Leaping Lizard Cafe

Absolutely loved brunch! Every bite of my wrap tasted like a fresh garden. I checked out the bakery next door after our meal was finished and fell in LOVE with their sweet potato biscuit!

I had the Big Big Omelette and it was huge and delicious. I also grab the sangria (Brunch) which was tasty as well. Everyone there was friendly and inviting. I will be coming back!!!

I loved the atmosphere! We sat on the back porch area and it was perfect spot for lunch. The staff was very nice and attentive. The food was great. It was something different which I liked. I had the chicken salad with peaches and it was wonderful. I loved that they served drinks in Mason Jason, it was a cute addition. I can’t wait to go back and try more items.

Wonderful atmosphere! The food was great and the back porch was so cozy. Def recommend coming here for brunch

I love the atmoaphere. It really feels like you’re in tbe South. Very heart warming food.

Fantastic Mahi dinner cooked to perfection. Terrific service and the best coconut cream pie in the world! Love this place!

Make it in the door early if you’re heading here on a Sunday! This is what a restaurant should strive to be like! Everything is fresh, bright, sunny, tasty, and peaceful. The service was friendly, the atmosphere was comfy, and the menu is amazing. The coffee was a bit bitter but everything else made it not much of a factor to us.
I’ve went past this place plenty of times but never when it was convenient and it was always slammed full. So I made sure we were there by 9:30 on Sunday. We were seated asap and it didn’t take us long to order. I had the Spicy Breakfast Burrito and my girlfriend had that French Toast. We planned on splitting them, but it was hard to make it to the French Toast. She was guarding it like a hawk and inhaled it like a snake! I don’t blame her though. That, by far, was the best French Toast I’ve ever had in my life.
On our way out, we noticed the table across from us knew what the deal was and 3 of the 5 ordered the French Toast…
So, in the end, I’m pretty sure that I’m saying to try that French Toast like it’s a lost part of your life that you never knew existed.

I loved this place. Relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff and great food and drinks. Everything was great especially the blueberry basil mojitos. My only regret is that I wish I lived closer, so I could go here every week. Will definitely stop every time I am in the area.

My friend and I tried this place for Mother’s day, it was so nice to walk into, very clean and welcoming. First off started by ordering a mimosa, which was very yummy, and also the hummus appetizer. The hummus appetizer was very mouth-​watering good, it had so much flavor.
For my brunch I order the ham and cucumber panini and I cannot even put into words how tasteful and filling this remarkable sandwich was, it had a very tasty basil mayo on it. I will definitely be going back to try more.

This place is super good for a fresh bite to grab. The sandwiches are delicious and everything is so fresh. Their sweet tea is really good too. The place was super packed at 2pm on a Friday. That’s crazy! They’re only open till 3pm for lunch.
One of my sides was fresh sliced apple and I had a short black hair on my apple. Yuck. But the potato salad was super good.
My best friend and I shared their home made fresh baked chocolate chip oatmeal cookie which was heavenly! Get it if you go!
It’s super chic & rustic. I love how we drank from mason jars and there’s a back porch sun room you can sit in.
I’ll be back. Hair or not it was still good.
Our waitress was a little rude I think because she was so busy. Oh well. Food still good!

I was very excited to try the Leaping Lizard ever since I started reading all of the reviews on it.
My family and I arrive at 1 PM, we’re told it would be a twenty minute wait. We were seated ten minutes after which was a good sign to me.
We sit down and we waited about ten minutes for somebody to come and take our orders for drinks. After our drinks arrived, we were ready to order. I ordered the spicy breakfast burrito, my mother ordered an omelet and my dad ordered the Rockfish. He was told they didn’t have the rockfish, but they did have Mahi-​mahi, which he did not have a problem with.
The problem was when we waited over forty minutes for our food. They were busy, and I was dying to try the food since everybody else’s dishes looked so good, so I did my best to understand that the staff was busy. Our waitress then approaches us with a couple of menus in her hands, and tells us that they have ran out of eggs and they were not able to make our dishes.
A restaurant that specializes in breakfast & brunch doesn’t have any egg left? That is understandable, sometimes restaurants get overwhelmed unexpectedly and run out of items. I do not understand how it can take FORTY minutes to tell us that they did not have eggs. Usually it takes forty minutes to sit down, order, eat, pay the bill and leave. Sadly I did not get to try the food, but the food did look extraordinary.
Maybe I was unlucky and maybe the next time I was to come in the service would be better, but to my first impressions are everything and we will not be returning to the Leaping Lizard.
If you don’t mind poor customer service and long wait times with no updates on your food with a slight chance of being told they are missing key ingredients to your dish forty minutes after you order, then I recommend spending your Sunday at this location. You won’t regret it.

So… What can be said about Leaping Lizard that hasn’t already been included in someone else’s rave review?
How about the fact that my son & daughter in law never go back to NYC without at least one brunch at LL. Last Saturday the comment was made «Next time we visit let’s come every day and order something different on the menu each time.»
Speaking of the menu… Perusing it is a terrible experience. Hah… Got you on that one, didn’t I? It’s terrible because narrowing the choice can be an almost impossible task.
No matter how many times I agonize over my brunch choice, I almost always return to my favorite: a sweet potato biscuit with Surry ham & peach jelly, soup of the day (always marvelous), fresh fruit, green salad & potato salad.
The Leaping Lizard sweet potato biscuit puts all others to shame. It is amazing! Add just the right touch of Surry ham, plus the peach jelly for a scrumptious flavor touch, and you have the perfect ham biscuit. I did make a big mistake Saturday. I pulled off a piece of the sweet potato biscuit and put it on the plate of my almost 3 year old Grandson. He immediately popped it in his mouth and said «More, more!!» My sweet potato biscuit had suddenly become a favored delicacy for the Manhattan born child who has gourmet taste buds and has tried more different cuisines than most adults.
But let’s back up for a moment to the period before lunch is served. Leaping Lizard is a fun playground for a small child. Walk out the back of the outside dining and find a plethora of things to delight a child of the city. This weekend found the rock covered area covered with large fallen acorns and squirrels at play, happily chasing each other up & down the stately trees. The decorator fenced chicken coup area held a number of the colorful egg laying creatures preening and pecking in the sun. Behind the shed, which features vegetables seasonally, is a raised herb bed filled with the delights used in our tasty meals. Top off the wonderland with a swing where Gramma & child can spend fun minutes before the thrill of running through the rocks calls the child back into action.
The hour is never too early to order the blueberry basil mojito. It’s something one dreams about in their sleep. What an awesome flavor combination! And may I comment on the potato salad that isn’t really a potato salad. The key ingredient can be better described as small potatoes in a savory mix of ingredients that offer taste, not fill. It’s the best potato salad I’ve ever eaten. Never doubt the soup of the day. You can’t go wrong. Go for it!
Leaping Lizard has an eclectic artsy décor that makes one smile. It’s a happy place where one is never hurried to finish.
The outside seating is available all year as it is enclosed with a clear covering. This approach also adds the benefit of eliminating our flying insect brethren during the summer months. Heating stations add comfort in winter months.
But why, why, why did the wonderful gift shop have to morph into a bakery? I loved the special, unique items that could be found only there. One Black Friday I agonized over a metal art piece that I was considering for my powder room. I took pictures to compare to the coloring of my mirror frame. To my surprise, upon opening my copy of the Virginian Pilot the next morning, I gazed upon my metal flower gracing the front page. Their article was on shopping local on Black Friday. Needless to say, I rushed right back and purchased it before it could be scooped up and carried home by another.
My favorite brunch spot is nestled back in a treed area on Shore Drive near the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. If one doesn’t drive slowly and watch for the small sign, it can easily be missed. So take care. The Leaping Lizard Café is one place you don’t want to miss.

I’m surprised I haven’t put up a review about this place. However, here we go!
I’ve been going here for quite some time now. Found it on a whim and have been hooked ever since. One of the big things about this place is that they are firm believers in local, fresh, quality food. You can taste it in nearly every dish they serve.
First things first, they do special events… and often. For us personally, they did our rehearsal dinner and it was absolutely fantastic. We kept it small-​ish (20) and everyone absolutely amazed on how delicious the food was. They keep a small stock of off brand beers (just enough to satisfy the palette if need be) and have recently opened up a bakery (more on that later). The only quandary I had was trying to get a hold of the owner was a tad difficult. BUT… we are so glad we were persistent and made it happen. They exceeded our expectations and we couldn’t have asked for anything better.
Onto their daily service. Whenever we get the chance (we live quite far from here) to eat here, we do. Please note their hours. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve come and they were closed. Which is fine as everyone deserves time off. But from a customer perspective, just plan ahead and know before you go if it’s an endeavor for you (just like us). The staff is so friendly and helpful.
The menu is fantastic and tends to change according to the season. This place is like a mecca of foods for my wife. Since she’s vegetarian, she always gets stumped on what to order. That’s a real good problem for a vegetarian to have. For myself, I love the selection of unique tastes. I have yet to get the same thing twice here because I love to experiment with all the in-​season items.
**New is the bakery. We were their for their «soft» grand opening but couldn’t make it to the official one. If you’ve made it this far, do yourself justice and go in to the bakery. As soon as the aroma hits you, you’ll know that you MUST buy at least a cookie =)… we ended up buying one of each and kinda wish we bought more. They were soo fantastic.
Lastly, they are definitely dog friendly. You cannot beat it on a spring/​fall day relaxing outside with your dog with delicious food. Kind of miss it already. =)
GO here and enjoy. You won’t be disappointed.
Food Taste: 5
Overall Service: 5
Value of food to cost: 5
Facility: 5
Repeat customer: yes
Dog Friendly: yes — outside patio furniture

Great place. Awesome location. Food was soooo good. Mimosas were awesome. The service was great and very friendly. They just opened the bakery back up and it was wonderful. We will be back.

All I can say is ‘Wow!’ Absolutely the best breakfast I’ve had in years! Both my wife and I got the Crab Cake Benedict — a sweet potato biscuit topped with a fresh slice of tomato (grown on the property) topped with an outstanding crab cake (no bread filling found here!!) with two hollandaise poached eggs. Add potato salad, a garden salad and fruit salad, and you have a outrageous culinary experience. The rest of the menu (varied from breakfast items to sandwiches to seafood) looked great as well. The outdoor terrace seating areas between the two buildings under the awnings are the best places to sit back and enjoy.

I didn’t realize they were open for breakfast, but I’m glad I happened to drive past there and see that they were! A quick u-​turn and I was being seated for my recent favorite meal of the day.
It was almost 10:30, so a Mango Mimosa was validated. Delicious, ice cold, strong, not too sweet. Hubby had a Spiked Ginger Lemonade, which he raved about. Chilly glasses of iced water arrived with our drinks.
I chose the veggie frittata, which was composed of fluffy eggs, mild cheese, and crisp seasonal vegetables. It was covered in a buttermilk ranch style sauce. So creamy and good. Sides were a large cantaloupe wedge (juicy and sweet), house salad (greens, grilled corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and an herby dreesing), and red potato salad (lots of tangy dill). It was all delicious.
Hubby had blueberry pancakes, bacon, and cantaloupe. He cleaned his plate. $ 40 for all, not counting an ample tip for our delightfully quick and friendly waitress.
They turned the gift shop into a bakery. What a great change! We picked up a chocolate cannoli danish and sticky bun to go.
Love this place!

What a great getaway for the beach life brunch. This place is nestled on Shore Dr near Taste offside Chix Beach. The wait was rather quaint about 15 min or so, I definitely suggest stopping by and getting a pastry at the bakery next door.
The interior of the restaurant was cozy with a seating of 27 guests. I ordered the ½ sandwich & soup (mushroom artichoke + cantaloupe gazpacho). Yes, you read that right cantaloupe. I was eager to try it, the waitress wiggly have new a small sample of the soup. I was honored since some places let you order it and you’re stuck with what you ordered.
Man, that soup was a tongue dazzler. I knew within seconds the medley of mint was going to be something I couldn’t resist. The sandwich looked and treated so fresh. You know when the mushrooms fall out and you’re scooping out the cheese and craving more — it’s a true foodwin!
The restaurant also holds outdoor seating, with a back yard seating porch area, and also a food market out back. When i saw the cooks picking fresh herbs out back to cook with you can definitely see the care and attention they put into their dishes. A true win for the area.

For those already familiar with The Leaping Lizard Café they now bring you the bakery addition of their business. The fit is perfect on the property in the house that use to be a gift store. The setting of the two businesses among the tall pine trees of Chicks Beach seems to be a match made in heaven.
Parking was not a problem on either one of my morning visits. The adjacent café opens at 11 AM which could make the overlap interesting at times. Additional parking was added to alleviate the issue. Don’t forget there is parking in the rear too. I found the lot clean with no debris in sight. However, there is a picnic table that is destroyed in the front grassy space that needs to be hauled away.
On my first visit I stopped in on a late Sunday afternoon. When I opened the car door the waffling of yummy goodness was permeating from the roofs vent. I could not wait to get in and see what they had in store for me to purchase.
I opened the door and found a two women working in the kitchen with the owners sweet 9 year old daughter Hannah. I found the hours had changed and they were closed. However, I was invited in to make a purchase and they did not rush me. As a matter of fact two other customers came in after me and they served them without saying a word that they closed almost 45 min ago. There was still selection of items in the two cases and some of the goods were out on the counter. The floors were clean and the place smelled amazing.
The interior has quaint wood floors and even a fireplace. The walls are covered with a light plank siding. It’s not a big space and the business is carry out only. It would not surprise me if arrangements are not made for some outdoor seating in front when the weather warms up.
Both women walked me through what they had left, which was still a nice selection. There was cherry turn overs, my absolute fave, blueberry scones, Danish chocolate croissants, cake, cup cakes and muffins. I decided to get a large box to have the family sample everything offered. The prices are most certainly affordable, but more than what you would most likely find in the grocery. But cheaper than other local bakeries. Checkout was flawless and the staff could not have been sweeter, no pun intended of course.
The Bakery at Leaping Lizard is a full service operation of baked goods. Not only pastries, but breads, muffins, croissants, tarts pie, cookies and cake. Possibly one of the most unique items they make are loaded bagel bites. These suckers come with cream cheese pumped in them and are so delicious. One thing you will not find are doughnuts, I think you can find them every where, so not a loss on me. That is a whole lot for a small shop to keep up with everyday. Make sure you call ahead for items that you need bulk in and they will be happy to make it happen for your.
Arriving home with that big box of goodies was so much fun. It sure did spoil our Sunday dinner, but we sure did polish off a whole bunch of croissants, cake and turn overs. The croissants were very my son’s favorite filled with tons of chocolate. My daughter enjoyed the chocolate cake the best. My wife the chocolate cup cakes and me the cherry turnovers rocked it out.
For those that do not already frequent the café this may be the first interaction with the Prince family business. You will often see Amy, or husband Charlie right in with others working. It completely impressed me to death that their daughter was all smiles and happy to be working in the kitchen when I saw her. She had spent the entire day last Sunday assisting the bakers. That is the work ethic they all have and I have seen it for years. The family is also extremely charitable to the community. One example is an Oyster Roast they host on property for Baylake UMC, but believe me they are much more involved in giving back than most will ever know.
Supporting local is not always easy for various reasons. This is a local business that has terrific goods, at a fair price, with wonderful service. They also happen to have awesome owners too! Check them out and see for yourself, you wont be disappointed.

Now I’ve been to plenty bakery’s in my time, and I’ve been left disappointed by quite a few. Leaving me paying high prices for lackluster and dry treats or paying high prices for fancy delicious looking treats that just turned out to be too over the top and disappointingly ruined the essence of the dessert I wanted to experience. I’ve had none of these problems at the bakery at the leaping lizard café.
Upon walking in everything looked delicious from the cookies, to the brownies, to the cupcakes, to the cakes and pies. I went in hungry too so I didn’t know where to start. I ultimately decided on a half dozen cupcakes (3 red velvet and 3 chocolate), two chocolate chip brownies, and slice of chocolate cake with peanut butter crème frosting. I only paid $ 18 for all of that so I think that it was pretty reasonable.
Everything tasted exquisite. Delicious, simplistic, good old fashioned desserts; very moist as well. The chocolate cake with the peanut butter cream frosting was the best cake I’ve experienced in a long time. I know that didn’t come from a box of Duncan Heinz; I couldn’t bake anything like that! I highly recommended this bakery for anyone who has a sweet tooth, and I can’t wait to go back and try some more of the tasty treats they have to offer.

This is a cute little place and the people are friendly. My husband got the chicken salad sandwich, I ordered the crab cake Benedict, and my son got a grilled cheese. In order, the chicken salad was good. Though I was expecting more of a peach flavor to come through.
The crab cake Benedict was lovely. The crab cake was light and flavorful. The egg poached beautifully. In fact the crab cake is the best I’ve had in Virginia so far. The potato salad was decent.
My sons grilled cheese was okay. A bit dry and in my opinion the bread to cheese ratio was off. I’d prefer more cheese or thinner bread.
All in all it was a good meal. From the bakery I would suggest the bagel bites with cream cheese filling. Very tasty. We will be back sometime I’m sure. I already plan on being my mother for the crab cakes.