Eddie's Cafe — The Cheapest Breakfast This Side of the Mason-Dixon

I went here once with someone I really liked...and the food's not too bad either

Sure, there’s something to be said for going to brunch at Andalu, spending $15 on bottomless mimosas and God only knows how much on ahi tuna tacos (the least appetizing-sounding hangover cure ever), but sometimes you just want that greasy, down-home egg, bacon and hash brown plate without the hibiscus flower garnish.

This is when you drag your ass down to Eddie’s Cafe on Divis (which our own Stu wrote about in his book, btw), a no-frills diner with super cheap and delicious eats.  I’ve only had breakfast here because it’s so good I don’t even want a cheeseburger (though I think they only cost, like, four bucks each), but I’m sure all the lunch stuff is just as yummy.  In particular, the hash browns are made just the way I like them — shredded and perfectly browned and crunchy on top.

The owners are this awesome Asian couple I just want to adopt because they’re so friendly and amazing (I realize this sounds more than a bit condescending, but I’ll leave it in anyway).  They really do treat you like family — but not MY family, like a NICE family!  Also, a bonus is that if you order coffee or hot chocolate, your beverage will come in some kind of super crazy, random Americana mug — for example, the one that I drank cocoa out of the last time I visited featured a picture of a dog riding a horse.  WHAT?

The only drawback is that Eddie’s is cash-only, so either bring some cash or strategically “forget” your wallet at home when dining with a friend.  Either scenario usually works out pretty well.