Excellent Breakfast with One Misstep.

I met my daughter here for breakfast and it was very good. Arrived at about 8:50 on a Saturday morning. There is plenty of parking around and across the street from the restaurant.

The restaurant has an old diner feel. Chrome, diamond plate, vinyl-covered stools, and Formica tabletops. Everything was clean and the lighting was good.

I was greeted by the hostess as soon as I walked in. She was very friendly, grabbed a couple of menus, and led me to a two-person booth. The booth was a tight space, but still nice. I had been concerned the restaurant would be crowded this late in the morning, but fewer people were eating on this Saturday. Maybe Middleton wakes up later.

My server was friendly and upbeat. She introduced herself (Yasmin) and asked if I wanted anything while I waited for my breakfast companion. COFFEE. Yasmin was back in under a minute with coffee and something I have not seen in a year when dining – a coffee pot. They list the coffee as bottomless on the menu and I could refill my cup. This was a nice touch and kept me from having to flag down Yasmin if I wanted more. The coffee (by Colectivo) smelled wonderful, had a great flavor, and was hot. The trifecta of the coffee world.

After my daughter arrived and had some time to look at the menu, we both ordered. My daughter had the Traditional French toast, a side of sausage and fruit. I had the Mile high omelet that comes with hash browns and a biscuit. We engaged in small talk while waiting for our food and after about ten minutes it appeared at the table.

The French toast consisted of six thick half slices of bread that were cooked to a beautiful golden-brown color. The fruit was a mix of grapes and melon. The sausage patties were a good size and browned well. My daughter pronounced all of the items delicious and offered me a sample. I had to pass on the offer.

My omelet (covering half of the plate) was cooked to a rich yellow color without a hint of brown – someone knows what they are doing. The hash browns occupied the other half of the plate, were crispy, and browned nicely on the outside while soft on the inside. The only letdown was the biscuit. It was large with an almost lacquered top and looked like it had just been plucked from the oven. I would soon discover that looks were deceiving.

Inside the Omelet:
The blend of peppers, onion, ham, and cheddar was cooked to perfection. There was a hint of crispness left in the vegetables. The ham was warm and juicy without any browning. And the cheese was a melted pillow inside the fluffy egg blanket. I needed to add more salt and pepper, but that is just me. They also had @CholulaHotSauce (one of my favorite condiments) at the table.

The Hash Browns:
The exterior strings of potato had a pleasing golden-brown color and crispness. They had the perfect snap and crunch. The flavor was all potato. No hint of unpleasant oil that some restaurants use. The inside of the hash browns was soft and pillowy. I did not see a hint of salt or pepper on them which is fine with me – I usually need to add more anyway.

The Biscuit:
The biscuit was presented on a side plate with butter and a jelly packet. It looked homemade. It looked beautiful. A craggy golden-brown top with a sheen to it that was almost shiny. I could hardly wait to taste it. Alas, after I cut into the outer crust and tried to spread the butter on the soft interior I was greeted by cold disappointment. The biscuit was cold. What a shame. The next time I visit I will make sure to request they heat the biscuit.

One misstep does not warrant a poor review.

There is plenty of variety to choose from and I believe that most breakfast seekers would be extremely pleased to dine at the Hubbard Avenue Diner. The restaurant began to fill up around 10 AM so you may want to dine early. hubbardavenuediner.com