3 out of 5 stars
Nudy’s is a favorite of my Mom and my sister, so they arranged to bring me here rather than my stand-by favorite King Street Grille when I recently visited town. I normally require that they bring me to King Street and they are sick of this! King Street has one of the best Eggs Benedict I’ve had in my life! But on to Nudy’s. Nudy’s has about 4 locations and this Exton one seems to be newer than those in the Main Line (and perhaps less polished?). Main line locations have an excellent reputation for quality breakfasts.

I decided to stick with something on the “Specialties” portion of the menu since usually that nets pretty good results – a restaurant should be pretty good at preparing one of their specialties. However I was dissappointed in my order of Eggs Benedict. The hollandaise was extremely bland, normally what you’ll find in a sauce that comes from a powder or a can, not a light tangy sauce I was hoping for. The potato hash was relatively flavorless – crisp on top but dry and mush on the inside. Mom ordered a delicious banana waffle with wet nuts on top (mapley walnuts) which she graciously gave me bites of. My sister had a tasty (albiet standard) bagel, egg, cheese and bacon sandwich which she also lovingly shared bites of. We asked the waitress to bring me a short stack of gingerbread pancakes because I wasn’t happy with my dish. She apologized that I didn’t like it but didn’t offer to take it off of the bill. The gingerbread pancakes were tasty, light and fluffy with just the right hint of spice. Incidentally a short stack of pancakes is not a great deal, at what I remember $4.50 or $5+ for two pancakes.

I recommend that when you come here you stick to the sweet items like pancakes and waffles. Service was just ok, with some coffee cups remaining empty, but the hostess was kind enough not to charge us for the benedict when Mom went to pay. Mom did happen to mention that her daughter is a food reviewer. Finally I get a perk!

Nudy’s Cafe
(610) 524-1508

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3 out of 5 stars

Country Deli is one of many home style diners in PA – local residents are lucky to have so many breakfast choices. You’ll be lucky if you can find it, tucked back off 352 away from the road a little. Tiny inside, and slightly cramped, the dining room has wooden tables and chairs, a view of a nice mural along the back wall, and a collection of vintage cookie jars on shelves all around. The breakfast menu is balanced, and while some items are weekend-only options like cream chipped beef, pancake specials and eggs benedict, the menu is affordable so if you want to create your own “combo” you can.
I had some french toast with a side of sausage, but also snacked on my Mom’s scrapple because I was too nervous to order it for myself. It was tasty, like a mushy version of corned beef. My french toast was tasty and the service here was quick and efficient. You also won’t go wrong if you try one of the baked goods sitting in the case by the register. We tried a coffee cake laced with some lemon filling. Give this place a try for a filling and tasty meal at a great price.

Next door is the seed and feed store inside an old barn, where you can find deals on bird seed and pet food of all kinds.

Country Deli
(610) 558-3354

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DK is a classic diner with stainless steel exterior and comfy booths. There is the mandatory counter seating as well as a grouchy hostess. I’ve been here a number of times, most of them positive experiences (breakfast specials are the best). Last time I came with mom and sis for a late breakfast and had a tasty creamed chipped beef on toast. You can’t really screw that up and they didn’t. Coffee was satisfactory. Mom had the sloppy joe and soup special of the day with some homey pea soup ($4.75). The sloppy joe was surprisingly unsloppy and tasty. Sis had a simple grilled cheese.

For these prices and the fun atmosphere I can forgive the hostess. She also hates change, BTW.

D-K Diner
609 E Gay St
West Chester, PA 19380
(610) 692-2946

I didn’t have a great experience at Butterfish but I think my companions enjoyed their meals. I grew up in West Chester and decided to check out this new restaurant after I saw positive reviews on wcdish.com. We headed here for an early Sunday breakfast and were surprised that it wasn’t very crowded. We all ordered, and agreed we’d split an order of the banana stuffed french toast, which seemed heavenly. I had a smoked salmon and goat cheese omelet. It was a nice touch that the breakfasts come with complimentary mimosas or bloody marys.

Unfortunately my meal came out of the kitchen 20 minutes after everyone else’s meal in the party. The waitress asked me if I still wanted it when she brought it to me. It was frustrating also because of the large quantity of waitstaff milling around and the small quantity of actual patrons. It was tasty and came with some nicely roasted potato pieces but I due to the service paying $11 for it left me unhappy. Since I was with a crowd I didn’t want to make a fuss to get it for free.

The stuffed banana french toast was good, made of a baguette, but not soft enough. My companions all enjoyed their selections. I would give it another try but not if I was hurting for cash. The two eggs, toast and a meat are $7.50. Menu is on the website.

Butterfish
700 W Nields St
West Chester, PA 19382
(610) 738-8800

5 out of 5 stars

The food in this humble pizza joint is consistently good. I like to come here when I am back in my hometown for some great cheesesteaks, strombolis, or some fried ravioli appetizers. The interior is small and basic and the parking can get crazy sometimes.  But even at breakfast, the selection is simple yet satisfying, and includes an option of a Steak Poppy (basically a cheesesteak with scrambled eggs in it) on a delicious Italian hoagie roll.  Yummm…

Thanks Urbanspoon buddy Laura for writing your review, I never knew they served breakfast! I got to try a Steak Poppy and next time maybe the Pizza Quiche. Yay!

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3 out of 5 stars  

Cheap little pizza shop that knows cheesesteaks

Mike's is right around the corner from my parents house and they have decent pizza and great cheesesteaks. It's simple inside, with your plastic booths and a tiny arcade area. But the prices are right and the food fills the tummy.

Mike's Pizza

1502 W Chester Pike

West Chester, PA 19382

(610) 429-9339

4 out of 5 stars

Traditional Breakfasts in Downtown West Chester

My parents went here to eat before I was born, so that alone is a good advertisement for Penn's Table. They do simple breakfast fare right, and in true PA style will give you a perfefctly crisp scrapple with egg sandwich or pork roll sandwich. Or if you prefer the non regional alternatives, they do those too, all with the best service and inexpensive pricing.

Penn's Table

100 W Gay St

West Chester, PA 19380

(610) 696-0677

4 out of 5 stars

Hip Asian Fusion, finally, in West Chester

Kooma is a nice treat- big city vibes and hipness in a small town spot that is easily accessible. Lounge music plays to remind you how cool the place is as you eat your artistic-looking meal. The sushi and cooked dishes at Kooma were all amazing when I came here with some doubters. Even the finicky eaters were satisfied, because Kooma offers a selection of more traditional noodle dishes as well as their successful fusion creations. It's a bit pricey, expect to spend about $20 or more a head.

Kooma

151 W Gay St

West Chester, PA 19380

(610) 430-8980

5 out of 5 stars

My must-have Breakfast for every Philly trip!

King Street Grille has the best eggs benedict I have ever had. And I have tried quite a few. Everytime I come back to my home town of West Chester, PA, I get my family to take me here for a filling breakfast of benedict (sometimes I'll get the salmon benedict) with the perfect amount of tang and flavor. I don't have to twist anyone's arm because everything they serve is outstanding. These guys have lines out the door, and they don't take names, so the line is literal, even on the coldest of days. Service is normally very good. The Grill has a board of about ten specials or more to choose from on top of the already diverse menu. There are also a number of vegetarian breakfast options. My sis always gets the cinnamon bun french toast. You'll get more food than you can eat here!

King Street Grille & Market

182 Lancaster Ave

Malvern, PA 19355

(610) 644-3030

3 out of 5 stars  

Pretzel roll for your sandwich, yum!

Isaac's is a chain of sandwich shops that started in Lancaster and added a few more locations here and there. It is the only place I know where you can get a sandwich with a hot pretzel for a bun. It gets points for that distinction alone, which is a tasty idea. Isaac's also has tasty potato salad and cleverly named sandwiches (after birds). The prices are reasonable. It's good for a quick lunch.

Isaac's Restaurant & Deli

309 Lancaster Ave

Malvern, PA 19355

(610) 647-3450