**** (4 stars)
I love the Village Inn, and this location is no exception. The menu is vast, and their skillets are my favorite version of this breakfast item anywhere. I also love that they leave a thermos of coffee on the table. Service is consistently good, and the dining room is bright and cheerful in a fun retro way.
Village Inn
8370 Sherman St
Thornton, CO
80221
(303) 427-7555
https://www.yelp.com/biz/village-inn-thornton-8
**** (4 stars)
Absolutely classic delicatessen with excellent quality ingredients and traditionally huge portions. The pastrami is the best I’ve had anywhere, tender and very flavorful. It’s great that most sandwiched are available in half portions with soup or salad. Split pea soup was thick and flavorful, with lots of meat. Very efficient service. Come at an off-time or be prepared to wait!
Brent’s Deli – Westlake Village
2799 Townsgate Rd
Westlake Village, CA
91361
(805) 557-1882
https://www.yelp.com/biz/brents-deli-westlake-village-westlake-village-2
*** (3 stars)
Back when there weren’t many Tex Mex restaurants in town, we used to go here all the time. (Actually, our history goes back far longer, because back in the 80s this was our Sun Bank!) But somehow it fell off our radar, and we hadn’t been in years. We were surprised to discover the extensive remodel, which involved moving the door and making the bar area much larger and better than it used to be.
Unfortunately, the food hasn’t improved along with the decor. We shared an appetizer sampler, and it was pretty ho-hum. To give you an idea of how far this place has strayed from Mexican or Tex-Mex, the best thing on the platter was Buffalo wings. And, oddly, every single item included chicken, so that’s not really much of a sampler, is it?
The highlight was the house margarita, which was an excellent blend of balanced ingredients. Service was friendly and professional.
Chevys Fresh Mex
12547 State Rd 535
Lake Buena Vista, FL
32836
(407) 827-1052
https://www.yelp.com/biz/chevys-fresh-mex-lake-buena-vista
All star breakfast
Interior
Exterior
*** (3.5 stars)
You know what? Waffle House has good food.
I know, I know, they’re kind of low-brow, old fashioned, tacky, but that can be fun. And I would put their All-Star breakfast up against Denny’s, Keke’s or First Watch any day.
My over easy eggs were perfectly cooked, the super crispy bacon was full of flavor–as was the waffle–and the hashbrowns were well done as I requested. Coffee was decent and the service was attentive. What more can you ask?
Waffle
6990 W Colonial Dr
Orlando, FL
32818
(407) 293-8048
https://www.yelp.com/biz/waffle-house-orlando
Bacon cheeseburger includes fries, cookie and a side of chili
Interior
** (2 stars)
I’m always amazed a the value Steak and Shake offers. For the price of a burger at a fast food chain you can get a good sized specialty burger, a half a plate of fries, a large bowl of chili (or other side of your choice) and a cookie. And it’s table service. There are better burgers in town, but there aren’t better deals.
Steak ’n Shake
12163 S Apopka-vinland Rd
Orlando, FL
32836
(407) 238-9550
https://www.yelp.com/biz/steak-n-shake-orlando-4
Exterior
Interior
Veggie omelet
**** (4 stars)
I really like the interior decor of this place, with high, modern ceilings, and large walls of glass. It’s much nice than the other First Watches I’ve been to, and also the competitors.
I have to confess that I’m a bit old school as far as breakfast, and I actually prefer most of the items at coffee shops to here, but there are some more heathful options that are interesting. The veggie omelet is a good choice, for example.
The staff was friendly and service was quick.
First Watch
7910 Winter Garden Vineland Road
Windermere, FL
33125
(407) 612-2022
https://www.yelp.com/biz/first-watch-windermere
Breakfast burrito
Tomato soup and grilled cheese
Interior
**** (4 stars)
This is a good place for 24 hour comfort food. Even though it’s right off the casino floor, it’s not smoky and not noisy.
The portions are large. The tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich was listed under “snacks” but my companion could only finish half of it! I had the breakfast burrito (substituting bacon for chorizo) and couldn’t finish it, either. Both were quite good.
Service is good, and our server was vigilant about keeping the coffee cups–which are the size of salad bowls–topped off.
The Henry
3708 Las Vegas Blvd SLevel 1, The Boulevard Tower
Las Vegas, NV
89109
(702) 698-7980
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-henry-las-vegas
***** (5 stars)
This is my favorite place to eat in Celebration. They have an eclectic selection of wines by the glass, and a nice sampling of small plates and sandwiches. The outside dining on the sidewalk is one of the nicest outdoor spots in Central Florida.
On a recent visit we enjoyed a bruschetta special the most
Imperium Food & Wine
606 Market St
Celebration, FL 34747
(407) 566-9054
https://www.yelp.com/biz/imperium-food-and-wine-celebration
Interior
Exterior
Belgian waffle and bacon
**** (4 stars)
I guess I’m a little ambivalent about Keke’s menu. It’s probably because I’m not a big fan of sweets, and the emphasis here is on sweet variants of waffles and pancakes.
The rest of the menu is pretty much typical eggs and omelet dishes that aren’t particular standouts, and are more expensive that at traditional coffee shops.
On the other hand, the atmosphere is bright and open, and the service is excellent.
Keke’s Breakfast Cafe
6526 Old Brick Rd
Ste 130
Windermere, FL 34786
(407) 612-5800
https://www.yelp.com/biz/kekes-breakfast-cafe-windermere
Interior
Exterior
Ranch hand
**** (4 stars)
This place is a complete remodel of the Italian place that was here before. Although I miss that place, this is probably a better space for serving three meals a day for the attached hotel. It’s lighter and more open, and looks more like a diner.
There’s a large selection of various burger styles, but you can get pretty much anything you like on them. The patties are the smashed kind, so they’re all cooked all the way through. I had the Ranch Hand, basically a BBQ bacon cheeseburger, and it was very good.
The accompanying fries weren’t very exciting, but a side order of onion rings was nicely done.
Service was friendly. The kitchen was a bit slow, considering they weren’t busy, but we weren’t in a hurry.
Bill’s Bar & Burger
30 E Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 595-0446
https://www.yelp.com/biz/bills-bar-and-burger-chicago