Chef Brooke's Natural Cafe

Soup Nazi.....

It was bad enough for me to vow I will never go back

If you want great Vegan/Vegetarian food drive over to Sanibel. The island has a couple of amazing places with the most amazing owners and food.

This place has such negative energy from the owner, she's just a big bully

We are visiting town and found this place listed so thought we'd try it. The first impression with owner who took our order was that she was annoyed we were asking questions. Food was good and atmosphere was pleasant. The owner was so very nice and cheerful to obvious locals so we assumed it was a tourist thing. By the end of the check out she was better but it surprised us as we are usually welcomed by a vegan/ veg place.

Let me start by saying my family are vegetarians, but my son has to avoid gluten & dairy, which makes it difficult to find places to eat locally with more than 1 option for him to eat, he was SO EXCITED to see all the options they had on their online menu - & then even happier to find there were even more options on the board in the cafe! We loved the atmosphere & the food! It was SO good! The staff was super friendly & happy to help my son find something vegan & gluten free! He LOVED the GF vegan lasagna & the salad that came with it (he is normally a picky eater)! I had the sweet potato pecan patty with potato salad & coleslaw - it was all SO good. I didn't find the portions small - we both left full :)

We visited on Christmas Eve for lunch. The owner waited on us at the counter and was very unfriendly and actually belittling when we asked questions about the menu. It was such a disappointment because we were having a fun day and were looking forward to a nice lunch. The food was truly delicious, but we will not go back and that feels sad because we are vegan and love to support small businesses.

I will never return to this establishment due to the curtness of the owner. She was rude to both the customers and her own staff. Very off-putting. If the food was wonderful I could probably look past it, but the food is just ok. The salad dressing was the best thing I had (it was really good)!!

We found this place on a vacation to the Ft. Myers. We loved everything about this place! Great service, atmosphere and food. I had some of the best soup I have ever eaten! I also had a vegan ruben that was yummy! The best part was the vegan fairy cakes. I bought 2 to go and after trying one, I was sorry I didn't buy them all. They were that good! I will be back there again when I am in the area!!

My mom is a very picky eater, so finding a veg/vegan-centered place she actually enjoys is rare. She liked this one - kudos to the restaurant.

There are a lot of options, everything is fresh & delicious, the service was friendly (though a bit slow), and the desserts were AMAZING.

Go here!

I have been following Chef Brooke since she was at Ada's. It was the first time I had tofu and loved it! I was so sad when Ada's closed and then so thrilled that Chef Brooke opened her own cafe! I go there as often as I can. Yes it does take awhile to get your food but everything is freshly made, nothing microwaved, you just go there on days when you have a little time or call in and order it to go. She has free wifi as well. Yes it is more expensive than some but the quality is exceptional. I think her portions are more than ample. I feel Fort Myers is blessed to have Chef Brooke here and cannot imagine not having her food! I am addicted to: Mardi Gras Salad, any of her soups, veggie pizza, Tempeh Reuben, veggie burger, fairie cakes. Pretty much everything I have had is delicious!!! I have read some of the bad reviews about how Chef Brooke is rude and sometimes she is super busy, but she has never been anything but nice to me and I hope you don't let this stop you from going there to try her deliciousl food, teas, coffees and juices! You will be glad you did!

I have been a fan of Chef Brooke since her days at Ada's, and frequent her restaurant as often as possible. She is passionate about her cooking, creative and always changing things up. And her baked goods are THE BEST! You can't be in a rush when you dine there... it's my favorite place to go when I have time to take my foot off the gas a smidge, want to share a delicious / healthy meal with a friend, and want to be torn between soooo many dishes that I want to eat! Can't imagine SWFL without her, she is unique and a true gem, we are incredibly lucky she calls Fort Myers her home!

I've tried her food 3 or 4 times (once at her previous cooking job.) The food is basic, nothing special, and portion sizes are very, very small. Unless you're into sugary, desserts (which are huge), stay away.
The owner has been so rude, it's a shame. The first time, I chalked it up to her having a bad day. To be generous, over the past few years that I've tried her restauro, she's displays an unsettling moodiness.
With all due respect, she should hire someone else to interact with her clientele.

I loved Chef Brookes! I had the vegan mock tuna melt and a cappuccino cupcake, yummm! Will definitely be back soon :))

Aside from the curious smell, the food was not very good. The portions were small and took FOREVER to be served. Both my husband and could not finish the food and felt sick afterwards.

I visited Brooke's about three years ago. I live in the area and we have very limited vegan/raw food so I was very excited to find her. I brought my daughter for lunch. The food was ok, portions were a bit small, and the ambience was ok. But the most discouraging experience was the bad energy that the owner Brooke herself displayed. She is obviously very unhappy. I would have probably tried the place again but would rather eat food that is prepared with love and feel as though my patronage was welcomed.

I will never again visit Chef Brooke's Natural Cafe. Allow me to begin by stating that I love vegetarian and vegan food, and Brooke's is no exception. The food is great. Seriously. Brooke makes a delicious veggie burger, and her smoothies are sweet and filling. Her customer service, however, is virtually nonexistent. Chef Brooke is not only moody and unprofessional, she is viciously abusive towards both her customers and her staff. Ask too many questions about her menu, and she'll yell at you and walk away. Some poor employee makes a mistake, and she'll scream at him in front of her entire restaurant. I'm surprised no one has sued her yet. Unless you want to be insulted by this reincarnation of the Soup Nazi, I suggest staying away from Chef Brooke and her poor excuse for a restaurant.

I don't get to eat here often, as it is too far from my work and home, but I treat myself on occasion. While they have some standard dishes to offer, they always have a board listing the specials for the day. They serve lots of vegetarian dishes, some raw, and also chicken and fish. Fresh food, exotic flavors. Her homemade dressing is one of my favorites. She's always helpful and answers my questions, and is passionate about her craft. I have enjoyed the couple of cooking classes I have attended, and love her tuna and tabouli sandwich. I am not a big fan of some of the gluten free cupcakes, but the frosting is soooo good! The prices can be high, but worth it to me for an occasional treat. I just couldn't afford it everyday.
Updated from previous review on Wednesday August 14, 2013

I found this restaurant on Happy Cow while looking for vegan-friendly places on my vacation.

The food was OK. Smaller portions than I would have liked for the money, but everything was fresh and the taste was decent.

The reason for the two stars is the attitude of the chef/owner. My 72 year old father was eating with me and was surprised when she told us the veggie burger wasn't vegan. So he dared to ask why it wasn't vegan and the owner snapped back at him with a long, angry, nonsensical answer about how she is the only one working there (there were three other staff members). WHY on earth would be it be harder to make it vegan than not if you were making it from scratch? And if you aren't making it from scratch, just buy vegan burgers!

Not my favorite dining experience and I won't be returning due to the attitude of the owner. I read some reviews on another website after we left and about half talked about having to cope with a caustic interaction with the Chef Brooks. I can see why.

I love Brooke's; it's got great vegan options like tofu scramble, hummus, every type of nondairy milk, and wonderful pumpkin spice muffins. Yeah Brooke might be a bit crazy, but she's not scary or mean. I typically spend $10-$20 there, which is hardly outrageous either.

I've been there several times with my 2 children. Chef Brooke usually makes us feel uncomfortable but her food is so good, it's almost magical. Did you ever see the Seinfeld episode with the 'Soup Nazi'? It's a little like that. We've finally had enough though. On our last visit, we ordered a simple lunch. When she tallied the bill, it was so over the top expensive that I just stood there in shock. (I had dinner at Art Smith's new restaurant in Atlanta for less money).

I didn't argue... I didn't do anything.. I just paid it. She asked me if I needed a receipt and when I said, "yes", she just handed me a copy of my credit card receipt. (My blood pressure rises just thinking about it.) I should have asked for a print out, but to be honest, she scares me. Her food is fantastic and her little cafe is adorable, but we will NEVER go back. I feel like I was ripped-off.