Sometimes you want something nice and simple for breakfast. It also helps when nice and simple tastes good and doesn’t cost a ton of money.
That was my thinking this morning after dropping off my daughter for camp and needing a quick fix so I’d have something to write about.
It’s been a trying week that I’ve filled with 30+ hours of overtime, so quick and simple was just the ticket I sought.
Where best to eat breakfast in the valley, when you seek a perfect combination of price, taste, and simplicity? Yes, I headed our U.S. 40 from the Bridgeport exit in search of Sonny Boy.
I can’t tell you how long it’s been there, but given I was alive for much of the 1980s, and I can remember my dad and I stopping by for breakfast on weekends when I was still in my elementary years, the shortest answer is “a long time.”
It’s also a long time since I’ve been there, for no other reason than I usually prefer to whip up breakfast on my own.
But today was not one of those days, and it was nice to see that the valley’s quintessential diner hasn’t lost its touch over the years.
Eggs, home fries, and sausage. Plus toast, all under $5. You can’t beat it. The wheat toast. I should have flipped it over so you could see it drenched in melted butter. Delish.
The Food
Flying solo today, simple, cheap (price, not quality), and quick was the name of the game.
Sonny Boy’s breakfast menu is never extensive. There are a number quality options, all at great prices. But the regulars have their favorites, and despite not being there for a number of years, I was no different.
Eggs, hash browns, sausage and toast. You can’t beat it. So that’s what I ordered and, given I’ve completely cut out caffeine and soda, I opted for water.
Unlike some restaurants, Sonny Boy brings you a nice tall, cool glass of ice water. There’s not little cup here thankfully.
I started piddling around on my phone, checking the sports news and my messages. I forgot how quick the service at Sonny Boy was.
Before I even realized it, my breakfast, plus toast, was plopped down in front of me. My waitress made sure I didn’t need anything else and went about assisting her other customers.
Let me say I have a specific way I cook my scrambled eggs and prefer them. I start mixing the eggs nearly immediately as I like the fluffy. This isn’t how they are cooked at Sonny Boy, but it’s still a quality scrambled egg. Plus, a wee bit of salt and some Frank’s cranks up the flavor profile nicely.
But the eggs weren’t really what I was after. It’s those delicious home fries.
Generally when you ask for home fries, you get fried-up and browned cubes of potato, lightly salted. But Sonny Boy’s home fries have just the right amount of mashed while still retaining that friend taste. Next to my dad’s, I’d say they are the best I’ve enjoyed.
The three sausage links were tasty as well and, intermixed with the hash browns, created a quality taste combination.
The Service
My waitress was incredibly friendly and attentive, despite having a number of tables.
Another bonus is the cost, as stated above. I got a nice portion of food, plus the two slices of buttered wheat toast, for less than $5. That, folks, is a bargain. I don’t care where you’re from.
I spent less than five, so I tipped a five and was on my way, probably all in less than 20 minutes. I call that money and time well spent.
Sonny Boy is located at 881 National Road in Bridgeport.
