Willie's Bakery & Café

Address: 537 Johnson St.
Phone: (250) 381-8414
Price: $10-15

Notes: A safe choice for pretty much everyone you might go to breakfast with.



Willie's Bakery is one of the hidden gems of the brunch world in Victoria. Although their menu is smallish, and you have to get there before 1 to get the breakfast specials (not always a welcome option on the weekends) or you're left with a selection of bennys and sandwiches. I hate sandwiches, so we don't often make it here. Like most of the other places in town can be slammed on the weekends, but more so during tourist season. They have both an outdoor patio and an enclosed patio with a fireplace that are opened during the appropriate seasons. Blankets are available upon request.

During the week it's much quieter, and they must survive on their coffee and baked goods sales. One unique thing about Willie's is that they bake everything in-house. Their dessert case has quite a selection of goodies, including an impressive looking carrot cake. The same management also runs the Museum Café, although I haven't been there to speak about that location.

I didn't realize for ages, but there are actually two beautiful suites with full kitchens available for rent above the bakery, and at pretty reasonable rates too! A great suggestion if you have visitors from out of town, especially as $20 towards your breakfast is included in the room price.


Service
Service at any breakfast place in Victoria is really hard to judge because you can see just exactly how busy they are.  Otherwise, there is a small group of staff that have been there as long as I've been going there and it seems like a nice set of people. I certainly haven't had opportunity to complain.

Food
Willie's has amazing pancakes if you get there before noon. It's an ever changing daily special with your choice of bacon or sausage. They're quite sweet - I didn't have them, but my partner-in-food-and-life said he didn't have to have syrup with them. Not for those people like me who are more interested in the savoury side of brunch.

Strawberry White Chocolate Pancakes

My favourite thing on the breakfast menu is their huevos, which are served in a completely unique way as you can seen below. On the bottom is a "chorizo" sausage. I put the quotes around it, because it's the only weak part of this dish and is more breakfast funny spiced than chorizo. If it was the dry spanish chorizo like they make at Choux Choux this dish would be Phenomenal. Then they layer on a tortilla filled with beans, cheese, a lovely egg, homemade salsa and sour cream.  All this is baked in a small porcelain dish and served with a side of nicely spiced potatoes.

Willie's Huevos