‘A Great Location Cafe’ now ‘Sarnoff Cafe,’ Still a Homey Diner

Sarnoff Cafe is everything a family-style diner should be.

From the homespun menu to the friendly, no-nonsense waitresses, the restaurant delivers a true diner experience.

The cozy cafe has a dozen or so tables scattered across two rooms and a counter with a handful of bar stools. The food that’s offered is fresh and homemade – even the hash browns.

Co-owner Donna Warren has a long history of customer service. She has owned and operated others bars and eateries in the area, including McHugh’s Pub on Oracle Road and R Place Bar and Grill on Dodge Boulevard. The other owner of Sarnoff Cafe is Zane Dedmon, who often can be found manning the grill, creating the cafe’s down-home goodness.

The two friends decided to try their hand at a breakfast and lunch restaurant, so they opened Sarnoff Café last December.

Back to those hash browns. The tender shredded potatoes are perfectly prepared, and each bite comes with a satisfying crunch. It’s not uncommon to experience homemade home fries at a breakfast place – and Sarnoff Cafe’s are tasty, too – but the hand-cut, expertly seasoned hash browns show the cafe’s willingness to go to the extra mile when it comes to creating true breakfast food.

“Everything is as fresh as it possibly can be,” Warren said.

Kids – and kids at heart – also don’t get the short shrift. Several kids’ menu items come in smaller portions and prices, including the $4.50 breakfast, which includes an egg any style, bacon or sausage, and one pancake or potatoes and toast. The size of the dish – and the number of items offered on it – puts any other kids’ meal to shame.

Other specials abound at Sarnoff Cafe. From 5 to 7 a.m. weekdays, early risers can take advantage of the early bird special. For $5.50, diners can chow down on two eggs, potatoes, toast and coffee.

On Saturdays, corned beef and hash ($8.50) is a popular choice, and Eggs Benedict with potatoes ($8.75) rules on Sundays. Other daily specials range in price from $6 to $8.50.

Kelly McFadden has eaten at Sarnoff Café once so far, but said a repeat visit is in the works.

“I like little places like that,” said the 48-year-old server, who visited during a recent weekend for breakfast. “It’s comfortable and the food is great.”

Though breakfast is a hit, Sarnoff Cafe’s lunch menu shouldn’t be overlooked with a varied list of burgers and sandwiches. Be sure to check out the café’s daily house-made soup ($3.75 cup; $6 bowl), which might include roasted corn chowder with poblano peppers, cheesy chicken enchilada or vegetable medley.

Perhaps the best-kept secret is Sarnoff Cafe’s coffee. Warren described it as a European blend and said it’s a favorite with her coffee drinkers.

“It’s really good,” said Warren, noting that come customers come in solely to enjoy a cup or two.

Operating hours are 5 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday – Sunday.

Sarnoff Cafe is located at 20 N. Sarnoff Dr. and can be reached at (520) 777-5176. Keep up with Sarnoff Cafe on Facebook.