AKRON, Ohio - The Eye Opener serves breakfast and lunch, but it’s the former you want to try. The Akron eatery offers crafted Bloody Marys, has build-your-own omelette options, a decadent doughnut on the menu and quick service. As a bonus: A great used bookstore sits nearby in the same plaza. So this week we’ll feature the EO in our regular brunches and breakfasts series.
About The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener: A tasty breakfast while celebrating Akron. By Marc Bona
The Eye Opener
The Eye Opener bills itself as a gourmet breakfast restaurant. It's at 1688 West Market St., near the convergence of N. Hawkins Avenue, West Exchange Street and West Market in Westgate Shopping Center. EO hours: 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Online: eyeopenerakron.com. Phone: 330-867-1114. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
Cocktails anyone?
A full Bloody Mary et al bar is available. The Works Bloody Mary comes with the caveat: Must love horseradish. There’s a quartet of Bloody Marys plus Mimosas and other drinks some find suitable in the A.M. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
The Boughnut
You want sweet decadence? The E.O. Boughnut is a deep-fried sugary piece of heaven and topped with Crooked River (local) jam. The result: A jelly doughnut like you have never had before. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
BYO
There’s a Build Your Own Omelette with your choice of cheese, meats and veggies. After all, breakfast is the most important meal, and you might as well own it. (Don't worry: You don't personally have to make it.) Sourdough toast is a nice touch. Ham, spinach and hand-cut taters were all cooked to order on a recent visit. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
Parking
The back lot isn’t much to look at, and the back entrance is tough to spot. But there is plenty of parking out front facing West Market Street and out back off Westgate Circle. The rear entrance is adjacent to the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, worth perusing while you wait for breakfast or afterward. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
Nearby shopping
The small shopping plaza is located in a circle in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. If you go, leave time to check out The Bookseller, a used bookshop near the EO’s back entrance. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
Get in line
There is a small patio, and on Sundays the place can draw a line of folks waiting to get in the L-shaped restaurant. A small silver counter lines the back and faces the kitchen cutout, a television hangs in the corner of the pastel-colored eatery. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
Akron pride
The restaurant screams Akron, with pride for its city shown throughout the eatery. A blimp diagram hangs on the wall, with photos of Buchtel Hall and the old Rubber Bowl. And on our visit a server wore an Akron RubberDucks hat. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
Cooking up a storm
You can see the cooks hustling through the cutout in the back. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
Morning diners
The restaurant also offers a catering option. A fruit, yogurt and granola parfait is a filling healthy option on the menu, for those whose guilt complex overrides their decision to order that Boughnut. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
Marc Bona, cleveland.com
Busy Breakfast
The Eye Opener is across the street from where one of Akron’s most famous food stores – West Point Market - stood, until this year. A Whole Foods is coming in its place. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
At your service
Service is consistently solid. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
The menu
You’ll find both breakfast (classics and more) and lunch (burgers, salads, sandwiches). There’s also 16 sides on the breakfast menu. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
Breakfast goodies
The Flat Iron Waffle is one of the classic dishes on the menu, but the EO also has dishes like the PB&J waffle with Crooked River Herb Farm Dazzleberry Jelly. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
Cup of Joe
The coffee isn’t bad – classic diner Java – and service is quick to refill. The mug’s Blood Mary logo might make you think about ordering one of the drinks on the menu. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com)
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