Joseph Chavez
Staff Writer
With many breakfast choices in La Verne, there are a few that stand out compared to the rest.
Roberta’s Village Inn is one of these places.
This diner is located on D Street in downtown, a short walk from campus. The diner is a vintage 1950s style diner with booths on both sides where parties can choose where to sit. The kitchen is visible from the counter where customers can catch the aroma of bacon, pancakes, eggs and many more breakfast items.
Janett Connor, a resident of La Verne, said the restaurant’s atmosphere caught her interest.
“It reminds me of the diners I always went to when I was younger,” Connor said. “I’m really happy they kept this style throughout the years.”
The menu has classics such as buttermilk or blueberry pancakes, omelets, waffles, hash browns, bacon and more options as well. It even has lunch and dinner options that include sandwiches, chicken fried steak, fish and chips, ribs, fried chicken and more. Most meals are around $11, which include the entree and a side of your choosing.
Customers such as Richard Penn, resident of Montclair and regular at the restaurant, love the pricing of the diner.
“I love that it isn’t too expensive and they give you quality food, so it feels like my money is being spent well,” Penn said.
The buttermilk pancakes which were fluffy and hot out of the kitchen, which gave it a very authentic taste. I had some bacon and hash browns as well that were both cooked wonderfully and tasted homemade. The wait time was only around 10 minutes for the food, which was a delightful surprise. Coupled with the price, the visit to Roberta’s Village Inn was very much worth it.
Broken Yolk Cafe is a restaurant located at the La Verne Town Center which is a fairly short drive from campus or a fairly long walk. It has a much more modern design with a bustling amount of people sitting down eating at various booths or tables. There is also a counter where you can see the kitchen where the workers are prepping the food waiting to be served to customers.
The menu has a variety of classic options such as pancakes but with different styles such as chocolate chip, buttermilk, butterscotch or cranberry. They have a pretty expansive menu which includes french toast, crepes, omelets, fresh salads, sandwiches, skillets and more.
Another worthy note to mention is their drinks which include smoothies, milkshakes, mimosas and teas.
Noah Hughes, resident of La Verne and regular at Broken Yolk Cafe, emphasized the variety of the menu.
“I’m always coming back because there’s just so much and every time I come back I end up getting something different,” Hughes said.
The prices are higher compared to Roberta’s. The average meal with a choice of sides is around $15 to $17. Some of the specialty drinks range from $4 to $7 and for alcoholic drinks the price can be as high as $18.
I ordered the chocolate chip pancakes and the nutella crepe with a side of bacon and hash browns and a strawberry banana smoothie for my drink. The portions were much larger than I expected, which made up for the price, and the food was also good as well but the pancakes were not as well made compared to Roberta’s but still better than decent. The smoothie was a bit chunky especially for being $7 which I was disappointed with. The crepe was very good however with a blend of chocolate and fruit that made it taste great. The bacon and hash browns were very good as well, on par with Roberta’s.
The last on my journey was Wahfles Cafe at the La Verne Commons Center. The interior has a stylized modern cafe aesthetic. You will see workers behind the counter brewing coffee or cooking in the kitchen.
Their menu is waffle dominated, allowing customers to create their own waffles and choose from specialties such as banana cream, nutella, s’mores, maple bacon waffles, and many more types of waffles served with the usual breakfast sides. They also have an expansive coffee menu with espressos, ice blended coffees, or custom options. Most of the waffles are around $10 and the coffees can range from $4 to $7.
I had the s’mores waffle which was decently sized but a little smaller than I expected, however it was flavorful and fresh. I also had an iced Americano drink which was delicious and went well with the waffle.
Elijah Harris, a customer at Wahfles Cafe and resident of La Verne, likes the unique concept of the restaurant.
“I think it’s cool there’s a place dedicated to serving just waffles because I don’t see many places like it, especially when they taste really good,” Harris said.
Roberta’s has the best authentic breakfast food you can find. Broken Yolk Cafe has the most variety when it comes to options, which can make for fun and a different experience every visit. Wahfles Cafe is great for waffle lovers who want to try the many unique versions of waffles they serve there. Each place offers something different and each is worth a visit.
Joseph Chavez can be reached at joseph.chavez2@laverne.edu.
Joseph Chavez, a sophomore public relations major, is a staff writer for the Campus Times.
