Pete's Corner Cafe

Great food and great service. If you ask nicely Pete might even come out and sing for you!

While I'm not a breakfast person, I occasionally eat breakfast when I'm on the road and need to be more awake.  Today, with three hours of sleep, there was more need than usual, although I wasn't out on the road.

This place is located at the five-way intersection at Fort Wayne Avenue, North D Street, North 6th Street, and Richmond Avenue.  Parking seems to be available on Fort Wayne Avenue or Neff Street, just to the north.  There is something that looks like a parking lot on the south side, but there doesn't seem to be a way to access it.  When I was younger, we never went to this area, unless there was something to do with a train.  The only places to eat were the bars of that time.

Since Sylvania's (now Little Sheba's) opened, the area surrounding the Pennsylvania RR depot has become better and safer.  I suppose what was there has gone to Main Street instead.

This place used to be a glass store, and I think it's much better as a restaurant.  As I entered, I didn't know much to expect.  There were a few people seated, but no one to greet me.  I didn't see a sign about seating yourself, so I waited.  A friendly man arrived from the back of the building, and told me to sit anywhere.

I had a seat, he brought utensils and a menu, and he asked if I wanted coffee.  Within a minute, he brought the apple juice I requested, and asked if I needed more time.  I didn't, and ordered biscuits and gravy (and at his assurance that it was quite large, a half-order), and hash browns.

Within a few minutes the food arrived.  The hash browns seemed a bit glossy, but it's not unusual to see some cooks use more oil than others.  However, they were brown and white, which is typical, unlike Cracker Barrel where the hash browns weren't brown at all.  The gravy was like brown country gravy, almost a chocolate milk shake colour, and lacked any sausage, which seemed unusual.  The biscuits were yellow-ish and both heavy and a bit tough.

As I started to eat, I noticed that everything seemed to lack seasoning.  Of course, there are many people who prefer it this way and I can't blame them for doing something safe.  Some salt and pepper added, the food was satisfactory, but not exciting or particularly flavourful.  The price at $6.08 for half-order biscuits and gravy, hash browns, and apple juice was reasonable.

I guess I'll have to return for the Baja Fish Tacos, since I haven't had great fish tacos since I left California and Florida.  The menu has a number of interesting items, and I'm certainly willing to give it another go.

Great breakfast and lunch.  Just wish they were open for dinner, too.  Breakfast is served all day.  The onion rings were awesome, and the sauce was great.  Pete came out and asked if everything was ok and told us he hand-makes all the sauces except for the tartar sauce.  Friendly and cares very much about how you're liking things.

I had the BBQ chicken salad.  A generous portion for 6.75.  Beats mickey D's any day.  Daughter had pancakes and said they were delcious on their own sans syrup.  The other time I went for breakfast and had perfectly cooked sunny-side up eggs and super crispy bacon.  A really great "comfort food" breakfast.

Interior of restaurant is Hawaii themed, bright, spacious, and the waitress very friendly.  Highly recommend.  I will patronize this place often.

Service can be sometimes excruciatingly slow, hence three stars instead of four.  Don't eat here if you're in a rush.