibly one of the best pancakes I have ever tried. Tasted just like a pineapple upside down cake. Had a good brown sugar flavor without being too sweet. Large pieces of pineapple and chunks of maraschino cherries scattered in it so almost every bite had fruit which was nice. Caramel drizzle on top was rich but not sickening. Pancake was perfect, needed no syrup or anything additional from what came on it. Would love to try the others but I may want to order this every time forever.
Pineapple Upside Down Pancake

My second return visit was with my friend Chris. We polished off a cinnamon roll in record time. It was a shame that the Guinness Book of World's Records wasn't there because I think we had a shot at notoriety. I really wanted to try something new but I also really wanted The Douglas, so I was boring and got that again. Chris, however, went with The Skeeter (country fried steak, sautéed onions, and sausage gravy $11).

The Skeeter

Verdict: Liked it!
Canopy Road Cafe is a perfect addition to the area. The menu is large and diverse, the food is great, and the staff is extremely friendly. I also wanted to point out that the portions are pretty large. You can come in with some friends and split a few different menu items, and you definitely should.


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