Harvest Thyme Cafe

I had a grilled chicken salad and it was pretty blah. Nothing to write home about. The one thing I liked was the sprouts on the salad. But wasn’t sold enough to go back. Plus, the place seemed filthy.

First thing I tried was the coconut chicken curry soup which was sweet and had a horrible aftertaste, almost medicinal. I then tried the grilled cheese which basically tasted like burnt bread. The whole place had a burnt bread aroma when we walked in. That should have tipped me off. Some one in my group ordered a muffin which was dense and stale. None of us will be going back.

Harvest Thyme is a healthier twist on the standard downtown deli. You can get a great sandwich here, but expect it to come with tempeh/​humus or some other type of hipster vibe. Service is fast and friendly, and the space is clean and welcoming though a little small. Parking is a challenge near here, so you are likely going to walk over. Wanting to give them a try but not up for fighting your way downtown? They’ve now opened up a second location on 39^th Avenue.

I finally gave this place a try and so glad I did! Conveniently located to my work in the heart of downtown Gainesville, Harvest Thyme offers a huge variety on their menu. The young lady who took my order and prepared my food was very friendly and got the food out quickly. They were not crowded and it appeared that only two people were working: taking orders, preparing the items fresh and walking the dishes to the patrons dining in. That said, it took a little while for her to find the opportunity to take my to-​go order. I’m a patient person and the food and cheery service made it well worth the wait. I ordered the sweet and smokey tempeh wrap and it was delicious with its fresh ingredients of pineapple, shredded carrot, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes and a delicious BBQ sauce. It is also made with cheddar cheese but I asked her to make mine without. My order also included a small side to which I ordered the pasta salad. It was fantastic! I think I will want to order more of that next time I visit… Which will be very soon. The wrap was the perfect serving size and left me quite satisfied. I should mention that the menu caters to all diet preferences with plenty of vegetarian selections to choose from.

I had the sweet and spicy tempeh wrap. The taste was so close to real meat that I had to double check that it wasn’t! I loved the flavors, but it was a little messy to eat. The fruit side left a lot to be desired. The staff here are super nice though and despite people rolling through pretty often, the place was kept very clean. I would probably go back and order something else, but they do have quite a few options for vegetarians.

Amazing service, really friendly and genuine staff. Got some black bean burgers and Caribbean chicken wraps, which were equally as amazing. Definitely a solid breakfast/​lunch spot to grab a healthy meal during your binge drinking Fest weekend.

Description:
Located downtown, Harvest Thyme is a relatively small café with a simple interior and a few seats outside in the shade. Inside, you can find baked goods along the counter along with a chalkboard menu and friendly staff hard at working making your food. The corner has a soda machine along with iced coffee and water refills.
Food & Service:
I’ve been to Harvest Thyme twice on my lunch break. I ordered the Alachua club wrap with pasta salad my first time and the coconut curry soup with the smoked apple bacon turkey melt the second time. Both experiences were pleasant! Between the two though, I prefer food from my second visit. In my honest opinion, there is nothing special about either the wrap or the sandwich but both make excellent use of fresh ingredients and healthy options well. What I enjoyed the most was the soup. Light, full of flavor, and simply delicious! Service was quick and attentive. They took my plate away for me and helped wrapped my sandwich. Everyone there is kind and cheerful!
Final Thoughts:
Great place to stop by for lunch (they don’t open after 3pm). They have breakfast as well but I haven’t tried it yet. It’s a great healthy alternative compared to other places nearby for lunch. My only complaint is that it’s a little pricey for the amount of food you get. I don’t feel as bad though knowing I’m helping out a local café and getting fresh, flavorful ingredients in my selections. It’s also a great place to catch up with a friend or two and even for a casual lunch date with someone special.

Excellent food. I tried the Reuben and it was delicious. Service was fast and friendly. We will be back

A catch-​all café that makes it a bit tough to distinguish what’s house-​made vs house-​assembled.
Breakfast options run from eggs, ham and Swiss on a bagel, to eggs, ham and Swiss on a croissant (it’s mad savory, yo), and eggs, ham and Swiss on toast. Also, eggs, ham and cheese in a wrap. There’s a feta scramble (if you’re feeling adventurous), and a variety of baked elsewhere scones, muffins and cookies.
Or are they made here? Dunno. The croissants and bread aren’t, the lunch soups are (I believe?), and the smoothies contain real fruit. It’s be excellent to clearly understand what’s an in-​house specialty, an what’s unwrapped and stacked, only I fear this might paint Harvest Thyme to be an assembly line that cooks scrambled eggs. Not a bad thing by any means, just a little more clear.
A perfectly doable, inexpensive grab and go for downtown worker bees that plates pretty, and with beaming smiles. Skip the smoothies — fruit juice and ice simply blended has your thick, homogenous beverage dreams quickly separated and layered.

I happened to eat at both locations while in Gainesville. I actually liked the one on 39^th better. I was happy to see that they had gluten free bread and that I could get fruit as a side. The sandwich and wrap I had were both very good. I would eat here again.

This place was awesome. Decided to try it after passing it for years. The lady I order with behind the register was cute and super nice. The food was relatively cheap but surprisingly fresh and delicious. Soups are made in house and the piece of chicken on my sandwich was a real, and juicy, cutlet. Not a piece of processed crap. Try it!

Pretty good. I had the reuben and soup combination.
Service was very good. They even let me switch the whole reuben to the combo.
Both items were very good and cheap! I would go again if I were going in town.

This place is in the center of downtown Gainesville. You order at the counter and find a table (we got one by the window.)
I ordered squash soup and a homemade black bean veggie burger. They were both really good.
The soup seemed to have a hint of coconut cream and was smooth & delicious.
The veggie burger was a combo of black beans, rice, spices, etc. and had a nice mélange of flavors without anything being overbearing, as black beans can be. It came on a fresh Kaiser with guacamole, tomato and romaine. It was delicious.
My friend had broccoli soup and a wrap. She ate every bite and raved about it.
Good prices, good food. I’ll definitely stop in next time I’m in town.

Harvest Thyme is a nice place to grab breakfast or lunch especially sandwiches and wraps. They have a good veggie section with vegetarian options. I thought coming here would be a quick grab but the food actually took forever… The food itself was alright, I had the breakfast croissant which was nothing special. The place is cool and has private parking and is in downtown Gainesville… Best parts of the restaurant: variety, location, and seating availability; Worst parts: service time and food quality

Loved the wrap and burgers we ordered. The girl that was at the counter was very pleasant. Great spot for healthy delicious food, would come here all the time if we were locals.

Great food! Healthy and tastes great! Scones are amazing!

As far as sandwich/​salads/​soups cafés go, this one truly earns five stars in my book. Everything is fresh and tasty. The portions are generous but not outrageous. The prices are about $ 7 — $ 9.
I recommend getting the You Pick Two so you can try two different things they offer!
I definitely plan on coming back here, especially once all the weird hipsters from Fest are gone!

I absolutely love Harvest Thyme. Every year when I visit Gainesville, we have to stop here at least once (though, it’s usually more). They have really good vegan options including the hummus pita and the black bean burger (which is made from whole black beans and rice — not a mash up trying to be something it isn’t). They also have great coffee and almond milk.
The people are always so friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this stop for anyone.

The Reubin is always good in my book.
Plan ahead if you want the lobster.

Came in to place a last minute catering order for a business meeting and was so impressed! When I mentioned that I wanted to do a catering order for THAT DAY, the manager said «no problem» and sat down at a table with me to discuss our best options. First, I needed breakfast and they had no issues with selling me all of their baked goods and letting me borrow a basket to display them in. When I let her know how many individuals I wanted to provide lunch for, she gave me an accurate estimate of how much food I would need. She didn’t insist on a sandwich per person, which was correct.
Overall, the sandwich platter was delicious and my guests loved it. The breads and meats were so fresh and I was really pleased with the way it looked. Harvest Thyme has a huge menu, so I will definitely come to eat-​in the next time I’m in town. After speaking with the manager, she let me know that a few of the employees had taken over when the owners retired. Pretty cool to see passionate people running this establishment!