Eggs-R-Us

Being that tomorrow is Easter, it only seemed appropriate that we spend our Saturday Breakfast at a restaurant dedicated to eggs. (Ha, ha.) Eggs-R-Us is in the Crafton neighborhood of Pittsburgh, not too far from us, in a little strip mall that houses this diner's diner.

We were lucky enough to grab the last available table. This is one busy little place! It feels like the kind of place you love to go to for Saturday morning breakfast. It has a busy atmosphere, with tables and booths as close together as possible, and staff that navigates around like nothing, always with big smiles for everyone.  Very comfortable and warm.

The kitchen is exposed to the dining area, which I think takes some of the mystery out of things. (Definitely not a bad thing!) Service was pretty quick for as busy as they were, but while you wait it's fun to enjoy some of the cool pictures on the wall. My favorite is this one from Breakfast at Tiffany's. (Those are eggs on the wall behind the frame.) So classic.

It is a classic diner, so not a whole lot in the way of healthy, non-grilled, greasy food. Husband did pretty well however by picking the Body Builder Breakfast (5-egg white omelette with tomatoes, peppers, and onions, and wheat toast) and the obligatory pancake on the side (which was absolutely ginormous, by the way) but I succumbed to the French Toast Breakfast Sandwich (2-eggs atop grilled French toast with melted cheese and bacon) with a side of hash browns.

I really like this place for its friendliness. It can't be easy to run a diner, (this one is apparently family-owned) and we've been a lot of places where the food just isn't served with smiles. This place is the real deal, and no doubt has won over many of the locals who come back time and again. Yay for diners!

Square Café

Breakfast in Pittsburgh on this rainy Saturday morning took us to the Square Café in the Swissvale neighborhood of Pittsburgh. It's an uber-trendy little place with amazing selections and great people-watching.

Right off the parkway East, the café is neatly situated on a busy street in Regent Square. Spring is just now popping out, so the flowery trees made it feel just a bit less dreary today. The place was very busy, filled with couples, families, and other groups out to enjoy what is certainly one of The best breakfasts in the city.

The decor in the dining area is so bright and fun - The art on the walls is available for purchase, and today it was all kinds of 3D, art-deco, local artist selections. Lots of fun! The tables are as close together as can possibly be, but don't expect to talk to the folks sitting next to you (unlike last week's adventure).

The menu was really hard to choose from - Unlike so many places in Pittsburgh, Square Café Really has an interesting selection. Husband went for the Leek & Goat Cheese Scramble, that came with homefries & toast, and I nearly picked the Challah French Toast, until I was swayed by the "special" (soon to be found on their revised menu) oatmeal pancakes topped with peaches, chopped pecans, and homemade whipped cream. There was also a splendid selection of herbal teas, from which I picked a yummy organic chamomile spearmint. Needless to say, everything was absolutely amazing. And the presentation was so cute - I loved the bright and interesting ceramics!

On our way home, we drove past the Homewood Cemetery, and we couldn't resist stopping by for a stroll on such a gloomy day.  It's one of those really old, historic places, with a whole lot of "notable" Pittsburghers including Mellon, Frick, Benedum, Alderdice, and Heinz. Here's a few pictures of some special places we found...

 

 

Trolley Barn Eatery

Saturday Breakfast Adventures in Pittsburgh continue... Tucked away in a tiny strip mall in Castle Shannon borough is the Trolley Barn Eatery. A very small establishment with a whole lot of heart!

Had to drop my car off for an inspection today, and we remembered visiting here one time before with a friend, conveniently just down the road from the auto shop. This place has got to be the best example of a friendly, neighborhood restaurant.

When we arrived, we were immediately greeted by the owner, who asked us if we had been here before (it has been a while) and directed us to the counter where the menu is found on the wall, and orders are placed. You're responsible for pouring your own coffee, and grabbing your own syrup, jelly, etc. before sitting down where the kitchen staff will bring out your food. It's a cute little system, which surprisingly didn't feel at all like a cafeteria, but rather cozy and intimate.

Castle Shannon is a very small little community, and this is a place where "everybody knows your name." We arrived shortly after the 8am opening, and already several tables were filled with folks who knew each other and shared neighborly banter across tables. Twice while we were dining, it was a customer who came around and offered to refill our coffee! Even though we didn't know anyone, it felt like we were guests at a really casual dinner party.  Really nice.

The food was really good - I would even deem it better than last week's meal. Husband had the #2 (eggs, sausage & pancakes) and I picked the blueberry pancake special with bacon. Nothing too fancy to be sure, but very delicious and hearty serving sizes for such a low price.

Definitely a small town feel about this restaurant, despite being part of the city of Pittsburgh. Makes me a little nostalgic for my little hometown of Rochelle, IL. Love it!

The Original Pancake House

A dreary day in Pittsburgh today - cold, gray and freezing rain. So what can be more cheerful than a giant plateful of pancakes? Morning errands took us to the Greentree neighborhood of Pittsburgh and just down the road on top of a hill sits the Original Pancake House right next door to a Denny's restaurant. These are the only two businesses on the hill. The OPH looks like a newer build, with young landscaping, so does that mean they specifically chose the location to siphon off business from their competitor? Just sayin...

We arrived around 8:30 and I was surprised to not have to wait in any sort of line. There is a really large waiting area, and signs posted "we will not seat incomplete parties" indicating that they are expecting to be busy. So we sat down right away and received great service. The menu was quite informative. I now know that the OHP is not "original" to Pittsburgh, but is in fact a chain founded in Portland, OR in 1953 and is now all over the country. I even got a great definition of a pancake:

"Pancakes are the very old beginnings of bread and pastry. Generally a pancake is any kind of batter, fried or baked in a skillet, on a griddle, or on any hot surface. The peoples of all nationalities have made pancakes from time immemorial."

So now you know. I counted nearly 20 different ways to have your pancakes served. But the extensive menu doesn't stop there. Also available are a wide selection of omelets, crepes, waffles, and egg selections. 

Portions are extremely large. The plates are saucer-sized and my little camera had to stand way back to get everything in one shot. A funny breakfast habit I have is dipping my bacon in syrup. So I had to try their bacon waffle. (Add chopped/cooked bacon to the waffle batter.) And husband ordered an Irish omelet (corned beef & hash) with granola pancakes. 

The omelet was SO big, we ended up taking half of it home. We'll see if it's able to hold up as decent leftovers. The bacon waffle was quite convenient for me, and the granola pancakes seemed to be one of the only choices that didn't include a super-sweet topping. 

So even though it's not original or unique to Pittsburgh, it's a good choice for Saturday breakfast for the very hungry who appreciate a varied menu. 

My favorite part of the restaurant is the cute front doors!