
I love breakfast any time of the year, but breakfast in the Spring and Summer months is especially nice. Even if there isn't a patio involved, it's nice to park a little ways away from the restaurant and enjoy the weather for a few minutes before eating the best meal of the day. Earlier this month, on the first really nice Saturday of the year, I had the chance to meet up for breakfast at the Cafe Corner restaurant and eat out on their newly renovated patio.
If you go looking for Cafe Corner near the border of the Harrison West and Victorian Village neighborhoods, you very well may drive by it once or twice before you find it; Although it is right on the corner of Pennsylvania and 3rd Avenues as advertised, there is minimal signage on the exterior to help draw your attention. The building itself has a fairly stark exterior, apart from the attached patio adorned with umbrella tables. The interior, while colorful and inviting, is fairly stingy on table space. If you come on a day with inclement weather, you might consider running inside before parking to car to make sure there is room at one of the handful of tables. Fortunately, we had no issues finding an available table on the large patio.
Although I enjoyed my breakfast, I think my expectations set me up for a mild disappointment. After Jay recommended Cafe Corner, I did the customary "Googling" to get a little more information about it so I knew what to expect. Most of the reviews, not to mention the cafe's own marketing materials, bill it as a sort of semi-upscale deli. Their menu is filled with items such as the fig and prosciutto sandwich, turkey and goat cheese wrap, and the chimichurri steak sandwich. While I'm sure that those sandwiches are as delicious as they sound, their breakfast offerings weren't quite as exotic. After reviewing the menu and giving the "Big ol' Omelet" some serious consideration, I opted for the standard breakfast burrito, which is served with a side of hash browns.
The breakfast burrito was served up as described -- "egg, sausage and cheese in a flour tortilla" -- and the hash browns were served up in the standard shredded-and-fried style. And while it was exactly as advertised, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. I think my expectations had been built up with the promise of prosciutto and goat cheese to the point that it felt like a bit of a let down. The sandwich menu looks fantastic, and I have no doubt that the Mediterranean tuna salad sandwich is as fantastic as it sounds, but perhaps breakfast patrons would be better served coming in with Bob Evans expectations rather than Tasi Cafe expectations.
Finally, let's talk about the most important part of the meal: The coffee. Cafe Corner serves locally roasted coffee from Stauf's Coffee Roasters. I'm a big fan of local roasting, and specifically of Stauf's and their parent company Cup O Joe, so I was happy to learn that this was one meal I wouldn't have to add cream and sugar to my coffee to make it bearable. More specifically, the serve only organic, fair-trade coffees.
Cafe Corner is a reasonably priced breakfast option, and seems like an especially good choice when looking for outdoor dining with a group of friends. If you come expecting a decent meal at a decent price, you won't be let down. I'm definitely looking forward to returning during the lunch hours to try one of their more exotic offerings. Additionally, if you find yourself up late craving breakfast food, you might consider calling up Cafe Corner's late-night-delivery alter ego Eggs. I haven't experienced the delivery version of their breakfast first-hand, but I'm sure it's a service I'll take advantage of eventually.
Cafe Corner
1105 Pennsylvania Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43201
(614) 294-2233
None
None