Beethoven's Bistro

It's amazing what you can find in this sprawling expanse of a city if only you commit to looking hard enough. The internet and sites like Urbanspoon have become invaluable tools in uncovering great little eateries around town. But even with the power of the internet and GPS at our disposal, Beethoven's Bistro on Roosevelt, a recent web-enabled find, was so well hidden that we drove past it several times. But we eventually found it and eagerly wandered in for some breakfast.

Breakfast, as I've mentioned in the past, is not a meal my ilk have traditionally ventured out to consume but I married into a clan of go-out-for-breakfasters so I've learned to adapt... in a way. In actuality, every breakfast excursion I've gone on has been preceded by another breakfast so I essentially treat the meal as a very early lunch. I do enjoy much of the egg-centric breakfast fare, it's just hard to wait that long to eat.

First off, as a coffee snob, I must joyfully extoll the virtue of the quality coffee served up in this place. A far cry from the weak tasting dish water they pour at the Waffle House (and, sadly, at some of the area's otherwise decent diners), this coffee actually has flavor and body. Additionally, most drinks are included with your food so you see one price for your meal (a cappuccino, latte, mocha, or chai will cost you extra).

Being unable to resist the promise of a great omelet, we found ourselves ordering the "Build Your Own Omelette". You can choose any and all of the following ingredients for one price: Ham, Bacon, Sausage, Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, Tomato, and Cheese. Granted, the price is $9.75 but, as mentioned previously, your drink is included and the omelette also comes with hash browns and a croissant. The croissant turned out to be almost an entire meal itself. Rich, buttery, and fluffy; croissants are one of the few pastries I'll make an exception for if they're made right and this one fit the criteria. You can also get a bagel instead and, again, it turns out to be almost an entire meal unto itself.

The omelette was up there among the best I've had. The ingredients were noticeably fresh and flavorful. But if an omelette is not your thing, there's a good variety of other items to choose from. Really, for such a little place, Beethoven's Bistro has an impressive menu. The daily breakfast and lunch menus remain pretty constant but the Sunday brunch menu, the Monday night dinner menu, and the Wednesday - Saturday full dinner menu all change each week. They also host special, themed dinner events(such as the upcoming Deep Fried Turkey Dinner on Sunday, March 7).

Truly a unique little place with a cozy atmosphere, great food, and service that transcends the typical restaurant relationship; you're treated like a friend, not a customer. It's a shame that we only discovered this place by actively looking for something new. This one deserves a good word of mouth reputation, let's make it happen.

(PS. Sorry about the poor quality pictures, I forgot my camera again. I'll put better shots up when I go back.)



Beethoven's Bistro
5917 Roosevelt Blvd., Unit 1
Jacksonville, FL 32244
(904) 771-6606