There’s only one reason to get out of bed before noon and that reason is breakfast. Breakfast is the perfect cure for heartbreak, a hangover, failing a midterm or getting a terrible grade on that eight-page paper. Columbia has four reasons to get up before noon: Café Berlin, Lucy’s Corner Café, Ernie’s Café and Steak House and Broadway Diner.
**Café Berlin – 220 N. Tenth St.**
Easily the best of Columbia’s breakfast (that’s saying something because they’re all awesome), Café Berlin is also the hippest in town. They serve organic foods along with plenty of vegan options. A lot of the employees ride their fixed-gear bikes to work, and if you sit on the patio you’ll get a lovely whiff of cigarette smoke to complete your organic coffee and super-thick, tasty bacon. Really though, the smoke was the only negative part of the entire meal at Café Berlin. The staff is extremely friendly and the food is outstanding. I wholeheartedly recommend the pancake burrito, which is just their fantastic bacon with scrambled eggs wrapped in a huge, delicious pancake. They also serve plenty of southwestern breakfast items and a Build-Your-Own Pancake, with basically any combination of toppings you can think of. Café Berlin is open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day.
**Lucy’s Corner Café – 522 East Broadway**
Lucy’s is the weakest of the four, but the food is still better than usual. Really, there’s no bad food in Columbia at all. Lucy’s is a small little diner off Broadway. It’s a pretty average place, but sitting at the counter is an awesome experience. Watching the food getting cooked is interesting because it’s crazy to see how fast everything gets cooked. The staff is friendly, and the menu is just like every other little diner. They have a daily lunch special as well. I recommend the one egg with ham combo that comes with toast or a biscuit with gravy (get the biscuit and gravy) and hash browns. Lucy’s is open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekends.
**Ernie’s Café and Steak House – 1005 East Walnut St.**
I surprise myself every single time I eat at Ernie’s by finishing the No. 11 special: two huge pancakes, a giant portion of hash browns, a couple bacon strips and two large eggs cooked to order. Seriously, just go in and order it. I promise it’s the best thing on the menu. Ernie’s is great because it’s a small little diner past the main drag of Broadway. On weekends, the line is out the door, but the food is well worth the wait. Ernie’s definitely has the best traditional breakfast in CoMo and the best staff serving it. Everyone is really friendly and the service is extremely fast. Ernie’s is open from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. everyday.
**Broadway Diner – 22 South Fourth St.**
So first off, Broadway Diner isn’t actually on Broadway, so that makes it kind of tricky to find. The diner is located right across from Flat Branch Park. The menu is huge and the diner itself is pretty small. The service here is quick, like the other competing diners. I recommend The Stretch, which is hash browns covered with eggs and then smothered in chili and then topped with onions, green peppers and cheddar cheese. The best part of Broadway Diner is it opens at 11 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and their food probably tastes delicious all night (wink wink). Broadway Diner is open from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
