I am a big food person. Food is always satisfying for its taste but also for your mental and physical health. Eating can be social as well. I always like to try new things, and trying new foods is always on my list of things to do. I decided to try Baja Café as I had heard from numerous sources that it was a local favorite for a great breakfast experience. So I went one morning with a friend to the Campbell Avenue location (there are three in Tucson) to see if it lived up to its hype. It totally did.
Friendly and inviting…
When my friend arrived, we were told we may have to for up to 30 minutes, but fortunately they got us in within ten because we were willing to sit at the counter. This turned out to be a real treat because the morning drinks — Bloody Marys and Mimosas — were made right in front of us. The griddle was just a few feet away and sizzled hashbrowns and colorful omelets. The whole restaurant was packed with people who clearly wanted to breakfast there.
Time to eat!
The portions were extremely large, which made me happy as I like to get my money’s worth. There is nothing better than starting the day with a huge plate of breakfast. I received 2 large cinnamon rolls dipped in French toast batter with a side of butter and syrup along with 3 pieces of bacon, a plate of hash browns, and a healthy serving of scrambled eggs. Each dish had a side of either scrambled eggs or fried eggs. I chose the scrambled eggs because I prefer to keep the egg yolk off my other food.
Expectations met!
Surprisingly my French toast wasn’t soggy inside for how thick it was. I expected a soggy first bite, but it was fluffy and filling and cooked perfectly. Cinnamon rolls and French toast are both great things, so why not combine them? The combination was mouth-watering. The bacon came on a second plate with the hashbrowns and eggs. The bacon was just crisp enough, not overy crunchy, and the hash browns had a crisp golden outer edge. Normally I opt for some hot sauce or ketchup as a side to my hash browns as most breakfast places serve a pile of soggy trimmings, but Baja Cafe’s were good enough to enjoy plain. It is rare for me to eat hash browns without some extra dip or toppings, but these but these were so flavorful I didn’t need any!
My friend opted for a large pancake with a side of sausage, hash browns, and eggs. Her pancake was the size of a normal dinner plate with a decent thickness. The pancake came with a side of butter and syrup as well. The pancake was surprisingly not soggy or undercooked on the inside for its thickness. My friend also enjoyed the hash browns and the sausage patties and eggs were a nice touch according to my friend. She said that the food tasted great and was well worth the visit.
The right ingredients and unique combinations
Baja Cafe has received local recognitions, including Best Artisan Bakery in 2021. When asked what makes Baja Café “unique,” Kim Scanlan, the owner, responded by saying that one of the things that make them stand out is their “from scratch pancakes and many flavorful benedicts.” Baja Café does not take the creation of food lightly, and they start with only the finest ingredients. “We drive to Hatch, New Mexico to get all of the chiles we use for our sauces which top many a benedict and Huevos Rancheros,” she assured me. “We have spent so much time creating so many of our dishes and there are so many parts to each of them to bring all of those flavors together for the perfect bite. It’s pretty amazing.”
The variety of food combinations on their menu will please both the picky eater as well as the most sophisticated palate. I can easily agree with Kim. My experience at Baja Café was pretty amazing. The food, the atmosphere, and the staff made for an experience I will want to relive many times in the future.
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Leif Tufte is a freshman majoring in Operations and Supply Chain Management at the University of Arizona