Cafe Dewitt
Coffee shop · Ithaca
About Cafe Dewitt
Cafe Dewitt, nestled in the heart of the Dewitt Mall in Ithaca, offers a warm and inviting space to enjoy breakfast, brunch, and lunch. While it can get bustling on weekends, customers appreciate the cozy atmosphere and friendly staff. Known for its dedication to quality, Cafe Dewitt prepares many i...
Cafe Dewitt, nestled in the heart of the Dewitt Mall in Ithaca, offers a warm and inviting space to enjoy breakfast, brunch, and lunch. While it can get bustling on weekends, customers appreciate the cozy atmosphere and friendly staff. Known for its dedication to quality, Cafe Dewitt prepares many ingredients from scratch, from mayo to kimchi, ensuring fresh and flavorful dishes. Patrons rave about the expertly prepared breakfast fare, including perfectly cooked eggs and the delectable pecan waffles. The menu features solid, locally-sourced options with generous portions. Enjoy the unique ambiance, attentive service, and the delicious food that makes Cafe Dewitt a local favorite. Don't miss the excellent coffee and tea selection, with free refills for coffee drinkers!
What Customers Say About Cafe Dewitt
Cafe Dewitt is a popular breakfast and brunch spot known for its locally sourced ingredients and friendly staff. Many rave about the delicious food, especially the breakfast sandwiches and specials. Be prepared for potential waits, especially on weekends.
Popular Dishes
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Tip: Be prepared to wait during weekends. Consider going during off-peak hours to avoid long lines. Free coffee refills are a plus!
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What to see nearby
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Explore the area around Cafe Dewitt
Cafe Dewitt is located in Ithaca, surrounded by cultural and historical points of interest. Here are some of the most notable places nearby.
Historical Heritage
- Jamieson and McKinney Block (A 212m) — historic building in Ithaca, New York, United States Propiedad contribuidora
- Ithaca Gas and Electric Corporation Building (A 226m) — historic building in Ithaca, New York, United States Propiedad contribuidora
Religious Buildings
- St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox Church (A 159m) — church building in Ithaca, New York
- Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church (A 162m)
Parks & Gardens
- DeWitt Park (A 92m) — park in Tompkins County, New York, United States of America
Other Points of Interest
- Ithaca High School (A 20m) — historic high school building in Ithaca, New York, opened in 1915
- Brooks Block (A 137m) — building in Ithaca, New York
- Finch Block (A 181m) — building in Ithaca, New York
- Cornell Free Library (A 181m) — former public library and office building in Ithaca, New York
- Ithaca City Hall (A 218m)
Data from Wikidata
Frequently asked questions about Cafe Dewitt
Cafe Dewitt Ithaca Reviews
Ithaca’s premier breakfast and lunch location! They have a rotating menu of specials Friday-Monday that feature fresh seasonal local produce. They procure everything they can locally and make most items in house. The owners and staff really care about the community and food they serve. Everyone is friendly, accommodating and professional. They have great sandwiches - the witchwich, the Shannon, the Kara - fresh salads - omelettes - like the glorious or the Kai. Definitely check it out whether you’re just visiting the area or a local who just hasn’t made it in yet. You won’t regret it!
Everything was great. The Kai omelet with kimchi and chipotle aioli was one of the best omelets I’ve ever had. We also really liked the French toast and the cafe latte.
Awesome cafe with great food! Gluten free friendly. Some of the best eats in Ithaca.
I order the same ‘diner breakfast’ at every place to compare the nuance. The staff at Cafe Dewitt don’t cut corners - eggs were perfect, and the quality of ingredients comes through in flavor. Home fries are the best I’ve had in town. they’re made with real cut potatoes (I’ll rant about fake home fries in another review). Anyways service is great, fast, and food is amazing. I wish they had windows, longer hours, all that stuff but it is what it is, a cafe that’s been around town as long as I can remember in a historic building with a real local vibe. I love that, so I can get my window seat another time. Thanks Cafe Dewitt!
Great place. Everything was delicious, especially the tomato chutney. The drip coffee was much better than you’d expect from a diner. They buy it from a local roaster. Great experience. Very friendly.
Wonderful staff, cool location and general vibes (love the fish tanks), and delicious food. The Kai omlette with sourdough toast was excellent. The kitchen easily and effectively handled my wife's dietary demands around celiac disease. Reasonably priced to boot! Will absolutely return. Great job all around! Thanks!
Got "The Denny" takeaway here today and highly recommend. Brekky sandwich was perfectly made with fresh ingredients, soft yummy bread and the flavors were yum. Absolutely will be going back to sit down and try the rest of the menu.
Cafe Dewitt is one of my new favorite spots. It’s definitely the heart of the Dewitt Mall. They make a lot of ingredients from scratch like the mayo, kimchi, chutney, and a lot of others I can’t remember. They have a selection of espresso drinks. They also have weekly specials which are unique and exciting to try. I got a ham and bacon breakfast sandwich and my partner got a healthy grains bowl (Ramona special). Both were delicious. Can’t wait to return!
One of the most delicious breakfast places in Ithaca. It's located in the hallway of the mall so it's hard to call it quaint. The service quite slow and it takes quite a bit of time to get a table. The egg plates are fantastic and the coffee is good. While the cafe has table service, you will still have to pay at the register. The restrooms are part of the mall and you will need to ask for the key to get in.
Had a delicious brunch with friends on a Sunday morning. Staff was fantastic and attentive. Food was excellent and fast. We had a group six and everything was spot on! I ordered the pecan waffle special. This waffle was wonderful...made with browned butter, topped with chantilly cream, toasted pecans, and drizzled with maple syrup! Yummy! Featured in the photos are items that our table ordered: Waffle Special, Eggs Benedict, and the Omelet Special. Will definitely return! What a gem. FYI - cash or check only.
This place is AMAZING! Aside from the fact that you most probably have to wait for a long time during weekends, it's perfect. The atmosphere is pleasant; crowdy yet cozy. The staffs are very friendly and polite. And of course, the food--- It's so tasty! As expected of a local restaurant working hard to use local products as much as they can. The cranberry sauce I had that day was the most delicious one I have ever had, really! Also, the price is reasonable. I spent 21 USD for the omelette, hot chocolate, and tip. It was absolutely worth it. Money well-spent. This is a kind of restaurant that is capable of warming your heart and makes you want to revisit until you become a regular customer.
I live right nearby and love their service and locally-sourced food. Food is good, selection nothing too amazing, but just really solid. Free coffee refills are a plus! It's no wonder there's always a huge line during weekends. Staff are friendly, though service is not very fast. Plan for a little extra time to finish up a meal here.
Oatmeal was loaded with pecans and currents, delicious cinnamon spicy layer between bowl and oatmeal. If you like oatmeal I would highly recommend this. Arrived at opening time (8:30), but they were off to a slow start. Specials not available until 10. Woman at checkout was pleasant and helpful. Waitress was somewhat efficient but didn't seem happy to be there.
I ate here based on Google reviews. I was not impressed. When I arrived at 9:30 am it was not busy but the service was very slow. My server was inattentive and didn’t express any interest in my wellbeing. My food was delivered so slowly that I had to rush to eat and then hustled to the register to pay because I knew that my one-hour parking meter was nearly expired. I was parked less than five minutes from the cafe, so you can see it took me 50 minutes to get my meal, pay and rush to my vehicle. I had three minutes spare. Google directions are inadequate. The photo shows there is no signage only for the cafe. When you go through the entrance you need to take the stairs down and then walk ahead. There is a funny smell in the lower level where the cafe is.
Update: Tried it again - spent $20 on cold gumbo (no faults with the chef - his cooking is good, just the service). I do not recommend this place; its only redeeming quality is the nice atmosphere. ______________________________________________ I've been here a few times and truly wish I could offer a better review. The food and atmosphere make this place one of the best spots to grab brunch in Ithaca. They have an ever-changing and very unique menu and the in the vibe is great. However, I can't recommend this place purely on account of the very disorganized service. The last time I went with a group they lied to me about being able to seat us as opposed to just telling me that it would not be possible to accommodate my party (and this was not a large group where it would have made sense to call ahead). I don't mind if a place is full and can't seat any more people for the day, but I would prefer a measure of honesty about this. My group and I eventually left without ordering anything. To be very clear, the service is exemplary if you are actually able to get seated. I don't believe that anybody individually was trying to be malicious, but it seems like there were multiple factors at work that caused this and that they seriously need to get a little better organized.
Overpriced food in a run down location. We went there and we were about to walk away but based on reviews decided to give it a chance. The furniture and floors are worn down…and not very clean. The foos was very overpriced for the value, taste and location. Side order $5 one chicken sausage…$13 for a small omelet with a few pieces of toast. Service….the waitress forgot to bring us one of the drinks and food took over 30 min. I wouldn’t recommend this place or go back there.
Well first I was greated by a young man that had a fantastic personality, didnt get his name but nice ink and epic earrings . High five for an outstanding great and personality. Then I got my waiter was the full throttle trying to rush and said I would be a few was never there before and had two teens with me one that has special needs and lots of repeating of things. With the waiter being hype and pushing breakfast ed and ordering has now became a chore and not a joy. So my son runs of of vibes and atmosphere etc and now is very uncomfortable and wants to leave and is now not happy about anything, cant blame him. Place is not busy and stayed that ways . So why all the hype. And the menu is not what you expect it's kinda very different . I did not see one menu what was on Google menu for here . So that was hard for my son as well . There is no potato, egg,meat and toasted combos it pay and pieces together as you go. Now the food part, food took awhile but it's not a drive thru so expected, was plated nice ,toasted not buttered but I understand for other people that might not know you can ask for dry toasted lol kids thought it was ok so that was a win. I am going to try this place one more time at a later day to give it another chance
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About Cafe Dewitt
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215 N Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY 14850
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215 N Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY 14850
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historic high school building in Ithaca, New York, opened in 1915
park in Tompkins County, New York, United States of America
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former public library and office building in Ithaca, New York
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