I have been waiting a long time to try this place! Everyone who lives in Lakewood seems to recommend it as well as most yelpers and now I know why! It is delicious! This is not at all your average diner. This place focuses on southwest breakfast foods. I came here on a Friday morning around 9:30am with 2 other people and even that early in the morning we waited about 20 min for a table. The coffee is good, the sauces are homemade and the service is quick. I ordered the Chorizo tacos and I loved that the Chorizo was cooked in with the eggs. Our table also ordered the stuffed banana walnut french toast and the Chorizo burrito. Everything was delicious! This is a must try Lakewood staple! read more

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I love this place! Visiting Cleveland and found this place for a brunch with family. Amazing food, great family atmosphere, and a business i am happy that I supported! Many options for everyone and a hard decision to make on what to eat! I will definitely come back the next time I visit here. read more

Had breakfast at Borderline the other day and ordered: *Avocado eggs benny: this one's a keeper...I'd come back for this alone :) *Chorizo burrito: nice red and green salsas but the burrito itself tasted nearly identical to the 3/$1 frozen burritos at your local mini mart :(...processed white-boy tortilla w/ not-so savory filling. This is the primary reason for only 3* *Pancake, sausage link, and eggs: typical...good sausage though! *Coffee: typical diner coffee but seemed expensive @ $2.50 I'd come back for another SW style breakfast but stick to the avocado benny. read more

Borderline Cafe - Avocado eggs benny- yummy! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

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While on the small side the food here is great. I have the best breakfast burrito I've had in a long time. My only complaint was it was a little unorganized. read more

Excellent breakfast joint! I got the chorizo burrito and a side hash browns. My wife got their eggs Benedict. Both were excellent! With all the breakfast joints in Lakewood, this is one our favorites. Friendly staff and good service. I am sentimental about this place because it was the first Lakewood restaurant we ever tried. Please note it's cash only and they will not seat you until your whole party is there. On weekends, get there early because it gets crowded very quickly with the line going out the door. read more

My partner and I have had food from here multiple times, but today, hands down our best experience so far and truly amazing. If you haven't tried their tomato basil panini, it's something we HAVE to get everytime to share. I got the feta and spinach omelet while he got the chorizo burrito and everything was perfectly seasoned and plated beautifully. 1000/5 stars, keep up the good work friends! read more

Ok, so they don't take credit or checks and you're going to wait during typical breakfast hours, but it will be worth it. The ladies are so sweet and the food so good. The avocado eggs Benedict with bacon is amazing. Something about the house made guacamole with the cilantro, lime and bacon with the eggs... Yum! My daughter had the stuffed French toast and it was delicious. (get a half order unless you're a big person) They're doing something right because there's always a line! read more

I have has this on my list for quite some time now and couldn't be happier to finally eat here! We went on a Thursday around 11:30 and were able to get a seat before they closed up for the day. I would recommend visiting on a weekday due to the long lines on weekends despite the fact that this is a cash only establishment. This quaint breakfast nook serves up delicious breakfast foods with a south western influence. I went with a chipotle breakfast sandwich and a side of hash brown potatoes. The potatoes were outstanding, crispy and well seasoned. The sandwich was fantastic, served on toasted ciabatta with eggs, bacon and a smokey chipotle sauce. It's hard not to enjoy yourself while eating flavorful food in a diner with such sunny decor! This is a must try! read more

Borderline Cafe - Southwest omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

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Oh. My. God. I have just had the best French toast of my life. The spiced pumpkin, pecan stuffed, French toast was sinfully good. Portions are huge. It was two slices of bread put together then another two sliced put together. My kids also loved their stuffed sweetened cream cheese, strawberry and blueberry (in a delish simple syrup) topped, French toast. The crisp, herbed seasoned, breakfast potatoes with queso was just as fabulous!! This place is simply amazing!! read more

The food is great. Home fries are the bomb - Highly recommend for breakfast or brunch...

It was great! Would recommend. Place was small so expect a wait but it's worth it. Hidden gem in Cleveland

Great menu, well-prepared food, reasonable prices...oh, and really great service! What's not to like?!? (Our server even fed our parking meter when we told her we had no coins to do so!) And FYI: cash only. read more

Borderline Cafe - Fun and funky decor! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

Fantastic Breakfast! Very reasonably priced, the Homefries with Queso were incredible and only like 3$. If you are in Lakewood and you want to find one of those small gems that you probably have driven past 10x's check this place out. It will be your new breakfast spot. read more

Borderline Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

Great breakfast! Friendly service. We will definitely return when in Cleveland again.

This one came to my mobile app as the best breakfast place in Cleveland area open on Sunday morning at 7:30 AM. I would have liked to disagree with the reviews but I can not. This place is awesome. It has the feeling of a homely place. I walked in and was asked to sit where ever I would like. It was not that packed so I can not say anything about how busy it can get, I was there at 7:30 so it was early Sunday morning and people has started coming in when I was leaving. I was looking for something and the waitress lady told me where the restrooms are, I did not have to say a word !! As soon as I came back she asked me if I would like some coffee. I like to drink tea and it was served promptly. They do not have a great selection of teas, just usual Lipton tea bags, but they served it with the selection and hot water and refilled my hot water a couple of times too ! I had the veggie eggs Benedict, which is the first time I had eggs Benedict in my life and I will be ordering more of this dish for sure. I just ordered because it was first choice on the menu. It was awesome. The staff is very friendly. Sitting arrangement is nice in a small cafe like environment. The most important thing I noticed was that the waitresses know most of the customers present in the cafe and they were extremely friendly. Food is great and the environment is nice. It is surely the five star cafe in Cleveland. read more

You will awkwardly wait outside for a table, and it will have been worth it every single time. Super small restaurant with very limited seating and the best breakfast Cleveland has to offer. Something about being in this place just puts a smile on your face. It's bright yellow walls will warm your heart on even the coldest of mornings and they wouldn't dare put Folger's in your cup! The coffee they serve is from a local roaster and they still make sure your cup stays full. A southwestern spin on the traditional diner experience, with higher quality ingredients and care. read more

My favorite breakfast in the area. The potatoes with cheese and the breakfast sliders are my go to! Delicious food and nice people.

I came here yesterday with my grandma for the first time and was blown away! I ordered the avocado bacon Benedict and it was the best breakfast I've had in a long time. Not only was it very tasty, it was beautifully displayed. The prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you get too. I definitely recommend coming here for breakfast and I can't wait to go back! read more

This place is incredible, me and my husband got in love with the food and the attention, the place is tiny but cozy. The most popular dish is the avocado toast, delicious. The only bad thing is that you have to pay in cash. I love going to these type of businesses were they have different options and they create plates using good ingredients. read more

Borderline Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

I am always looking for new breakfast places around Lakewood to try something different. I came across the Bordlerine Cafe and wanted to try it out. My first visit, I found it very hard to find the restuarant. They have no larger sign, only a small light up sign in the window, but for future reference it is right next to the new insomnia cookie. After I finally found the door, it was so packed that I could not stand inside. We also noticed a sign on the door that it was cash only. I was not prepared for that and settled on going to a difference restaurant and returning to Borderline at a later date. The second time that I came for breakfast, there was a smaller wait and I was with only 1 other person. We got seated in a cute window seat very quickly and had AMAZING service throughout our entire breakfast. Our waitress was very attentive and remained calm even thought there was a huge wait. I would say the best way to descibe it was good ol' southern hospitality which is always refreshing! I ordered an eggs benedict meal and was not disappointed. I would highly recommend trying Borderline out for breakfast. Since it is owned by locals and the staff is friendly and awesome it is easy to look past the wait. Just make sure that you have a small intimate crew and bring enough cash to cover the bill. read more

Coffee was wonderful and service is excellent. Food was really good large portions and inexpensive. What more can you ask for? The suburb it's located in is really safe and nice. read more

Borderline Cafe - Stuffed French toast with strawberries blueberries and cream cheese. Yum!! But huge - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

Had the eggs Benedict with avocado very fresh and good was hoping it came w side of potatoes :( read more

Borderline Cafe - Menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

Having lived in the area my whole life I'm embarrassed to say I went here for the first time this weekend. I've been missing out. I ordered the vegetarian quesadilla which was great. It had just the right amount of filling (egg, cheese, vegetables) and wasn't a sloppy mess to eat. I ordered a side of potatoes which turned out were a little spicy but I enjoyed. I think the salsa was homemade which added to the already deliciousness. read more

A few days before Labor Day, we were driving around searching for a late day breakfast spot. (Not Sunday Brunch) Stopped by a local (hotspot) diner to find them closed for the upcoming holiday. Hit another two restaurants discovering that lunch was being served. On a whim, I asked cuzzo to search his phone, somehow he found this gem using Yahoo search! (of all search engines..) The exterior of the restaurant provides little information about what to expect. From the outside, it looks tiny and then the sign indicating it's cash only. (Seriously, it's 2017. We're not in a depressed state any longer and you can eat 1-2% in CC fees for the sake of your customers. This is a time when more often, folks walk around with CCs and some use (NFC pay) Android or iPhone pay services. I once saw a cupcake dealer on a bicycle taking payments via Square on his smartphone. Don't get me started on cash only restaurants with their own foreign ATM. Those fees!) Back home (in Chicago), I am always on the hunt for a decent breakfast burrito. Somewhere, with their own housemade chorizo and with any luck, California style. I spent time living on the West coast and found breakfast burritos to be an anytime Godsend. BC had three versions of breakfast burritos and huevos rancheros! (What?!) I opted for the chorizo burrito and asked if they could stuff breakfast potatoes in there too. The burrito was served with red and green salsa on opposite sides of the plate. Dude... FTW, sooo good!!! I don't usually finish meals. Most times I'll take a portion to go. But this was, to the last fork full, sublime! Cuzzo opted for the Cheese steak Eggs Benedict. (We hit Melt the night before and he'd had the Cheese steak there as well) This guy can eat. There wasn't any sauce left on the plate! With a couple mugs of coffee.. we were set for the day. Since we had family back at the crib, we grabbed some Bfast sliders to-go. (Those were damn good too!) I hope locals keep'em prosperous, next time I'm local a few days, I'd def come back. Cash only turns me off.. sometimes I try not to carry much on my person but on this particular day, luckily I had enough to cover us. Cuzzo only deals with plastic so... read more

Literally delicious. Super friendly staff and great choices! Waitresses were okay and food came out quick

Extra good service this past Thursday. Food is always good and was told you take credit and debit cards now too!

Ordered omelette and the daily special- beef A delightful bunch with mom before heading to the airport, which is fairly close to this place The cafe has more of a rectangle setting, instead of one big area with tables around. This allows a bit privacy space for each table, which is very nice. The yellow wall gives a warm atmosphere, and it accommodates with green chairs and wooden tables. The menu was a downplay, however. I was expecting a cute designed menu that match with the theme of the room. The menu was printed on a piece of paper:( The food was fine...I thought it was little too much sauces and cheese..... My omelette has nothing but cheese in it. Personally did not like the fact they put butter on my toast for me. Service was great! reasonable price. Sometimes a good setting+ good service are enough to make a delightful experience read more

Borderline Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

Favorite brunch spot (and I brunch often). Always busy but well worth the wait. Old school cash only family run business. The avocado eggs Benedict is so good I can't bring myself to order anything else. Only thing I would add is some Bloody Mary's :) read more

Borderline Cafe - Bacon avocado eggs benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

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Solid breakfast food. Great selections. They only take cash, so prepare. Had the chorizo burrito and really enjoyed it. Wife had the stuffed banana French toast, which was also great. Highly recommend for the area. read more

*CASH ONLY* Great little hide away. Small, cozy and friendly atmosphere and staff. Very locally oriented. Get there early if you don't want to wait. They have specials people rave about but I chose a basic 2 eggs, home fries and wheat toast. It was excellent. I imagine anything you order from the menu would be delicious. Highly recommended! read more

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Seriously my favorite breakfast spot. It's 45 minutes from where we live and you always had to wait outside for a while BUT bomb food that's well worth it. Definitely miss it since covid hit. read more

I'm a sucker for a southwestern style breakfast joint and Borderline is a good one. Big portions, fair prices, and decent (for a diner) coffee. Service is fast and friendly. Your coffee cup will never be less than 2/3 full. I would like a little more heat in the food, but it is otherwise pretty well seasoned and tasty. read more

Oh my! The Platonic ideal of breakfast potatoes. Warm service, cute interior, creative delicious breakfast entrees. But the potatoes!

Fabulous breakfast. My husband and I come here a lot when we want just a great, simple, breakfast. Never had an issue. Downside - they only take cash and there is no alcohol so that's why I say we come for just a "simple" breakfast. The menu has a great mexican flare to it. My husband loves the breakfast sandwich's and they have great quesadillas and incredible hash browns. The waitress is always super sweet. read more

Borderline Cafe - Veggie Omelette! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lakewood, Ohio

Average to below average traditional breakfast food, so-so service, good Mexican-inspired dishes. Was packed on a Sunday around 11am, as other reviewers have noted, and not much space inside to wait (expect to stand or even wait outside). Service was curt but nice enough. The place felt short staffed with the lack of follow through for our empty coffee mugs. Unfortunately the space is long rather than wide, so it's hard to say if additional staff would fit in the limited space. Food: -- Veggie omelet was okay. Ingredients were fresh, but the omelet was a little on the greasy side for me. There also was too much cheese for my preference. -- Blueberry pancakes were extremely disappointing.. Not fluffy and bland. Disappointing to find that one of the breakfast staples was underwhelming. -- My boyfriend had the huevos rancheros, which became the saving grace of the visit, and comprised of flavorful pork coupled with other fresh tastes. I do not usually like huevos rancheros but I'd consider making an exception here. Don't expect anything special about the service. I'd skip the standard omelets and pancakes if I were to visit again. True to their name, their Mexican-inspired breakfast dishes seem to be their specialty and where they shine. read more

Great local gem with excellent food & service! Stuffed banana & walnut French toast & Bacon & Avo eggs bene so yummy! Going there again today! read more

My 1st time here. A friend brought me here for breakfast. The only negative thing I have to say is that they can't seat enough people to feed their awesomeness to at one time! Make sure you have cash, as they don't take plastic. I had the chorizo and egg burrito served Christmas style. Just the salsas on top were phenomenal; not only did they look beautiful they exploded with flavor all over the palette! And when I wanted to Alice things up, they didn't just have one generic hot sauce, they had a great selection of different kinds! I'm definitely planning on going back for more...and more. I'd rate 5 stars but with only one menu item in my belly that seemed a bit presumptuous on my part. read more

Breakfast with a twist. This place is perfect for what it is. A small hole in the wall but the food is DELICIOUS! We have been four or five times but this place became an instant favorite. It's a little small so it's best to go early but even at 10:30 it is worth the 30 minute wait. We have yet to be disappointed but we have our favorites. The chorizo breakfast tacos are really the best on the menu. Corn tortilla, chorizo, scrambled egg, cheddar cheese, and homemade salsa with some lime cilantro sour cream. But if you have more of a sweet tooth when it comes to breakfast they will not disappoint. They have 2 types of stuffed french toast. I recommend the classic stuffed french toast with berries. Not to sweet just enough. My husband and I get both and split because it's too good to miss the savory or the sweet. Avoid like the plague: Not having cash. They are old school. Hit or miss: Getting a table right away Don't miss: This Lakewood gem. read more

You're gonna wait for this food. You're gonna be glad you did. The thing about the Borderline Cafe is that it's run by two women, who are scurrying the entire time to make it run for the morning. It's only open for brunch, really, which makes it a little special, like the way that Cadbury's Eggs are only available part of the year so you pig out when you get it. The inside is colorful, vaguely spanish, filled with other people who are here and thrilled to be in on the secret. So what's the food like? Well, they take the standard breakfast fare, do a pass with some Southwestern cuisines, and make ordinary dishes into the most phenomenal, tasty goddamned things you could imagine. My favorite - I'm a little addicted - is the Eggs Benedict, to which they add avocado and just a hint of lime, so the entire thing becomes suffused with a delicate taste that turns it into something else. It is the most sublime experience, because Eggs Benedict is not normally a subtle meal - hey, it's a gloppy thick sauce on top of poached eggs, which are about as subtle as Dane Cook - but somehow, the Borderline cafe manages to make every ingredient into a delicate interplay, so each bite is tangy and tasty and HEY KEEP YOUR FORK AWAY FROM MY PLATE, DON'T THINK I DON'T NOTICE YOU TRYING TO STEAL A CHUNK, I WILL STAB YOU. The fruit cups are filled with thick chunks of fresh fruit. As in, they chose the fruit and cut it themselves, not dumping it out of the back of some Dole truck. This is emblematic of their attention to detail - not a snooty detail, but the kind of thing where they said, "Hey, what kind of fruit would we want in a cup?" And so they change what's available according to the season. The French toast is also pretty tasty. This place accepts cash only. Why? Because they can. So fill up your wallet, get ready for the wait, and be pleasant. You'll get your turn. And when they escort you to your table, you'll be smiling, because they're still obviously having fun doing this after all these years. read more

I need to make a confession. I have been meaning to try the Borderline Cafe for well over a decade and wasn't able to actually get my idiot self through the door until last week. I suppose the price I pay for this foolishness is the years worth of delicious breakfasts that I wasted by eating my morning meals elsewhere. The above suggests what I thought of the experience, and to state it a little more explicitly, both the food and the service were excellent. I'm not normally a wrap kind of guy, but throw in some eggs, cheese, and smoked sausage, and I'll play the part convincingly enough. Nothing against juevos rancheros, but it's great to see a broader take on southwest breakfast food than juevos rancheros. In fact, I was so befuddled trying to make a decision about which savory dish to order that I completely overlooked the sweet side of things. I'll guess have to go back, I've got a lot of lost time to make up for. read more