A Reno Café Where Breakfast Gets Creative

A chorizo patty on a biscuit, covered in chipotle gravy, is a fine indication that this Reno café does not treat breakfast as a routine. The Biscuit Diable takes familiar comfort-food parts and gives them a smoky, Southwestern nudge, one of many reasons the menu rewards a little browsing before you settle on an order.

Breakfast is served until 3 p.m., leaving plenty of room for a late-morning meal that can wander into lunch. The setting is cozy and warm rather than rushed, with easy-listening music low enough that a table can keep up a conversation without competing with the room.

Eggs Benedict is a recurring favorite here, but the choices go well beyond the usual Canadian bacon version. Chorizo, salmon, spinach, pulled pork and surf-and-turf all get their own turn under poached eggs and hollandaise.

The pulled-pork Benedict comes with jalapeño-cilantro hollandaise, a detail that gives the plate a brighter, livelier edge. The surf-and-turf version is a more indulgent direction, and it has been paired memorably with the café's vegetable hash.

Chorizo has an especially active life on this menu. It turns up not only in a Benedict and the Biscuit Diable, but also in biscuits and gravy and on a breakfast pizza. That gives a group with mixed appetites an easy way to share a theme without everyone ordering the same plate.

The pumpkin waffle arrives topped with whipped pumpkin cream-cheese frosting, hot syrup and pepitas. It is presented in a shareable format, which is useful when the table has already committed to a savory Benedict or a skillet-style breakfast and still wants a few bites of something sweet.

Banana-and-rum French toast offers another dessert-leaning breakfast route. For a smaller but memorable touch, one plate comes with thick toast and orange-marmalade butter.

There is plenty for diners who prefer their breakfast hearty and direct: Belgian waffles, chicken-fried steak, house-style corned-beef hash and a breakfast pizza all make the list. Crepes, tuna sandwiches and BLTs with avocado broaden the daytime choices further, while jicama appears in selected dishes for a little crunch and freshness.

Strong coffee suits the generous plates, and coffee with creamer has also been offered as a complimentary table detail. If the day calls for something more festive, mimosas and Bloody Marys are among the brunch drink options.

Specials are worth asking about. They are a regular part of the café's rhythm, giving returning breakfast groups a reason to look beyond their usual Benedict or waffle order.

The outdoor patio is one of the café's most inviting corners, furnished with comfortable seating and softened by plants, flowers and decorative touches. It gives breakfast a more leisurely setting when the weather is right, particularly for a long catch-up with friends or a family brunch that is in no hurry to wrap up.

An outdoor fire pit adds another note of comfort to patio dining. Indoors, diners can choose from the main dining room, booths and bar-area seating, so the visit can be as tucked-in or as open as the occasion calls for.

After breakfast hours, the kitchen shifts into a notably different menu rather than simply repeating morning favorites. Seafood, pasta, salads and appetizers give dinner its own identity, useful for a relaxed evening meal after a day around Reno.

The seafood pasta brings together scallops, crab and shrimp. A salmon Caesar and seafood Louie offer lighter seafood-centered alternatives, while calamari, escargot and seasonal gazpacho make an appealing opening round for the table.

The calamari is light and tender, and the escargot arrives in a classic garlic-butter sauce. Bread pudding provides a simple, comforting finish when dinner calls for dessert.

The café carries a continuing family story; a daughter of the original owners remains connected to the business. That history fits the welcoming, knowledgeable service and the broad range of occasions that bring people in, from weekly breakfast meetups to birthdays, family brunches and unhurried dinners.

Reservations are recommended, though walk-in parties have also been seated promptly. Free lot and street parking are available, but finding a spot can sometimes take a little patience.