Eat

Eat is located on Page Blvd in Springfield, Massachusetts.

This part of Springfield was more a working-man town, and, from the outside, this would be the last place you'd expect an awesome breakfast. It's also not necessarily the area you'd expect tourists to come to (FYI, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is a few minutes away). There is street parking, and otherwise a parking lot out back will hold a few cars. But that's why they say not to judge a book by its cover.

Eat doubles as a counter window-ordering spot where people can get boxed lunches to go. Catering options are available.

You go inside and there's a few tables in this small space. Probably no more than 20 people can fit. There were two people working. One was the cook, while the other handled all the front-of-house duties and assisted with final dish prep.

The menu includes omelets, benedicts, pancakes, and other usual American breakfast staples.

The tradition never changes. I start my breakfasts with coffee thirty. Only $1.65 for coffee at a sit-down joint. Seriously?! Probably the cheapest I've seen in ages.

The pancake here was probably a good 8 inches in diameter and very fluffy. Probably one of the better pancakes that I've had in a long time. One is $2.95 - and just one is usually encouraged. The server noted how people would try for two or three pancakes, then regret it after seeing what comes out.

I got the Corned Beef 3-Egg Omelet ($8.75): fresh corned beef hash with choice of cheese. I picked American for my cheese. Excellent, succulent hash. The home fries here were a home run, with a slight crisp on the outside and pillowy inside. Perfectly cooked and seasoned. Very good wheat toast, with just the right amount of butter spread on top.

For a two-person staff, everything was awesome. There were a few locals also enjoying their breakfast here. As noted above, very reasonable prices. A meal like this elsewhere could easily top $12, just for the omelet. The entire meal here was under $15.

This is probably one of the more surprising hidden gems that I've had the pleasure to write about on this blog. The power of the internet strikes again.

If you're in Springfield, head to Eat! 9.25/10