Blueberry pancakes, that is. They, along with blackberry pancakes, were the specials for today at the Cape Charles Coffee House. And special they were, indeed!
Today, being Father’s Day, meant that restaurants across the land were probably busy. Not as chaotic as Mother’s Day, but busy enough. We had waited until almost 1:00 PM to eat lunch, in hopes of missing the masses that had done the usual Sunday church to lunch trek. Our plan *almost* worked…
We had tried another restaurant, but found the wait too long, so we drove into Cape Charles proper in hopes of finding something open. Our next choice was closed, leaving us slowly driving down the main drag in town, Mason Avenue. With the old Eastern Shore Railroad on our left, the long row of mom and pop shops on the right offered a variety of choices. But alas, today was Father’s Day. Most were closed.
The Cape Charles Coffee House, however, was open at 12:55 PM when we walked in for lunch. The very pleasant young lady who was our server gave us our menus and asked us what we would want as far as drinks. Seeing the menus were for breakfast, we asked about lunch.
“Well, we actually only serve breakfast today, until 1:00 when we close. You all just made it!”
Now I have worked in restaurants in the past. I know what it is like to have people come in right before you close. The first thought through your mind is “oh no, now I’m going to be stuck here for an extra hour” meaning a big $2.17 extra in my hourly wage, probably for a 5% tip since most people can’t handle the math of 15% and don’t think anyone deserves 20%.
This was, happily, not the case at the Cape Charles Coffee House.
The server was professional, accurate, and treated us like we were her best customers. We were never hurried and never felt like we had people waiting for us to leave. You know that feeling, bus boys or cooks leering at you from afar, sometimes voicing their opinions loud enough for you to hear. No, this was not the case. We had a great brunch, probably better than had we gone to the other places which were overcrowded. I am sure our service was better, by far.
Let’s get to the eats: awesome. All made from scratch. Hot food was served hot; cold food was served cold. Very tasty. Here’s the rundown:
Blueberry pancakes. Light, fluffy, probably a half inch thick. Blueberries inside, a few on top. A good 8 inches across. Three on the plate. Mine came with eggs and bacon. My wife asked for a side of honey to use instead of maple syrup. Normally she would get a little pre-packaged “honey sauce,” but was elated when she was given a small bowl of real honey.
French Toast. Three huge pieces of Texas-style toast, lightly coated in egg and perfectly fried. Came with a little side of passion fruit. My teenage daughter loved it – and if you can get a seal of approval from a teenager, you have a winner!
Belgian Waffle – filled up the plate. Light and fluffy, like the pancakes. A home recipe from the family that owns and operates the coffee house.
Lox and Bagel – two bagel halves, topped with salmon, cream cheese, tomato, red onion and a few capers. Big enough that my mother in law had to take half home in a box.
The food was perfect and the quality of the coffee matched it. I am guessing it was locally roasted. Strong and full of flavor, the java was better than…well, you know.
Next time you find yourself on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, stop by the Cape Charles Coffee House. Located in historic Cape Charles at 241 Mason Avenue, for more information, see their website at http://www.capecharlescoffeehouse.com. Take a deep breath and enjoy the food *and* the service!
Exploding Potatoes 