Guru’s Rapid Review: Cozee Cafe
City: Lake Mary, Fl (north of Orlando)
Located north of Orlando in the city of Lake Mary, Cozee Café provides a great spot to gather and relax with friends and family. Located in a large dining complex anchored by a movie theater, they cater to diners looking for a trendy casual dining experience.
UPDATE
6/19 – they have closed down as of June 2019. I have left my original review up for reference.
FOOD
The eclectic menu pulls from many cooking traditions including American, Indian and East African while putting in their own twist. The lunch menu consists primarily of sandwich and salad options for diners looking for a clean, fresh and healthy option.
They use quality choice ingredients to craft their meals and it is hard to find an item on the menu that customers don’t enjoy. Some of the favorites for meat-lovers include the East-African inspired Mish-Kaki plate which consists of marinated, skewered flamed-grilled ribeye steak pieces served over fries and salad. Another classic is the Cheese steak which is ribeye shavings served with melted cheese in a hoagie bun with fries.
For those counting calories, there are many healthier salad options. A favorite is the Chicken-Tikka Salad served with white sauce.
They have a very robust breakfast menu that is definitely worth a try if you can make it in before 11 am. The eggs benedict comes in several variations such as Florentine, avocado and steak strip which can fuel you for the day. An East-African favorite breakfast combination is Zege which is a spicy egg omelet with ribeye mish-kaki on the side.
The food is plated and presented very elegantly which add to the dining experience and make for great pics to post to your friends on social media. This attention to presentation is a nice feature that is often overlooked by many halal restaurants and shows their dedication to customer satisfaction.
SERVICE
As a café, there is an emphasis on customer dining experience. The staff is pleasant and accommodating and able to communicate special requests to the kitchen with ease and efficiency.
One of the unique features of this Café is the revolving menu throughout the day. They have a specific breakfast menu till 11 am, switch to lunch service till about 4 pm and then after 4 pm their focused on desserts.
LOCATION
The interior has a calming and relaxing aura due to the dim lighting, but there is plenty of natural light coming from the large windows lining the exterior of the restaurant during the day. At the center of the restaurant is the counter space where there is large selection of specialty drinks and premade desserts on display.
The indoor space is rather compact with tables setup for dining parties between 2-6, but they do also have an outdoor space which can accommodate larger groups. The bathrooms are well-kept and clean.
Parking in front of the Café can be tricky but there is ample parking located adjacent to the movie theater which is just a short walk away.
PRICE
As this Café is located in a large entertainment and dining complex, it is expected that the price point will be a little higher than other stand-alone establishments. The menu is designed for individual meals, rather than group dining and are portioned as such. Sharing a dish can be difficult, but once you’ve taken a bite, you really don’t want to share. Beyond portions, the price also reflects the dining experience and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant and thus can be justified on those grounds too.
OVERALL
Cozee Café is located in a large entertainment complex with many restaurants, dessert shops and a movie theater designed to attract customers looking for a little rest and relaxation. As a result of this local competition for diners, the bar is set high for food quality standards, much to the delight of customers. While there are only 2 halal restaurants in the complex (located side-by side ironically), the drive for quality is evident in all aspects of the dining experience, from food to service to atmosphere. If you’re in the area, this is a must try.
[…] 4. Cozee Café […]
[…] This café is well known to the Orlando North Muslim community as great location to relax and enjoy some specialty coffee or to sit down with family and friends for an upscale meal experience. It is located in a large entertainment complex in Heathrow/Lake Mary (about 30 minutes north of downtown Orlando), with many other restaurants competing for hungry customers looking for a unique dining experience. They offer Creekstone Farms Black Angus all-beef half pound patty served on a toasted Kaiser bun with their special Cozee burger sauce. They dress the burger in several different ways to create unique favor profiles to satisfy all taste buds. The offer a classic version for those interested in the traditional burger. They also offer a BBQ crunch burger and a Tamarind burger for those interested in a more sour and savory versions. Their burger comes with a side of fries or salad. You can expect to pay over $10 USD, but the service and atmosphere justify the higher price point on the meal and leaving you with a truly satisfied experience. Click here for the full review. […]
[…] 1. Cozee Café […]
[…] 3. Cozee Café […]
[…] 2. Cozee Cafe […]
[…] 2. Cozee Café […]
[…] 1. Cozee Café […]