I will still give Lora Mae's 5 stars because I did not personally have any issues while eating here. This place was very different in an odd way than any other place I have been. It was not what I expected when we walked in, but I enjoyed the experience overall. It is located in downtown Ball Ground in an old house. The tables are all in different rooms. There are decorations on the wall, that are for sale. We were a party of 4 that visited on Mother's Day with no reservation. Only one younger girl was working that we saw the entire time. We waited around 5-10 minutes for our table. She gave the ladies roses for Mother's Day. We sat at a cozy table in a room by ourselves. The menu was very small and no alcohol. The prices were more than fair, fairly cheap in my opinion. The portions were enough for me, but not as big as other restaurants. We all had brunch and our food tasted delicious. One dish was cold, but everyone else's was hot. When we were done, the place was very busy, and a long wait. I would be interested to try this place again and see if it is any different on other days. read more

Lora Mae’s - French toast & breakfast bowl with potatoes on the side - Cafes Near Me - Ball Ground, Georgia

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Full disclosure, I am a waiter at Lora Maes. However, that does not detract from how good the food actually is. Everything is made to order, made in our kitchen, and tastes wonderful. Come on in and give us a try. Let me wait on you on the weekends, and I'll give you some of the best service you've ever had. read more

Lora Mae’s - Menu - Cafes Near Me - Ball Ground, Georgia

We came to Ball Ground for lunch at Lora Mae's. It was delicious and delightful. We had a private room all to ourselves. The BLT was also fresh and good. read more

Lora Mae’s - Delicious spring salad with strawberries and chicken salad. Enjoyed a cup of tomato basil on the side. - Cafes Near Me - Ball Ground, Georgia

We were headed up to Gibbs Garden for the afternoon and were looking for a lunch venue before we got there. The nearby town of Ball ground had the most choices, though these were more limited on Sundays, apparently. We parked in a public lot in the middle of town and walked a few blocks checking out restaurants. This one seemed to have potentially lighter fare and was open before 11 a.m., so we went with it. They did have their own small parking lot on site. The café is located in a modified old house. You enter via the front door and order at a counter / display case, which shows some of they day's menu offerings. I wouldn't say the menu was extensive, but if you are looking for something along the soup / salad / quiche line, then you may be satisfied. From the hours and menu board, it appeared that they do only breakfast and lunch here (until 2 p.m., I think). That may also vary by day - I'm not sure if they do dinner but just not on Sundays? They also apparently had limited beer and wine, though we skipped that. After you pay, you take a metal stand with your number and choose a seat. They have 3 small dining rooms inside and some tables on the porch too. My only observation was that the tables mostly seemed small. If you are here solo or with 2 people, you can get by. It looked like there was only one large table (for 6 or 8) inside, so if you show up with 3 - 4, you may be pulling tables together ad hoc. Another couple who my wife spoke with cautioned her that service was slow, but our food came out reasonably quickly. It may vary depending on crowd size and time. We each got a combo - 1/2 salad and half sandwich. We both really enjoyed the food. The salads were quite fresh and my pimento cheese croissant was tasty. If I were making a similar trip again, I'd consider returning here. read more

Had my daughter's wedding rehearsal brunch here October 20 2024 for about 40 people. We were allowed to personalize the rooms for the bride and grooms event. The food, staff and environment was amazing. Chef Peter was so easy to work with and very accommodating to request. We went back today for lunch and another great experience. read more

Delicious food, great service in sweet, sweet restored home. Just spent past 2 days in Buckhead & restaurants...Lora Mae's wins!

We visited in October... we went to a festival in downtown and stopped in here for a late lunch, around 2ish, on a Saturday, since we've been wanting to try it. It was hard to tell at first if it was open. We walked in, and saw one couple sitting in the front room, but no one else. We stood at the front counter area, reading the menu, and it took awhile for anyone to come out and greet us or take our order. Finally a young girl (maybe 19,20?) came out. I asked a question about a sandwich but she didn't know (can't remember now what I asked lol). I next asked about what bread options they had for the kids. The girl really couldn't answer much, and just seemed kind of clueless... so that was tough. After a bit, a lady walked through - perhaps the owner or manager -- and she had the answers to my questions, and was very helpful. There weren't a lot of choices, since they were out of some things. I was a little bummed by that. I chose the meatloaf sandwich, and it was decent. Didn't come out very warm, and although it wasn't bad, it wasn't bursting with flavor either. Lacking a bit. Maybe needed some more sauce, some pizzazz. My son got a grilled cheese-- nothing fancy, but he liked it. They had plain sliced wheat, and I had wished they had sliced sourdough bread or something rustic instead of plain presliced bread, but can't be too picky. Lol especially for the price of the kids sandwich... pretty amazing... $2.50! That is unheard of.. and I wanted to tell them to up their price, because that is just too generous lol. Very nice of them. It did take forever to get our food. That was the biggest downfall. I'm a very patient person, but this was pretty ridiculous.... Over 25 min... Not sure what was going on back there, since the place was not busy... I kindly went in and asked twice... of course the girl didn't have much of an answer for me lol just promised it would be out soon... The inside was cute, and decorated nicely, but not a ton of seating, since it's a smaller, old house. But enough seats if not too busy. Quaint inside. They had a few little foodie gifts around for purchase, and a few treats and premade foods in the front fridge case. The front patio was nice and had a cute side yard. We ate outside at a little table and enjoyed the nice weather. I wasn't wowed... I wanted to be, but wasn't. I *may* try it again someday, and pray for better service.. maybe when it's lunch rush, they'll have their stuff together more... not sure. If customer service and food delivery time was better, we would've had a better experience... this place seems cute, and perhaps newer when we went and still working out kinks? Maybe I went too late in the day? We may mosey in again someday and pray for a better experience. I love homemade, independent owned, type spots like these-- so I'm rooting for them. read more

My wife and I have been going to this establishment since they opened. We enjoy the quaint atmosphere and the calmness. No loud music and no tv's which is a huge plus for us. We have always liked the food, especially the soups. I don't leave a lot of reviews, but I read a few and I understand why some people may have been disappointed. It was beginning to seem the cafe was starting to struggle to find its identity and figure out what they were trying to be. Not a criticism, but it seemed like the previous owner maybe became a little burned out and was ready for a change. The owner did move on and a very nice man came in and is the new owner. He is a chef and this isn't his first rodeo. The reason for my review is to encourage everyone, whether you had a good experience in the past or not so much, to go and give them another try. Peter (new owner) is definitely making some changes that I think are for the better. I don't think you will be disappointed. I also think it's important to support small, local businesses and this place is the epitome of that. Lastly, the people working here are kind, friendly, and always have a smile on their faces. As a side note, I am not affiliated with Lora Maes or any employees in any way. I'm just a guy who lives in the area and think it's important to be honest and fair and I hope I have done that. read more

The food was not good and the service was even worse. It's too bad because the place is cute. The server/hostess was apologetic for how long it took for us to get our food, but there's no apologizing for a breakfast bowl that does not have one of its main ingredients (potatoes) and one left out (bacon) and one just plain disgusting (small unmelted pieces of American processed cheese). Just by-pass Ballground all together if you want to eat something good. read more

Oh my, definitely try the meatloaf sandwich :: how on earth did they make it take sooo good?

The tables are small, too small for a meal for two people. They only have one picnic bench table that would seat more than two people. The chairs are very uncomfortable. No outdoor seating, which is a shame. The place is cute, the food is good but it's not a place to sit and dine. read more

Really good sandwiches but a little expensive for the size and not having fries or chips!

Cute lunch spot, amazing service, chicken salad croissant is my favorite!! Highly recommend!

My husband took me to lunch today and asked "what sounds good?" I said, I'd love some chicken salad, in a quaint place, and somewhere new! Well, we searched Yelp and found the perfect place! Head North to Ball Ground (such a sweet town) and right across from the library is Lora Maes! White charming farm house, walk in to this sweet cafe and order up at the counter. We both had the CS croissant which were homemade and oh so yummy! We grabbed our own drinks of fresh brewed tea and lemonade (refills plenty) the house displays local artists and sells jams from Maine. It's the perfect place to retreat for a lovely, delicious lunch. Check their times on FB/Instagram and their menus too. But of course get the Chicken Salad (everything made daily and sourced locally) Nancy the owner came by to check on us and she is so incredibly sweet! Loved talking with her. She even showed us their event space in the back which can be rented out for showers, parties and even Tea Party. My only wish is she would turn into the ole Tea Leaves and Thyme from Woodstock! You are missing out if you don't try this place. It's like our very own Chicken Salad chick right here in North GA! This is my new go to place! Can't wait to come back! Oh and the chocolate chip cookie was so yummy. She has tables and a picnic table too. Can you tell I'm thrilled I found this place! read more

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Charming breakfast and lunch spot. Ball Ground was a central spot to meet up with family from another state who we had not seen in awhile. They did not mind us staying and sitting for a few hours. Started inside and with such nice weather we eventually went out to the front porch seating area. Lovely restored home turned in to a casual dining spot, and the owner could not have been nicer. Food was all homemade and perfect for lunch. The almond cookies are a must try! read more

Great food and friendly staff! I got a Caesar salad and it was very fresh with homemade croutons and dressing!

Food was okay. The turkey chili was very thick and not hot, just warm. Seemed like it had been sitting for a while and maybe heated in microwave. Mixed greens side salad was just spinach with some chopped tomatoes. Vinaigrette dressing and homemade cookie were tasty. The rooms were cold. Went outside to warm up. read more

Such a find in the quaint town of Ball Ground. It was the perfect spot for meeting a friend for lunch. The staff encourages you to stay awhile. The food was good. The pimento cheese was delicious! read more

A hidden gem in a renovated old house. Staff and owner attentive and friendly. Food all homemade and delicious. They have a changing menu depending on the season and what's available. Our party of three all had different sandwiches and soups or salads and I will definitely be back for more read more

Walking through the front door the first room was apparently a storage room with signs and various other items. Not a positive vibe. Ordering was easy. The rooms were set up with no apparent theme so was not welcoming. It took 35 minutes from ordering to get my soup and sandwich. The potato soup had some pieces of undercooked potato. The presentation was sloppy. Was under seasoned. The chicken salad sandwich was under seasoned and bland. No one ever followed up to see if I was satisfied. I tried to voice my concerns but all staff had retreated to the back. I had to question if they had any previous food service experience. I had high hopes but will not be back. Very sad. read more

Really wanted to like it. We had maybe one couple in front of us, but no one waiting at the counter for service. We expected quicker service for 1/2 sandwich and a small bowl of soup. Almost 30 minutes later, we received our orders. A semi-warm bowl of tomato basil that was pretty good, but no excuse for it not to be hot. I had an okay meatloaf sandwich. My friend had a pimento cheese sandwich and it was oddly-sweet. Our food felt forgotten. We even asked where our food was only to be told there had been a rush, but the place was not busy. What was especially bad was that the table next to us got their food in less than 10 mins and the lady told us the server was her daughter. Hmmm, guess you get quick service if you know the staff! We drank water from a pitcher on the counter, there was no ice and the water wasn't even cold. We picked up our choc chip cookies only to discover they were so hard that we had to bring them home to a hot drink to dunk them in so we wouldn't break a tooth! This was a one and done experience for us. read more