It's been quite a while since we've been here. We used to come here all the time in the late 90's…read moreto the early 2000's and for whatever reason we stopped coming. Grinders came up in a conversation again while we were in the area. Came for lunch. It's a seat yourself establishment. It's definitely a local favorite. A lot of older gentleman eating here. They have a burger special today and as we recall that's we really enjoyed about this place. Comes with fries. The burger didn't disappoint. It was cooked and prepared perfectly. Got the famous sweet tea today. A little on the sweet side. I did a few laps like I had the zoomies from the sweet tea. We need to come back and get the breakfast! We will definitely be coming back on a regular schedule. Why we stopped coming I have no idea.

Consistency is key for this local favorite diner. Service was great and accommodating and food was…read morevery good. Homemade that morning, the seafood chowder was chunked full of seafood and tasty. Salad was crisp and fresh. Always a good option for brunch!

This place is great, I've had so much fun in the (early) 9am hour rush of this place. My server…read moreEmily was wonderful, she was attentive, expressive and impressively insightful about the menu selections and tailored options for her guests. This place is well run, with women servers on a mission for excellence: people are seated promptly and are seen by their server quickly. Here are some things that I noticed about this place: -the family bathroom was clean, well-lit, and (thank god) did feature a coat rack! *this is important for purses*, changing station, and railing on the door and walls to assist our friends who need extra support. -the grits were HOT, buttered and delicious, very simple recipe with cheddar cheese and my addition of salt & pepper, best restaurant grits ever (and I'm generally underwhelmed by grits from every restaurant) -I was able to sub turkey sausage for my topping in the Secret Bene dish was met with a smile and agreeance. No pork on this fork -if you want to dine with ease, come here the seating in the general dining area is built for tables of 2-4 patrons, semi-closely spaced but the larger tabletops are sequestered into their own section. This seating plans allows for smaller parties to be tended to quickly and redirects the noise and collaboration needed to tend to a larger table top away from others' dining experience. I am delightfully pleased to say that they need to bring back this classic American dining practice of partitioning of space for a larger tables. I remember this in restaurants like ihop and TGI Fridays from back in the day, it does make a difference. -the silverware was clean, very clean place. Thank you SGC!

We stopped at a place we haven't been in a LONG time: Secret Garden Cafe which is located at 10095…read moreBeach Blvd. We split a couple of mimosa pitchers and I had the Patty Melt with Kettle Chips. The melt was decent and I'll circle back to it eventually but I'll try something else next time because I remember loving their breakfast options last time we were here. I LOVED the kettle chips and would get them as a side with anything else. Lauren had the Morning Grab Sandwhich. She picked sausage patties. She could get her egg done however she wanted so she picked fried hard. She could pick cheese as well so she picked American. She liked how buttery the croissant was and said it held up fairly well to the main ingredients. She really liked the breakfast potatoes for her side and said she'd order them every time. This is a cute little place and it's been too long since we stopped in. Emilie was a great server and she happened to be the same person who waited on us the last time we were here, well over a year ago!

Ellen's has quickly become one of my favorite places to go for breakfast/brunch at the beach!…read more I visit with my mom at least once a week and we almost always grab food somewhere! On a whim, we tried Ellen's and sat outside one day. It was soooo pleasant. The weather was nice! A few other patrons brought their dogs, which my grandaughter LOVED! Now, we are regulars. The staff is always great with both my grandaughter and my mother! Both can be fussy at times ! To avoid this, the baby's food is usually brought out first! This is greatly appreciated as she isn't quite old enough to occupy with crayons yet. Our food has always been prepared exactly as ordered and arrived in generous portions. To date, I don't think I've even received an incorrect beverage order! I can't sing enough praises for Ellen's! It's great to have local businesses to support. Can't wait 'till our next visit!

Some places don't just serve breakfast -- they serve comfort…read more Grilled fish, soft scrambled eggs, warm toast, and cinnamon apples that taste like home. The coffee keeps coming, and the staff treat you like you belong there. It's simple. It's honest. I'll be back.

Update 7/26/26...came for breakfast this morning and was appalled at the service or should I say…read morelack of. Checked in for a table for 3 and was told it would be about 25 minutes. People were coming out quickly but no one was ever taken in. 45 minutes later our table was called only to find the table hadn't been cleaned or set. Enter server, who had never seen a smile before apparently. We got drinks taken but needed time to decide. That was the last time we saw her until I asked another server to finally order. We did order but the food was not good at all; swimming in grease. Getting a drink refill was near impossible with yet another different server having to do that. After the meal a fourth person had to bring boxes and a to go bag. Our original server, who did nothing, finally brought the check. I understand weekends are busy, however, there was ZERO interest in us or our patronage. Couple it with the blessing out the cook was getting from a "manager" in the kitchen I'll be giving this place a hard pass for a while. It definitely did not live up to my previous experience. As for ambiance I can honestly say there was none. If you want alcohol for breakfast it might be the right spot because all the service happened at the bar.

The service was super fast. When we arrived it was a packed house but we were seated within 10…read moreminutes. The menu is your traditional American breakfast selections. Easy to find something you will like and enjoy. The food was tasty. Our server was very attentive. I'm glad Middleburg is developing, this is a great addition to the area.

My friend in town visiting picked up a little breakfast for us from here a little while ago so I…read moredecided to bring another friend of mine here for a breakfast dine-in instead of the previous to-go method. Although the wait for sitting down at a table was short, it was then maybe 30+ min for just some eggs, bacon, pancakes and a Belgian waffle after already having our drinks delivered. I picked up on the fact that they were understaffed and understood the delay, it happens. Food was otherwise hot and good, would be back, folks/staff here are nice too, they work hard I can tell. Would be 5 stars if the owners or someone rolled up some sleeves? I'm looking for a part time weekend job #shruggingshoulders

We took our daughter to the country cabin for lunch, Saturday…read more The building looks like an old Sonny's restaurant and it's pretty nice on the inside. We waited a pretty long time for the food; It was longer than you would normally expect to wait...especially for the number of patrons. I'm glad we waited for the food because it was very good. My wife and daughter got the club sandwich with fried okra and Cole slaw. I got the country chef salad with grilled chicken. Our server was very good, and attentive. She was very nice and professional with our service. Other than the wait, everything was very good and the price was very reasonable. We will come back again...

It's been a while since I've been here. I wanted country fried steak, so I came here…read more They have "sit wherever you like" policy. I recognized our Waitress. She used to work for Cotten's BBQ. The service and food was good. The only reason for four stars is because the country fried steak gravy was not hot. I know I could have sent it back. I chose not to do so. Pros:service Cons:parking sucks Recommend? Yes

The University diner, under new ownership, was a repeat breakfast spot for me, but this last visit…read morestood out. The atmosphere was inviting with a cool, free-seating policy and the ceiling art by various artists was captivating -- fish, anime, food, beach, etc. After being seated, it took only a few minutes before we received menus and were asked about drinks. I opted for the waffle combo with scrambled eggs and sausage patties. The waffle was slightly crispy on the edges, but the inner part was soft? Perhaps it had been sitting out a little too long? The eggs and sausage were good. Overall, it was an okay breakfast, but maybe next time, I might try their lunch or dinner menu.

Me and my daughter have been in terry's the last two Saturdays and we have had a great experience…read moreboth times. Our server AMY was excellent both time. Food was good also. I would recommend this restaurant to people. The atmosphere to us is very friendly great conversation among staff and guest/ customer.

Food was very good! I had a scrambled egg with country fried steak and hashbrowns. Oh and a…read morebiscuit which looked very good but i didnt eat it. Saving for later. The gravy in the steak had a good flavor but the flour was a little raw, like it needed to be cooked a minute or two longer. Service was super friendly and the food was served quickly! Oh and the coffee was so delicious, not too strong but robust! Great diner atmosphere! Please come and bring a couple of friends. A testament to how good it is, hardly no place to sit!

This was recommended to us by family that live in Jax. It was not crowded on a weekday morning. The…read moreservice was excellent. The atmosphere is fun (although REALLY bright green) and the food was really great. There is lots of parking and outdoor seating. I'm not sure how this compares to other breakfast places in Jax, but our bill was higher than some nice dinners we've had for 6 people. Tbf, they ordered coffee and some sides.

I've been twice now! My first time I was dining solo & sat at the bar- Bre was my server & simply…read morefabulous. I asked for a recommendation between two dishes and she recommended the French toast sticks, it was one of the seasonal dishes & really scrumptious. I love that they serve good coffee too. I had a caramel macchiato & was in heaven! Second time I took John. They have a pork chop breakfast plate i just knew he'd love & I tried their biscuits and gravy. Gravy was just ok, but the biscuit was great & John had so much food I snagged some of his eggs too. He had high praise for their grits!!! Thank you Bre for the fabulous first impression!