Both Sandy’s Circle Cafe in Sebring and The Depot in Avon Park are friendly cafes that have found a niche market. They are willing to get up before the sun to cook American style breakfast and lunch.

Sandy’s Cafe

Sandy’s Café, on the historic downtown circle in Sebring, entices early morning clientele to enjoy a steaming cup of Joe with familiar choices like pancakes or omeletts hot off the range. Many patrons linger over a second cup and find time to read the daily paper. 
Lunch is just as busy with many regulars picking up “to go” orders or just enjoying the familiar surroundings over coffee and pie. Hamburgers with fries, homey meat loaf or familiar sandwich or salad combinations are good choices along with the chef’s daily rotating specials on the board.

I ordered the hot turkey open-face sandwich, flooded with gravy and mashed potatoes, which was filling but not exceptional. The sandwich came with a small house salad to start, all for $5.69.
My friend enjoyed the crispy fried chicken plate and french fries. Two sides are included in the price of $6.25. The three chicken pieces were small but very tasty and satisfied the fried chicken yearnings for another day.

Pies and cakes are made on-site, but the heavenly homemade strawberry or vanilla ice cream is the big winner. **
I had an old fashioned soda fountain style strawberry milkshake, so thick I needed a spoon (2 spoons!).
**However right at this printing, the homemade ice cream is on hold as the restaurant is too busy.

The Depot Cafe

The Depot Café in Avon Park is another popular destination for breakfast and lunch (open more than 16 years). Turn right onto Main Street. Their motto is “We’re Glad You’re Here.”

Artistic décor of a picturesque steam train puffing into the station covers one wall. The seating, alluding to country charm, has a rustic feel, with lanterns hanging off the wood booth frames.

Big portions, friendly service and homey vitals bring in lots of business from the local crowd.
On a recent visit, I ordered the featured broccoli/cheese soup and the chef’s special, shredded pork sandwich on rye. The soup was a bit pasty, lacking a balance between the two main ingredients. The sandwich was also a disappointment as the bread was stale and the shredded pork had been allowed to dry out beyond tasteless. Perhaps toasting the bread and adding an interesting condiment to the pork would improve it.

My friend spotted chicken pot pie on the menu and eagerly anticipated its arrival. Several tables around us had ordered the same and it looked promising. The pot pie arrived in a clear, glass, deep cereal bowl (oven proof), topped with 2 small, plain baking powder biscuits. Diving his fork and spoon into the sauce, big chunks of moist white chicken were a nice surprise but the sauce was bland and lacked any complex flavor from fresh herbs or seasonings, while the green beans in the sauce tasted canned.

More thoughts about pot pies; There are many versions of chicken pot pie. The large Costco version is very good, almost better than making it yourself. A small café in San Francisco has such a fabulous version that it was featured in a national food magazine. Marie Callenders individual frozen pies are also pretty good.
The Depot version is generous but more attention to the stock and depth of flavor would improve the sauce, and a real pastry lid would add excitement to the whole dish. A reserved critique this day on the pot pie and soup/sandwich.

My final word is, always save room for dessert. The dessert pies here are delicious. Often dessert is the weakest link in a chef’s repertoire but at The Depot, pies shine. Made fresh daily, there are numerous flavors to choose from at $2.75 a slice. My favorite is the peanut butter meringue. It has a smooth, light custard filling with just a hint of peanut butter flavor topped with a cloud of meringue. It always leaves me wanting more. Whole pies used to be for sale but now are only available by the slice. **

Ms. Cuisine says both these cafes are a good addition to our food scene, making them a reliable choice for breakfast or lunch.
** As each of these restaurants experience more business, the boutique aspect of homemade ice cream and whole pies for customers is being lost.
Too bad!

Ms. Cuisine is a former executive chef and corporate chef now living in Sebring. She has operated a chef’s school and is a self-proclaimed “foodie.” She has been featured in Bon Apetite magazine. Highlands Today picks up the tab for the meals and she reviews local restaurants anonymously.