The Universal

I was a little worried when we arrived - small size and large mob of people waiting, but this place came highly recommended so I opted to wait... 25 minutes. That was it! The man who acted as both a server and host was incredibly nice and spot on with the wait time. Once inside it was much more comfortable and spacious than expected. The tables and seats were spaced appropriately so people could get in and out without bumping each other and there wasn't a sense of claustrophobia. I would be willing to take someone immunocompromised. The food and coffee came quickly and efficiently with great plating, but this is where I get started. The food was INCREDIBLE. 10/10 bacon - crispy chewy without being burnt or slimy 10/10 barbacoa grits of the day. Holy barbacoa. Fresh slices avocado, perfect pico and grits. Impressive serving sizes. 10/10 berry compote. Look, when I see the word compote I usually cringe, but this was fresh, thoughtfully mixed to avoid over sweetness, and perfectly paired with the seasonal berries 10/10 custard toast. I LOVE nutmeg and French toast so this was such a wonderful surprise! I'm really particular about the texture of my French toast and this was wonderful! 10/10 biscuits and gravy. I didn't know this could taste fresh and not heavy, but they nailed it! Nice little spicy smokey taste. 9/10 cappuccino with cinnamon. Okay. It was really good, I may have been too focused on the food to remember this. Side note - they don't take AMEX, so bring an alternative. :)

Went about an hour and a half before closing. Joel was our server, hope I'm spelling his name right! We got the Universal breakfast with a pancake and the Eggs Benedict. I also ordered a side of sourdough toast and he brought us a peach preserves that was delicious! For the Universal: potatoes were just right and not over or under seasoned, bacon was nice and crispy, we shared the pancake and it was light and fluffy, good on its own even with no syrup Eggs Benedict was amazing. Ham was in good thick slices, not super sweet, hollandaise sauce is probably one of my favorites I've had. Salad had a slight dressing that was fresh and didn't overwhelm the dish. Poached eggs were perfect! I ended up bringing half of my dish home because it's really filling plus I was sharing the pancake. They weren't super busy because of the time of day, but I've been here several times in the morning on a weekend and there was definitely a wait to be sat.

Food was delightful. 10/10 Ordered the Philly steak sandwich. Very messy and delicious. Eggs benny is a work of art and the server Micheal absolutely jacked and was attentive to getting us what we needed.

New favorite breakfast spot! Have lived nearby and just never went in - now I will go often! They have a great selection of food and drinks. Honestly the best chai I’ve had in a while. I’d go back just for that! Delicious breakfast and decent gluten free toast, which is always nice to find. The scramble was delicious. They had lactose free milks to choose from as well. Highly recommend this spot!