Cafe Solterra - On Our List as One of Jekyll Island's Best Restaurants for Kids and AdultsOne of the best restaurants for kids and adults alike, Cafe Solterra is the place to go if you're interested in great deli sandwiches and quality pastries - and have a bunch of rambunctious younguns sharing in the island fun. Why do we like Cafe Solterra so much? That's an easy one. Their food, for one. Think scrumptious sweet thangs - light and flaky pastries, creamy-frosted sticky buns, and HUGE muffins, made fresh and hot every morning by the Jekyll Island Club Hotel's pastry chefs (Cafe Solterra is located at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, on the veranda). These items, plus continental type staples like cereal and fruit, make for a quick, nutritious breakfast. Your family will be in and out in no time, ready and energized for your Jekyll Island Adventures. Restaurants for kids should help frazzled parents keep up with their hyper kids. So Cafe Solterra also serves hot Starbuck's coffee to smooth out those jangled nerves. Now that's coping!
We like to stop by for lunch. Cafe Solterra is a full-service delicatessen, featuring sandwiches built on wheat, white, and other breads, piled high with Angus roast beef, turkey, chicken, ham, and a selection of other meats and cheeses. Or get a salad (Martha is partial to their Chicken Salad plate). Cafe Solterra is not one of Jekyll Island's seafood restaurants, but you can get a Shrimp Salad, too. Combine your salad with hot soup. Wash it all down with some of the best sweet tea on the island (Southerner's have to have their sweet tea...). Since its one of Jekyll Island's restaurants for kids, there's pizza, soft drinks, ice cream (Haagen Dazs), cake and pie - and Big Cookies (that's what makes my day).
Actually, there are TWO reasons we like Cafe Solterra. We're pretty frugal diners (Martha says I'm cheap...drat!), so their reasonable prices for the excellent food make my wallet feel all warm and fuzzy. And with kids, budget pricing is a good thing. When we were there last, we met a couple with 8 kids (that's E-I-G-H-T!!!) coming in to eat at Cafe Solterra. Don't get me wrong. There aren't many really cheap restaurants on Jekyll Island. But as vacation restaurants go, it's budget-friendly (unless, I guess, you have 8 kids...).
No, wait...there's actually THREE reasons we like Cafe Solterra as a good choice for one of our best restaurants for kids - and adults. Their veranda. Actually, it's the Jekyll Island Club Hotel's veranda. It's wide and shaded, and fronts the Club's petite courtyard. There are lots of tables and chairs set about, some plush and sinfully comfortable, especially if you've been pedaling bikes for half a day. The courtyard has tables, too, with broad patio umbrellas for shade, and a tinkling fountain for sensory appeal.
And that's the FOURTH reason we like to eat there. SHADE!!! The veranda (and courtyard) are both well shaded, the veranda by a wide roof and awning combo, the courtyard by the aforementioned umbrellas and mature Crepe Myrtles. The veranda and courtyard combo seem to channel the slightest breeze across the tables. After playing on the beach, or riding bikes, or walking the nature trails, the combo of fantastic food and blessed shade in a comfortable, relaxing environment is heavenly! Order your food, and grab a place on the veranda or in the courtyard. Cafe Solterra's excellent, friendly staff will bring your meal out to you in no time. (Some of their dedicated staff have been with them for years). Don't tell anyone, but after stuffing myself with a delicious sandwich and polishing off a Big Cookie (or two), I've been known to take a nap on that veranda. Other things that make Cafe Solterra (and the veranda) one of the best restaurants for kids - birds and squirrels. They like to drop in for lunch, and aren't shy about asking for handouts (which tends to delight and amaze kids of all ages). So if you have kids (even 8 kids) this combo of shady, roomy veranda, plus birds and squirrels, is another thing that makes Cafe Solterra a great restaurant for kids. But watch out for Hungry Jack, the pirate squirrel. He's greedy, and will steal your grub if he gets half a chance).
Okay, a FIFTH reason - Romance! Sometimes trips to restaurants for kids don't leave much time for Mom and Dad. So stick the kids with a sitter, and invite your special someone to take a stroll through the Historic District after the sun goes down. It's cooler. The breeze coming off the Intra-coastal Waterway is terrifically refreshing, tickling your skin and rustling the leaves of the live oaks as you wander hand-in-hand among them. Saunter towards the Jekyll Island Club, and stop in at the Cafe Solterra. Relax on the veranda, or in the courtyard. Buy yourself a Starbuck's coffee and a Big Cookie, sit back, and enjoy quality time with your lady or gentleman. Without the kids tagging along for a change. Bottom line - one of the best restaurants for kids and their parents on the island. You can reach the Cafe Solterra at 912-635-2600. They're open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 at night. Oh, yeah - a SIXTH reason we like them so much. Planning a family picnic? They'll prepare picnic lunches for you and your family, even if you have a big family (like 8 kids), or are planning a family reunion. But I'd give them a heads-up call ahead of time - wouldn't want to give the staff heart attacks). Stop by Cafe Solterra and take care of those hunger pains. Eat a Big Cookie. Even take a nap in the shade. But, whatever you do - beware of Hungry Jack! Jekyll Island Family Adventures "Wow!" Rating:
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