The Breakfast House

1817 Fruitville Road
Sarasota, FL 34236

Ah breakfast.  It's the most important meal of the day- and my personal favorite.   I mean, what's not to love?  Fluffy eggs, savory sausage and bacon, and of course, sweet treats like pancakes and waffles.  So when it was my turn to choose a place for the Ladies of Lunch, I knew exactly where I wanted to take them.

There are several breakfast joints around Sarasota and Bradenton, but to me, the best place for some good hearty morning eats is the charming Breakfast House on Fruitville Road.

I noticed this place right after I moved down here.  I would drive by and be tickled by the adorable yellow house and simple sign.  I couldn't wait for the next free weekend when we could stop by before heading down to the beach or farmer's market.  I texted the address to the ladies, keeping the destination a secret, and crossed my fingers that they would enjoy it as much as I always did.

I arrived first (shockingly) and gave my name to the hostess seated at one of the tables near the front door on the porch and then sat down myself.  The place was already hopping, with fashionable women in elegantly funky exercise outfits and snowbirds in pastel shorts.  Soon, Kim joined me and not long after, Rachel arrived.

The girls commented on how they too had always driven by this place but had never gone in.  Though it sits close to busy Fruitville Road, The Breakfast House is also embedded in the colorful district of former circus performer residences.  The buildings were in danger of being knocked down until the locals rallied and had them repurposed as local businesses.

I explained this little bit of background to the girls as the hostess began to lead us to the back outdoor area which is sectioned off with a white fence and decorated with all kinds of plants and ornaments.

"Aw look! They even have an actual yellow brick road," Kim said, pointing to the yellow blocks that made up the path.

As we followed the hostess, we noticed a table set up with sparkly and silvery jewelry.  A local store had set up shop for the morning and we all stopped briefly to take a look.  While Rachel and I looked over a few bracelets, Kim found something she really loved.

"I normally walk past things like this, but the cool atmosphere here just inspired me!" Kim said.

We were led to a table that had no umbrella with it which was fine, except that we were repeatedly sprinkled with leaves and small debris from the trees overhead.  Still, the girls were quickly becoming charmed by the place.

"Look at the salt and pepper shakers!  They're so cute!" exclaimed Rachel when she noticed the adorable ceramic bunny rabbit shakers.

Then it was on to the business of breakfast.  The girls looked over their menus and when the server came around, we placed our orders.

Rachel ordered the Tuscan omelet with three eggs, mushroom, goat cheese, pesto and sun dried tomatoes.

Kim followed my lead and we both ordered my go-to, "Uncle Harry's Hearty Breakfast", which includes two eggs, bacon or sausage, potatoes, and pancakes.  Being a special occasion, we both upgraded our pancakes.  Kim selected the white chocolate macadamia nut and I had been dreaming about the banana nut for days.

As we drifted into conversation, we were lulled by the gentle tones of the live guitar player who strummed softly in the background.

Soon, our food arrived.  Kim and I excitedly dug into our rich luscious pancakes while Rachel tasted her omelet.

"This is delicious!  I don't even need to add ketchup."

We shared our pancakes around so we could all have a taste.  I enjoyed my sweet banana nut pancakes, but I was in love with Kim's white chocolate macadamia nut.  I felt they had a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors.  Rachel seemed to agree.

"These pancakes are better than I could make at home," she said.

If there was a con, it was that when I went to dig out some butter from the small tin, I noticed a big dead fly sitting on top.  We notified the owner as she walked by and she quickly swept it up and got us a new butter container.  While it did gross us out at first, we were able to shake it off and judge the place as a whole.

Here's the Ladies of Lunch breakdown for The Breakfast House:

MENU	TASTE	LOCATION	PRESENTATION	CLEANLINESS	SERVICE	ATMOSPHERE
8	7	6	7.5	6.2	6.5	8.5

Final Thoughts:

Kim-  I enjoyed the artsy feel and look of this place.  From the patrons to the staff, I felt cooler just eating here!  I enjoyed the food but I was more impressed with the uniqueness of this place more.  Sitting outside and listening to the live music with a cool breeze, I was so relaxed.  The inside was a little cramped, especially for a busy Sunday morning, but outside was peaceful and beautiful.

Rachel-  It was annoying that the leaves and debris kept falling on us but I'd rather have that than be sitting inside.  If we were sitting at one of the tables with an umbrella, it would have been better.  The server was nice, just busy.  Overall, I enjoyed the feel of the Breakfast House,  I'd call it Florida shabby-chic.  Very laid back yet classy.

Kris-  This is one of my favorite breakfast spots, and not just for the food, but for the atmosphere.  The eggs and sausage were cooked just how I liked them, and the pancakes are killer- sweet but not too sweet.  It was unfortunate that I found the dead fly in the butter, but I would still take people here as it is a definite example of local Sarasota charm and culture.