Saddle Creek Breakfast Club

Image courtesy of Amateur Coffee.

One of my closest friends recently told me about the Saddle Creek Breakfast Club and suggested I try it sometime. She said their food was good and that it serves vegan breakfast - in addition to an impressive selection of omnivore breakfasts. Since I've lamented more than a few times about not being able to get vegan breakfast in Omaha, I eagerly jumped on the chance to try the SCBC when a ladies group I'm in held their monthly brunch there.

So named for the street on which it resides, Saddle Creek Breakfast Club is a tiny but millenially chic restaurant with a long wait - we were told 45 minutes. Undeterred, we helped ourselves to a cup of their signature coffee that sits in a pump carafe on the hostess station and sat down on some inside benches. I was told that a coffee place down the road - Amateur Coffee - roasts the SCBC signature coffee, and was it ever delicious. It was a morning blend that managed to be both bold yet light and had a perfect balance of roasted goodness. The cup went down smoothly.

We didn't have to wait as long as anticipated and were soon seated at a small table in the cozy joint. Shaped like a large box, the decor is simple: black & white diamond tile walls, cement floors designed to look like large squares, 70s style chairs against wood plank tables, and tall, wire chairs at bar-style seating lining the inner walls makes the most use of the small space. As we waited, we were serenaded by a constant array of music by artists such as the Deftones, Cake, Smashing Pumpkins, Mazzy Star, and Fastball, taking us straight back to the 90s.

As a breakfast joint, they have about five brunch drinks to choose from. I'm not normally a fan of Bloody Marys, but it sounded good that day. Since Bloody Marys are not typically vegan, I asked if they could possibly make a vegan one and she said they had all the ingredients to make a plant-based version. I excitedly ordered one and it was just a dreamy as I had hoped. Filled with vegan Worcestershire, tomato juice, horseradish, and topped with lime, pickled green beans, and a large olive, it was the right amount of heat, very yummy, and the perfect complement to my breakfast.

One of my favorite foods from my omnivore days was biscuits and gravy, so when I saw that they had a vegan version with mushrooms, I knew I absolutely had to order it. Now, I've had plenty of vegan options at different restaurants before, but whoever created the vegan menu and cooked the vegan food definitely knew how to cook vegan food. One of my biggest complaints is the lack of seasonings/flavor that many vegan foods cooked by omnivores have. I was not disappointed this time! This dish was simply delicious. Two square biscuits with a hint of cornmeal in them were smothered with hot sauce, tasty mushroom gravy then topped with perfectly cooked tofu scramble. A little salt & pepper added by me was all this dish needed. I ate every last bite. 

I finished the whole meal off with a second cup of SCBC's signature coffee. I left feeling happy, satisfied, and almost drunk with foodie love (and maybe a little from the Bloody Mary). I will definitely be back to the Saddle Creek Breakfast Club to try their other vegan options. 

For more info, their menu, and directions to their restaurant go to their facebook page.