Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why wouldn’t you want to know the best places to go to around Holyoke. Every place needs to have different options. You need your eggs and bacon, your cream-cheese bagel, or your veggie and cheese omelette. This article is specifically to show neighborhood breakfast places that are run by a local owner, not a franchise.

The Egg & I

The Egg & I is a well-known spot located just over the Holyoke boundary in South Hadley. Found on 26 Main Street in South Hadley, The Egg & I is your typical everyday breakfast place. They offer a big menu of dozens of different options. They have several different varieties of omelettes, pancakes, eggs benedict, vegetarian options, and even more favorites and specials.

 Mrs. Mitchell’s Kitchen

Mrs.. Mitchell’s is an Irish restaurant on Westfield Road in Holyoke. With a very fast service, Mrs. Mitchell’s is a friendly environment that offers a diverse menu. The portions are a decent size for a reasonable price. You aren’t going to be leaving still hungry. You may have to wait a while though. Because of how small the restaurant is and how popular they are, it is very difficult to find a seat, even at 11:30.

Becki’s Springdale Lunch

A very small, not well known spot in downtown Holyoke, Becki’s is a common spot for people who have lived in Holyoke for many years. They are only open Monday to Friday, but they offer a special of 2 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, toast, and coffee for $5. You can’t beat that anywhere else.

Old San Juan Bakery

A small bakery on High Street in Holyoke, Old San Juan’s offers different kinds of pastries and donuts that you may not be able to find anywhere else. San Juan’s is a Hispanic breakfast place that has different creations that were specifically new to myself such as: guava and cheese pastry, sugar donuts, cappuccino, and much more. The prices are very reasonable for the quality of what you receive. It is a little difficult to know what you are ordering, because a lot of the menu is in Spanish.

 The Dam Café 

Located on Northampton Street in Holyoke, the Dam Café states “Enter… You’re Dam’ed if you do.” Those who do enter were able to eat some of the best breakfast around. The breakfast sandwiches are some of the best ever, and totally worth the money. They offer several different types of bagels, such as plain, cheddar, and even French toast. They also have a few different kinds of omelets. All-in-all, the Dam has to be one of the best places to visit in Holyoke. Definitely give it a try if you’re in the area.

Every place that I visited this week was very good for very reasonable prices. I had never heard of the Old San Juan bakery before I drove by it on my way home. I stopped in to see what they were like and couldn’t have been more impressed. They had a very large menu of many different things that were all made in the bakery. Susan’s café is also a very good place. The portions that you receive are enormous for the price that you pay. Their pancakes cost around $3 and are so big that they hang over the plate. It may be physically impossible to eat two.

(Editor’s Note: the original draft of this article included Susan’s Café, a favorite spot of many of us here at The Herald. Sadly, Susan’s was forced to close while the article was being written. From all of us here at The Herald, we will miss this quality local breakfast spot.)