Pocahontas Pancakes

Pocahontas Pancakes, located at 34th Street and Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach, has been named the best breakfast in Virginia Beach a number of times over by a number of different magazines and food gurus. With that kind of acclaim, we had to try this place.

However, we did not expect a 45 minute wait for breakfast at this small corner eatery. That said, once we were seated, we never felt rushed by our waitress to order fast, or eat quickly.

We ordered the International Breakfast Wrap, the Eggs Benedict and the restaurant’s famous pecan pancakes, which the kitchen will serve as a side dish if you ask.

The Eggs Benedict was served with thick slices of Canadian bacon, which was not my favorite option for this decadent dish. Additionally, the hollandaise, which should be creamy and rich, was on the thinner side, mixing with the yolk of the poached egg to a point that I could not distinguish one from the other.

The breakfast wrap, made with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, pepperoni, sausage, and bacon, as well as scrambled eggs, was wrapped in a tortilla shell. The whole thing was huge, large enough that the two of us dining could have easily shared it and still not have finished it. It was also served with home fries.

Lastly, we had the real star of breakfast – the pecan pancakes. The pancakes, which have pecans in the batter and in the pecan syrup on top, are what Pocahontas Pancake House is famous for. The pancakes are on the denser side, and have little treasurers of pecans (one of my personal favorite nuts) in the batter. The pancakes are topped with pecan syrup (a nutty, maple-y goodness) and then more pecans and whipped cream. Even as I filled on eggs and potatoes, the pancakes kept calling to me and I continued to eat them past the point of feeling full because they were delicious.

I was also impressed by this small pancake house – they offer not just the traditional regular and decaf coffee, but also a hazelnut flavored coffee if you ask for it specifically.

We found at other breakfast restaurants in Virginia Beach, that the earlier we went out for breakfast, the shorter the wait was. We arrived at Pocahontas Pancake House after 10 a.m. and had a 45 minute wait (groups arriving after us had an hour plus wait!). However, we went to another breakfast location at 9 a.m. and were seated immediately. I would recommend getting out for breakfast earlier, although I can’t guarantee that it will help at Pocahontas Pancakes.

Log Cabin Pancake House

Not wanting to walk far from our hotel in Virginia Beach, VA, we decided to try breakfast at the Log Cabin Pancake House. We didn't have to wait long for a table, which we were thankful for, and, unlike other breakfast-only joints in town, this one never had a line; we soon found out why.

Our waitress introduced the restaurant’s breakfast buffet to us suggesting that “almost everything on the regular menu is there,” then took our drink order and walked off. When she returned, with two waters and a coffee, she took our regular order (no buffets for us!).

We ordered the Hungarian pancakes as well as a Belgian Waffle and a side of home fries.  The Hungarian pancakes – crispy pancakes wrapped around warm pecans topped with strawberry compote – were good, but dense. The restaurant also charged extra for whipped cream on pancakes. The waffle was fluffy, but once we poured syrup on it, it practically melted.

The home fries were just OK – not worth ordering in addition to our meals.

While the food was good, our service was terrible. We could see a number of waitresses attending to the tables around us. Our waitress seemed to have been uninterested in working that morning, in that she never came back throughout our meal to top off coffee, or even to make sure our food was all right. We didn't see her again until we were done eating and asked her for our check.

We also witnessed the hostess seat a large group and in doing so, took a chair from another table where guests were sitting, and the chair was in use by a guest that was up at the buffet. The family tried to tell the woman that the chair is being used, that someone is sitting there, but she paid them no heed and took it anyway. She did, eventually, replace their now missing chair.

Uncle Bill's Pancake House

With locations all around the New Jersey shore, Uncle Bill's Pancake House is a great place to enjoy more than just at breakfast time. We stopped for lunch with our 5-year-old niece in tow and it was a perfect place for a picky eater.

We were thrilled to be sat in a booth near the bar, because in the corner a TV played cartoons (although halfway through our meal, someone changed it to Fox News). She was perfectly distracted so we could decide on what to order. Our waitress also brought over a coloring book and crayons to keep her occupied while our meals were brought out.

We ordered a short stack of pancakes and a plate of the sand dollar pancakes. Our niece loved the small pancakes that were just her size, and, because we could order them in multiples (like, 10), she and I could share (which we loved). They also had a number of different juices and a great kids cup.

We could tell we had picked a winner as we walked in because the parking lot was full (seriously full, people were parking on the street!), people were hanging out outside and in the foyer, and inside it was boisterous with laughter and families enjoying each others company. And boy were we right.

Caffe Nuovo

Western Omelet

Ham Benedict

I was craving breakfast foods, and if I lived in Boston, I would never, ever, ever eat at an IHOP or Pancake House ever again. Not with a place like Caffe Nuovo in the city's North End making dishes (even into the late night hours) like the western omelet and the ham benedict.

The cafe, which also serves dinner entrees, has a well stocked bar and friendly bartenders.

The western omelet had a beautiful flavor and the peppers didn't overpower the other flavors in the omelet. Not to mention the size of the omelet, and the homefries. The plate was very large but a nice portion to keep you full.

The ham benedict was perfect. I was concerned that the hollandaise sauce might not be tasty (based solely on my fear of every chef messing up hollandaise), but it was perfect. I found myself going back for bite after bite and finished this very large plate. This is definitely a must-order!

The Main Cafe on Main Street in Stillwater

Walking down the main street in Stillwater, MN, we were looking for breakfast and with few options open early in the morning, we found our way into the Main Cafe. This great little spot is a hit with the locals (while we were dining, a local police officer, and at least two other locals were also eating breakfast).

We ordered their seasonal special, the strawberry chocolate chip pancakes. The chef makes the pancake batter fresh every morning and mixes in the perfect amount of chocolate chips. The pancakes are fluffy and sweet and topped with super fresh, sweet strawberries that the chef has left untouched.

We also ordered the daily special of two eggs, two bacon strips, hash browns and toast, which was exactly what you would expect from a home cooking cafe on the main drag in town. Everything was cooked perfectly and there was way more there than we could possibly eat. But everything was delicious and our waitress, the only waitress for the entire restaurant, was pleasant and answered questions as well as chatted with us.