Manna Cafe

Been here a couple times. Good food. Alright price. The staff has been friendly every time I have went in. The wait time for food is average for a smaller restaurant like this one.

The salmon frittata in this adorable place is wonderful. And they split it between 2 plates for dearest and me which was nice. The caramel pecan roll was good enough. I would have given 5 stars but the nice enough wait staff has clearly not been trained. Between delivering menus and taking our order, she brought drinks and promised to return. 4 other stops later I had to flag her down. She never glanced our way again after delivering our food except to check on us once. We had to get up and refill our own coffee and ask for a to go box. I write this detail mostly to inspire the management to give these nice folks some real training. They also could likely use a third person during morning busy times. We’ll be back though for that frittata!

I’ve been here twice now and the food really is good. It’s presented well, tastes great and comes out of the kitchen quickly. This last time I went, we were seated promptly and our waitress was attentive. Overall, it’s a great place for brunch (and I’m sure they have great lunch too), especially with the few options in Forest Hills.
Also, I didn’t find the prices particularly expensive. Their portions are enormous and the atmosphere is nice.
I will say though, if you’re not religious, it’s slightly uncomfortable to dine in a place where bible verses are printed on the menus, napkins and on the walls. While it isn’t necessarily «in your face», it’s fairly prominent and made me think twice before going back for a second time. It’s definitely not a reason to not try Manna Café, and it’s certainly not surprising considering it’s in Grand Rapids…

Great food and a wonderful atmosphere. The only thing I would critique is the wait staff. I’ve eaten here a few times and have yet to have a waitress that makes me feel welcome. Wouldn’t be my first recommendation if you want a memorable dining experience but if you’re just looking for a fulfilling breakfast, I would suggest Manna Café’.

I was here for lunch on Wednesday, May 18. I met a friend and had a toddler with me. She was seated before we were, and when we got there, we walked in, found her and sat down. We were not greeted by the greeter sitting at the host stand– but I’m not going to hold that against them. ;)
When we sat down, it took a few minutes for our server to realize we had arrived, and even longer for her to get us a kid’s menu. Our server was nice, though… very friendly… I just think she had a lot going on for a lunch hour. It looked like there were two servers for the whole restaurant. Everything on the kid’s menu is $ 5. There are 5 things to choose from (one being gf chicken tenders– they were so good, you couldn’t tell they were gf!). Kid’s menu items come with fries OR fruit and a drink. I had a very berry salad and my friend had an eden salad. Both were incredibly tasty, fresh, and will portioned. Each of us commented that our salad dressings were perfect– not to heavy but had great flavor.
The bathrooms were clean and well maintained. Parents with toddlers will appreciate this: the automatic flushes are NOT too loud for sensitive toddler ears. The air dryer is a tad loud, so we just shook-​it-​off. ;)
Between my salad, a kid’s meal, and tip, I dropped $ 20. A little pricy for an everyday venture, but a nice treat for once in a while. The atmosphere is peaceful, though. Since the service is a little slower, I’d recommend going when not rushed, and you can sit back and enjoy the company of your friends. :)

The best Eggs Benedict I’ve ever had… delicious hash browns and don’t forget the fresh baked Manna toast… It is Devine!!! Yum 5

This restaurant is a great option near the Ada area!
My coworkers and I have been to Manna for workday lunches several times. I have enjoyed the Cuban sandwich, salads, and huevos rancheros. Others have loved the BLT, rueben, pulled pork, and especially the brunswick stew.
Prices are fair, service is good, and portions range from just-​right to you-​might-​need-​a-​takeout-​box.
They get very busy around noon, so we usually go a bit early and avoid having trouble getting a table.
They have a special version of the menu highlighting all of the options that are available gluten-​free. They are also very accommodating of special requests.

Came here for lunch and the atmosphere was very nice. One of the biggest selling points for me was this café is a Christian business and they show it in there décor. Then came the food. I had the Cuban and a cup of Brunswick stew. The Cuban had some very thick sliced pickles… love it. This is an awesome sandwich. The stew was delicious. Loved the pulled pork in it.
I will be back the next time I am in Grand Rapids.

Get here before 9 for breakfast or right at 11, if you want lunch. This is easily one of my favorite places for breakfast or lunch!
It is located in a strip mall and gets very busy after 9am. The restaurant is very open and bright.
The food here is outstanding for any meal that I’ve been here. The presentation is also artsy, especially on the huevos rancheros and Manna Hash. My favorites are the pork three ways, Manna Hash, The Cuban sandwich, Brisket sandwich and Onion rings!
One major thing is the service is great and everyone seems happy to work here. This is a huge plus a restaurant like this.

Went back to Last week for lunch with my son. The food was awesome. Had the special «Brooklyn» Reuben sandwich (adds a hamburger in there… sheesh) and onion rings. Son had the brisket sandwich. Both were incredible.
Yes…the prices are a title high, but the portions are great, the service was excellent and the the food was awesome.
Still don’t know why the plates don’t fit the tables, but since there was only two of us, it didn’t matter. Parking is definitely an issue for this plaza, but that’s not Manna’s fault.
I’ll be back for lunch… maybe even this week!

Excellent breakfast! We arrived on a Sunday at 1p.m. and were seated right away, which was nice. It was busy but the layout of the restaurant makes it comfortable– nice high ceilings and big windows. My wife and I started with the bread pudding, sharing a piece of the large round bread pudding that was hanging out in the bakery case up front. Although it was tasty, it was not a bread pudding in the truest sense; it should have a nice custard like texture and this reminded me more of French toast. They should probably just call it French toast casserole or something and serve it with hot maple syrup, since that would address the dry spots in the middle! It was tasty and certainly edible, just not what I would consider a true bread pudding.
I had a nice little pot of tea and my wife had coffee which was strong and tasty. As an entrée my wife had the salmon Benedict which was awesome; hollandaise and some sort of dill cream sauce with a hearty portion of salmon, perfectly poached eggs, and delicious, crispy potatoes.
I had the farmers omelet which was also served with their delicious home fries. This omelet contains potato, red pepper, sausage, ham, white cheddar and caramelized onions. Delicious, delicious stuff– the sausage was uniquely flavorful, and the ham was nice and thin and not fatty and those caramelized onions– delicious!
I would have given 5 stars if it wasn’t for that wacky bread pudding. Definitely worth checking out.

Very cute and clean little spot!
I visited Manna Café for a Saturday brunch. We were seated immediately. I ordered the stuffed French bread compote, and – WOW – so good. I snuck a bite of my husband’s delicious manna potatoes and also ordered a side of toasted manna bread, which was so nutty and good. (Next time I’m going to order a whole loaf!)
Service was wonderful, portions were fine, atmosphere was charming, and prices were fair. All in all, I had a nice experience here!

Great for a weekend breakfast. Last time I was in, Manna was just opening and smells of morning prep were still wafting out from the kitchen.
I took a seat at the counter to look over the menu. They’ve got several very nice gluten-​free options including buckwheat pancakes. These are delicious. They come in a stack: warm, light and slightly sweet. I requested real maple syrup (why do I have to request this?) and a side of their in-​house smoked pulled pork. You have to put it all together though. Smokey pork, some of the buckwheat cake and dark maple syrup, fantastic! Black coffee’s good too.
Wait staff was attentive. My mug was topped off frequently and the bill was brought and processed promptly. Easy in and out. Though I hear it gets pretty busy mid morning.

A bright, fresh breakfast room.
My one stop here I had the Manna Hash. It’s a well-​conceived dish with large, generous chunks of corn beef. Almost a deconstructed hash.
The Manna toast was hearty, nutty, and good!

Stopped here on the way up north. Easy on, easy off I-​96. We both had the Manna Hash ($ 11) with eggs, corned beef, bacon, potatoes, onions and hollandaise sauce. Also order of rye toast ($ 4). Good, not great. Kinda blah.
Service is great. Toast was cold and burnt. Corned beef is cut up into big chunks, first bite was all fat. The rest of the corned beef was ok but had a strange smoky flavor. Bacon is fine but this dish doesn’t need it.
Hollandaise sauce lacks flavor. Not even a hit of lemon and definitely no cayenne pepper – traditional recipe.
Potatoes are chunky and the best part of the breakfast but could use some paprika or pepper.
Would we go back? Nah

A decent breakfast option in GR. I would recommend getting there before the church crowd mobs the place, though.
The place has a fairly large indoor seating area and a small outdoor seating area. The ambient noise level inside isn’t quite that of a football stadium during the Super Bowl, but it’s pretty loud. The service is friendly and prompt despite how busy it typically is and the portions are generous. The food quality is decent and the prices are reasonable.
I got the «Manna Hash» today and found the corned beef to be a little on the dry side and halfway between tender and tough. Overall, a fair breakfast for $ 11. I also got the «Stuffed French Toast» on the pretense that I wanted the wife and kids to try it out. My kid declined a bite and my wife had one bite, which was fine by me. The outside of the toast was crispy and the filling was a slightly bland berry and cream cheese compote which definitely benefited from some maple syrup. The juice was good but did not seem fresh-​squeezed.
I didn’t really notice the evangelical writings on the wall until they were pointed out to me and the waitstaff did not try to baptize me or anything, so I wasn’t put off by the vibe. The biggest letdown was actually the kid meals. They seemed of less than average quality. Also, we requested the bacon «extra-​crispy» for my oldest and it came out medium with a little wiggle to it. Overall, the food was o.k. and the value was good. I would come again, though.

Food was ok, nothing too crazy. I ordered the Manna Hash and found that the hash was a bit overcooked. Actually it was burnt. I had to pick out my ham and bacon pieces from the burnt potatoes and onions. Eggs were cooked fine. I also ordered the stuffed french toast, and that was actually quite tasty. Had a nice crunch to it. Other than that, nothing was too memorable. The restaurant was clean, and the service was great. Would I be back? Eh, maybe. I’ve had bigger portions and better food at other breakfast places in GR, but the wait time to be seated here is more reasonable than other places. Definitely worth giving this place a shot. I might be back to try something else on the menu besides breakfast.

Manna from Heaven!
This breakfast & lunch spot on Forest Hill Ave is frequently mentioned and lauded by the foodies on EatGR, so it was an easy choice for a friendly Sunday meet-​up with pals. We arrived at 9 am to beat the church rush and actually walked in while the staff was (ostensibly) finishing up their a.m. meeting in the back of the house. My bold and brazen companion was able to get an employee’s attention, and several other waitstaff filed out to begin seating and service. After that little hiccup, our service was prompt, warm, and attentive. I have never had more frequent coffee service. They must do a brisk business with the sort of folks that balk at a ½ empty cup because the servers were ON POINT with the coffee. It bordered on absurd, but better to be too on the ball than the alternative.
Portions were near perfect, as were prices, for the elevated breakfast offerings that have their roots in typical diner fare, but at Manna are executed with care and finesse. I opted for a sweet breakfast – I am usually #teamsavory – and ordered the Cinnamon Bread French Toast. Simply delicious, with a gooey, spicy cinnamon swirl baked right into the bread. I would definitely order it again, next time with the sweet/​spicy bacon I for unknown reasons resisted ordering.
Manna Café has a small patio for outdoor seating and the clean, bright interior is inviting and filled with gorgeous natural light which I love for a breakfast place. I look forward to returning to sample their lunch menu offerings, beginning at 11 am.
So, I would be remiss to neglect to mention the café’s overarching theme and principles of Christianity and the celebration of «God’s creation and goodness» (taken from their site’s mission statement.) They also add: «Every customer is welcome, valued and appreciated!» As a customer, I simply enjoyed my delicious meal and took note of the biblical quote on the far wall. No proselytizing whatsoever.

After hearing about how popular Manna’s is, I knew I would have to be strategic about what time I stopped in. Coming in at 9am on Sunday morning, our server said we were smart to get in before the ‘after church’ crowd came which is when they get on a wait.
I ordered their Sunday special, the strawberry stuffed french toast. My husband ordered the Manna Hash (eggs, smoked corned beef, and potatoes wedges), and my friend ordered the Cinnamon Toast. The servers kept our coffee filled while we waiting for our food to arrive. My strawberry toast was a burst of fresh, sweet berry jam-​like filling, between two warm, moist sugary sweet slices of bread. Topped with whipped cream and syrup, it satisfied my sweet tooth. My husbands Manna Hash will probably be the next meal I order. After one bite, I feel in love with the savory, meaty flavor, not to mention, it was a large enough portion that we took some home.
The restaurant offers a large, clean dining room with high ceilings and new tables and booths. The servers were friendly and helpful during our visit. As other reviews have said, Manna’s is very clear about their evangelical beliefs — they sell devotional books and prominently display Bible verses on the wall. If you are comfortable with the religious element of the restaurant, the food is worth the visit.

Moving it up to a five. Second visit. The buttermilk pancakes ($ 3 each) are huge and creamy delicious. Manna hash delightful. I had a side of pulled pork as a breakfast side – you can get sweet or spicy. Spicy was good. Friend liked the huevos rancheros. Pork taco appetizer were a hit too.
Terrific cinnamon roll.
Coffee is great.
Service good, food great. hard to find a bad thing to say about them.