On a recent weekend trip to Warren County, we started our morning at The Breakfast Club in historic downtown Lebanon! Our hosts at the Warren County Visitors Bureau had suggested it, and when we rolled up and saw a small crowd waiting outside, we knew we were in the right place.
The Breakfast Club occupies a small building with a parking lot on the north end of downtown Lebanon, just up the street from institutions like The Golden Lamb. It has a large dining room and a large covered patio. And while the Sunday morning crowd was buzzing with excitement, the wait was only about 15-20 minutes.
Inside there is a small waiting room, and then the full dining room includes a row of booths along the windows, a small counter, and a collection of smaller tables throughout.
At The Golden Lamb the night before, the manager had sung the Breakfast Club’s praises, saying it was especially good if you like coffee. The Breakfast Club roasts its own coffee and sells it by the pound. I ordered a The French Press for their breakfast mix. It was rich and hearty without being bitter. You can also order iced coffee, decaffeinated coffee and coffee.
We started by dividing by a cinnamon buns with the table. We get super judgmental when it comes to cinnamon rolls—they’re easy to screw up, and there are some excellent versions that set the bar high (for us, that’s Real Food Cafe in Grand Rapids, Michigan)—but I’m happy to report that everyone around the table thumbs up on this one. It arrived warm, soft enough to cut with a fork but not mushy, and the frosting was buttery but not overly sweet.
The Breakfast Club menu covers enough ground that everyone will find something they like. There are house specialties, breakfast classics, omelets, pastries like buttermilk pancakes, waffles and French toast.
That’s it Bryan Benedict Arnold’s Bagel. It’s a take on the classic eggs benedict, topped with a toasted bagel with two poached eggs, your choice of Canadian bacon or portabella and homemade hollandaise, plus a side of home fries or hash browns. Our 13 year old chose the mushrooms (what 13 year old does that?!) and the brown.
Like everything else we tried at Breakfast Club, it was carefully prepared, very well seasoned and in generous portions.
As autumn approached, they suggested a caramel apple or apple pie waffle (different menus called it different things). But it was a giant Belgian waffle topped with baked apples, a homemade caramel cream cheese drizzle, then powdered sugar and whipped cream. It’s perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth and anyone who (reasonably) loves autumn.
As you get closer to Cincinnati, you start to see more Goetta on menus, and the Breakfast Club includes it as an add-on. So of course we ordered it and loved it. However, the menu does not specify where it comes from.
A quick greeting from biscuits and gravy as well. Soft but sturdy biscuits, peppery and chunky gravy.
And we loved potato pancake breakfasttoo! Includes two homemade potato pancakes with applesauce and sour cream toppings, served with three eggs cooked to order, your choice of meat and toast. We chose sides of rye toast and their homemade apple sausage – both excellent selections.
It’s those extra bits like homemade sausage that really sell me on the spot. In my experience, these places – and I include The Breakfast Club in this – know how to make a flavorful breakfast that makes them easily beloved by residents and visitors alike.
If you are in Lebanon and start your day with good food, my suggestion is The Breakfast Club!
The Breakfast Club
102 N. Broadway St.
Lebanon, Ohio 45036
(513) 932-0210
Website: breakfastclubcafe.com
FB: The Breakfast Club Cafe & Coffee Roastery
IG: @thebreakfastclubohio