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Tue-Sun. 6:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
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This is one of the few restaurants that lives up to it's hype in a big way. Yes, you will usually have to wait an hour to eat; come prepared. Seriously, bring a book or a crossword or a friend with whom you like to talk, because you will wait. I always get so grumpy I can hardly stand it. But when I finally sit down (hopefully at the counter, which I love), and drink that first of many cups of coffee, it's all worth it. They make a serious cup of coffee here. My tried and true dish here is a Mushroom and Swiss omelet, with hashbrowns. I could write an entire essay on these hashbrowns. They are hands down, the best hashbrowns I've ever eaten. I hate seeing other people get larger portions on their plate, for it makes me crazy with envy. Even the jam they serve with their toast is awesome. I also highly recommend the waffle; I usually have a hard time with sweet, cake-y breakfasts, but this waffle is an exception.
The staff here also has my undying love. They never let my coffee cup run dry, we crack jokes, and they remember me!
Since breakfast isn't my favorite meal to eat out (I like to eat as soon as I get up...breakfast is yummy just rolled out of bed), I had not tried, but only been hearing raves about Matt's Big Breakfast for literally about a year, so I knew it had to be good...good enough to try breaking my fast outside my own kitchen.
Luckily it wasn't too crowded (as I'd heard it might be). We were seated at a window counter, but then moved once our food came to a little table by the door. The staff was ultimately accommodating to the best experience for us.
The food was beyond delicious. Egg salad sandwich with chips (I told you I wasn't a huge breakfast-out person), a waffle, and potatoes, and chocolate milk. It was all SO delicious! And SO MUCH! We were able to take most of the sandwich home for later. By the way, the break was AMAZING...just amazing.
My favorite thing I think (besides the food) was how friendly everyone was--from the staff to the customers. It also was cool because since Matt's is small (but not too small), you wind up talking to the people around you. Three tables joined in our conversation to complain about State Senator Russel Pearce, who led the slaughter of AZ's education budgets particularly in Spring 2009...but that's a different story...
I need to go back to Matt's soon--it was a great time.
Seriously good stuff here. Yes, the lines are long but that's not really their fault. The food is great and people want to come here.
The waffle here is simply the best. I've never had better, anywhere. I've also had the burger, which was really, really, really good. Next time I'll see if they can put a different cheese on it because I'm not a big fan of American cheese. Regardless, everything here was delicious, regardless of the line. If you're willing to wait, or maybe come at an off-hour, it's definitely worth the wait.
stopped in again last sunday before picking someone up at the airport. breakfast was flawless (again). i had the hog and chick this time and was very happy. hashbrowns were crispy, but not burnt. eggs were scrambled and fluffy. the jam of the day was strawberry, and some of the best i have ever had. love me some sourdough toast & jam. i waited less than 5 minutes ( it was only me), sat at the bar, and enjoyed swift, friendly service. coffee was fine but not great. if matt's is going to improve, i say the coffee is where to start.
stopped by matt's this morning. it was my second visit. for my first visit back in january, i… Read more »
My final meal in Phoenix, which was breakfast. This small brick place has made me famous with the name (of course) and was honored with a "Review of the day", which seems like a distant-memory ago. My first visit and first meal back then was a monumental one. Will my return to "my" breakfast place be a repeat?
Some things hasn't changed much about my place. There was a little wait for a table, especially on a early weekday morning. "My place...why should I have to wait for a table?"
This time, my return back has got me ordering one of the breakfast specials, which was the Salami Scramble. For $5.95 and affordable meal too, I get three scrambled eggs mixed with Soppresata Salami with a side of Hash Browns and a pair of thick toasted Sourdough Bread with Strawberry Preserves. The crispiness of the sliced salami blended with the scramble eggs made it a tasty combination. The hash browns were tasty and a nice compliment to my meal. And the thick-ass toasted Sourbread bread with melted butter and the preserves was crunchy with a powerful explosion that can be heard all over the small diner (in a good way).
My place hasn't failed in my return. I'm always welcome to come back and dine at my breakfast place whenever I come back to Phoenix. And so, you can too.
I rode on the bus and saw this little diner on the corner of North First Street and McKinley Ave.… Read more »
The wait was a little long but the waitress was able to take or ordered while we waited, as soon as we were seated our food arrived. I had the waffles with bacon. The bacon was crisp and the waffles were like cake, so delicious.
I have wanted to visit Matt's for quite some time now. My attempts have always been thwarted due to the extraordinary lines, the lack of time, and a growling stomach. Today, finally, I remedied that situation and finally ate at Matt's.
Is Matt's overhyped? Perhaps. The small venue nearly guarantees a long wait. Is the food worth it? That is always a matter of opinion, but in mine, I think it was. I ordered the pancakes, pancakes that happened to be lightest and fluffiest I have probably ever eaten. For a side, I chose the cranberry walnut toast. It was good, as expected. Toast is hard to mess up unless obviously burnt. The friend who ate with me ordered the special that day, an egg scramble with sausage, havarti, and sweet peppers and rosemary. After sampling a bite, I wish I had ordered the special instead. The pancakes were good, but the special was great.
Will I go back to Matt's? The answer is yes, though realistically it may not happen for a while due to the typical long wait times. Given the fact a wait is common, it might be a nice add to offer free WiFi or free coffee service outside for those waiting.
Simple, wholesome ingredients, unpretentious food = home run breakfast. Coffee was the only let down, it was decidedly watered-out, the classic dinner coffee.
Sign up for a spot on the waiting list and check out the farmer's market that's kitty-corner on Saturdays.
In the movie "The 40-Year Old Virgin," there is a line they repeat often to Steve Carrell: "You're putting the pu$$y on a pedestal, that's your problem!"
Matt's Big Breakfast was on a pedestal. We'd tried to go there a couple years ago, but the crowd outside was always too threatening a wait. Then, in August, we tried to go, but when we asked "What's the probable wait time?" We were told, "Oh we don't really provide anyone with wait times." The line outside was pretty long, and there wasn't really any shade, and with no potential end to the wait, we came to terms with the possibility that we'd turn into bacon ourselves sitting outside waiting for a table.
Then this morning I woke up at 6:30am on a Saturday due to insomnia and we said "Hey there might actually not be a line if we go right now."
I just came back from breakfast at Matt's Big Breakfast and now I'm waiting for my heart attack.
I'd tried to find out what the big deal was about this greasy spoon so many times in reviews, and nobody ever gave a good explanation in detail of what makes the "traditional breakfast food" so "different."
I ordered the special - which was an egg, cheese, onion and sausage omelette, with hash browns. Since it was our first time there, we also ordered a belgian waffle to split.
The omelette was more like "Onion and Sausage with a side of egg and cheese." The sausage was giant sliced links, enough to feed an army. The amount of onion was not what I expected - it was probably two entire onions sliced up and thrown in there. The hash browns are a serving for 4 people or something. They're not sliced like ordinary hash browns are sliced - they're ultra skinny slices like angelhair pasta. There are a lot of really crunchy crispy areas of angelhair sliced hash browns which are tasty. Thankfully, they are not all salty. But what sort of human can ingest this much potato in one sitting?
I'm one year away from having been a vegetarian for 5 years, and I was willing to "go there" at this meal because I had to see what everyone was raving about, and I read on the menu that the meat is natural and grain-fed. Not free-range, grass-fed, but at least not corn-fed and hormonalized and antibiotic-ridden. Also, I eat burgers at Delux and Rokerij and I'll eat the prosciutto at Bomberos. So I thought, why not see what the fuss is all about?
It was a'ight. Not FABULOUS. I tried to figure out why this place is SUCH a big deal to so many. Maybe it is shocking to some people's palates to taste food made with real butter and real cream - people who ordinarily cook at home and fill their cupboards with the healthy substitutes of every ingredient. Or maybe typical people buy Kraft cheese or something, I don't know. The ingredients were definitely "real," which is, I suppose, a big deal if you ordinarily eat Crap for breakfast or eat at Denny's. It most definitely beats "Moons Over My Hammy" for instance.
But we really missed Pallate, which really WAS the best breakfast downtown.
The bread they brought for the toast was delicious ... but it's BREAD. Most bread is pretty good. The waffle was uber fluffy. I had a few bites and said "That's a tasty plate of diabetes right there," while I felt my blood sugar go through the roof.
Mostly, I really felt a lack in the vegetables department.
I might seem like a health nut, because of this, but trust me, I'm not. I'm a tall, big person and I eat breakfasts at Dick's Hideaway several times a week. It's just that at Dick's Hideaway I can have them substitute the potatoes for veggies (usually asparagus and broccoli), and substitute the meat in the breakfast burrito with avocado. I'm used to having an entire day's worth of greens at breakfast. I suppose meat, for me, is like dessert: I'll eat it but it has to be high quality, and it has to be really worth it. It has to be tremendously delicious, I won't eat meat for meat's sake. This was probably somewhat ethical meat, but it wasn't an irresistible herby or spicy delicious sensation.
The "thick-cut bacon" that came with the waffle was definitely thick, and was lined with pepper. It was good, but it was also bacon ... bacon SHOULD be good, it's hard to do bad.
I see the trendy hipster appeal everywhere - orange countertops, orange everywhere, down to the stapler on the counter, the 1950's signs that say "Eggs!" and stuff. Whatever. I get it, it's better than Denny's, and it's better than 5 & Diner. It's NOT "The Best" and it's most definitely not worth standing around outside in no shade, without any idea how long the wait will be for a table, like a sucker.
The chalkboard on the wall inside says "Visit our bar The Roosevelt around the corner." I hadn't known they own the Roosevelt. I recommend going to the Roosevelt and waiting around for a seat there, where it's worth the wait.
I'm glad I finally went, to knock the place off its pedestal. Now I just need to wait like a month or something for my arteries to un-clog.
I must say that this place was pretty darned good. They open at 6:30 AM on Sunday and there was already a line. The whole place was full upon the doors opening, great sign. They have a very small menu but it certainly covers all of your breakfast needs.
I opted for three sides, a pancake, rosemary homestyle potatoes and rye toast with jam. I asked my waitress which to order, the hashbrowns or the homestyle potatoes and she steered me towards my final choice. I'm glad I listened to her as they were delicious, covered with onions, olive oil and rosemary, the were cooked perfectly. They were some of the freshest potatoes I've had for breakfast in a long time. They weren't greasy at all. I felt like I had just gone to the Farmers' Market, chopped these up and cooked them myself for a Sunday brunch at home.
The pancake was good, nothing outside the ordinary. You can tell by the photo that there wasn't too much love in making it. For some reason the syrup was very good, I'm not quite sure what they used, it was a pancake syrup but obviously not the generic diner variety. The rye and jam were fantastic, just look at how thick the slice was cut, I've never seen a rye like that. I wish other places would serve their breads like this. I'd be a huge fan of any place that cut their slices in this manner.
I would certainly go out of my way to eat here again. The staff were terrific, the place was spotless, the owner walked around and spoke with all diners (it seemed like everyone was a local) and the food was great. The prices have risen, at least since their website has been in place but it's still a good deal (the $5 Spot is now $5.75). A great place to grab a Big Breakfast in a nice atmosphere.
I have photos and a more in depth review on my personal blog.
We went on a Sunday afternoon, the wait was 45 mins for 4 people. We waited because everyone keeps talking about it. Man, was I starving to death when we were seated. I had the ham and cheese omelet and everyone shared an order of waffle with everyone else. The omelet was good. The waffles were light and fluffy. Good but not to die for. I personally think it was over hyped. It is good breakfast food, not GREAT.
So it begins....I have finally started reviewing all the restaurants that I tried on my tour of the Southwest this summer and Matt's Big Breakfast was a BIG way to start it off!
Being from LA which seems to be the home of trendy but good and always crowded breakfast spots, I understand the love/hate relationship that people have with their local breakfast spot that have just become way to crowded. That being said, I left LA to try some of the favorites in other cities. The good thing about being on vacation is that you can schedule your meals around the crowds instead of dealing with them.
So we drove into Phoenix around 11pm under the blanket of the night which was great because the days were reaching 120 degrees. It was quieter then most cities, almost ghost-town like. We stayed at the motel next to Matt's Big Breakfast. I think its called the Coronado or Casablanca Hotel. It was more of a Motel then Hotel and definitely not the Holiday Inn. Although a little on the scary side it served its purpose. The goal was to wake up and walk into Matt's. And that goal was certainly achieved.
After a super long wait of about...3 minutes (9:30am) we sat down and took a look at the menu.
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It wasnt as big as I thought it was going to be (haha)...well, it wasnt as expansive as I thought it was going to be but I would rather restaurants do what they do right instead of tons of things done wrong.
I got the Hog & Chick and Griddle Cakes. Thick cut bacon and perfectly made eggs with delicious potatoes. Nice thick bread and homemade jam came along side. Im not a fan of citrus jams/preserves but this was fantastic!
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The pancakes were possibly the best of the trip and also some of the best I have ever had. Everything we had was great! Our server/owner even came and talked to us about our trip, the town and even gave us some other suggestions on places to see and eat at while in Phoenix. I wish I could have tried some of the places she suggested but...alas, we still had a ton of places still on our own list.
Off to Joe's Farm Grill!!!
9/17
Ordered the Hog and Chick- "two eggs and a skillet-seared pork chop." All entrees come with toast and your choice of hash browns or homefries. I chose whole grain toast and the fantastic hash browns. Had the eggs to-go, so I concentrated on the pork chop, hash browns, and whole-grain seeded toast (perfect w/ honey, but I did try the plum jam they had that day- it's OK). Thank goodness the buttery hash browns are superb here (crispy on the outside and very creamy on the inside- everytime!), bec. the pork chop, even w/ the green-hued marinade still evident on it, had almost no flavor. It had the texture of pork chop, but other than a very slight hint of salt- the hash browns and toast w/ honey had more to offer in the taste department. I may just have to order sides of hash browns, toast, and perhaps some bacon (Nueske's, isn't it?) next time I dine in.
Wanted to try either the pork chop or the Hog and Chick, but it was Good Friday (meat abstinence),… Read more »
So I have this thing about long waits at breakfast places. Every town in America seems to have at least one annoyingly popular place with a line around the corner and overrated pancakes, omelets, etc. Having visited Matt's on two previous occasions I found it to be great, but because it violated my "line theory" I've resisted embracing it. Until now. After meeting a friend at Matt's for breakfast this morning (and waiting about 30 minutes) I can honestly say that this place is the real deal. The food isn't gourmet or even creative, it isn't supposed to be. Rather it's classic breakfast done to perfection. Exceptional pork, eggs, potatoes, breads, everything. Although it pains me to say it, this is a breakfast place worth waiting in line for.
Short on menu, long on taste. A small diner, with a great small town atmosphere rules the morning meals.
I got a recommendation from a collegue who like me was hungry for a good meal to get the day started. That said a short walk from the hotel, we quickly found a place with a crowd surrounding it.
We signed in and found a place outside to sit and wait. Friday morning, 9 am, we waited about 20 minutes.
The tables are small, their glasses of orange juice aren't very large, however it was freshly squeeed from what I could tell.
We both had the special, and it was a nicely portioned meal that filled is both up without regret. Their fasted fresh, and it was full of flavor. It was perfect for the morning.
Being a huge fan of breakfast (who isn't?) I got really excited when I found this place using my handy dandy Yelp app on my iPhone. You see, me and 3 of my friends were in Phoenix to see the Dodgers play the Diamondbacks in a big league game at Chase Field. The bad news is the dodgers lost, but the good news is we had breakfast the next day at Matts.
Reading the reviews on Yelp got me way excited to eat there. People were raving about this place as if it was a small piece of heaven on earth.
We walked there from our hotel and Were quickly seated. Our first thought was, 'tiny'. But we liked that about the place. Very cozy and welcoming. Old school almost.
I ordered the pancakes with a side of egg and bacon. I always have to try the pancakes first whenever I go to a new breakfast joint. It's my measuring stick. If the pancakes suck, most likely everything else will also.
After waiting about 10 minutes the kind and very friendly waitress began to bring our food out. One at a time. Over a few minutes. She explained to us that they only had one grill so they would bring out the food as soon as it was done cooking. Again, 'tiny'.
Let me tell you the wait was worth it. The pancakes were amazing. Soft, fluffy, stick to the roof of your mouth goodness. The best pancakes I have ever had. Not to mention the maple syrup was amazing. Top notch bacon and the eggs cooked like my mom made them. I was in breakfast nirvana. My only regret was leaving bits of pancake on my plate. After eating different, but equally amazing, items from my friends plate I was full. I felt like I had let my pancakes down.
As we left the restaurant we did the touristy thing to do and took a picture next to Guy Fieri's image on the wall. And had no shame about it.
If your in Phoenix you have to go to Matts Big Breakfast. There's nothing really 'tiny' about the flavor of the food there.
Oh and the people who were raving about Matts as of it were a small piece of heaven are all wrong. It's more like a bog chunk of heaven if you ask me.
no place i would rather be on a Saturday at 6:30 a.m. then at Matt's Big Breakfast -definately we worth getting up early for with a small group of great friends - the best breakfast joint in Phoenix!!!
You need to have a favorite breakfast spot near home, right? For me, it was Red Hill Coffee Shop when I lived in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Yum! Then in L.A. it was the Original Pantry, downtown. (Don't let anybody BS you, it's 5-Stars, breakfast, lunch, or dinner!!). Over here, I like Black Bear Diner for all three meals, but it's a little far from my house, so this Tuesday mid-morning I ventured to nearby Matt's Big Breakfast, downtown at 1st & McKinley to give it a try.
I learned early on that convenience is NOT what Matt's is about! First, not only was the parking lot was full, I had to park two blocks away! Then back at Matt's, the little place was packed with customers inside, with more waiting outside! I put my name in, & I was sent next door to a hotel room to wash up! Not unpleasant, just a little odd.
Back at Matt's, I was seated before long at a nice little table by a window, & ordered a cup of coffee, to be followed by "the Hog & Chick", which in my case translated to ham & eggs & sourdough toast with home fries.
My breakfast arrived pretty soon, featuring a big ham steak, which was delicious! So were the home fries! Also, although the place was brim-full of customers coming, & going, the service was very friendly & attentive throughout my visit. Price with coffee: About $10
3-Stars for convenience & price, 5-Stars for food & service. Yum! I'll squeeze in there for lunch next time (same price), & It's sure to be good!
My mom took me here this morning after I arrived on an early-morning flight, we had a craving for coffee and a new place.
First impression: Small brick building by what looks like a roach motel and a parking lot totally full. Some really weird icky smell was in the air too..?
Inside is cramped with little orange tables, totally kitsch and cute. The staff were all very friendly and made sure our orders were taken as soon as we were ready, even to the point that different waitresses were asking to make sure we had coffee on the way.
The coffee's great and I was impressed with raw sugar on each table.
The menu is small [literally] and I ordered the cheese omelette [cheddar] with mushrooms and hash browns. The hash browns were ridiculously oily. They would have been tastier without so much grease. The omelette was mediocre and I could have made the same in my own kitchen. The whole wheat toast was probably the best part of the meal, and the jam tasted homemade and flavourful. I am not used to really greasy food like I was served [nor did I expect it] and therefore could not get through half my breakfast before my stomach started aching.
The jist? Small cafe, great waitstaff, subpar diner food. Oh, and this might be good to know: there is no restroom in the place, so if you need to use one, you will have to go next door to that sketchy motel.
i'll review this place better when i can ACTUALLY GET IN. This is just like that stupid cupcake shop nonsense in New York after everyone saw them on that "Sex and the City" episode. I have driven past this place FOUR SEPARATE TIMES to try to go have breakfast, but i'm not waiting with 30 other people to sit in a place that has four tables to have pancakes. It's just not gonna' happen.
Either use your profits to buy a bigger place, or add a patio and some more staff! Having a tiny restaurant and a wait that big isn't charming, homey, or fun. It's silly. Fix it!!
Ok. I'm finally getting in tune with Yelp and I'm writing a long overdue review of one of my favorite restaurants of all time-Matt's Big Breakfast. When I think of what is important to me in a restaurant, it's two things plain and simple-food and service-and Matt's excels at both. Honestly, these are the type of people, Matt and Ernie and their staff, that America's needs more of...good hearted, honest, hard working people who give a shit about their customers. They're as American as Apple Pie!
The food: everything on the menu is very good but in my mind two things stand out and they are as good as it gets in Phoenix...the waffle and the cheeseburger. Oh, and the bacon. A cheeseburger brushed with butter. Get the fuck outta town. This is the mother fuckin shit y'all. I consider myself a burger afficianado and this burger is the bombay.
There is an occasional wait because Guy Fieri pimps this place on the Food Network all the time but hell, why wouldn't he, it's the shit. I pimp it all the time myself. I may get a Matt's Big Breakfast logo on my pimpstick it's so good. The best times to go are during the weekdays in the early morning around 7AM or after 1:00PM.
GoGOGOGOGOGOOGOG....you'll be glad you did!
I went to Matt's the other morning for a solo breakfast before work. I was treating myself because I'd been on a gluten-free diet for over a month and that was the day I was reintroducing wheat after getting some blood drawn, and I'd been literally dreaming about waffles for weeks.
Diet aside, it was such a nice, cheerful way to start my day. I'd been to Matt's before for a Sunday brunch, and we waited forever outside in the heat. This was totally different: I walked in and sat down at the counter, no wait at all, and the waitstaff is very attentive and quick. I found myself smiling out at downtown Phoenix through that big picture window before my beloved waffles had even graced my place setting.
Waffles: solid. Belgian.
Bacon: thick-cut and peppered. I could have eaten 5 more slices.
Homefries: this is what I remember as being so stand-out from my first visit, and they did not disappoint the second time. Crispy, tasty potato chunks with caramelized onions and sauteed bits of rosemary...oh yum. And they're not even made of wheat.
Thanks, Matt, for giving me a lovely mid-week breakfast experience.
so the quest is finally over.
i have found my hangover breakfast spot.
although not hungover on this occasion, i believe that matt's will fit the bill for my greasy big breakfast need after a long night.
came in around 11am, because i can never seem to make it up before 10, and there was no wait and we were greeted and seated right away. started with a coffee which was SO good, some of the best diner/breakfast coffee i have ever had. i went with the salami and egg scramble with hashbrowns and sourdough toast, and my friend went with the chick and hog with bacon and home fries. the food came up pretty fast and i dug in.
fantastic.
the eggs were cooked perfectly and the salami was out of this world. the hashbrowns were a little greasy but i mixed everything together and it balanced out. a little tabasco sauce, and i had one bomb breakfast. i tried my friends bacon and it was phenomenal. crispy, thick, and peppery. delicious. their oj is like drinking straight out of an orange. the toast was great, and their jam was just the right amount of sweet. their portions are HUGE, i couldn't even finish my breakfast. my friend was as impressed as i was. it wasn't overwhelming loud inside like some small joints are known to be (like over easy...) and it wasn't crammed at all, even though the place looks incredibly tiny from the outside!
excellent service, stellar food, cool atmosphere, all for only $20 plus tip. i'm jumping on the matt's bandwagon.
I went here with a friend after he saw it recommended by Guy Fieri on the food network. It's a true dive; it can only fit about 25 people, your really never going to avoid a long wait and it's nothing special on the inside.
That aside, the food is RIDICULOUS. The butter burger is easily the best burger I've ever had. It's incomparable. I got a side of country fries which were also insanely delicious and tried the waffles which were unmatched in quality. They actually added a slight seasoning to the waffles which give it a nice touch to the sweetness.
Highly recommended!
Whoa - what a bunch of spoilsports!
What's not to love about Matt's Big Breakfast (except for the wait)? My friend and I are serious breakfast aficionados, hailing from Philly where we regularly b'fast at Sabrina's, Honey's, Carmen's Country Kitchen and Morning Glory Diner - all fine, glorious breakfast establishments. Suffice it to say that neither of us are slouches when it comes to knowing a killer breakfast when we come across one - and he makes a mean frittata himself and I make sublime homemade buttermilk pancakes.
I read about Matt's online (altho I must say that I somehow fortunately missed the ridiculously pretentious and nit-picky (too much rosemary for your retainer??? Get a life!) "yelp" reviews) so we decided to stop by for breakfast after flying in to Phoenix this past Saturday.
As much as we love a good b'fast, we both despise a long wait ... but hey, we had nothing better to do and struck up conversations with other waiting souls and paid a visit to the nearby flea-bag Coronado Motel to use the restroom and soak up the atmosphere. Matt's provides a cooler of flavored water and the time passed pretty quickly.
IT WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT! It's days later and I can still taste the perfectly light and fluffy (neither undercooked or overcooked) omelette, brimming with top quality cheddar cheese (who could imagine a basic omelette could taste so heavenly?). The home-fries were bursting with flavor with the addition of rosemary, onions and peppers ... and the toast ... oh the toast ... homemade sourdough cut into thick slices, toasted and served with homemade jam. My partner's special was eggs blended with some kind of slightly spicy sausage and cheese. The coffee, too, is perfect, neither too strong or too mild and served with real cream and raw sugar.
Service is fast, friendly and we were treated to the owner's adorable son seating guests and advising of the day's specials.
Didn't need to eat again until dinner - if you're in Phoenix, ignore the "yelp" twitwits - you simply MUST visit Matt's Big Breakfast.
I was in the downtown area and needed to have a good breakfast so I headed over to Matt's. I heard the food served here is organic and local whenever possible so I wanted to check it out. I was surprised how small this restaurant is but it doesn't feel stuffy or cramped inside. There was no wait when we arrived around 8 am and we were immediately seated. My cousin and I ordered the same thing coffee, chorizo and eggs with jalapenos, and hash browns. We downed a couple of cups of coffee and our meal arrived. The service was fast and they did a great job of keeping our coffee cups filled up. I noticed the ketchup had a sweet taste to it I looked at the bottle and it was Heinz ketchup. It didn't taste like Heinz! I wonder if they add something extra to it ? The food is good but the atmosphere makes you feel at home and I think that's why many people come back.
After hearing so many positives about Matts Big Breakfast, I decided after retrieving my friend from the airport to go and get my breakfast on! Love at first sight , no!! But never judge a book by it's cover, right? Huh, maybe... Parking is minimal, and in that part of the city.. It can be dicey to find parking . The place is tiny.. Tinier & more cramped with dreadful decor... Much like Over Easy, in fact! There are a handful of basic breakfast selections.. With catchy names though.. I ordered the 'hog & chick' for example.. Only bc I wanted to have poached eggs.. That was just the easiest way to get them& I passed my 'hog' on to my hungry hog
loving friend... The eggs are free range & were perfectly poached, score ! Finally some chef in the desert got my poach correct... I'm very picky on the poach... Not like it's a hard process, I know as I have the calphelon pan for poaching in my own loft! I loved my home fries.. Big nice wedges of potatoes.. Sidenote -- too many Rosemary stems.. For me and my built in retainer , it could become a toothy disaster ! And whoa with the onions... Yikes ! Great for flavor, but not unless your planning on being amongst the masses following breakfast! There were a ton of big slivers of white onion.. But once your past picking all the flavor adding things out,you have great home fries..my friend has the hashbrowns, she said they reminded her of OreIda with alot of grease...I've never been a fan of shredded potatoes seemingly devised to soak up oil from the pan , so I wouldn't test them... Loved the bread... Wow! Homemade jams too.. Yum! There was no fruit on the plate.. It's presented in a basic diner way.. I personally like some fruit when I go down the breakfast path.. Relatively inexpensive.. Coffee , nothing special & no options for espresso ... Thot I was going to have a small panic attack over that alone... One other disappointment... Restroom?? No.. It's next door in a divey looking motel with wooden shutters ... I'll wait & use the Starbucks restroom as I drive home disappointed and needing espresso fast.. I'm thinking I'm seriously picky with my breakfast/brunch & just unable to find a 4star option here.. Oh well, I fly for free... I'm goin back to Cali..
Nothing like a five spot sandwich after the Farmer's Market!! Still super tasty ...I don't mind the wait ... it's that tasty!
Wowie!! Try the Rueben it's too die for . Thick slabs of pastrami , cheese and a delicious rye… Read more »
They use local farm grown vegetables. Large portions. Healthy and greasy options. Some vegetarian options, but I'm sure you can substitute.
Small inside and there is a wait of up to 45-60 min at times. Almost always hoppin inside. It reminds me of a small east coast cafe/joint.
Nice staff!
Great HOT coffee. Sometimes while you wait (waiting is outside) they have complimentary coffee and juice out there. Best thing to do while waiting is walk over to Circles Music store. Not too many other places to walk to. Still worth the wait!
Ah! One last thing. Bathroom is in the kitchen. LOL! I love it and hate it. But it's what makes the place unique!
This place is absolute heaven when you are hungover. The omelets are huge and fluffy, stuffed with deliciousness. I love the thick cut bacon! They definitely do not skimp on the good stuff! I was talking about it with a guy at The Roosevelt later that night and he told me Matt drives out to Gilbert once a week for that bacon. Definitely worth it! The hash browns are even better. Perfectly crispy without being burned. Matt's will definitely fill you up at a very good price. Loved seeing Matt at The Roosevelt that night! He's awesome!
Finally got to try Matt's EARLY one Sunday morning with the family. Luckily they arrived well before I did and I didn't have to wait very long. The place is small, like previous posters have alluded too. You don't get how small until you actually go. 10 tables and 7 seats at the counter, tops. The waits can be long and now I know why.
So we were a party of 8. The parents sat at a table and the "kids" sat at the counter. The menu is simple with not a lot to choose from. I heard the pancakes were great, but I like a little more substance with my breakfast. I chose the special, 3 egg scramble with bacon, cheddar, and fresh jalapenos, rosemary home fries and a tortilla. Not being a huge jalapeno fan I almost had them nixed from the order, but decided to go with it. Glad I did. It was great and the peppers added a nice little bit of heat. The rosemary home fries were outstanding! I know all of this sounds very simple and you could probably make this at home, but it always tastes so much better when someone else makes it!
I think this place is worth the hype!
Hi all! Went to Matt's last night for the PJ's and Eggs! Matt was great a bunch of the guys from Hickman farms were there having breakfast too! The special was steak and eggs, while I originally had my little heart set on a butter burger I had to try the Steak and eggs. I was not disappointed it was fantastic! Just as I suspected. I think I am becoming a Matt's groupie! lol. I can't help it between the cozy atmosphere, the friendly staff, fresh delicious menu choices and given that I am supporting a family business I am hooked! Now I will say last night we waited about an hour and there were 5 of us but all agreed it was so worth the wait. PS I had to get a butter burger to go I had it for lunch today YUM! Thanks Erenia and Matt!
Well my fellow foodies, I have been to the promised land yet again. This time on a Saturday morning… Read more »
the butter burger was fantastic but totally not worth the almost 2 hour wait to get it
Food was okay, I am not waiting all day for it though. If I could go in and get a table right away I'd eat here again, but waiting more than 10 minutes, no thank you! I would rather walk to Matadors or First Watch....
P.S. Go for the rosemary potatoes not the hash browns, unless, of course, you would like some hash browns with your grease.
Ok, so first for the bad:
So the first time I went there was when some friends invited me.
They were already at the restaurant, I was still in bed at home in Avondale. I showered, dressed and drove over there...they were still waiting for a table. In fact once I got there we waited another 30 minutes for a table. that means my friends were waiting over an hour and a half for a table.
My other complaint is that my potatoes are always too burnt, even when I tell them not to burn them.
They are closed on Monday (you would have thought I would remember this the first two Monday;s I came to eat here)
So now for the good:
Everything else! I love the food!
The Chop & Chick and griddle cakes are my fave for breakfast and for lunch I love...well just about everything!
Can't wait till I move back so I can go again!!
My husband came to my work to have lunch with me the other day and being how all I hear about in this area is Matt's, I decided we would go try it. So we pulled up outside and found a parking spot, WOOHOO!! (there seemed to be limited spaces unless you want to meter it) I looked at the outside and was again scared of the size (I really do have claustrophobia) but decided I was going in! It was VERY small but we got a table in the "back room" which cracked me up because there is this really small step to get to it and all the workers' kept saying "watch your step", it was just really funny.
So, I had the cheese omelet and home potatoes with bacon. It was delicious! My husband had the salami and egg scramble with hash browns and LOVED it! This is our new favorite breakfast spot! The only bad thing was the restroom which has been mentioned in other reviews, it's next door at the motel which is not so desirable so go to the bathroom before you go to Matt's and everything should be fine. The service was excellent and I will definitely be back, oh and no wait! It must have been my lucky day!!
Ok. I started coming here when Matt could only get the local downtown area news channel to cover his place. It was only open for about 2 weeks and you could walk in at the height of the lunch hour and grab a table or spot at the bar. That was then and the food "F" rocked! Ok flashed forward to present day! Service is still pretty good, the wait can be a bit long, the food now is just ok. It has lost it's charm a little. Menu is sit short. If you are in the area and can afford to kill 30 minutes for a spot then check it out.
Want a simple breakfast without doodads and sprinkles? Hate when people come clapping by your table to sing Happy Birthday to little Timmy in the booth behind you when all you want is some f-ing breakfast and coffee? Matt's is the place for you.
I had the pleasure of meeting Amy D for lunch here a while back. I must say I was seriously surprised how simple everything was. I don't know what I was expecting, but this is a pretty straightforward breakfast joint. For my breakfast, I had bacon, eggs, hash browns and 1 pancake that was large enough for two. I washed it all down with their honey sweetened lemonade, which I thoroughly enjoyed!
So why three stars? First of all, a three star rating is NOT a bad rating. Second, it's breakfast. There really is no way to mess up a simple breakfast. I definitely will go back to try their burgers and maybe I'll boost my rating.
Matt's is A-OK in my book and I look forward to going back!
Woke at 5AM Thursday morning to meet with a friend and drive to Matt's. By the time we got there it was 6:30 and just opening which means we didn't have to wait outside at all! Incredible location and beautiful building despite the small size but at the same time this means better service and quality over a bland and fast breakfast (I can make that at home). Great coffee while waiting for food.
The food was incredible, better than US Egg or Cracker Company, portions were large enough to fill me for the day especially if you get the Hog and Chick for about $8. Light and fluffy eggs complimented by peppered and smoky thick bacon with greasy and crispy hash browns. Was also given the fabulous crunchy toast and grape jelly and was able to steal some of my friends home fries with consisted of many thick cut potatoes and lots of grilled onions with large pieces of rosemary.
This was hands-down my best breakfast experience in Arizona, I will definitely have to get back there again as soon as I can. Make sure and go early so you can skip the line!
Believe it or not, I finally had my first Matt's experience this morning... I'd been hearing about Matt's Big Breakfast for ages, but never really wanted to make the drive to wait forever just for a greasy breakfast!
However, we were talked into Matt's by some friends of ours that were also Matt's virgins... we met there around 10am, only to find that there were about 2 full pages worth of names ahead of us, and that they would not quote a wait... Matt's was smaller than I imagined, so I knew it would take awhile. We debated going elsewhere and even went over to The Turf for coffee. (If the service there were better there, we probably would've just stayed there, but we figured if we were going to wait, we'd just wait for Matt's). My pregnant friend went into Matt's at one point to use the bathroom and they told her she had to go to the hotel nextdoor and 'ask for Mike.' That was a bit shady...
About an hour and a half later, our party of four was seated... and needless to say, we were all starving by then! We started with some fresh squeezed OJ and coffee. (The OJ glasses were tiny, but each sip tasted like heaven... and I was pleased to see that they use coffee fresh from Cave Creek Coffee Co.)
When it was time to order, I was extremely disappointed that after that long wait, they were out of whole wheat toast. I ended up getting an egg white omelette (yes, they do egg whites), hashbrowns, sour dough toast + preserves. I could eat only about half of it... but what I did eat was good, greasy, and filled me up for most of the day.
I don't really see myself rushing back to Matt's again anytime soon - unless it's on a weekday when the wait isn't so bad. But I will say I'm happy that I finally made it to Matt's - and oh, what an experience it was!
Phoenix, AZ
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Burgers
Phoenix, AZ
Category: Delis
Phoenix, AZ
Category: Fruits & Veggies
Tempe, AZ
Category: Bakeries
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