A Great First Visit to Hope's!
Yesterday around 8:30 a.m., I stopped by Hope's for breakfast, and I'm glad I did.
I had just dropped off my car for service in East Phoenix and took the bus back toward Central Phoenix. I originally planned to visit a nearby competing breakfast/brunch spot, but decided to finally try Hope's instead. I had also heard several good reviews about the restaurant from fellow residents in the nearby high-rise condo where I live.
As a native Phoenician, I'm very familiar with this area and even remember the restaurant that previously occupied this location. Because of that, I was particularly interested in seeing whether I noticed improvements in the cleanliness and overall condition of the space.
I did.
I was immediately seated by a friendly staff member in a booth by the window, which is my preference. While I was sitting there, I watched an employee thoroughly clean a booth after another guest left. If you remember the level of detailed cleaning we saw during COVID, that's what it reminded me of. I was impressed.
My server was friendly, had a great smile and was attentive without being overbearing.
I ordered hard-scrambled eggs, dry wheat toast, soft bacon, potato wedges, orange juice and coffee.
The orange juice immediately caught my attention. There was a tiny piece of orange seed floating on top, and I thought, "Is this freshly squeezed?"
One sip answered the question.
YES!
It was freshly squeezed, and it was very good.
The coffee was another surprise. I expected I might need plenty of creamer and sugar to make it work for me.
Nope.
The coffee was actually very tasty on its own. Another WIN!
One difference from a nearby competitor is that Hope's doesn't offer chilled creamer or half-and-half. Instead, there's pre-packaged liquid creamer at the table. Coffee is also served one cup at a time rather than leaving a decanter at the table. It's been a while since I've had coffee served that way, so I had to adjust.
The food arrived looking like it had been prepared with care. The eggs and potatoes weren't burnt, and the bacon was soft, exactly how I would have prepared it at home.
And everything was HOT.
The plate was hot and the food was quite warm!
That might sound like a small thing, but getting a genuinely hot plate at a breakfast restaurant seems to be becoming a rarity in Central Phoenix. So, another pleasant surprise.
The restaurant had a reasonable crowd and was relatively quiet, which I appreciated.
The base meal price was around $15, which didn't surprise me. That seems to be about the going rate for breakfast around Central Phoenix before drinks and tip.
I was seated at booth #7.
After breakfast, I asked about the restaurant because I was curious to meet the person behind the name. I had the pleasure of meeting Hope, and she was just as pleasant as the restaurant itself. We chatted for a bit, she thanked me for finally stopping by and asked me to come back.
Will do.
I'll be back!
Hope's made a very good first impression.
Al Jones
Managing Member
Light Eyes Media, LLC
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