Cuisine LatinPrice range Mid3 1/2 out of 5 stars
Surrey’s Cafe and Juice Bar’s laid back ambiance and fresh menu selections make eating a pleasurable experience.
This funky fresh eatery is more than just tasty food. It is a cafe that transports one from the hustle and bustle of New Orleans to a charming haven.
Located at 1418 Magazine St., Surrey’s Cafe has been in business for a little over a year, and since then, regulars have been packing the restaurant on weekends, sometimes enduring a long wait to indulge in the unique menu and easy-going atmosphere.
One of several features that make this little spot so enticing is its fresh squeezed juices.
Customers have a wide selection of organic vegetables and fruits to choose from, customizing their juices to pleasure their taste buds, from beet and apple juice to carrot and orange juice.
In addition to the juices, the eatery will brew and serve organic coffee upon request.
Delightful vegetarian dishes as well as friendly meals containing meat make up the cafe’s menu.
Surrey’s offers a wide selection of vegetarian entrees including the protein packed Costa Rican breakfast.
The meal, featuring black beans and eggs topping rice and garnished with tomatoes and avocado, is not only healthy but also an energizing meal to start the day.
For meat lovers, a compilation of chorizo, eggs, tortillas and salsa known as the Migas, may be a more preferable dish. And no breakfast eatery would be complete without the option of an enormous banana pancake.
Lunch selections include an array of salads and sandwiches that are pleasing to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
According to Greg Surrey, owner of the quaint cafe, the menu developed depending upon the chef who was in the kitchen at the time.
With a menu that includes a dish specifically named after Costa Rica and tortillas as an ingredient, one may be led to believe that perhaps this Central American country was the inspiration for the cafe.
However Greg Surrey dismisses such a notion, saying he has never traveled to that particular region.
It is another Latin American country that provided the inspiration for the relaxed atmosphere.
Having spent some time in Belize, he wanted to bring that Caribbean essence to the cafe as he describes Belize as a tropical and happy place.
The eclectic art decorating the walls of Surrey’s has helped this bohemian hot spot achieve what the owner had envisioned.
The works of Bunny Mathews, Wright McFarland, and Loyola’s very own visual arts instructor Steve Rucker, are scattered throughout the cafe generating a casual and relaxing environment.
From Rucker’s playful creations to a more peaceful oversized blue painting, the artwork provides the happy feelings Surrey sought out.
The airy openness of the restaurant along with the festively decorative tabletops and plants assist in creating a tropical and laid back setting.
Surrey’s Cafe and Juice Bar is open for breakfast and lunch Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Be prepared to wait on weekends, and most importantly, make sure you have cash in your wallets because that is the only method of payment accepted.
