The Gathering Cafe Ocala Florida

The Gathering Cafe Ocala…

Recently we had a nice coffee surprise: The Gathering Cafe Ocala. Over the course of the last year, we haven’t had many locally.

2020 hammered a lot of little coffee businesses. But not The Gathering Cafe. Like the Phoenix rising from the ashes, Sarah launched her thriving little coffee oasis smack-dab in the middle of the nationwide economic mess. Here is their menu. 

It’s really a restaurant that serves coffee rather than a coffee shop that serves food. That being said the food looks exceptional.

We ordered a cinnamon roll. It was large, absolutely fresh, obviously home made, moist and delicious. The frosting was really good and not too sweet. 

Whoever baked these cinnamon rolls are crafters of delicious things – who take pride in the end result. 

RGC Coffee Quality: 4 out of 5 stars The Gathering Cafe Ocala

The espresso was quite good – a rarity in this part of Florida. It had a nice front end and a pleasant after taste, although the crema was a little flat. My espresso was slightly over-extracted.

But overall, the coffee was delicious.

We didn’t try a latte that morning because neither of us felt like that much milk. But we will another time because we ARE going back for more.

Iced Espresso To Go

We ordered a couple of iced Crème Brûlées (2 shots espresso, with caramel, vanilla syrup, milk) to go. These went directly to my wife’s doctor’s office on our way home. (The receptionist therein is a coffee lover and so is the doc…)

Before we left the cafe, we sampled a Crème Brûlée so we knew what we were delivering. The espresso flavor came through nicely – not excessively sweet like so many coffee shops. It had a surprisingly nice, rich flavor that we recommend – even though we’re both straight shot drinkers and generally do not do sweet (coffee).

Customer Service

The customer service here is excellent with friendly, helpful staff who are attentive yet not intrusive. Upon entry, we were greeted almost immediately by the owner – Sarah – with a warm, welcoming smile. Even though it was our first visit, it felt familiar like we had been there many times. Each of the staff was focused on the customer experience, and movement, getting things done.

Pretty rare in this day and age. 

Cleanliness

This little cafe is as clean as it gets. 

The counters, espresso bar, glass display case, floors – all well managed, well maintained – clean. The bathroom was immaculate. There is ample room between tables. Everything is fresh and bright. 

Atmosphere

The environment seems to welcome you as you walk in the door – like you belong here. It’s a friendly, joyful place.  

When you walk through The Gathering Cafe door, you slip into a “safe zone”, a coffee shop where you escape the craziness in the world – or just a hectic day – for a little while. You can collect yourself, rejuvenate, find your balance again. It’s refreshing.

The space is calm and relaxing. It’s simple and comfortable, yet gently elegant. It’s classy yet casual. My sense is that there is wisdom and experience behind the scenes guiding the operation.

As my wife put it in her Facebook review: “The decor is farmhouse adorable & the owner and staff are so friendly.” 

Big thumbs up !!!

It’s a great little shop with attention to detail and really good coffee.

Check this place out, you won’t regret it.