Monday, June 3, 2013

Sabrina's Cafe & Spencer's Too Review

One of the better and well-known brunch locations in Philly is Sabrina's. Owners Robert and Raquel DeAbreu named the original restaurant on 9th and Christian Streets after their daughter. Recently, for Memorial Day brunch, the GF, our friend, and I went to the second location, 
which includes the name of their son.


And based on the success of these two joints, a third location in University City, by Drexel campus, was opened last year. The inside of Sabrina's Cafe & Spencer's Too is highly reminiscent of a neighborhood cafe/diner. Offering a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, with the occasional snarky, yet fun waitress, it's one of our favorite places to grab brunch.


And being that Sabrina's is BYO, our friend brought some champagne along to pair with a pitcher of OJ. And yes, as expected with most BYO's, the markup on the pitcher of OJ is around 400%.


But back to the good. Sabrina's is great in that they have an ever changing menu of specials. Arrested Development aficionados known that Michael Bluth and company are back in action. So natch, Sabrina's had a bevy of 'Arrested' brunch specials. Creative, whimsical, and most importantly delicious, what's not to love? 


But on this particular outing, we decided to get all of the 'signature' breakfast items.

Huevos Rancheros ($10.99)
2 blue corn tortillas, smoky chorizo sausage sauce, lime sour cream, spicy guacamole, 2 fried eggs, fried jalapeno pepper


I opted for the huevos rancheros - a nice medley of different flavors, all highlighted by the bright lime sour cream. The fried eggs and chorizo sausage sauce helped to create a hearty dish, with the blue corn tortillas offering some fried texture. The guacamole was nice, but not particularly spicy, though the fried jalapeno pepper had a tempered heat that was nice to add to each bite. The accompanying home fries were crispy on the outside and creamy inside. Perfectly seasoned, I could eat these by the ton.

Barking Chihuahua ($8.99)
Flour tortilla, scrambled eggs, black beans, red peppers, pepper jack cheese, sour cream, marinara


The GF and our friend both got the barking chihuaha, which amounts to Sabrina's breakfast burrito. A nice iteration of this oft-seen dish, the flour tortilla had a nice grilled texture to it and contained a humongous allowance of perfectly scrambled eggs, black beans, and red peppers. The piquancy of the pepper jack helped to brighten up the dish, with the sour cream and sweet marinara adding creaminess. The fried corn chip strips helped to add additional texture to the dish. A pat of home fries accompanies the burrito as well.

Stuffed Challah French Toast (1/2 order $5.50; full order $9.99)
Farmer's cream cheese, bananas, vanilla bean syrup


Pro tip: No matter what, get a half order of the stuffed challah french toast. If the previous two dishes were signature Sabrina's, this is their crown jewel. Not listed on the menu as a half-order option, our waitress knew that we were clearly veterans of the establishment just from this order alone. The french toast is humongous, with a nice grilled exterior and a creamy, eggy interior. This all houses a cinnamon cream cheese that is intensely sweet, yet you just can't stop with one bite. The vanilla bean syrup and fresh banana slices brings this over the top. Definitely a perfect way to end brunch.


Want another tip? On weekends, Sabrina's is packed, so expect to wait at least an hour for a table. So what's a hungry bruncher to do? Call ahead by about an hour and ask to have your name put down. That way you can stroll over when it's about time for your name to be called and you won't have to wait with the rest of the sheep on Callowhill. 


Frankly, Sabrina's is a great place to go for any meal - not just brunch. The prices are affordable, the portions are generous, and the food is tasty. What's not to love with this Philly institution? And an added bonus? Their brother restaurant is Spencer ETA - so you know their burgers are on point too! And if you're too far away, DiningIn has got you covered!


Sabrina's Café & Spencer's Too on Urbanspoon
www.sabrinascafe.com

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