Shonda W.
Yelp
We first visited Cozy Cafe in Mason nearly two years ago, and at the time, we were genuinely impressed. The fried chicken was a standout, crispy, flavorful breading with juicy, well-seasoned meat, and the biscuits? Easily some of the best in the city. That experience kept the place on our radar, and since it's close to home, we decided to give it another try last night.
To be fair, this wasn't just a one-time return. We've been to Cozy Cafe several times over the past two years, including quite a few brunch visits. Over time, we noticed a shift in how the food was being executed. The decline was especially noticeable during dinner service, and that's ultimately why we had stopped going for a while. Still, we were hopeful that things might have bounced back, which led to last night's visit.
We started with the veggie frites, which were beautifully breaded and paired with two excellent sauces. They could've used a touch more seasoning, and I wish they had salted the eggplant beforehand to cut the wateriness, but overall, a solid appetizer. I'd give it a 7/10.
My boyfriend ordered the crab cake entrée, and visually, it was stunning. But the moment he cut into it, things went downhill. There was barely any crab, mostly filler, and what was there had a fishy smell more reminiscent of tuna than crab. It simply wasn't the quality we remembered. Honestly, the frozen "Private Selection" crab cakes from Kroger are better seasoned and have more crab than what we were served here. The fries on the side, though likely frozen, were delicious, crispy, hot, and well-executed. 1/10.
I decided to go back to my original favorite the fried chicken. Big mistake. It was a completely different experience from our first visit. The chicken arrived suspiciously fast, and it showed, it was lukewarm, the breading was soggy, and it tasted like it had been sitting in a steamer or warmer for hours. It had none of the fresh, crisp texture that once made it memorable. The twice-baked potato was equally disappointing... dry, under-seasoned, and seemingly reheated from a prior day. The broccolini, though, was nicely charred and flavorful, easily the best part of the dish outside of the always-reliable biscuits. 4/10
We shared our feedback with our server, who was kind and attentive. She seemed to pass our comments to the manager (or possibly the owner), who eventually came over. While she asked for feedback, it was clear from her body language and defensiveness that it wasn't going to be a productive exchange. She insisted the chicken sits in a warmer because made-to-order would take 40 minutes, yet there are plenty of non-chain restaurants around town cooking fresh chicken in under 20.
To be fair, she noted that the head chef wasn't there that night and that she'd pass along our comments. But as long-time customers, we could already tell the kitchen has changed hands. The food, the care, the execution, it just isn't the same.
I love supporting small businesses, and Cozy Cafe still has potential. The venue is charming, the biscuits are stellar, and in the past, the cocktails were excellent. But something is missing now. You can even see the shift reflected in other online reviews. The talent that once made this place special doesn't seem to be in the kitchen anymore, and that's a shame, because strong culinary leadership is what brings customers back.
I truly hope they find a way to course correct. I'd love to see Cozy Cafe thrive again.