Mermaid Garden Cafe

I had the chicken and corn cream chowder soup and the spicy portobello warm sandwich. They were the perfect meal. Yum, yum, yum!

Of all the lunch spots in all the world a finer one than this one would be hard ,if not impossible to find. Upon entering this downtown eatery, one is treated to indeed a veritable Garden with a Mermaid theme. Each table has a fish hand painted on it. There are mermaids on the walls and on the tables. It would have been easy to over do this theme but the owner demonstrated her good taste by keeping it well within bounds and very comfortable.

We were then treated to the best of service by the ever smiling Julie. When we couldn't decide between clam chowder and Italian , she immediately offered to bring samples and when we also couldn't decide on a salad dressing she did the same. With a high level of authenticity and genuine friendliness Julies' unpretentious service made dining a calming and satisfying experience. We are grateful to her.

Now to the food. The menue while not exensive offered enough variation to satisfy almost any appetite. We chose a cup of both of the day's soups, two salads and a half Rueben sandwich. The soups were superb. The Italian soup was very flavorful and rich without being at all overbearing. The clam chowder was a revelation on what clam chowder could and should be. A very light cream base supported a generous anount of clams surrounded by a symphony of herbs, a bit of onion, some carrot and celery and other flavor enhancers. Not to mention some potato cooked to potatoey goodness. Not overdone and not mushy either. The Italian soup was rich and meaty with slightly spicy sausage. The beans were pefectly done holding their shape without being too soft. Do not let me get started on the salad except say they were tasted delights in their own rights.

If all that were not enough there was the perfect iced tea. Substantial taste without being bitter from being overbrewed.

Last but far from least four house made cookies with great flavor, texture and appearence.

Having eaten a lunch fit for royality, the bill was a true amazement $37.00 for the whole thing.

I would without hesitation drive 50 miles out of my way in a snow storm for such a lunch. Get there as soon as you can.

Slightly crowded when we arrived but we were seated quickly. The staff are very friendly, welcoming and accommodating. Since it was late in the day, they were low or out of some items but what we did get was very, very good! I got the Reuben and my sister got the Berry Brie. I enjoyed my clam chowder very much even though it wasn't what I expected. Not the creamy concoction one thinks of when have chowder but a vegetable rich broth with large chunks of vegetables and clams. Different but good.

We were passing through town on the way further north and stopped to get lunch here, thinking it would just a typical small town sandwich shop, but we were in for a treat! Perfect portion sizes and fantastic flavor combos. We had the apple and cheddar sandwich and the buffalo blue wrap. Both were delicious! So much so that we're trying to figure out how we could recreate them at home. Seriously tasty and cooked to perfection. Can't wait to try more new flavors next time we come through town.

Mermaid is One of my favorite places to eat in town. I’ve tried almost everything on the menu and I enjoyed each one. Each day they have a new soup, it’s always different and again, I’ve liked every one that I’ve tried! The menu Includes soup, salad, sandwiches, wraps and cold pasta. Vegetarian options available. Great place for a healthy but delicious meal. Some of my favorites are the spicy portobello wrap and the turkey club panini. I️ often go on my lunch hour and have enough time to sit down and eat because they are quick. The only thing I would change is the open hours, they’re only open 10-2, Monday-Friday :( they also have yummy cookies and fresh strawberry lemonade!