Sunrise Cafe (Facebook)
359 Xenia Ave. (map it!)
Yellow Springs, OH 45387
(937) 767-7211
Open Mon, Wed-Fri, 7:30a-2p; Sat & Sun, 8a-2p (open 5-9 for dinner most days)
Accepts cash & credit/debit
Vegetarian/vegan/gluten free? Y/Y/Y
Kid-friendly? Y
Date of Visit: Monday, August 13, 2012 at 11:00 a.m.
IMPRESSIONS: Readers have long been encouraging me to visit the Sunrise Cafe in Yellow Springs. The small Ohio town, less than an hour from Columbus, makes for a fantastic day trip, what with the shops, trails, parks, restaurants, and the always-enjoyable Young’s Jersey Dairy. And you can’t have a good day trip without a good breakfast. Fortunately, my readers haven’t steered me wrong.
ATMOSPHERE: You can find Sunrise on Xenia Avenue, the main drag leading through the center of town. It’s a fairly tight space, from the entryway full of 90-degree turns, to the smattering a tables in the front of the restaurant, and the thin corridor down the back.
The booths themselves are snug but not uncomfortable. For our family – two adults and two kids – we fit pretty tight together. But the high backs of the wooden booths create a nice little sense of privacy.
FOOD: Readers have given Sunrise’s coffee rave reviews, and I have to agree. It’s a special organic roast (fitting with the general mission of the restaurant), although I was a little surprised that it wasn’t from a local roaster. Still, it’s delicious, comes automatically with cold cream, and is served in tiny mugs. There’s something I really like about small coffee mugs. They cool off faster, and if you’re a cream-and-sugar type like me, it’s easier to maintain that balance with refills. I know, I know, I’m completely over-thinking this…
I was in a bit-of-everything mood, so I ordered the Morning Fill-Up, a platter of eggs, meat, potatoes, toast, and two pancakes. All of it was very, very good: eggs and toast were spot-on, potatoes have peppers and onions mixed in. A reader suggested asking for the bison patties, which I did. They were dense and lean, but flavorful.
Mrs. Breakfast With Nick tried a couple half-orders. First were the huevos rancheros, a colorful and well-mixed rendition of the Mexican classic. Many versions of this don’t properly blend the ingredients, meaning the salsa is overpowering or the tortilla is dry. But this comes together nicely. And the egg was cooked just right.
These are the pancakes with my order. Sunrise’s cakes are thin and crispy. Most places go for thick and fluffy, but there was something I really liked about these. You get the pancake experience without stuffing yourself on carbs. The mugs of melted butter and real maple syrup help, too.
The Mrs. also tried a half order of the Sunrise Gravy and Biscuits. Like the huevos, they were very flavorful and came together nicely. The buttermilk wheat biscuit was dense, and different than we expected, but I liked it with the white, chunky gravy.
Our son ordered silver dollar pancakes from the kid’s menu. They’re just like the regular pancakes, but smaller, and again less filling.
A view of our table. Obviously, the baby bottle isn’t on the menu.
SERVICE: Our server was helpful, but he did seem a little rushed the whole time. The restaurant was full, with a line out front, and we could only see two servers total. They’re clearly a little pressed to keep up with everyone.
OVERALL: Sunrise exemplifies the overall feel of Yellow Springs: a little hippy, a little touristy, and dedicated to small town life. Using plenty of local and organic ingredients, the restaurant forges a delicious breakfast with a very good variety. Vegan and vegetarian breakfasters: Sunrise has you in mind, too, from sandwiches to omelets to sides. Gluten free breads are also available on request. All in all, this is an excellent spot to start a day of exploring Yellow Springs.
OTHER LINKS:
-> Yellow Springs’ Chamber of Commerce site: www.yellowspringsohio.org
