Breakfast Republic: Restaurant Review!

I am a foodie. This I have confessed many times over. I am not ashamed and I never will be. I will forever eat for hunger and joy. I will continue to seek the best and spread the word. I believe the best things is life should be shared and that's exactly what I try to do here on The White Rocking Chair. Today is no different. 

Being the foodie I am, I try to eat at restaurants that are either new or extremely well talked about. I do eat at "hole in the wall" eateries and "locally known" joints as well. I have found that sometimes the restaurants that are raved about, don't stand up to par with places that are small and personal. I am not someone to base my opinion off of "ambiance". Of course I include that notation in my reviews, but I go to eat, not stare at decor. 

The entire experience as a whole is what makes or breaks a place for me. The food holds 70% of my rating, the servers/hostesses/busboys hold 20% and ambiance 10%. This is to explain how I come up with my reviews, in case you were curious. 

There is a local restaurant in San Diego, CA called "Breakfast Republic". They are only open for breakfast/brunch hours at the North Park location (7am to 3pm), but have later hours at the Liberty Station location (7am to 8pm). I will say that I have not personally ventured to the Liberty Station location, so this entire review will be based on the North Park location. However, I have heard similar reviews from close personal friends on how the Liberty Station location is. The biggest difference is simply the smaller portions for "after hours" (3pm to 8pm). 

In case you couldn't guess the majority of the menu is in fact breakfast items, with drafts and specialty - alcoholic - drinks as well. Of course they have your typical coffee and OJ, but they do have Mexican Mocha's as well. One of my favorites. 

My son, my mom, my uncle, and I went to enjoy a nice breakfast together at Breakfast Republic, in celebration for my mom's birthday. She's actually the one who took us out to eat! We were even able to order different items and we all had an opinion on how this restaurant really holds up. 

I will be honest with you all right now and tell you that I have been here 2 times before, during different times to correctly create this review. I tried different items and I've had a similar experience each time. Now that you know, here's what I truly think of this place. 

When you walk up to the North Park Breakfast Republic, you will quickly realize that this isn't some "fancy shmancy" place that everyone dresses up to enjoy. It's a "kickback, relax, and enjoy some food", kind of place. My kind of place. 

First off, they don't accept reservations. This place is mildly small with bar style seating in the front - you can even enjoy a beverage in this area while you wait for your table - and seating in the center of the building. They also have a little back patio area, with large wrap around booths to seat multiple families. No worries, you won't be bumping elbows with someone you don't know. There is plenty of space to go around and that includes inside. 

Inside you will be greeted with an almost "eclectic western" vibe. You'll find that most of the table are either equipped with 4 chairs or two and only has 1 family sized booth in the far back corner near the patio entrance. I will say that inside is a little noisy compared to outside - which isn't necessarily quiet either - but it isn't the "head splitting" chatter either. It's a very mild tone with kitchen noises, to where you can easily have a private conversation with your eating mates without having to scream or be overheard. To me - the anxious mother with a 5 year old - it's very enjoyable. 

For our meal today, we sat outside. Prior to today, I have sat inside. 

Once we were seated by the friendly hostess - we were immediately seated today, but sometimes the wait can be roughly 45 minutes, possibly longer - our server immediately attended to our needs. Luckily we all checked the website for their menu prior to arriving (see HERE), so we all knew what we wanted and were able to decrease the wait time for our food. This is a huge plus for me, because as soon as I sit down as a restaurant, I'm starving. 

Within about 15 minutes our food arrived with portions to suit a king. Each and every individual plate smelled unique and had the appealing presentation that would make artists weep. I can't even begin to describe the amount of joy on all of our faces when our amazing food arrived in front of us. With every single breath, you could specifically distinguish the smells of each persons dish, without once thinking you were disgusted or disappointed.

The first bites were even more stupendous. 

My son ordered chocolate chip pancakes, I ordered chilaquiles, my uncle ordered steak and eggs, and my mother ordered a burrito. I don't have a picture of my mothers food, mainly because the burrito - while still aw-inspiring - was being devoured before it hit the table. Everyone was freaking hungry, especially when we saw the food. Luckily I convinced my son and uncle to bare with me so I could snap a few quick pictures for you all. 

My son's chocolate chip pancakes came as a plate sized trio. To be completely clear EACH pancake was plate sized. I'm not even joking. My son devoured one pancake in a matter of minutes and was stuffed. No worries though, he took it home and devoured them for dessert. His exact words were "mmphffm" with a thumbs up. In case you were wondering, he had his mouth full and couldn't utter a single word. Silence from a 5 year old? I think we found a winner. 

My mother's burrito must have been amazing, because she didn't have a single complaint about the entire thing. She is extremely honest when it comes to food critiques, so if she doesn't have a bad thing to say, you know it's good. 

My uncles steak and eggs were not only giant sized, but sizzling with the essence of what I hope to be the smell of heaven. I actually wanted to try a bite, but seeing as how I had my own beast sized plate to finish, I didn't. No worries though, I will be back for it soon.

My plate. Chilaquiles. (Yes I ordered this before at "Great Maple" - see that review HERE. I love chilaquiles. Of course I'm going to try them here!) The black beans were perfectly cooked and lightly sprinkled with cotija cheese. The rice was soft and flavorful like all rice should be, with just enough spice to make me want more and more. The eggs - I ordered them over easy - were gooey and fluffy with perfection all around. The tortilla strips and sauce...oh em gee. 

I will say that it isn't absolutely perfect as my abuelita (grandma) would make them, but let me tell you. It hit extremely close to home for me. With every single bite I was "mmm"-ing and could almost feel the wood behind my back from my abuela's kitchen chair. The spice, flavor, and consistency was pure decadents and I want more and more of it. The smell was intoxicating beyond compare and now, I'm hungry. 

To give you the shorter version, this place can not only create food art, but they kill it in the flavor game all around! 

Their breakfast items aren't all traditional and even if you do go for simple pancakes and eggs, you will still be given an explosion of deliciousness. 

In other words, you HAVE to go. If you're in San Diego, CA, GO NOW! The prices aren't horrendous, the workers aren't atrocious, the food isn't over hyped. It's all perfection. The environment is well played, the food is amazing, the workers are friendly, the food is scrumptious, and the experience is enjoyable. Oh, and the food is mouthwatering. 

I can tell you that when I go next time around to Breakfast Republic - and I will be back again, I will be ordering a new menu item - most likely the steak and eggs - and I will be sharing it with you all - most likely on Instagram. 

I give Breakfast Republic North Park location, 5 out of 5 stars!

Now that I've relived this wondrous breakfast, I'm once again starving. So have a wonderful night, go eat something tasty, and I'll talk to you all tomorrow!