Bay City Diner

Thursday, September 11, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

Eat: Recommended Restaurants

Fuel up

By James P. Reza

You've heard it since kindergarten: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It jumpstarts your metabolism, fires the synapses in your brain, and, if you're eating with co-workers, stokes the necessary pre-office piss-off you need to deal with the boss. Breakfast is even more important in a country always in search of a better way to lose weight: Eating early and often is much better than eating once late. Since we live in city where shift hours are as flexible as a Cirque du Soleil contortionist, its nice to know eggs can be had 24 hours a day across the city.

Bay City Diner

1 Fremont St.; 385-1906

$; Casual

Casino coffee shops were once a refuge where bleary-eyed losers found solace at 3 a.m., slowly swallowing a prime rib special or a shrimp cocktail while wearing a thousand-yard stare and fondly recalling a time when they had money. Few iconic coffee shops remain, so it's appropriate that this one, in Las Vegas' first hotel (the Golden Gate, opened 1906), stands like something from a noir western where politicians and power brokers still nosh.

Cheesecake Factory

750 S. Rampart Blvd; 951-3800

3500 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 792-6888

$-$$; Casual/Smart Casual

As far as gimmicky chains go, this ubiquitous, upscale eatery is among the best for breakfast and brunch. The speedy service and chi-chi feel belies the well-made comfort food on the massive menu. Omelets and egg dishes abound, and are each done extremely well. We love the light British-style brekky: two eggs as you like, freshly sliced tomatoes, sourdough toast.

Coffee Pub

2800 W. Sahara Ave.; 367-1913

$; Casual

It's been around long enough to earn a nickname and a steady following, and done what is necessary to keep them. "The Pub" was among the first off-Strip breakfast/lunch joints for the power players, with a friendly, efficient staff serving soup with sandwiches on freshly baked bread. Outdoor seating makes this a fave stop during spring and fall. The French toast and pumpkin pancakes are excellent.

Ice House Lounge

650 S. Main St.; 315-2570

$; Casual/Smart Casual

It's the first freestanding bar and restaurant built whole in downtown in, well, longer than we remember. Sure, the service and dinner menu is inconsistent, but breakfast is shaping up to be a downtown fave. Deco exterior, modernist interior, plasma screen televisions, a 24-hour menu, three happy hours, and half of Clark County's employees supping martinis and beer after work.

Mimi's Café

121 S. Fort Apache; 341-0365

$; Casual

This Costa Mesa-based diner is a pick of Orange County denizens joyriding to the beach, but the Summerlin version sacrifices the SoCal insouciance. Mimi's serves a very tasty breakfast (and freshly baked muffins) all day, along with a varied menu of comfort food. Beware the lemming locals who jack up the weekend wait time; volunteer to sit at the counter to avoid the line.

Mr. Lucky's 24/7

4455 Paradise Road; 693-5592

$-$$; Casual/Trendy

A revisiting of the casino coffee shop, Mr. Lucky's modernizes the standard and makes us wonder why it ever disappeared. You can order pasta and pizza here, but why? With breakfast served 24 hours, the tastiest veggie burger in Vegas, and the unlisted steak-and-shrimp special (ask for it), there's nothing left but dessert and eye candy.

Omelet House

2160 W. Charleston Blvd.; 384-6868

$; Casual

An old-school favorite, the Omelet House is part homey breakfast place, part greasy spoon, and all small-town atmosphere. The original central location is a haunt for longtime Las Vegans of all stripes, who love the massive omelet selection and perhaps the longest breakfast menu in town. Suburban locations in Summerlin and Henderson.

Original Pancake House

4833 W. Charleston Blvd.; 259-7755

$; Casual

Every kid leaps at the thought of pancakes, and the ones at this Portland fave are almost too good to be true. There are so many varieties of scratch-made delights that it takes several minutes just to salivate your way through the menu: apple, Swedish, buckwheat... For those who don't dig sweets in the morning, a full breakfast menu is also available.

Skillet Cafe

3923 W. Charleston Blvd.; 877-9083

$; Casual

To call it a greasy spoon does it a disservice; a "classic small-town diner and lunch counter" would be more accurate. Breakfast is always busy and daily-made soups are a favorite of the Vegas oldtimers, solo lunchers and residents from the nearby Westleigh and McNeil Estates who frequent the place. Burgers and sandwiches (try the egg salad on toasted sourdough) also come off well.

The Egg & I

4533 W. Sahara Ave.; 634-9686

$; Casual

If you are looking for a casual, off-Strip place for breakfast and lunch, this laidback storefront will do just fine. There are plenty of egg and skillet breakfasts, pancakes and waffles, and a varied menu of tasty (and often healthy) sandwiches from which to choose. The accommodations are simple and sturdy, perfect for children.