On the Road: Sabrina's Cafe
- Lena
- Jun 9, 2016
- 2 min read
Vacations are meant for brunch. And brunch we sure did while visiting the City of Brotherly Love. Our first brunch stop in Philadelphia was the famed and acclaimed Sabrina's Cafe--the original, in the Italian Market, not one of the many reincarnations across the city.
Above picture from Sabrina's Cafe on Instagram (@sabrinascafe)
Sabrina's Cafe is a Philadelphia staple, known for a creative (and usually themed) menu and massive portions all in a tiny, eclectic space. We were definitely not disappointed on any of those fronts. The original Sabrina's Cafe is located in the busy Italian Market neighborhood, on the very busy Christian Street (good luck with finding parking!). It feels like an actual hole in the wall, with tables packed so close you can barely walk between them. The walls are covered in everything from old art to photographs and trinkets. There is always something to stare at while waiting for you food, not that you'll be waiting very long.
Above picture from Sabrina's Cafe on Instagram (@sabrinascafe)
Our visit to Sabrina's Cafe happened to coincide with their Star Wars-themed specials menu, which touched on all the major players, from Admiral Ackbar's "It's a Flapjack!" pancakes to a Desert-Grilled Bantha Burger. On top of their huge regular menu, there is never a shortage of options when sitting down at Sabrina's.
After very difficult decision making, I opted for the special Yoda's "Judge Me By My Size, Do You?" stuffed french toast, and Mike picked the Stuffed Challah French Toast off the regular menu. Lest we forget about beverage options, Sabrina's Cafe is BYOB (as in, you're in charge of the alcohol), but they have a very wide variety of teas, as well as coffee, cappuccinos, and your standard soda and juice offerings.
Stuffed Challah French Toast
Yoda's "Judge Me By My Size, Do You?" French Toast
Sorry to say, I definitely judged both of our plates by their sizes--because they were MASSIVE! I mean, you can't tell me this is a normal-sized offering of french toast. Mike happily, and hungrily, devoured his, while I struggled and only managed to eat half. However, that meant I had a midnight snack of leftover french toast, and that's never a bad thing. I loved the play of flavors between the gingerbread spices and the mixed berry-apple-raisin compote, but I could have done without the basil mascarpone cream cheese. Mike was pleased with his banana and cream cheese-filled choice, topped with a delicious vanilla bean syrup.
Mike, almost ready to dig into his Stuffed Challah French Toast
A few parting words of advice: get there early, and I mean when they open. With such a small space, Sabrina's Cafe is known for having decent wait times, especially for larger parties. If you're not a fan of close tables, loud chatter, and heaping portions of food, this place probably isn't for you. However, I would definitely stop back next time I'm in the neighborhood.
Restaurant Information
Sabrina's Cafe (Italian Market)
910 Christian St. Philadelphia, PA 19147
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