As the early-morning fog cleared from my vision, the crisp, awakening scents of pancakes and bacon shook the dreary, purple bags out from under my eyes. The aromas of delicious breakfast delights filled Manna Café and opened the doors of my mind to the beginning of a new day.

Located directly off of Forest Hill Avenue, Manna is an exquisite and convenient place to grab a bite of food for breakfast or lunch. The quaint, cozy vibe flowing through the humble café creates a comforting feeling in the restaurant. The decorations are simple and certainly not overwhelming to the eye. As I walked in, there were copious numbers of cleaned booths or tables to choose from. The service proved to be very efficient as I was helped shortly after we were seated.

As I flipped through the extensive menu, I saw everything from off-the-griddle treats to a variety of different omelettes and egg specials. The menu certainly made it easy to please everyone and allow for each customer to find a dish they would enjoy. Not only was there a multitude of items to choose from, they were all fairly and reasonably priced for the quality of food that would be received.

The waitress promptly took the orders of myself and my friends with a pleasant tone and welcoming grin, and we always were treated with much cordiality and graciousness. I ordered the buttermilk pancakes and bacon, two of my favorite breakfast foods. After a very brief wait, the stacked pile of two pancakes was placed before me. The light, airy treat was served on a large, glistening plate, and the huge pancakes took up every square inch of the platter. As I dug deep into the pancakes, my knife sliced through the stack and released a sliver for a crowd of steam to dance through. The amazing, appetizing aroma tickled my nose and lifted my fork to my lips. The pancakes melted on my tongue and tasted blissful compared to the average, boxed pancake mix. The high quality of the food was easily observed and clear in the immense flavor of the meals. All of the other fare ordered was perfectly executed; it all exceeded my expectations. Nobody received food that was not cooked to perfection. All of the portions were perfectly sized, and nobody wished they could change anything about their orders.

As I took my final bites, the waitress came over and respectfully removed the dirty plates from our table. We were handed the checks and paid for our delicious breakfast meals. The prices all came out reasonably low for the high-quality food we had just consumed. As we headed out the door, we were pleasantly thanked for eating at Manna Café. The smiles on the faces of the employees made the experience much more enjoyable and certainly made it feel like a comfortable environment to be associated with. As I turned around, I witnessed the waitress quickly head to our table and tidy up the somewhat of a disaster we had left behind. Surely enough, the table we had just abandoned became one with the rest of the café. It was perfectly clean, and the tabletop had a reflection as clear as a mirror.

Compared to other breakfast joints, Manna exceeded my expectations. The typical American breakfast can be found at many common cafés, but it all tastes and appears exactly the same. No variety can be found between the identical meals from the different restaurants. Manna was able to provide excellent food that was not the mediocre breakfast so commonly found on every menu.

Conveniently located for early morning breakfast meals, Manna is an amiable café to check out on any school or weekend morning. The comforting ambiance puts you in a positive mood and certainly makes you wish to return every day of the week. Anything that is ordered off of the menu is a heavenly and delectable meal that is sure to not disappoint.