Sun Break Café: A golden spot in Auburn for breakfast

The kids had to get up at 6 a.m. on Saturday to go to breakfast, so it had better be good. You know, nothing that meant trouble if the cocoa spilled or the food looked unfamiliar. Fortunately for all of us, Sun Break Café in Auburn — one of the best family breakfast places around — delivered.

The menu: Sun Break has an amazing variety of breakfast offerings. Omelets and scrambles in Paul Bunyan sizes ($13.25 for a whole and $9.75 for a half, which would be considered a full portion at other restaurants); strawberry-jam and cream-cheese French toast ($6.50); and real potato pancakes ($6.95). Everything comes with homemade muffins or warm banana bread.

There also are sandwiches on the lunch menu, the same beloved standards from when the Sun Break was the Big Bite sandwich shop more than 30 years ago in Federal Way.

What to write home about: The baked goods — the banana bread and marionberry or raisin-bran muffins are fabulous.

The setting: On a gloomy winter morning, the appropriately named Sun Break glows with warmth from all its windows. Inside the walls are sunny, covered with a quilt and photos. Chris Koch, the waiter who's been there for years, is casual and efficient.

Summing up: For us, breakfast out was a treat. Lana Van, 7, ordered the peanut-butter-sandwich French toast ($6.50), and was surprised when it arrived looking, well, like French toast. She cautiously took a bite and her eyebrows shot up with pleased surprise. "Mmmmmm, good," she said.

The cups of cocoa were piled high with whipped cream — a hit with both Lana and her brother, Lee Van, 12, who ordered a more traditional breakfast of eggs and hash browns ($5.85).

I went for the half portion of the asparagus omelet ($9.75), which was stuffed with thinly sliced ham and accompanied by red-potato hash browns. I still took at least half home for lunch.

Our breakfast for three with coffee and two cocoas came to $30.93.

Overall, it was easy to understand why Koch told us that at 7 a.m. we'd come "at just the right time. An hour later and the line will be out the door."

Nancy Bartley: 206-464-8522 or nbartley@seattletimes.com