California Special Edition #1 - Wren's Cafe - Review #10

I'm here in California for two weeks and this is the first of what I hope are several special California editions of the Oklahoma Breakfast Beat.  This edition is also somewhat special in that it marks our 10th review!  It's only been two months or so, but it's been a lot of fun and I appreciate all the positive feedback.  Breakfast recommendations are always welcome so please send them my way!

My trip out here was somewhat adventurous with large thunderstorms in Oklahoma resulting in my flight getting delayed and getting stuck in Denver for the night.  It actually worked out great though as I surprisingly got to meet up with an old friend who gave me a recommendation for a breakfast place in Guthrie, and I was booked on a flight first thing the next morning to Sacramento instead of SFO.  My best friend David picked me up in Sacramento and we began the drive down to my parents in Castro Valley.  Dave has been a big supporter of the blog and had already told me he wanted to be part of it while I'm out here......so of course we decided to get breakfast on our way down. On the west side of Vacaville, right along the freeway is a place called Wren's Cafe.  If you are like me and have driven 80 between the bay and Sacramento a thousand times you've definitely seen it, and yet probably never stopped to try it out. It always has a packed parking lot and so Dave thought that we should try it out.

It turns out that Wren's has been around since 1985 and is family owned.  They serve breakfast and lunch and typically have a long wait. We showed up and were second in line and had to wait about 15 minutes.  It's a small place with about 15 tables and a small counter space.  The majority of the waitresses are slightly younger looking versions of Betty White with painted on eyebrows that give the place kind of a homey feeling.

In order to properly rate it, I pretty much stuck with their version of my typical breakfast.  I had eggs overeasy, 2 sausage links, their home fried potatoes and toast, but I also had a craving for bacon and got two strips of that as well and boy am I glad I did.  The bacon was just about perfect, flavorful and crispy.  I usually prefer sausage patties over links, but these were quite exceptional as well.  I always worry about home fried potatoes because they have a tendency to be dry and bland, but these were the exact opposite and a good change of pace from the normal hash browns.

Love the bacon and sausage.  Toast is on a separate plate.

Dave decided to get a bacon, sausage, ham and chedder omelette with a biscuit and gravy.  And wow was this omelette huge, I hadn't seen an omelette that big in years! He described it as fresh, crispy and very tasty, and gave it a solid 4 out of 5. 

Dave's omelette and biscuit's 'n gravy.

Now as I mentioned in the last blog, I have to talk about coffee.   Coffee is really the backbone of a proper breakfast in my opinion.  It is the first thing served to you and is refilled throughout your meal.  The beauty is that for a restaurant it is a really easy thing to provide and keep your customers happy.  I don't have many demands about my coffee except that it taste decent (doesn't have to be great, though that's a plus) and that my cup is never empty. I should never have to ask for a refill!  The majority of places we've been have accomplished this feat fairly easily, sure the cup might get low, but rarely is it ever empty. However, this was the one weakness at Wren's as on at least two occasions my cup was completely empty and was that way for several minutes each time.  I know they were busy, but they are also small and really there are no excuses for an empty coffee cup.  It was really the only downfall in this place. 

And overall.......

Food: 4.5 of 5 pancakes
Cost: $$$ (out of 5)
Overall: 4 of 5 cups of coffee

Without a doubt the food was fantastic, and some of the best I've had at a breakfast place.  The prices were definitely significantly higher compared to Oklahoma, and if I were to compare it on face value this would have deserved the highest marks for cost; however, for California I think the prices were relatively average so I'm trying to base it on the location rather than a direct comparison. The only downfall for this place was the delivery of what was otherwise very good coffee, and a moderate wait to get seated. Despite those two issues, I would highly recommend Wren's for anyone traveling the 80 corridor!

Dave and the ambiance.

Later this week Dave and I will be heading to downtown Sacramento for some giant pancakes.  Stay tuned for that update, the pancakes really are amazing! They don't call them the Hubcap for nothing! Until next time keep on eating breakfast! 

That's highway 80 right outside the front door.  Exit Merchant St/Alamo Dr. if you're heading west.