We visited two of the best, locally owned breakfast joints in the region

Ah, breakfast. The most important meal of the day. But wherefore does one go to soothe their morning hunger pangs? Toledo has these locally-owned options that do the job nicely.

Marigold Café

The interior of the Marigold Café is cute and quirky, just like a good diner should be. With hip selections of ‘70s R&B piped throughout the interior of the small but cozy restaurant, and sipping coffee to the strains of Al Green or the Temptations makes one feel like they’re in that coffee shop in “Pulp Fiction” that gets robbed by Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer.A pop culture sensibility runs throughout the Marigold. The menu features delicacies such as the Cap’N Caveman three-egg omelet, made with bacon, sausage, Bavarian ham, and cheddar cheese. Or if you feel like beating up Sylvester Stallone, you might opt for the “Rocky III”- inspired Clubber Lang Sandwich, a hearty double-decker culinary monstrosity with ham, turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and cheese.

On the morning of our visit to the Marigold, we found the restaurant short staffed, with only one cook in the kitchen and one poor waitress named Jodi, who despite overseeing a
full dining room of hungry patrons, never lost her smile, or her sense of humor. Jodi quickly moved from table to table, refilling coffee and delivering orders with aplomb.

Beyond the dedicated staff and never-give-up table service, the food itself is outstanding. The breakfast wrap is a delicious new take on an old classic, featuring a bulging, stuffed-to-the-gills tortilla filled with eggs, sausage, and potatoes. Grilled and smothered in a delicious gravy.

The Marigold Café also offers classic breakfast fare like chicken and waffles, and they have an excellent lunch menu as well. The place is worth a visit, both for the fantastic
food and to see Jodi in action. Kudos to you, Jodi. Keep up the great work.

Marigold Café, 2155 S. Byrne Road.
Hours: 7 am – 2 pm, everyday.
419-214-0333.

Monroe Street Diner

Time is not on your side at the Monroe Street Diner. There are dozens of clocks in various sizes and designs (we’re particularly enamored with the Elvis clock), on the walls of the small, but cozy diner, yet none of them are ticking. So there’s no point in asking what time it is, there’s certainly a good point in eating here.

The food, service, and coffee are all outstanding at this cute little place that is more than a tad reminiscent of Mel’s Diner from the classic TV sitcom “Alice.” You expect Alice and Flo to be bopping from table to table pouring coffee and saying “Kiss my grits!” But rather, the Monroe Street Diner staff is a group of pleasant, smiling young ladies who take their jobs seriously.

Our server, a delightful, hard-working stalwart named Stephanie, never let our coffee cups get less than half full, despite dealing with a full dining room.

Menu-wise, Monroe Street Diner offers damn good breakfast options, such as the Monte Cristo, a morning sandwich that can be rather hard to find in Toledo area restaurants. The
diner’s take on this classic includes ample amounts of thinly sliced ham and turkey, folded scrambled eggs and hot melted cheese between two slices of French toast, complete with powdered sugar.

The massive omelets, range from classics like the country omelet (sausage, potatoes, onions, green peppers, all topped with gravy) to those for more adventurous palates like the Hawaiian omelet, made with pineapple, ham, onion, green pepper, and Swiss cheese. Served with a hearty portion of home fries, one of these babies will have you satisfoed through the afternoon.

Overall, the Monroe Street Diner is a winner; a nostalgia-heavy eatery with great food and friendly vibes. Stop in for a spell—you’ll be glad you did.

Monroe Street Diner is located at 4514 Monroe St.
Hours: 8 am – 3 pm, everyday.
419-472-0888