Zachary's Downtown

Santa Cruz... what does it bring to mind? The Boardwalk? The redwoods? Hippies in the streets? Well, if you are a lover of breakfast, then it certainly conjures up Zachary's downtown. It's a morning institution. It's been there for decades and it's top quality food. They bake their own bread. The coffee's strong. And the sourdough pancakes are thin.

Kelly and I met the grandparents there last Saturday for a 9am breakfast. The place was jumping, but finding a seat didn't take long. Much better than Sunday. There's a sign-in sheet in the back corner.

As soon as you sit down, a server with a coffee pot rushes over. Three coffees and a cocoa please! The coffee is hot and strong, just the way I like it. The cocoa comes it a little chrome pot with a small bowl of whipped cream.

The decor has a definite Santa Cruz feel - plants hang from above, red bricks outside, the rustic wooden furniture, pictures of the Boardwalk on the walls. Big windows facing the Pacific Garden Mall allow sunlight to fill the place.

I ordered the basic breakfast ($6.95), which is supremely satisfying. The home fries have potatoes and onions sautéed on butter. They are just too good. My toast was oatmeal-molasses and was just slightly sweet to go well with the savory potatoes. The eggs were over easy and were perfect.

Kelly got her usual - eggs, bacon and pancakes ($9.50). What's not to love? The pancakes are thin but flavorful. The bacon was well cooked - none of those too chewy bits that are hard to tackle. The eggs are light and fluffy. I wish I could make them like that at home.

No review of Zachary's would be complete without mentioning the Mike's Mess ($11.25). A giant scramble of eggs, bacon, home fries, mushrooms, onions and cheese topped with green onions, chopped tomatoes and sour cream. You are not ready for this jelly. It also can be ordered has a half-portion ($9.25), which will still make you full. This pic is from Yelp since I did not get it this time. My brain can only handle this much breakfast greatness a few times a year. You can substitute other ingredients like garlic or avocado ($0.75 each). You can tell who is enjoying this meal by the moans of pleasure across the restaurant.

Zachary's is quite crowded on the weekends, so get there early. There's usually a coupon in the weekly local papers for during the work week. They also serve a fantastic lunch menu with burgers, soups and salads, but that's a review for another time.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 9
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Value for price: 8
Overall: 8.25