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    Cow Cafe

    4.1 (171 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Business Info

    COW CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Cow Cafe

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    5/17/25
    Charlene C.

    Cute to see a train moving on the tracks on the wall by ceiling. Fun little kids area in the back with kid tables, ride in tractor and cow ride. Strawberry ice cream wasn't the greatest quality tasting but still a nice cold treat on a warm day. Liked there were frozen strawberries in it.

    Cowlossal Cow Coney
    John C.

    It was a very rainy day in New Bern as Tropical Storm Debby approached the North Carolina Coast. Despite that the Cow Cafe was doing a good lunch business with a blend of their savory foods and their sweet ice cream treats. The cow decorations and cow puns are aplenty here and sure to get a smile and chuckle. A cashier noticed there was a line and quickly came over to the second register to take my order. I got a Cowlossal Cow Coney with chili, slaw, and mustard. The cashier also encouraged me to get their pasta salad so I gave that a try too. It took a little longer than I expected for the food to arrive but when it came out the food looked good. The hot dog was big with a split top bun and loaded with tasty looking toppings. The pasta salad was ok. Nothing out of the ordinary or wildly delicious but perfectly fine pasta salad. Hot dog was good too and was a pretty reasonable price. I love the deep golden toast that the bun had. I wish I had had room for dessert but I guess I'll just have to come back! Extra tip: You don't have to go far to find free on-street parking if you're not looking to pay. I parked around the block in front of a dry cleaners and it was about a 3 minute walk to Cow Cafe.

    Inside
    Brian L.

    Coming to New Bern for a short trip and visiting Cow Cafe brought out some child hood memories. Just the overall vibe of Cow Cafe is special. The inside of the store is entirely cow-themed and there are a bunch of small trinkets and figures of cows all over the place. It kind of looks like a toy shop inside, and there is even a small model train that is constantly moving around the entire shop. There is even a small area in the back that I think is used to show kids the ice cream-making process. There was a good selection of ice cream flavors so everyone should be able to find something that they will like. Although we only got a simple 1 scoop cup, they have sundaes and a bunch of other items. I think this is a super cool spot to go visit if you have kids with you and are visiting the New Bern area.

    Milk chocolate & cookie dough. The scoops are huge! This is half eaten.
    Meredith S.

    We stopped in for ice cream while out and about. How can you resist New Bern's only 4 hoof rated ice cream parlor?! Amazing hand made treat! You can even watch them making it! Lots of flavors to choose from and the scoops are HUGE! Soft, creamy and flavorful. The kid had 2 vanilla scoops in a waffle cone. He said the ice cream was great and it was the best waffle cone he has ever had. That's saying something, as we come from the city where waffle cones were invented (not exaggerating - search Doumar's in Norfolk, VA)! I had 2 scoops in a bowl - 1 milk chocolate and 1 cookie dough. I am normally more of a dark chocolate fan, but this was so creamy and full of chocolate flavor, that it won me over. And the huge chunks of cookie dough were on point! Hubby had a chocolate shake which he loved. Definitely the old fashioned kind made with ice cream - not many places do that anymore. Fast, friendly service make this a must stop when strolling around downtown! We will definitely be back when in the area again.

    strangely put together banana split as banana is normally the first item on the bottom
    Rebecca M.

    I was hoping to have the same experience as many of the reviewers did but Cow Cafe was a disappointing experience. I ordered the banana split that was listed as $5.99 and a chocolate milk that was listed as .99 so when my order came to $12.90 I knew there was some sort of problem. I thought I was upcharged for each of the toppings. It turns out that the clerk charged me for a chocolate milkshake instead of the milk. I'm not sure if she was new or just bad at her job. She did make the banana split wrong and had to be reminded to add the banana. The banana goes on the bottom layer then the ice cream then the toppings. This was made with the toppings on the bottom; the ice cream and the banana on top. I don't think she was trained very well or maybe they just do things backwards there. I was given a refund for the clerk's mistake but this was done while I was trying to eat instead of waiting until I was finished. Then instead of issuing a refund it was done will a full refund on the $12.90 and then another charge for the accurate amount. The ice cream melted quickly so I had soup. Not anywhere I'd return again. I do understand that mistakes happen, the situation should have been handled much better.

    Rum raisin ice cream
    Jennifer A.

    Family friend place with delicious Cubans sandwiches and amazing ice cream!! The decor is super cute and funky! We didn't get a picture of our sandwich because we came hungry! But trust, it will not disappoint. We ordered the clucking pig sandwich

    I got the clucking pig and it was delicious, I would recommend it if you're walking downtown new bern and just want some comfort food to eat
    Jamiyah P.

    Food was delicious, the service was really nice, and the decor of the restaurant was awesome.

    Don V.

    Stopped in for a quick bite. We received a recommendation from our hotel and this place was pretty good. They have an amazing selection of ice cream. We opted for lunch! I ordered the quesadilla ( it has a cow-like fun name). It was good, and it had peppers, onions, cheese and chicken. The hubs ordered chicken salad. It was made in Texas toast. We enjoyed the food and it wasn't a long wait. We went about 230...they quickly filled up. We would certainly eat there again. 4stars, because the employee wasn't very friendly and the eating area could've been cleaner. Stuff on the floor etc. None of these things would prevent us from return though.

    customers in a cow cafe
    Rebecca P.

    Awesome key lime pie icecream! All the icecream is homemade. Can't wait to try the savory menu side of sandwiches. Looks very interesting.

    Christina V.

    Pretty good. Love the vibe. Got the cotton candy flavor ice cream cone and my friend got the key lime pie milkshake. Customer service could be worked on, the cashier lady made me feel so stupid at the counter talking about ice cream.

    Panini- so good
    Cassie N.

    Wow!! What fun!!! Like a part in your mouth. Hubby ordered the Caribbean plate and said "There are so many flavors of deliciousness going on". I ordered the Chicken Lemoon sammie which is like a cheesesteak but with chicken and a hint of lemon on a panini. So yummy. Aaron at the counter was polite and friendly and the owner Ms. Mildred came out a couple times to check on us. Of course we saved room for homemade strawberry (WOWZA) and Peanut Uddercup in waffle cones. Can I just say 1 scoop is humongous. So delicious!!!! They also sell gourmet popcorn, there's a kids area in the back, an overhead electric train circling the place, and on some days you can watch the ice cream being made. Place was clean friendly and YUMOO. We will be back for sure. Thank you Ms. Mildred. You are a blessing to New Bern.

    Hot Fudge "a La moo"

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    19 days ago

    The ice cream is tasty, my son and my daughter in law enjoyed your ice cream. I got the cherry ice cream,

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    1 year ago

    Service was prompt. Ice cream is good, scoops are generous and the price is right. Would def go back.

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    3 years ago

    It was a cute local spot that we stopped in on the way home from the beach. The food was fresh and the service was fast and friendly

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    3 years ago

    Fun cute and moo-tiful... ice is delicious and the service was friendly. We tried the apple pie ice cream and the apples were warm!

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    4 years ago

    My husband and I had the same sandwich two days in a row. My son enjoyed his ice cream.

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    Ask the Community - Cow Cafe

    Saw the phrase "New Bern's only 4 Hoof Restaurant" is that just an implied phrase or are dogs actually allowed inside if coming to order or do they have to stay outside at all times?

    I think it was a euphemism for cows. This was definitely not an animals inside type of establishment. Maybe outside though.

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    Sea Glass Cafe

    Sea Glass Cafe

    3.6
    (165 reviews)
    3.4 mi
    $

    There is little to no decoration at Sea Glass Cafe. It is basically in just a square-open room…read moreconnected into a small shopping center. Despite of this, the people are great and they have some solid food!! They have a "make your own coffee" station. Unfortunately, the coffee was lukewarm at best. This tells me that the coffee had been sitting in those containers waiting to be poured for a while. We both ordered the kids/senior portion waffle, with bacon and eggs. They have great scrambled eggs (soft scrambled, not hard), and their bacon is pretty solid as well (kind of tough, though). Their waffles are Belgian-style, which means that they were generally a bit crisper on the outside, and soft on the inside. They are filling, and have solid flavor! Contrastively, their bathrooms are not the cleanest. But, in the end, their food is solid and is set at a good price, but needs more character in their restaurant! Where's the decoration?

    Our original breakfast plans fell through, so we gave Sea Glass Cafe another try. That was a…read moremistake. There was only one table occupied when we arrived, but the server was in no rush to wait on us. After finally ordering, our meals arrived promptly. My breakfast tacos were huge, but with virtually no sausage or flavor. I gave up after eating one of them. The hash browns were the highlight of the meal, but were so-so. My dining companion was not impressed with her huge omelet, but at least it had a generous portion of ham. My unsweet tea was clearly at least a day old, but came with a premium price of $3.49. According to the menu, my meal was supposed to come with hash browns but after paying I noticed that I had been charged an extra $4.99. This was not good and a poor value.

    Photos
    Coffee bar
    Coffee bar
    Biscuits and gravy
    Biscuits and gravy
    Also redacted lunch menu. These three sandwiches or nothing.

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    Also redacted lunch menu. These three sandwiches or nothing.
    Firefly Cafe

    Firefly Cafe

    3.8
    (26 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    Our first visit, and we will definitely be back. Food was delicious, staff were amazing. And we…read morewere lucky enough to be there when Joe Baes was playing.

    Overall Rating: 4/5 stars If you're looking for a spot with…read moreplenty of vegetarian options in New Bern that isn't an Indian restaurant, FireFly Cafe is an absolute breath of fresh air! I give this place a solid 4/5 overall, heavily carried by their incredible hospitality and welcoming atmosphere. Service: 5/5 The service here is unmatched. The owners are incredibly friendly, attentive, and great to converse with. They went out of their way to bring over coloring books and crayons for our kids, which was a huge help and made us feel so welcome. Decor & Ambiance: 4/5 The interior is spacious and very inviting. They have a great mix of standard dining tables under beautiful exposed wooden beams, plus some really cozy lounge seating areas with a cool swamp mural. It's a very relaxed, family-friendly environment. Food: 3/5 The food was a bit of a mixed bag, but we really appreciated the vegetarian variety. * The Good: The Firefly Beignets were the absolute highlight--they came out warm, puffy, covered in powdered sugar, and completely delicious! The Mac n' Cheese and the side salad were both decent and satisfying. * The Not-So-Good: The crepes were a bit of a letdown. They used canned olives that were overwhelmingly sour, which really threw off the flavor of the dish. The Verdict: Even though the food wasn't perfect across the board, the amazing owners, the family-friendly environment, and those delicious warm beignets make it a spot worth visiting.

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    Firefly Cafe
    Sweet potato hash
    Sweet potato hash
    Firefly Cafe

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    Lawson’s On The Creek

    Lawson’s On The Creek

    4.3
    (86 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    If you're looking for a great place to get lunch in New Bern, Lawson's on the Creek is a strong…read moreoption. They're adjoined with the Tryon Palace visitor center right there in downtown New Bern, so likely they're convenient for you. They have a decent, slightly obstructed view of the water but you can walk about 50 feet and be right on it. There is a large private parking lot, so no worries on that either. In general, the sandwiches there are darn good, and the few sides we tried (dill potato salad, and their pasta salad) were excellent. My reuben on marbled rye was straight up delicious, and you order yours based on how much meat you want on it. They use Boar's Head meats here, which while I think sometimes that is overblown, you can count on that level of quality. The thing though is this, it's gonna be a pricey lunch. They are full service, so count on tipping. Their prices for sandwiches are higher than what I'm accustomed to, even with my standards adjusted for the current life of everything be expensive that we live in in 2026. Chalk that up to waterfront dining and high rent I would imagine. In any case, if the sandwich didn't live up to the price, I wouldn't give it a 5. Tasted great, service was excellent, overall a very enjoyable lunch. Would return!

    Only open for lunch so dont miss out. Really good sandwiches and side. I had the corn beef with…read moreSwiss and it was delicious. Staff is friendly and efficient. Place is nice with view of Trent river

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    Counter
    Counter
    Lawson’s On The Creek
    House made Watermelon Shandy & watermelon lemonade

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    House made Watermelon Shandy & watermelon lemonade

    Cow Cafe - sandwiches - Updated July 2026

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