The Old Spanish Sugar Mill -- DeLeon Springs, FL

From the title of this post, it may seem like I am going to bore you with historical facts about an old Spanish sugar mill. Well, you are only slightly mistaken. Yes, it is located in a state park and the sugar mill was once a sugar mill, but a sugar mill it is no longer. It is now a restaurant. And not just for sugar, although there is plenty of that coming.

The restaurant serves lunch options and is open until 4 o'clock, but the only thing people really order is their pancakes. If you want to have a chance to actually eat in the restaurant, you have to get their early. By nine o'clock there is already a waiting list and you can expect to be waiting for some time. However, if you are a pancake lover, it is worth the wait.

I went with my family on a Thursday morning to get breakfast. We got to the park around 8:15 and were in the restaurant by 8:30. Thankfully we got there as they were just opening up. Normally they open around nine but in the summer, they open earlier because of all the summer camp groups that come to swim in the spring.

Anyway, when you walk into this restaurant, you will immediately realize that something is different. Look at the picture below and see if you can spot it:

Can you see it?

There are griddles in the middle of each table! Did you guess it? Yes! Good job! No! Let's pretend like you did!

The griddle-on-the-table experience is what most people love about this place. However, this restaurant is not the best for small children as the griddles heat up to high temperatures. We had to watch my little sister very closely. She did fine and she is four years old, so if you know your child can sit still and follow directions they should be fine.

You may be asking yourself, "Do they cook your food in front of you like those cool Japanese restaurants?"

The answer is no. What happens is, you sit, you look at the menu, your order what pancake batter you want and what toppings you would like and then the server will bring you a pitcher of the batter and your toppings in small bowls. You cook your own pancakes. So if you are a terrible pancake chef, this restaurant is not for you! I repeat, not for you! None of the other patrons want to smell your burnt pancake disaster.

Though it may seem odd at first, once you have gotten used to the idea this restaurant is one of the best breakfast places in the area. It has a lot of charm and the state park that it is located in is beautiful and has a lot of other things to offer.

Overall, I would give The Old Spanish Sugar Mill a 3 out of 5. The only reason for the lower score is because of the wait times and the fact that you have to pay a fee to get into the park in addition to paying for your food.

                                                                                                                          Bye-Bye
                                                                                                                          XOXO Avery