An easy breakfast at Over Easy

Breakfast is one of those meals that is an event for me. If I’m going to breakfast I’m not going to just any restaurant. Not to hate on IHOP or Waffle House, but those places are where you eat after a night of partying when it’s 2 a.m. and no other restaurant is open. To me, if I’m heading to brunch of breakfast, I want my food to be fresh, I want the atmosphere to be nice and I want to sit and truly enjoy my coffee and eggs, pancakes or whatever it is I choose to eat. Over Easy is definitely at the top of my list when it comes to breakfast in Colorado Springs, for many reasons. The food is always good, ingredients are fresh and the menu items are unique but classic. Most people have some extra time off this week for New Year’s Day, so instead of sleeping in, maybe you should get to Over Easy for a great breakfast. Here are some items I’ve tried in the past and LOVED.

Start off with a coffee or hot cocoa. Their baristas do a great job of making your coffee exactly how you ask. I’m a fan of their cappuccino.

One of my favorite foods is eggs Benedict and this is something that is always a hit or miss food item at most breakfast spots – IF a restaurant even has it on the menu. Over Easy offers five different Benedicts and I’ve tried three of them – the Classic, the Tuscan and the Wild Caught Lump Crab Cake. So far, the eggs are always cooked perfect. The Tuscan Benedict is made with prosciutto, tomato, fresh basil, hollandaise and is then drizzled with balsamic. The balsamic really makes a difference in the dish and I love it. It’s my favorite. The Wild Caught Lump Crab Cake was great the first time I ordered it. The poached eggs sit on top of a crap cake and spinach and red cabbage salad. It’s then topped with a roasted red pepper vinaigrette and hollandaise. I’ve ordered it TWICE since then, hoping it would once again be as good as the first time, but I probably won’t order it again. I’m not sure if it’s because of the way the crab cake is made now that this is a regular menu item (it used to be a special), but it just has an odd texture and I’m not a fan. That said, it isn’t bad – Over Easy just has so many other great options that there’s no need to order something mediocre when other menu items are outstanding.

The breakfast tacos are easily one of the best meals at Over Easy. The three flour tortillas are each filled with hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, big chunks of avocado, peppers, onions, cheese, pico de gallo and either bacon or chorizo. The tortillas aren’t overfilled, but they still have enough that by the third taco you’re questioning if you should really finish the plate. The answer is yes. Duh. It’s a nice change from a typical breakfast burrito and again, the fresh ingredients really make it stand out.

Some of my other favorites on the menu include the Biscuits and Gravy which is topped with a sausage and sage gravy that is to die for, and the Fred’s Hawaiian Pancakes made with pineapple, toasted coconut and topped with housemade vanilla cream anglaise.

If you’re not a breakfast person that’s OK. Over Easy also serves lunch and makes a killer grilled cheese sandwich. It’s melted swiss and havarti cheeses, fresh basil and sliced tomato, drizzled with Colorado honey and stuffed between two slices of grilled sourdough bread. The honey sounds strange but it gives the sandwich something extra that really brings together the sourdough bread and havarti cheese.

Over Easy is located downtown at 28A S. Tejon St. and at University Village at 5262 N. Nevada #100. The University Village location is a bit larger, but both places typically have at least a 20 minute wait so be sure to get there early. Happy Brunching!