Fresco's Bakery and Bistro

Fresco’s Bakery and Bistro is one of the newer places to grab a bite in Downtown Lakeland. It is located at 132 S. Kentucky Avenue, between Main St. and Lemon St. They opened up in May of 2009, taking over the location formerly known as JJ’s Cafe. I did a little research before firing up my word processor to put forth my two cents regarding this eatery. Here is a bit about them courtesy of their website: frescosbakery.com

“We opened Fresco's Bakery and Bistro on May 18 2009. Our idea was to bring a casual bistro experience to downtown Lakeland. Tina brings over 20 years of restaurant/hospitality experience to her fourth restaurant. Offering breakfast, lunch and fresh bakery items like scones, turnovers, cookies and delectable custom cakes. A complete breakfast menu from breakfast sandwiches to homemade granola-yogurt parfaits to eggs benedict. Lunch items include salads, wraps, stuffed potatoes, quesadillas as well as specialty items such as Crab Cake Sandwiches, Buffalo Meat Burgers and our signature Knuckle Sandwich. Weekdays, choices include a daily Blue Plate Special, Homemade Soups and Fresh Quiche.

Fresco's also offers complete catering. From a small office lunch to a full scale wedding, we are ready to meet any needs including custom wedding cakes. We have recently added a private dining/meeting space and will begin offering Little Chefs Children's Cooking Birthday Parties.”

I have eaten at Fresco’s twice now, both times in the last six months because not surprisingly I had not heard of them before now. My first impression of the place was that it was cozy  and seemed promising, then I opened the menu. Although the food is completely  accessible to the local folks it is a bit overpriced. When you take into consideration how close this “bistro” is to the colleges and the art district it is way overpriced.  I realize rent downtown is a bit pricey but customers aren’t  going to take that into consideration.

To my chagrin however it seems this place is pretty popular, maybe I’m ordering the wrong things. Both times I have had a sandwich, I really wanted the Key West  eggs benedict but I just couldn’t bring myself to pay $10 for a breakfast item. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not just the price of the food here, I am more than happy to dish out for food that blows my mind, this does not. The Knuckle Sandwich, their specialty, was awful. The chicken tasted days old at best, the entire sandwich was really dry aside from the intermittent globs of straight hot sauce and there was not a single shrimp on my $8 sandwich. The Buffalo Burger is a joke, it’s about the size of a McDonald’s single burger patty, cooked beyond recognition and then buried in a mountain of bread and veg. Returning to my point, it’s not just the price, for such a small place with 2 servers, the service was some of the worst I have ever received. One girl stood behind the counter the entire time while another got killed trying to serve a full “restaurant”.

My advice is if you are downtown and in need of sustenance, keep looking. This place was very disappointing to me and everyone that I have taken with me. I personally preferred JJ’s to this train-wreck.

Fresco's Bakery and Bistro
132 South Kentucky Avenue
Lakeland, FL 33801
863.683.5267