To start off this restaurant has nicely designed clean menus and fresh flowers, good luck finding that at UTC mall. The food is simply good and fresh, just right for hot days with a lot to get done. I tried to omelet with pepper jack cheese along with sweet potato and side of toast. A nice finishing touch was the tropical match and guava drink. This cafe has limited hours but is worth coming to from across town. The waitress, one of the owners stayed on top of my order although the cafe wasn't that crowded which actually happens less than you would think. I was okay with the ambience, a counter with attached chairs and some tables for two to four along the sides. read more

Fast friendly service. My exact breakfast was in front of me in 5 minutes. Guess what it was ten dollars less..than anywhere else in Sarasota! Im coming back tomorrow read more

Coffee Carrousel - Breakfast bowl and grits...eggs sausage gravy over potatoes... omg its delicious spicy...I'm a happy contractor. Good food at a great price. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

definitely my favorite local restaurant for breakfast and lunch the staff is friendly sometimes I go months without going in and they pick up exactly where we left off on our conversation or they remember my order. it is a family affair. the chef is excellent really good muffins creative recipes good quality of food and service I recommend this place it is a gym. they treat every guest as a welcome one. whether you're local or just coming to town it's place to put on your radar you will not be disappointed.. read more

Love me a no frills local diner. This one is no different. The service was on top of their game and the food came out fast. You really just can't beat a coffee, plate of eggs and hash browns from these type of places. The sausage gravy and biscuits were also outstanding. Pretty affordable place to go as well. read more

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Love this locally owned and run cafe for breakfast and conversation with the local clientele. Reasonable prices and great service. read more

A fantastic, classic pancake at a great price. I've eaten at the coffee carrousel since 1986 & it never disappoints. No better price for a wonderful breakfast in Sarasota. read more

Coffee Carrousel - A Classic & Wonderful pancake, at a great price.....! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Consistently old Florida local diner with standard breakfast plates and sandwiches. Pancakes are flavorful. Service is family run and has been woman owned and operated for over 35 years. This is where you go and really meet the Sarasota city condo dwellers catching up on local city gossip. Always hot coffee and food cooked to order. Bring the groups too for outdoor seating can accommodate them. read more

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First time here !!! If you want a traditional diner experience, this is the place to be!! Food was fantastic and the prices were fair!!!

best service and food in all of Sarasota. Always friendly, clean and welcoming right in the heart of downtown.

We stumbled upon this place and decided to check it out. It's a cute old school diner with great food and service. It's a bit of a tight squeeze inside so it's a little difficult to properly social distance. Definitely recommend sitting outside, it's perfect. You can't beat the prices at Carousel, you're really getting more bang for you buck. Biscuits and gravy, omelettes, pancakes, bacon/sausage/corn beef hash for less than $30! Food was absolutely delicious and we would 10/10 recommend if you're in the area. Plenty of parking on the street. read more

Coffee Carrousel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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A good basic breakfast When I stepped inside for breakfast this morning, I knew I was helping to support a local business. Coffee Carrousel has been here for going on 35 years. Not a specialty coffee place, this is a basic food for a reasonable price place. Of course they have coffee, and I had a cup of it in front of me within a minute or two. The menu is not long, and for now they only offer breakfast during the week. I asked about the shortened hours and it is due to COVID, with so many downtown workers now working from home they lost much of their lunch crowd. For breakfast I got their 2 eggs with corned beef hash. It came with a choice of sides, I selected their Pan Fries. This was nothing special, the hash was canned, the potato cubes not cooked with any other ingredients. The price was nice and low, the food arrived quickly, and service was fine. I expected the inside to be dated, and to a degree it was, but everything looked clean and maintained. To me it was a comfortable place to sit and enjoy some good food. read more

I found this little gem while was looking for some coffee. This little diner on main st was a perfect spot for breakfast. They keep it simple. Good customer service and hearty food. They opened in 1987 and were celebrating 35 years in business. Employees still there from day one! Come find this little place. You won't regret it! read more

Coffee Carrousel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Definitely a must to try. Limited hours so check before you go ! The staff is excellent. Nice and caring to the customers needs. The fresh daily baked muffins if they have any left our moist and tasty. Always ask for What the specials are before you decide they are creative Abd can be one of the best options on rye menu. I have made it a regular spot now read more

Excellent no frills breakfast. Eggs over done perfectly, two choices of potatoes, great omelets, good coffee. Very good service also. Right down town. read more

Cute diner feel but not a diner. decent coffee and a great menu. Classic eggs and stuff, which is good, but they have some unique breakfast material worth trying. Price is good and we love going there when walking around downtown. Super friendly staff too, a real gem in Sarasota!! read more

Great location. Outstanding staff. Offers many non traditional breakfast items. It was highly recommend so I went. Good prices. Very mediocre food. Found my pancakes to be bland, the hash browns near tasteless. If you want a diner experience, this is not your place. read more

We have never been here. But a friend recommended we come for dinner since Thursday, Friday & Saturdays they are offering dinners. The menu changes weekly so you can check online. We had the lobster ravioli, crab cakes, cucumber salad & mixed vegetables that were enoki mushrooms, bean sprouts & broccolini. Dessert was a key lime tart topped with meringue. All very delicious. We will definitely return. read more

Unassuming, and almost hidden except the locals are regulars. We just happened to find it by accident. And we kept going back because it is so good!! They do diner food to perfection!! The staff are really friendly and efficient. read more

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This is the perfect time capsule experience of old Florida charm right on Main Street Sarasota. Go to fast in your fancy car and you will miss out on one of the best hometown experiences in the area. The diner feeling gives it authenticity, add the service by the sisters who co-own the spot with their mother, and then top off all this charm with the food fresh off the grill just for you. There are daily specials and since they are only open Monday through Fridays, for breakfast until 11am and lunch until closing at 3ish, I'm having the fish special. Needless to say, a great lunch for under $10 and out within 30 minutes. Love this place and will continue to come often. read more

Hands down the best breakfast in town! Love the diner atmosphere and friendly staff. The prices are very reasonable too and the food is delicious. We loved it so much we came back again the next day! read more

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I love this place and the staff that work there! Everyone is friendly and down to earth which is hard to find especially in srq. Great prices and great food can't beat it read more

Go first for the basic, affordable weekday breakfasts, then get blown away by the creative Saturday brunch specials. Delicious offerings you can't get anywhere else! Even more spectacular are the monthly gourmet dinners. The best and most unique food I've ever had, and I eat out whenever I can. BYOB and friendly staff makes it even better. Each dinner has a theme. The last one was 9 courses of tapas!! read more

Terrific place with an old style set-up including a counter and traditional menu items as well as some unique dishes. I'm going to be going there often, I hope. read more

After celebrating 30 years in 2017, I confirm that the dining room, cooking style, and prices remain in a time warp. I liked the staff and atmosphere of loyal die-hards. While the menu's black ink on red paper was hard to read, it was just breakfast, and I figured it out just fine. Go, spend a meal back in time. read more

Had been meaning to try it for ages-Nice simple food that tasted good-staff was extremely friendly. Very reasonable pricing and great outdoor seating. Will definitely go back. read more

This is the most peaceful place for having a breakfast. All foods are good and the atmosphere makes you feel at home. No rush no bad mood, you could find this place where to go with your grandma and share memories. Peace! read more

My brother and I just had lunch here today and loved it. Easy going diner food at reasonable prices. We were both excited that they have crinkle cut fries which is one of our favorite things. We will be back for sure. read more

My breakfast companion this morning was a regular at the Carrousel for years when he worked at the B of A across the road. But baby that was years ago, as the song goes. Notwithstanding, he was greeted by name yesterday morning. Does this qualify the Coffee Carrousel as the Cheers of Sarasota? My mathematics teacher used to say that drawing a line from fewer than two points put you on Euclid's bad side, a space best avoided. However, this one data point I do have regarding the friendliness of this downtown hidey-hole is a good one. My fellow Yelp!ers capture the mood here perfectly. Linoleum floors, a diner ambience, home-style cooking and the happy fragrance of non-corporate ownership wrap you in a feel-good breakfast blanket. And for good measure, our two omelets with toast and coffee TOGETHER cost less than fifteen bucks. I recently paid five dollars more than that for a single meal at a place that didn't want to know my name. Florida is a breakfast kind of state. I guess that's because so many folks here are awake early checking the obituaries. With many choices, it's easy to become jaded, but for the first time in a long time I am happily anticipating a return trip to brekkie place. Cheers! to that. read more

Coffee Carrousel's offerings are absolutely fantastic. Always delicious pancakes, a variety of omelets, yummy arugula salad and daily breakfast specials. Dinner specials on Thursdays to Saturdays started this February 2023. We had a table for 12 on one Thursday evening and Eric, the talented Chef had a very special menu. I had the lentil soup (so tasty), egg rolls/onigiri (in addition to its beautiful presentation, it did disappoint). I got Bird In a Bun as my entree. It was simply delicious. The fried chicken is cooked to perfection and just went well with the accompanying sauce and kimchi pickles. Eric's homemade brioche Bun with black sesame seeds are so artistic and yummy. We also ordered the Pickled Plum salmon, oh my, woww. The sake marinated bokchoys were divine. Salmon was tender and flaky and went well with the sticky jasmine rice. Ahhh! For an additional $5 we got a side of grilled veggies, so very tasty. For dessert we had the strawberry shortbread cake and Gelato affogato that is served on a board with cookies. Heaven! Great job Eric, Cody, Todd and everyone at Coffee Carrousel! It was so good, we returned the next evening with 14 more people. read more

Local establishment old fashioned diner style. Very reasonable prices excellent service friendly staff good for families friends quick bite or just coffee. Got some pecan pie to go which looked delicious read more

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Nice people, good food served fast, great prices. A lovely place, like an old time diner. You won't regret a visit here. Also a long counter so you can feel comfortable alone. Try it, you'll like it!! read more

I've lived in Sarasota as a winter resident since 2002 and this was my first visit to this venerable family business. I had a serious jones for pancakes and the Coffee Carousel did not disappoint! Fast service, delicious, light and fluffy pancakes and nice cup of coffee with fast refills at the counter. Really a nice, "Old Florida" experience in downtown Sarasota. I'll be back often. read more

Coffee Carrousel - Pancakes! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Apparently this is one of Sarasota's best kept secrets, as I am the second person to review it!!? Maybe it is because of their demographic, as I was the only person in there under 55+ years of age. This is a real mom and pop kind of little dinner. The servers are like moms and grandmas that make you feel welcomed to this super casual diner. As a vegetarian, I didn't expect much from a classic coffee, eggs and bacon style place, but I got by and the food was good considering the price! The potatoes and raisin toast was solid, so was the tea. The prices are ridiculously low. My friends who got classic eggs, bacon, sausage and coffee style dishes were pleased. Nothing fancy here! Just nice, older servers rocking classic American breakfasts at a price that makes places like IHOP look like overpriced greed mongers. The fact that this place is not packed with a line coming out the door is ridiculous. People who guy to ihop here in town need to wise up. Plus, it's right in the heart of the city!! read more

I go to this place a lot,the food is good,prices are good, and the people are friendly, wish it was open on Sat. but I understand , gives the help a good weekend off. Jim(a reg.) read more

I thought I would give this place another try...my mistake...I thought maybe calling in a to-go order would be the way to go...NOT! I called at 11:48am to place 3 lunch orders, after the phone was answered I said I would like to place a to-go order...I was told to hold on for one minute...the phone was then placed down on the counter and I had the entertainment of listening to the lunch crowd for 22 mins....I only have a 30 min lunch,working in construction....I hung up and for giggles thought I would call back..for the next 10 mins I got a busy signal...I was obviously still on the counter. NEVER AGAIN WILL I WASTE MY TIME OR MONEY HERE. read more

Can't believe we didn't know about this place. Great food and what a value. We will be back

Definitely the cheapest breakfast spot in town. Nothing fancy, but the food is decent and the service is excellent.

A step back in time.... retro diner with good old fashioned homestyle menu and service. Grab a quick bite or hang around and you're sure to meet some very interesting people. The regulars have been there since time began. Where else can you meet genuine Florida cowboys? Great prices - fast service and right downtown. Check out the daily specials on Facebook. Amazing how few people know they exist! Maybe we should keep them a secret? read more

I really don't understand the great reviews. My family and I rode bikes over to this place from our hotel and passed through some pretty sketchy areas. The place was simply depressing; the sort of ambience that would make you think of the 1950s -- in East Germany. The prices weren't outlandish, but the food wasn't exactly stunning either. In all candor, I think I could have prepared everything we received and done a better job myself. read more

We arrived at 1:45 and greeted by a waitress looking at the clock and said " all you can order are cold sandwiches" the grill is turned off at 1:45 for the 2:00 closing. She made cold sandwiches sound like poison. We thought the restaurant was open until 2:30 so take some blame to arrive 15 minutes prior to closing. However went just across friutville to the Blue Apro(now 1:50) pleasantly greeted and told no rush they still had plenty of work to do. First impressions are sooooo important. We have lived in Sarasota for the past 15 years and dine out often. This was our first time at the Coffee Carousel and will be our last! read more