Pressed for Brunch Options? Try The Tortilla Press

What could be better than getting up early on a Sunday morning and treating yourself to a hot breakfast at a local restaurant?

That’s easy: sleeping in and treating yourself to a delicious brunch at a local restaurant!

Although we’re new parents and haven’t “slept in” for three months, we fondly remember when such lazy days were possible. In the spirit of reminiscence, we recently decided to bring the baby to brunch at local favorite, The Tortilla Press.

On the whole, Collingswood doesn’t have as many morning-meal options as we would like. There is, of course, the perennial powerhouse of The Pop Shop, which serves breakfast daily (and all day, in fact!), but only a handful of other spots that offer weekend brunch for a range of discerning diners.

That's why we were surprised to discover that, in addition to burritos and margaritas, we could also get brunch at The Tortilla Press. It’s quick, inexpensive, and runs the gamut from French toast and omelets to fajitas and salads.

Early-bird specials from 10 a.m. to noon

A smaller, Early Bird brunch menu (10 a.m. to noon) starts at $6, excluding beverages. This is top-quality food at diner prices—a huge win in our book. By 10 a.m., we’ve usually been up and hungry for a few hours, so we opted for the Early Bird selections.

When visiting Tortilla Press for lunch or dinner, you’re offered a delightful serving of traditional tortilla chips and salsa. For brunch, they bring something different: a phenomenal basket of cinnamon-sugar chips and a homemade, creamy "Mexican yogurt" made from sour cream, honey, and brown sugar. These alone make the stop-in worthwhile for Jamie, who usually devours the entire basket. 

Jessica ordered the French toast, called pan perdida, which was served with three slices of bacon. We’re not sure what makes this “Mexican-style,” but they were tasty and the plate was well-portioned. The fresh-squeezed orange juice also hit the spot.

(If we can soapbox for a moment, it's that added bit of "fresh" that makes this such an excellent deal for us.)

Jamie opted for a Jersey diner staple: two eggs “your way,” served with home fries and a choice of meat or fruit cup (he chose bacon), and toast. The eggs were pretty standard, but dressed up with a dab of Cholula hot sauce. The home fries were diced potatoes, sautéed with onions and bell peppers.

Jamie likes a little fewer peppers in a dish, but it wasn't so overpowering as to make any complaint. The servings were on the smaller side, but plenty filling for the average appetite, especially after the cinnamon chips and dip.

We can also vouch for the tastiness of items from the full brunch menu: quiche of the day, Banana Fosters pan perdida, and breakfast burrito. It would be unfair to judge the Tortilla Press brunch against its dinner menu, since the latter is exceptional. But it's a big step up from greasy diner breakfasts, and gets two big thumbs up from us.

Friendly, accommodating service

The service was excellent as usual, and yet again we were made to feel very welcome. We seem to repeatedly snag the same waiter for brunch, and yet we always forget his name; however, he's always full of smiles, checks in on us often, waits an appropriate amount of time for us to eat the food, and thanks us for our time.

We called ahead to pre-order our food in case the baby decided to practice her screaming skills mid-meal and drive us to an early exit. The restaurant gladly complied, had a table ready and the food cooking as we walked in the door. Little things like this make a lasting impact and help build a loyal customer base. We will certainly remember their accommodation and hurry back soon.