Backwater

This place is AWESOME!!! The staff is super friendly and attentive, the food is top-​notch and fresh. Highly recommend the deep-​fried french toast. Great place to bring the little ones.

The kitsch of this place is charming. Making your own pancakes at the table is entertaining. Staff are super friendly and very hipster. Tattoos and piercings galore. They were super slow about getting out food out. It came out piecemeal and my meal was completely forgotten. I would go back and give them another try on a day when they are busy.

I grew up in Florida in the Melbourne/​Cocoa Beach area but now I live in Chicago. Over the last eight years since leaving, I’ve pretty much just returned home to my old favorite restaurants and haven’t really been impressed with anything new. A few months ago, pics from a new place called Backwater started appearing on my instagram feed from my friends back home. The pictures looked too good to be true and I knew I had to try Backwater when I went back for a visit last week.
I was not disappointed. This place is exactly what Melbourne needed: a breath of fresh air. The Old Florida décor of dark green panelling, taxidermied ducks and livestock etchings made me feel back at home like I was a child. Since Fat Boys closed way back when there hasn’t been a place so evocative of being both southern and Floridian.
I knew before I went I’d be trying the fried green tomato eggs benedict with spinach and black cherry grits. It was as amazing as I imagined. The English muffin is not needed at all. They should just use the tomato as the base. The black cherry grits sound weird especially if you’re not a «sweet grits» person but I’m brave and my courage paid off. They were amazing. Who woulda thunk? My dad had the friend green tomato caprese and loved it but I don’t care for balsamic drizzle so it wasn’t my favorite.
Now, it was just too good not to go back before I headed back up north so I went again with my Mom, Grandma and Aunt. This time I tried the Bayou Benny and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. It’s pulled pork and (essentially) crawfish etoufee over eggs benedict. My mom tried the shrimp and grits, which I usually don’t care for, and I actually liked them a lot. My aunt and grandma just had to try the fried green tomato benedict after hearing me talk about it. No one was disappointed.
Beyond the food, the service is really great. Both times I went my servers explained all of the questions I had and were very helpful with my vegetarian father and gluten-​free mother. There’s something for everybody on the menu and I have a new favorite spot when I go back to Florida.

Finally made it back to Blackwater today for breakfast. Really enjoyed my meal as well as the service. Food was great with originality. Looking forward to goings back.

The concept of making your own pancakes is so much fun! What the owners did as far as décor is so impressive! My picky 19 year old daughter said they were the best pancakes she’s ever had!

Great Food & Amazing Service! Melbourne was in desperate need for such a unique spot in our downtown area. I would definitely consider them a staple in our community. The owners are awesome and are working just as hard if not harder then the employees themselves. If you haven’t visited yet… What are you waiting for?
The best unique dining experience you could ask for.

Winner, Winner, Pancake dinner (breakfast didn’t rhyme)
Awesome awesome awesome
We had the pancakes, bacon (wow… Real thick cut), and the pulled pork Benedict
The only negative was we ate too much
Can’t go wrong with the Grapefruit sage mimosa

My daughter convinced me to come here, and «Make your own pancakes». My first thought was that we could make our own pancakes at home, but I went along anyway. There was a wait, but the staff was great, and brought us coffee and waters while we waited. We could have been seated right away, but we chose to wait for a Griddle Table.
So, the toppings were fun, and stuff we probably wouldnt have done at home. The buttermilk pancake batter and maple syrup were good as well. The real treat though, was the EXPERIENCE. I was able to be engaged in conversation with my 15 year old daughter through the entire breakfast, and she almost never looked at her phone! We made funny shaped pancakes, wrote messages in batter, tried each other’s toppings, and had enough batter to make take out pancakes for the rest of the family. It was a great morning, and hardly cost any money at all. Great job Backwater!

Today was our first visit here and we were extremely pleased. Love the hustle and bustle here. The menu is inspired and has some unique spins to a traditional brunch restaurant. We had the Citrus Waffle and C H Clarks Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict with fresh squeezed Orange Juice and Coffee. Everyone I know is going to hear about this place. Highly recommended.

Stopped in for lunch a few days ago. We were greeted by a friendly young man, Rich, who was also our server. I had a fried green tomato sandwich caprese which was fabulous. DH had mac ‘n cheese sandwich which was delicious as well. Only complaint was that we sat at a tiny table up against a wall with no elbow room. I’d vie for a seat at the bar next time. The food was unbeatable, as was presentation.

Stopped by for Sunday brunch and they were packed. Luckily got to sit at the counter which saved us some waiting time.
I ordered their fried green tomatoes and spinach eggs benedict and my bf got the pulled pork eggs benedict. We didn’t expect the portions to be so huge. You can definitely split a plate with someone or take half for leftovers.
They had fresh squeezed orange juice which was awesome. I’ll probably try their mimosas next time.
Overall the food was okay, the atmosphere was fun, and it’s definitely worth your money.

When your polite and professional server asks, order the grapefruit-​sage mimosa and absolutely anything else on the menu. It’s all delicious.

I went to Backwater based on good reviews and was not disappointed at all!
The atmosphere, décor and interior was great, clean and inviting.
The staff was very attentive and despite being busy, were working well together to attend to everyone.
I had the pulled pork eggs Benedict on my first visit. The pork was tender and flavorful. The serving was more than enough (and I like to eat ;). The home fries were good, just wish I had enough room to finish them all.
The next visit I asked for a custom omelet (with sausage but got pulled pork) — never the less, the omelet was great. I didn’t want to return it because I enjoyed the pulled pork on my first visit so I went with it.
There was a lot of people waiting to eat, if you go alone or as a pair I would recommend sitting at the bar. Great service and great food!

The atmosphere is laid back local style. So much fun and the food… yum yum yum!!! You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. Fun for the whole family. You can get a grttle table and make your own pancakes and get the works to come with. The fried green to a to sandwich is a favorite I get everytime!

I went here with some friends of mine while we were in training for DEOMI. We put our name on the list for the griddle and waited about 30 – 45 mins on a Sunday morning. While we waited we had some amazing blood orange mimosas. These things were 75% champagne and so freaking delicious!
When we finally got our table I was excited to draw my pancakes and have some fun with that. Plus the food is all locally grown so I didn’t feel too bad about eating and taking away from local farmers. The food was amazing! Even the vegan sausage was good. I can’t complain though about anything!

Wow, a totally unexpected and welcome foodie addition to the downtown Melbourne scene. Cool, retro-​country interior. One of the best of many meals I had during my nine day vacation in Florida. I applaud the courageous business decision of management to include several vegan and vegetarian options on the menu for an otherwise decidedly Southern restaurant.
I was considering the Biscuits with Veggie Gravy, but settled on the Fried Green Tomato and Spinach Eggs Benedict. Accompanied by amazing cherry cheese grits. You read that right, and they were great. Daughter had the buttermilk pancakes, which were probably the best pancakes that I’ve had anywhere. You can cook them yourself, but we let the kitchen handle it. Wife loved her Fried Green Tomato Caprese Sandwich. Pleasant service. Nice bathrooms. Wish I could go more often.

My hubby found this little gem on Trip Advisor. We came over to Melbourne from Orlando to take my mother in law for breakfast/​brunch and wanted to try something different.
The décor is very much Old Florida. They have 8 griddle tables. We were going to wait but opted for regular seating once we looked at the menu. Will definitely get a griddle table next time! People were having lots of fun making their own pancakes.
Hubby had the Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict with home fries. Amazing! The pork was perfect as well as the eggs were poached perfectly. A must try.
I had the Citrus Waffle with candied orange rinds and eggs, added a side of bacon. The waffle had a lot of citrus flavor. The only thing I would have like better is if it were a bit thicker. The bacon; smokey thick cut, incredible.
Mother in law had the Breakfast Club. It was huge! It looked great with eggs and the amazing bacon.
We will definitely be back!

I recently moved to Palm Bay with my boyfriend and we’ve been trying to find some good food places around the area. I think we hit the nail on the head with Backwater. We stopped in for breakfast this morning. I, of course, was excited about the DIY pancake griddles! As soon as we walked in I was quite impressed. The décor was great, rustic and cozy. We were seated at one of the griddle tables tucked right by the front window, so it was just perfect for people watching.
Service was great, smiling faces everywhere! We started off with some drinks, as most people do at a restaurant. They had such a nice variety of mimosas, I got the watermelon mint mimosa. My boyfriend got the fresh squeezed lemonade. My mimosa tasted so fresh and fruity, wish they were unlimited lol! The lemonade was very refreshing, definitely tasted homemade.
Since we were getting pancakes, I ordered the seasonal batter, lemon poppy seed! I had also ordered a side of blueberries to add to my pancakes and a side of sausage. My boyfriend ordered the Southern Breakfast with bacon and home fries. Holy moly! Those pancakes were so freaking good! The lemon poppy seed pancakes were so perfect and not over sweet or lemony. Also, they nailed the consistency of the batter, light and fluffy. The sausage was cooked really well and very flavorful. My boyfriend’s breakfast was spot on as well. The home fries were some of the best I’ve ever had! We shared both our plates with each other and there was more than enough food.
Hands down I will be coming back for more Backwater! It was absolutely great. We got amazing food, atmosphere, and service for a really decent price. It was an absolutely wonderful experience!

Stopped by for a late lunch today. We were warmly greated and seated. The rustic décor makes for interesting conversation. Some tables have large griddles for making pancakes at your table. Our drink order was promptly taken and delivered very quickly. I ordered the grilled mac n cheese with the house salad. The salad came out pretty quick which I appreciated because I was hungry. It was a nice selection of tasty veggies and the dressing was excellent. The grilled mac n cheese was absolutely delicious. The generous portion of mac n cheese inside the sandwich was some of the best tasting I have had in a while. Maybe next time they will give me a big bowl full. All in all a very good experience and next time I may try the self serve pancakes.
I really like that ingredients all are Florida grown and raised.
They dont have hashbrowns??? They dont accept Amex.

Upon first walking in, I was very impressed with the look of the restaurant. They did an amazing job decorating. Every little detail was perfect. The atmosphere was rustic with a homey feel.
The restaurant was pretty busy when we walked in, but we were only second on the list for a table with a griddle, which was to be expected as this is their first week of business.
I want to preface all of this by saying, this is their opening week, and I expected there to be some disorganization, so I am sympathetic to their situation. My daughter and husband ordered the make your own pancakes (buttermilk), with scrambled eggs, biscuits/​gravy, and bacon as sides. I originally was going to order the fried green tomato and spinach benedict, however, when I ordered and asked if I could substitute scrambled eggs, for poached eggs, our server said they wouldn’t do that, which was disappointing (I would think scrambled would actually be easier to cook than poached). Instead, I ordered the southern breakfast.
They brought out the pancake batter quickly; however we had to wait quite a long time for the sides and my breakfast. They did comp us for some items due to some errors in service, and wait time, which we appreciate.
***The Food***
The experience of making the pancakes at the table was very fun for my five year old daughter. The pancakes themselves were pretty good. The scrambled eggs were very good. The bacon was super thick, and delicious. I was a little disappointed in the toast, as it was cold, and butter-​less, however I did ask for butter, and was able to butter them myself.
I want to end on a positive note by saying… the biscuits and gravy were absolutely exceptional! Like seriously amazing. My husband said it was the best gravy he had ever had.
I would definitely go back, but I’m not sure we would sit at a griddle again. I want to take my mom because she is vegan, and they have several vegan and vegetarian substitutions available, including scrambled tofu, veggie gravy, vegan pancakes, etc.