My kids are in Vacation Bible School at The Journey church this week each morning from 9 to noon. That means I have about three hours each morning where I can eat some breakfast in nearby Springfield and pound out some work time and then — it’s summer — so each afternoon I’m free to take the kids to the pool and enjoy time with my friends while they swim. Perfection. Now I just need to find the Best Places to Eat Breakfast in Springfield VA.
I thought since I was going to be working without kids running around anyway, I ought to find some nice quiet place with tasty food to sit and work. I went to Panera the first day and that was great. Free wifi, yummy blueberry muffins, and a comfy booth for working, but in my experience always very crowded.
And I do remember last year how boring it got because I went to Panera for breakfast every day for an entire week. So this year I determined to do things differently. And I googled Best Places to Eat Breakfast in Springfield VA.
What I found was a shockingly short list of places that open by 9 am and are actually in Springfield. I was looking for interesting, tasty, and laptop-friendly. So here we are. I’ll be eating breakfast at four different places in the Springfield area this week and I’ll share my experience here with you.
Bob and Edith’s Diner in Springfield Plaza
Day One: This place came up pretty high on the list in Yelp so I thought I’d give it a go right away. I arrived at Bob and Edith’s Diner at 9:15 or so and seating was plentiful. Signs direct you to seat yourself, so I did. I was greeted pretty quickly by a waitress, placed my order, and had good food (pancakes and crispy bacon with eggs) super fast.
I sat at a nice little table with my laptop, and no one chased me out. However, I did notice a sign on the wall that said “Management reserves the right to limit time in a restaurant to thirty minutes.” and also “No Loitering.”
That didn’t make me feel particularly welcome to stay and work the morning away. Nevertheless, I stayed until about 11:30, keeping an eye on how full the restaurant was getting to make sure no one was waiting for my table.
When I noticed that the restaurant was filling up fast with the lunch crowd (a good sign!) I took my leave. Overall I would say Bob and Edith’s Diner is a pretty nice place to have breakfast in Springfield, especially if you want to meet with friends for a nice chat. Seems like lots of people were doing just that.
La Madeleine Country French Cafe in Kingstowne
Day Two: Not technically in Springfield proper, I decided this little gem of a place was close enough to count. Within less than four minutes of having a Springfield address, La Madeleine was my choice for day two. At this restaurant, you order at the register in the back, and food is brought to your table.
I ordered a Potato Galette and a Butter Croissant breakfast sandwich, and a plain butter croissant. After ordering, I discovered that they have a little bread case with free bread and butter or jam available for everyone. I love that. Very French.
My Potato Galette was a wonderful treat and I would come back again just for that. Everything was excellent though.
La Madeleine has free wifi – which is awesome for those of us who come here to work. It was not overly crowded, which surprised me given how nice of a place it is for breakfast. I’d definitely consider this in my top two best places to eat breakfast in Springfield VA.
I will add that after writing this up I discovered that this is a chain restaurant, though perhaps not as well known as most.
Also, as I was leaving I decided I had better try one of the cookies from which the cafe gets its name – lemon madeleines. Of all the things I ate while in this restaurant this was my favorite. It was a nice, small sweet touch to end my meal and something I will get every time I eat here.
Swiss Bakery and Market Cafe in the Ravensworth Shopping Center
Day Three: I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from the Swiss Bakery and Cafe but from the moment I walked in it was reminding me of my trip to Switzerland as a teen. From the giant cowbells hanging from the rafters to the overflowing bakery cases with delicious cookies and pastries – I was blown away.
When my food arrived — I ordered Berner Rosti — I was served a delicious slice of bread and I just had to buy a loaf from the bakery as I left. I also was able to purchase a Fondue Kit to use in our newish fondue pots so the kids are pretty excited.
And some cookies. I bought some cookies, which are sold by the pound. Oh! And I bought a yummy cherry strudel and a very light and delicate cream horn. I want to go back (daily) to buy fresh crusty European bread and bakery goods and Swiss cheese from their selection.
Swiss Bakery included free bakery but you had to ask for the wifi password, which turned out to be their phone number. The place wasn’t overly crowded at all but they certainly did a steady business! My only sad moment was when I realized they had no American soda in the store to drink with my breakfast. I definitely consider this one of the best places to eat breakfast in Springfield VA! It was probably my favorite, and a place I have frequented often for baked goods since this post was originally written.
Silver Diner by Springfield Mall
Day Four: As the day started super early I started looking around for my final breakfast dining experience this week. I found a few cafes and delis that served breakfast before 11 am, but in the end, I decided what I really wanted to do was try Silver Diner for breakfast.
My husband and I had been to Silver Diner occasionally fifteen years ago when we lived in Centerville. But since moving back it was not on our radar at all until my friend Tahnee suggested it one day for lunch.
I was shocked to discover a completely re-thought and new menu complete with fresh ingredients and tasty, healthy options. I believe Silver Diner has undergone a complete transformation from the old-style traditional greasy diner of fifteen years ago.
Don’t get me wrong – they still have all-day breakfast. But wow, much better execution and a huge improvement in flavor. And with sourcing from fifteen local farms for ingredients – Silver Diner is just about as close to farm-to-table as you can get with a chain restaurant.
Both times I have been in Silver Diner in Springfield in the last couple of months I have had stellar service from the waitress named Victoria. And by stellar, I mean friendly, helpful, honest, and quick.
My drinks are always refilled, my food comes out fresh and when I need suggestions or dish descriptions she knows everything. She goes above and beyond with her service – she even reheated my pancake for me! So kudos to Victoria for sure.
When I walked in today I was looking for a spot with an outlet and the greeter was quick to move me to the only table with access to an outlet. Another server saw me struggling to make wifi work on my phone/computer and was quick to give me the username and password for free wifi at Silver Diner.
Today I ordered the breakfast griddle, which is a layered dish of breakfast ingredients: potatoes, eggs, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers and onions, sausage gravy, and cheese. The end result was so delicious and well-executed. I ordered mine with a single pancake for an extra 99 cents and honestly by the time I got to the pancake I was too full to eat it all.
Silver Diner is very family-friendly, with a fantastic kid’s menu and Kid’s Night every Tuesday including some form of kids entertainment like face painting. I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you are looking for breakfast in Springfield with your whole family.
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