American Breakfast
by Main Street Cafe, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, USA
I love breakfast!
As an American expat who has lived abroad in Thailand for the past decade, I have to say that, while I adore Thai food and can never get tired of it, the one thing I miss the most about the US is our breakfast food culture. On a recent visit to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, we stopped in at the Main Street Cafe for a fantastic traditional American diner experience.
As an American expat who has lived abroad in Thailand for the past decade, I have to say that, while I adore Thai food and can never get tired of it, the one thing I miss the most about the US is our breakfast food culture. On a recent visit to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, we stopped in at the Main Street Cafe for a fantastic traditional American diner experience.
 |
| American breakfast - hash browns, fried egg, bacon, and toast - Eureka Springs, AR, USA |
It was a chilly day outside, but we felt toasty and comfortable as soon as we stepped inside the Main Street Cafe. During the cold winter and springs months in northern Arkansas, a gas stove is kept on to keep the restaurant warm and cozy.
We sat down at a booth and ordered the breakfast plate (which came with bottomless coffee - an American diner staple!).
Wanting to sample everything, we each ordered different options for our breakfast plates.
We tried each of their options:
The hash browns were phenomenal. They were probably the best hash browns we have ever had! They were perfectly fried, lightly salted, I could have eaten an entire plateful of them by myself. While one should never consider eating hashbrowns without ketchup (it's requisite!), you really didn't need it at all with these. They were perfect on their own.
The bacon was crispy and almost burnt, exactly how I like it! Like I said, I'm something of a breakfast snob, and I like my bacon a very certain way. This was excellent.
The sausage patties, fried in the traditional American style, were seasoned wonderfully, and the biscuit (though I could have used a bit of gravy) was also sublime, especially with a pat of butter spread inside.
 |
| American breakfast - sausage, biscuit, fried egg, and southern-style grits, Eureka Springs, AR, USA |
The star of the show, though (in addition to those amazing hash browns), were the grits.
For those of you who might have grown up outside of the southern United States, grits are a breakfast staple. They are made from corn that has been ground into a coarse meal and then boiled. The resulting dish is a type of porridge, similar in texture to cream of wheat or polenta.
While a bit bland on their own, grits are often served with butter, cheese, or gravy to add flavor. They can be served at any meal, from breakfast to dinner, and they're often eaten as a side dish. These grits were served with a generous amount of salted butter - perfect!
 |
| grits, a southern US breakfast staple |
The cafe was busy with locals. That's how you know it's going to be good! We arrived around 10:00, just a bit before they stopped serving breakfast to prepare for the lunch rush. I'm sure that lunch (burgers, etc.) would be equally good!
I'm not exaggerating when I say that this was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had (and I'm a harsh judge of good breakfast food)!
 |
| inside Main Street Cafe, Eureka Springs, Arkansas |
Breakfast is served until 11:00am, after which a fantastic and equally delicious lunch menu of classic American-style diner dishes is rolled out.
More delicious Arkansas dishes
More amazing southern American breakfast
Traveler's Tips
 |
| historic downtown Eureka Springs, Arkansas, USA |
There's so much to see in Eureka Springs, Arkansas! Spend some time exploring the historic downtown and the famously haunted Crescent Hotel. Park at the city's Park and Ride facility and buy a day pass for the local hop-on-hop-off trolley, which can take you anywhere you need to go in the cool small town. Spend some time shopping and exploring the extremely steep and hilly streets of downtown.
Visit the famous Thorncrown Chapel, a beautiful non-denominational chapel made of glass and set in a beautiful portion of the Ozark Mountains.
 |
| Thorncrown Chapel, Eureka Springs, Arkansas |
Drive to see The Christ of the Ozarks, the nation's 11th tallest statue, affectionately nicknamed "the milk carton with arms", and stay to see the country's largest Passion Play (modeled after the one in Germany).
 |
| The Christ of the Ozarks, Eureka Springs, Arkansas |
Climb up Razorback Tower, an old fire watch tower now a tourist attraction with a super fun on-site gift shop of all things Arkansas!
Eat at Main Street Cafe, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
In my humble opinion, the best breakfast to be found in all of Eureka Springs is at the Main Street Cafe, which is located at 39 S Main St, Eureka Springs, AR 72632, United States. You can park downtown or stop at the park and ride station and take the Eureka Springs Trolley to the wonderful historic downtown neighborhood. From there, it's just a short walk to this incredible traditional American-style diner.
Main Street Cafe is open every day from 8:00am to 3:00pm. Visit their website https://main-street-cafe-eureka-springs.business.site/ for more details.
See the map below for the exact location:
Comments
Post a Comment