Backwater at Downtown Melbourne Review

Whenever anyone from out of town visits, I always take them to Backwater. This restaurant is the quintessential Florida brunch place. It has an old Florida atmosphere with southern and coastal meals at a decent prices. I prefer to go for lunchtime because the crowds start to die down around noon. If you go before noon on a weekend, there is almost always a long wait. There is a reason so many people are trying to eat here though! Once seated, I always order a mimosa because they have so many fun flavors. Strawberry Lemonade is a favorite, but Blood Orange, Grapefruit & Sage, and Watermelon & Mint are all great too!Benny’s are my usual breakfast go-to so I often get the Fried Green Tomato & Spinach Eggs Benedict shown above. This is a solid choice with a crisp tomato and a good amount of greens. They go a little heavy on the hollandaise sauce so ask for it on the side if you do not want a lot. It comes with black cherry grits, which I am not a fan of. I usually substitute them with home fries. I love grits, but only savory ones like cheesy or jalapeno. The sweetness is a bit odd for me, but I know some people like it so your mileage may vary.   I am serious about my love of fried green tomatoes so I often opt for the lunch option of a fried green tomato caprese sandwich. This is a delicious open faced sandwich with sun dried tomatoes and a balsamic drizzle for added flavor. This is one of the lighter options, which tells you a lot about this restaurant considering it is still a sandwich with the word fried in it.

Andrew prefers the much heavier Shaved Ribeye sandwich which is topped with caramelized onions, blue cheese and a sunny side-up egg. It definitely stays true to its southern style, however there is a refined twist with most items. The other Eggs Benedict I have ordered is the Bayou Benny, which has pulled pork and a crawfish pepper hollandaise sauce. It’s not the prettiest meal, but it is tasty! There are actually pretty large sized pieces of crawfish which adds the richness to the sauce. The peppers are supposed to add a little spice, but I tend to add some hot sauce as well.

Andrew and I tend to go for egg breakfast options, but there are plenty of choices for those who prefer a sweet breakfast too! They even have a griddle table where you can cook your own pancakes with whatever toppings you want. We have never done it, but we often see families at these tables having a blast. You can still order pancakes off the menu as well, including gluten-free or vegan ones, or a citrus waffle. The citrus waffle is a favorites of my friends, especially with the added fried chicken to it. There are tons of other fresh Floridian options on the menu as well. This restaurant fits in so well in Downtown Melbourne and quickly became a staple there since it opened a couple years ago. We of course recommend it to anyone reading this, just as we do to our family and friends.