Early Riser Breakfast

The Early Riser Breakfast ucked away in sleepy North Smithfield. Like many other breakfast spots, they advertise a varied menu of many breakfast classics. How does this mom and pop (mom serves and pop cooks) operation rate?

First, I and my wife entered a clean dinning room. Our waitress (the wife) offered us fresh coffee. She said it was Dunkin' Donuts, which was perfectly brewed. I ordered scrambled eggs, corned beef and hash, hashbrowns and wheat toast, while my wife ordered sunny-side up style eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and white toast. We did not wait long for both plates, which smelled amazing.

My dish, which also came with home fries, was perfectly cooked. I did not like the canned Hashbrowns offered, though the large quartered coins of potatoes tasted wonderful with the slightly singed scrambled eggs. My toast was decent but tasted too much like wonder bread for me to get excited over it.

My wifes eggs were perfectly cooked, something of which I still struggle with when preparing her eggs sunny side up. She did not enjoy her hash browns, but she did enjoy the crispiness of the bacon. Her white toast was rather bland and dry.

Overall, we received a quick and tasty breakfast that did not impress us, but it also did not deter us from returning. If you're looking for a quick bite to eat and a hot cup of coffee, feel free to visit the Early Riser in North Smithfield.

The Early Riser has a full website with everything you could want to know.

Rating: B

Athena's

Nestled in downtown Cranston, Athena's stands out with the egg as part of the logo. Sometimes patrons are afraid of breakfast joints located in stripmalls. This should not be one of those times. When looking for a good breakfast, those places produce the best food. Athena's continued that tradition.

Farm fresh eggs, savory and crispy hashbrowns, and delicious bacon made the meal. Crispy Italian bread toast complimented the big three with a meal that was fit for a goddess. The food came out quick and everything was perfect. Me and my wife wanted to order a delicious looking fruit cup (spotted at another table), but our stomachs would not allow it. The best part? The bacon. I normally hate bacon, yet Athena's serves the best bacon I have ever tasted.

The interior was clean, though it looked a bit rough. The service was excellent with easy parking. Everything fit perfectly and created a memorable breakfast. We will return to try some other dishes, including a tasty looking pancake dish served with nutella spread and chopped, roasted hazel nuts. We also still want that fruit salad.



Rating: A+