Cafe Patachou Hazel Dell - Carmel

I met my friends for lunch and the weather was perfect for sitting on the terrace. I ordered the spinach salad, which was very delicious. My friend opted for the egg salad sandwich, but thought the bread was cut too thick for her liking. There were many other dishes on the menu that I would like to try next time.

This restaurant in Carmel, Indiana is excellent and we frequently enjoy a delicious world-class breakfast here. I also occasionally visit their location in Broad Ripple for lunch. My favorite dishes are the Cuban breakfast and the Ora King smoked salmon bagel. The Carmel location has more parking available compared to Broad Ripple, but I have never had an issue finding a spot to park at either location.

While I enjoy the atmosphere, the friendly staff, the quick seating, and the service at this restaurant, I find myself constantly ordering dishes. The Cuban breakfast was tasty, but not worth $13. The California Dreamer omelette was creative, but lacking flavor without sriracha. It seems that personal preferences play a big role here. I particularly enjoy the open coffee bar with a variety of rotating flavors. Today, the banana nut flavor was delicious. I was disappointed to see that they don't offer espresso shots on the menu, though they do have chai. Overall, this is a great spot to socialize with friends, but not one I would choose to visit alone.

I made the mistake of ordering the Cuban breakfast twice. I remember the first time I was disappointed and the same was forgotten and ordered. the description in the menu looks good, and it tastes pretty good, but it is not very much eating for $13. I hate how restaurants make some of the healthier appearing options like small portions. just because I'm healthy, it doesn't mean that I want a tiny part. The coffee was pretty good, but it was $4, which I liked a lot. I think it's a nice restaurant, maybe I just have to order something else.

Standards have fallen, which is a shame because Patachou used to a great breakfast brunch place, now it’s merely average (but still charging the same prices). The Cuban breakfast looked like it was just heaped on the plate with no consideration for appearance. The ham was dry. And it looks like they are trying to serve the bare minimum of portions in an effort to squeeze as much profit as possible out of their patrons. I knew something was up when there was no wait for a table at 11:15 on a Sunday. The waitress was nice which is the only positive thing I can say. We will not be returning.