PARK CAFE

Where: Park Cafe, 604 E 1300 S, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Chelsey & Devynne

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Migas Special, Michigan Hash

What It Cost: 18.95

What We Thought:


Park Cafe is one of those "buzzy spots" according to my phone (I love how my phone sounds like a grandpa sometimes...) that everyone seems to be talking about, a place to see and be seen. So, obviously, I needed to see. 

We went on a Monday morning at 10, which felt like a random day and time, but it was definitely hopping already. Luckily we were seated quickly, but I could see how this place would get packed in no time. The place is decorated in your typical hipster fare (I secretly loved the stickers on the condiments), and had a pretty decent selection of options for breakfast. I ordered the breakfast special - some Mexican migas (mmmm), and my sister got the Michigan hash.

This place would definitely be a good place to go for brunch - the dishes were hearty and portion sizes generous (seriously - four pieces of toast??) Our favorite part was the homemade jam at each table - it was totally good, and I kept wanting to sneakily steal other flavors from the other tables...

My migas were pretty good, though definitely not the best I've ever had. They were a little dry, but the really great salsa helped with that. Normally migas has corn tortilla chips cooked inside with the eggs, so I thought it was a little weird that they served it with corn tortillas, and it could have used some sour cream maybe? Overall, it was a dish I would eat again, but maybe not one I would order again.

Devynne's Michigan hash had high and low points as well - the sausage and eggs and cheese were all good. We actually liked the way their potatoes were cooked too - they seemed crumbly at first, but were quite delicious to eat that way. The only thing that had me like "really??" was the use of only green peppers - blech. We all know those are the worst bell peppers, and my sister is still on the fence about bell peppers, so I would have liked to see a mix at least with some red. And the bread just tasted like white bread, not sourdough. 

What You Should Do: It's a fun place to meet with friends, and I bet it would be super nice to sit outside on the patio in the summer. If it's a nice day and you've got lots of spare time, you could give it a try for brunch. I'm always sad at the paucity of weekend brunch places around here, so this one's decent.

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PENNY ANN'S CAFE

Where: Penny Ann's Cafe, 1810 S Main Street, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Pork Chili Verde Skillet and Penny Pot Potatoes, both with sides of Pancakes. 

What It Cost: $23.28

What We Thought:

Ohhhh Joe's Cafe, I hate to do this to you, but I may have a new favorite breakfast place!!!!

Of course, this one is in Salt Lake, so maybe we can still be friends? 

Penny Ann's Cafe is a tiny little place hidden in the base of a sorta-ghetto apartment complex that you would definitely miss if you blinked. Is this the secret to excellent breakfasts? Not sure, but I definitely see a trend.

They have these skillet breakfasts, which are basically everything good about breakfast, chopped up and pan-fried together. YUM. I looove their Mexican-inspired breakfast foods, and this place sure knows how to make a mean chile verde. Their eggs are always perfectly cooked, and you can definitely plan on bringing some home for breakfast tomorrow.

I mean, just look at that burrito! These are the things that burrito dreams are made of, my friends. And the flavor definitely matches up to the size -- it is seriously so good. And good luck eating all of it!

The best part of all of these meals is that they come with a side of the best dang pancakes you've ever had EVER. They are sour cream pancakes, and are somehow so much lighter, fluffier, and tastier than any pancake you've ever had. It is truly a mystery, and one that I would like to spend my whole life solving. This side of pancakes could definitely be a meal on it's own. But why would you limit yourself like that? But please, at least get the pancakes. I love them so much!!!!

And this one's my favorite -- breakfast nachos! Oh yeah. It's true that the sauce seems to be the same between the burrito, skillet, and nachos, but when you have a good thing going, why mess it up? The nachos are on these homemade tortilla chips that rival Lone Star's, and the chile verde sauce is just sublime. Plus - NACHOS FOR BREAKFAST!!

Penny Ann's is also known for their spectacular pies, and though pie for breakfast is a little intense, even for me, we got one to-go once (lemon raspberry), and can indeed confirm that it was truly divine. Can't wait to try the others. It's Thanksgiving season after all, right?

What You Should Do: Best Brunch Place Ever. I would say breakfast, but there is so much food with each serving, that you should probably count it for both breakfast and lunch. But it's reasonably priced, ultra friendly, and MAN THE FOOD IS GOOD. Especially the pancakes. Oh heavens, those pancakes.

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HRUSKA'S KOLACHES

Where: Hruska's Kolaches, 434 W Center Street, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 3

What We Ordered: Raspberry Cream Cheese and Jalapeño Sausage Egg & Cheese Kolaches

What It Cost: $4

What We Thought:

If you're ever in the mood to check out the farmer's market downtown on a Saturday morning, this place is an AWESOME breakfast stop! Of course, it is also awesome every other day of the week too...

I had never heard of kolaches before this place popped up. Apparently it's a Czech breakfast item, kinda like a doughnut/muffin/danish type of thing (though they have savory ones too!) and they are really popular in Texas. And now, they are really popular in our household!

I love how this is just a little family-operated joint that is just bringing flavors they love from Texas here to share with us. And the kolaches are seriously good -- fresh baked rolls with crisp exteriors and soft chewy insides, with scrumptious flavors to go! We loooooove the jalapeño/egg/sausage (or bacon!) ones - a little kick in the morning that comes with a serious flavor punch. The dessert ones are all fantastic too. We are definitely partial to the fruit + cream cheese combos. YUM.

What You Should Do: Follow the advice of me and your friendly Provo City mayor, and give this place a try! It's such a fun breakfast alternative, and make sure you ask them to heat them up for you! Man...I want some right now!!!!!! We've tried a bunch of flavors, and the spicy sausage one is definitely intense (you've been warned) and for some reason the cinnamon roll wasn't my favorite. BUT EVERYTHING ELSE SERIOUSLY ROCKS!

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UVRMC HOSPITAL CAFE

Where: UVRMC Hospital Cafe (aka River Rock Cafe), 1034 N 500 W, Provo (make sure to go to the one on the third level, East tower!) 

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen & Yvonne

Number of Visits: 5

What We Ordered: Cinnamon Roll Pancake, Breakfast Bagel Sandwich, PB&J Pancake, & more

What It Cost: $1.25 for a HUGE pancake!!!!!!!

What We Thought: 

So, I did a rotation at Utah Valley Regional, and I gotta admit, this cafeteria was the best lesson I learned from the whole experience (just kidding Mindi!!)

But seriously, there is no other place where you will find such a delicious and creative breakfast for so cheap! These hospital people are keeping it secret, but anyone can eat there, I promise! And it's So SO SO so SOsO good! My favorite thing is definitely the pancakes. The guy who cooks them is sometimes a little slow, but it is soooo worth the wait. And at $1.25, you can beat the price! Every time I got a pancake, I got a little thing of fresh fruit for $2, and it was the most amazing breakfast! Of course, I couldn't ever finish the pancakes because they were HUMONGOUS! I really should have taken a picture of one of them next to a fork or something so you could get a size comparison, but just imagine a full dinner plate. Yeah. That's how big they are. Up above is the cinnamon roll pancake, which yeah, tastes just like a cinnamon roll. And it rocks. The first pancake I ever tried there was the cinnamon apple pancake with caramel pecan syrup, and eating it made it impossible to pay attention in that "Antibiotic Use in Neonates" lecture I was supposed to be listening to...

My friend tried the bagel sandwich, and reported that it was excellent. But I really think I'm going to stick to the pancakes here. Lunch choices were never as exciting - breakfast is really the star here.

The PB&J pancake. Complete with happiness. SO GOOD. Another day, I tried a Carrot Cake Pancake with Cream Cheese Syrup, and I've heard rumors of the legendary Oreo Pancake. The only problem is they rotate their schedule, so you don't know what special pancake they will have that day unless you call ahead. But trust me, it's worth the effort.

What You Should Do: Call them and see when they are having that apple cinnamon pancake. It will change your life, I promise! Be warned though - they don't open until after 7. I showed up one day at 6:30 before my rotation and was exceptionally sad. And if you're a normal sane person, you can probably order one pancake to share :)

CORNER BAKERY CAFE

Where: Corner Bakery Cafe, 6227 S State Street, Murray

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Cinnamon Roll and Egg & Sausage Panini

What It Cost: Like $8?

What We Thought:

So on the morning before the Chex Mix Party at Fashion Place Mall, I was kind of hungry, but didn't want to eat a HUGE breakfast because obviously we were going to be chowing down on Chex Mix, so we decided to pop in to Corner Bakery Cafe. I've had their sandwiches at a couple of catered lunches (they seem to have a really awesome contract with the University of Utah), but catered food is usually not a good representation, so anyway, we went for a bit of a breakfast snack. 

This was definitely one of the best store-bought cinnamon rolls I've ever had! Of course, Owen obviously picked out the one that had the most frosting, which is definitely a must here. I usually prefer a creamier frosting than an icing type, but this one was pretty darn good!

Mmm...panininininininiiiii. I'm not a huge breakfast sandwich person, but this one was actually surprisingly good. Super fresh sourdough bread, actually real Cheddar cheese (nothing skimpy here!), freshly cooked eggs (I actually saw them cooking the eggs, so that's good!), and applewood smoked sausage. A great little sandwich, a great little breakfast...overall, much better than I expected considering their sometimes soggy catered sandwiches...

What You Should Do: A pretty good breakfast alternative if you ask us! I haven't tried many options there, but all of the bread and pastries were fresh and delicious, and it seemed like everyone around us was enjoying their breakfast too :) I definitely want to come back here some time and give it another try!

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EGGS IN THE CITY

Where: Eggs in the City, 1675 E 1300 S, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Me + a bunch of classmates

Number of Visits: 1

What I Ordered: Huevos Rancheros and Hot Chocolate (me), Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine with side of French Toast, Meaty Omelet with side of Pancakes, and something like Mexican enchiladas...

What It Cost: $15.48 (for the Huevos Rancheros and Hot Chocolate) 

What We Thought: 

Ah brunch. What a leisure and luxury. If you've made enough time out of your day for a belated breakfast, you want to make sure the food is worth it! Word of mouth led me a group of classmates to Eggs in the City one morning for breakfast, and I'm here to tell you all about it :) 

One of my all-time favorite splurge breakfast dishes is Huevos Rancheros -- eggs on tortillas with tasty sauce, beans and salsa. YUM! Obviously the portion sizes here at Eggs in the City are enormous, so it has that going for it, and my dish was reasonable in flavor. I've definitely had better, and I've also definitely had worse, it was just kind of middle of the road for me.

Mmm saucy. This was another twist on Huevos Rancheros, with a verde sauce instead. I like green sauces a lot, so I kinda wished I had ordered this one instead!

They have a couple versions of eggs benedict, including the florentine with spinach and tomato. A nice lighter twist on a delicious dish!

Ummmm talk about a meaty omelette -- I think there is more meat than eggs in this dish! It was pretty intense, but for those who are super meat-lovers, I really can't see any better options than this for you!

Oh, and did I mention you can order a side of pancakes? Ummm yeah -- this pancake above is the SIDE DISH. It kind of looks like a main dish, but if you're into that kind of thing, you can definitely get two breakfasts for one!

They also have regular eggs benedict, if you're into that kind of thing :) The eggs were poached perfectly, and everyone who went with the eggs benedicts were totally satisfied.

Also you can get a side of French toast - yep, another side dish!

What You Should Do: If you're in the neighborhood, Eggs in the City could be a decent choice. It's a pretty small restaurant and we definitely had to wait with such a big party (I couldn't believe how busy it was on a weekday at 10!), and the flavors were pretty decent, so it could be okay, especially if you're in the mood for eggs benedict, which seemed like the best prepared dish in my opinion. The dishes were pretty large, but definitely not on the cheap side, and I don't know about you, but every breakfast food seems weird to take home and reheat (microwaved eggs? bleh) so I don't know if I'd really want leftover breakfast.

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MIMI'S CAFE

Where: Mimi's Cafe, 304 E University Parkway, Orem

Who Went: Chelsey & Abby

Number of Visits: 1 (maybe 2?)

What We Ordered: Cinnamon Brioche French Toast & Spinach and Bacon Eggs Benedict

What It Cost: $22.43

What We Thought:

I wanted to take my sister-in-law out to lunch after having her over for a weekend sleepover, so naturally my first inclination was to take her to the amazing and wonderful Joe's. Sadly, it was a Monday or a holiday (can't remember which), so Joe's was closed and we had to settle for something less amazing. She had already been to Kneader's a bunch of times and wasn't interested in Magleby's, so I thought we should give Mimi's Cafe a try, since I've heard people like their breakfast. 

Luckily for us, it was pretty dead, so we were able to get a seat rather quickly and place our order. The service was fine - not overly friendly but not super slow, and it has kind of an interesting atmosphere. I think they claim to be "a taste of France," and try to have a French-like atmosphere, but the restaurant was established 35 years ago, and I have to say (since I just came back from France, and feel a little less clueless), it is not really the type of bistro atmosphere you find across the Atlantic these days. Nonetheless, it was kind of quaint and they tried to make it pretty cozy even though it was quite a large restaurant. 

Abby ordered probably the best-looking thing on the menu, which was their cinnamon brioche French Toast. It came with two huge eggs - weirdly larger than the French Toast, and also sausage. The bread was nice and cinnamon-y, but was it amazing? Would I go here just for that? Probably not. It was probably a 6.5 out of 10 on French Toast, but I've had some pretty amazing French Toast in my life, so maybe I'm too critical of a judge.

I ordered the Eggs Benedict, because if there is anything I have learned from watching all of those episodes of Master Chef, it's that you can tell if someone really knows how to cook if they can properly poach an egg. And if you're putting Eggs Benedict on your menu (more than one variety, even), then your eggs better be masterful, Hollandaise perfect, and the whole thing cohesively delicious.

I don't even have to explain the disappointment when I cut into this instead. Way overcooked! There was no egg oozing, no delicious yolk to slather my English muffin in, no nothing. Super disappointing. I probably could have been appeased if there was at least hearty meat to accompany it, but the bacon was translucent, and it really just didn't do it for me. Mostly, THE EGG! Come on! It should be the star of the show! (I'm starting to sound like Gordon Ramsey...)

What You Should Do: Definitely hit up Joe's or Kneaders instead. The atmosphere is kind of fun and different, and they won't rush you through the meal, but for the high ticket price and lackluster food, you can definitely find better breakfast options elsewhere in Utah County.

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IKEA Restaurant

Where: IKEA Restaurant, 67 West Ikea Way, Draper

Who Went: Chelsey, Kirsten & her neighbor

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Kid's Chicken Strips and Fries, and Meatball Plate

What It Cost: ~$5 per person

What We Thought: 

IKEA has a special kind of attraction - cheap, cheap, cheapness! Not only is all the furniture and decor cheap, but they have a little cafe that also serves inexpensive food. 

We ordered the chicken strips and fries for Kirsten's son, and they were pretty much about what you would expect for cheap chicken and fries - the fries crispy and a nice thickness. The breading on the chicken was pretty thick and covered all chicken flavor you might get. The chicken was a little dry and nothing great, but for a two-year-old, it wasn't too bad.

The meatball plate is the iconic IKEA dish, served with mashed potatoes and jellied lingonberries, which basically taste like cranberries. Though it was a good amount of food for the price, the food was not really the best. The meatball was too small and a bit dry, and the potatoes were a little too sticky and gluey for me. The little drop of lingonberries was almost laughably small, but at least there was enough gravy for all of the meatballs to give it enough flavor.

What You Should Do: If you are at IKEA and forgot to have lunch, you won't be incredibly disappointed if you stop by their cafe for a quick lunch. They have a few healthy options like salads (though I was stray away from scary-looking smoked salmon....) and everything is really inexpensive. Is it fabulous cuisine? No. Would I come here just for the food? No. But will you get fed for a low price and quick service? Yes.

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Marley's Gourmet Sliders

Where: Marley's Gourmet Sliders, 4801 N University Avenue, Suite 860

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1.5

What We Ordered: Bacon Jalapeño Burger Slider, Chicken Avocado Slider, Onion Rings

What It Cost: $6/person

What We Thought:

These little mini-burgers seemed to have popped into popularity out of nowhere lately! It's a clever idea I suppose - make the burgers smaller so you feel less guilty about eating them, and then you end up eating even more! Plus everything that is mini-sized is by default cuter, and what could be cuter than itty bitty burger? Well I'm not sure if Marley's is going for the "cute" angle, with their biker-themed decor and everything, but we decided to give them a try anyway. 

I think Marley's is one of those restaurants that some people love and others will hate. If you like a large, fluffy bun to be the star of your burger, then you should give Marley's a try. For me, the bun is not very important, and only is there to keep all the juicy goodness together. I thought the thick rolls that are used as buns here were much too large, especially compared to the thin patty you can see inside. The bun overpowered all burger flavor, and if I was in a burger mood, it wouldn't really satisfy the craving.

Their onion rings were sliced nice and thick, which I enjoyed. It has a nice and flavorful coating, and they were pretty good overall. My only complaint is that they cooled off really quickly, and did not taste very good once cold (they got pretty soggy). The fry sauce was about what you'd expect - nothing too different here.

The chicken slider was actually my surprise favorite. I felt like there was more meat on this sandwich, and the avocado spread helped moisten up the thick bun. The chicken was nicely charred which gave it some good flavor, and overall I thought it was pretty good.

What You Should Do: As far as burgers go, Marley's isn't really one of my favorites in Utah County. The idea of sliders could be good, but overall I thought the buns were too thick and the patties too thin. When you order enough food that would be the equivalent of a regular burger, it ends up being pretty pricey too. One thing that Marley's has going for it is the great variety on the menu - lots of different burger flavors, in addition to chicken, turkey, and breakfast options. If you are the type of person who can never decide what type of burger you want to order, and you like thick buns, then Marley's would be a good choice for you.

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Joe's Cafe

Where: Joe's Cafe, 1126 S State Street, Orem

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen, Grandma, Mom, Devynne, & Garrett (my cousin)

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Pancake Combo (3 Pancakes, 2 eggs, and bacon or sausage), French Toast, French Toast with Fruit Topping, Western Omelet, Joe's Omelet with Grits, Biscuits & Gravy, Steak & Eggs with Hash Browns, Orange Juice & Chocolate Milk


What It Cost: $13.22 for two people


What We Thought:


There are just two words that can most accurately describe the amazing food which can be found at Joe's Cafe:

BUTTER and LOVE

I've never really been a huge breakfast fan...until now. What I thought were pancakes don't even hold a candle to what you can get here. See that huge plate of silver dollar pancakes above? Yeah, that was what came with our order of "three pancakes." I have absolutely no idea how that enormous platter qualifies as "three pancakes," and honestly, I couldn't care one bit. And these aren't just pancakes. They are literally little bites of heaven. They are more like little freshly fried doughnuts, soft and pillowy with oh-so-much butter. I've never had anything like it. And I never want to eat any other kind of pancakes ever again. Seriously, this pancakes will change your life.

The other dishes here at Joe's Cafe were also delicious - perfect French toast, with more than enough to keep you full until dinnertime. Not only is the food amazing at Joe's Cafe, but you couldn't ask for a more fun and friendly environment. When we went on a Thursday morning, Joe was the only one there, running the whole show. He makes you feel welcome with the kind of hospitality that only a true Southerner can provide. When I placed our order and got ready to pay, he said, "Nope - you aren't going to pay me until you are fully satisfied with your food!" By the end of our meal, we were begging to pay him!

I was feeling a little adventurous, so I went with the steak and eggs. Incredible. Eggs were perfectly good, and the steak was deliciously seasoned and just the right amount of pink. The hash browns were good but not life-changing...if I were to get this again, I'd definitely go for the grits.

Which we got with the omelets! Now these are no sissy omelets - they are stuffed to the brim with rich and flavorful ingredients, and could easily fill two people. And if they weren't delicious enough, they come with a side of either hash browns or grits, and I would definitely recommend the grits! Now, normally we've only ever had savory grits, usually with some salt and a little cheese or something. But apparently the demand for sweetness in Utah reigned supreme, and Joe now serves his grits sweet. They are like a creamier, smoother version of oatmeal with just the right amount of brown sugar and slow-cooked to perfection. There was a lady in there who told me she comes in at least once a week, just to order Joe's grits. I don't blame her! Definitely the best grits I've ever had. Ever.

In addition to not being the biggest grits fan (before this meal, obviously), I also used to hate biscuits and gravy. They just seemed so fatty and gross that I was never really interested.

Times have changed my friends.

All thanks to this little dish above. Wow. I never knew biscuits and gravy could be so gratifying. There is so much spicy and savory sausage in the gravy, plenty of pepper, at least a whole stick of butter, and some of the most tasty biscuits I've ever had in this little ceramic boat of goodness. Of all the dishes we had here, I would say that the biscuits and gravy surpassed my expectations the most. And I wish certainly be having them again!

Here's the side of meat and eggs - Joe was feeling extra friendly so he gave us both the sausage and bacon. This my friends is real bacon - thickly sliced, seasoned with pepper...it just tasted more...bacon-y. Like bacon on steroids. So so so good.

And if you'd believe it, there is some French Toast under there too. There is nothing skimpy or light about these meals - just delicious Southern cooking with all the butter you ever could want. Rich, scrumptious, filling, flavorful, and unique. I really don't know if I could ever eat breakfast somewhere else again.

What You Should Do: Skip the pathetic plates served at Denny's and IHOP, and get yourself down to Joe's Cafe right now! This is without a doubt the best breakfast served in Utah, and it's served with a smile and soul music. Joe also does lunch, which I am sure is equally amazing - you can order either breakfast or lunch items at any time when he's open. I've never met anyone who hasn't had an incredible experience here, and you'll wonder how it's remained such a secret for so long! Go Go GO!

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