Restaurant Review: Menu at Berry Fresh Café is chock-full of 'OMG' breakfast, lunch choices

Berry Fresh Café’s website declares they serve farm-to-table, fresh ingredients and “OMG” selections.  So, I headed to Port St. Lucie, one of the three locations on the Treasure Coast, to see what was cooking for myself.

The restaurant has tables, booths and a large banquette, which curves around the space and accommodates lots of hungry diners. The color scheme is berry-like: red and  purple. Stained glass Tiffany-style pendants hang over the booths and the center of the restaurant features drum-shaded chandeliers.

Berry Fresh features monthly blackboard specials, as well as a breakfast and lunch menu. Quiches, hash (such as salsa verde pork), French toast (such as mango mixed berry griddled bread pudding), omelets, Benedicts (such as tomato bacon jam eggs with made-from-scratch Hollandaise), smoothies, salads, sandwiches, soups, etc. I knew this was not going to be easy, but, darn it, I had a job to do.

For beverages, we started with watermelon lemonade and iced tea. The watermelon flavor in the unsweetened tea was just right, subtle but very refreshing, and in the lemonade it was a nice addition to the sweetness and tartness of the lemons.

My friend ordered one of the blackboard specials, the raspberry goat cheese avocado toast with eggs ($11.99) with a side of fruit. A thick slice of multigrain toast was smeared with avocado mash, then topped with fresh ripe raspberries, sprinkled with goat cheese crumbles, and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. The menu called for basted eggs on top of the toast, but she chose scrambled which were tender and perfectly cooked. The avocado toast had so many flavors that melded together: the hearty bread, the smooth, creamy avocado, the tart raspberries, the earthiness of the goat cheese, and the sweet balsamic reduction. They combined into a slice of fabulousness.

Our waitress recommended another blackboard special: the Nashville hot chicken sandwich ($10.99) with a side of potato salad. When it was served, I was surprised to see a humongous breast of chicken, which is described as all natural and farm raised, on a roll. The sandwich includes pickles, cole slaw and “comeback sauce” which is a pink colored, tangy pickle-flavored mayonnaise sauce. The crispy fried chicken was hand breaded and dipped in a spicy oil which gave it a little kick. Unfortunately, the size of the chicken portion overwhelmed the poor bun which surrendered its support of the moist flavorful breast. This was okay since the star of the sandwich was, indeed, the hot chicken. The red bliss potato salad was light on mayonnaise and tasty.

Berry Fresh does not offer desserts, although they typically have a “muffin of the day” and offer pastries to go such has a Ghirardelli brownie or a Hello Dolly Bar. Perhaps they justifiably believe that you will be full after their meals but you might still want something sweet to take home.

In any case, we decided to try the blueberry fritters, ($5.99) which were listed on the menu as a “must have.” Fritter batter was packed with blueberries, cooked to a golden brown, and served with strawberry yogurt for dipping. Our waitress brought the fritters in a paper sack with sugar and cinnamon and gave the fritters a friendly shake. Though tasty, I thought the texture of the fritters was drier and denser than I expected and more like a heavy donut hole.

In conclusion, Berry Fresh Café has a wonderfully diverse menu of fresh, locally sourced, comfort foods, as well as healthy meals which appeal to vegetarians and carnivores alike. The prices are reasonable, and the service was attentive and friendly.

Lucie Regensdorf dines anonymously at the expense of TCPalm for #WhatToDoIn772. Contact her at Lucie@theloveofcooking.com or follow @LucieLovesFood on Twitter.

Berry Fresh Café

• Cuisine: Breakfast and lunch
• Locations: 1718 S.W. St. Lucie Blvd., Port St. Lucie, 772-336-5291; 1429 S.E. Federal Highway, Stuart, 772-324-8287; 3755 Military Trail, Jupiter, 561-401-5693 
• Hours: 7 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sunday - Monday
• Alcohol: Beer and wine
• Online: BerryFresh.Cafe