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    The Early Bird Eatery

    4.5 (358 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

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    THE EARLY BIRD EATERY ATMOSPHERE

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    Moderate noise

    Recommended Reviews - The Early Bird Eatery

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    Massive key lime pancakes
    Amy H.

    It's always a great experience at The Early Bird Eatery! Highly recommend making reservations, especially on the weekends. For our latest visit, we couldn't pass up the Summer Restaurant week specials of the Blackberry Sparkler, Key Lime Pancakes and Carnitas Benedict. The pancakes were massive, perfectly cooked and loaded with key lime curd and whipped cream. The Benedict had flavorful pork on sopes, perfectly poached eggs and a chipotle hollandaise with a nice little kick. The restaurant week specials include coffee or iced tea, but every time we've gone, they have charged us (always easily fixed...server even admitted they always forget). Definitely one of our go to brunch spots!

    Hot Chocolate  Umami Hot Chocolate
    Lilly W.

    Food was super yummy! Customer service was decent, could be slightly friendlier but I'm not a morning person either so I get it!

    Peaches & Cream French Toast
    Emily L.

    Wonderful food, speciality coffee drinks and service! Super cute location, with plenty of seating. Absolutely loved the Peaches & Cream French Toast.

    Peaches & Cream French Toast
    Rebecca P.

    We tried this little gem purely on yelp reviews! We took advise and reserved a table ahead, and we are very happy we did! This place is very busy on Saturday morning! The ambience is very light and brunchy and the over aesthetic is classic diner. We were seated after a short wait, we had a nice younger waiter who was very friendly and suggested his favorites to us as new customers. My latte was served hot with a beautiful design on top. Their espresso choice was very smooth and delicious! Our waiter stated they make their own syrup and I was very impressed with the quality of the vanilla flavor. 10/10 on my latte! Husband ordered biscuits and gravy with eggs on top. He was not overly impressed with the different take on the traditional biscuits and gravy however he said it was a preference not quality issue for him. The biscuits were good. He loved the potatoes loaded! Oh man- the peaches and cream French toast!!! What angel is working in that kitchen? I was blown away by this meal. The caramelized butter and peaches and French toast and cinnamon oh my goodness. I could not stop....literally lol We will be back absolutely, hubby wants to try the smash burgers that were suggested and I will eat their french toast for the rest of my life lol

    Corned Beef Hash side Cheesy Grits Peaches & Cream French Toast
    Ana C.

    We decided to get brunch for Labor Day. While it was very busy, we still felt like we got our food served at a decent time after ordering. I was really surprised by how good everything was. The corned beef hash was delicious. I'm not the biggest fan of meats but this was so good, melted in my mouth. The potatoes were also to die for. The peaches and cream French toast was also really delicious. Our meals came out warm and delicious. I would love to go back and try some of the eggs Benedict and the coffee! Great place and location to walk downtown afterwards.

    Avery J.

    Absolutely lovely experiance, the atmosphere is so calm and peaceful, and the food! Oh the food! We ordered pancakes and where expecting pretty standard cakes... but they came out so big and fluffy! Ive never not needed syrup with my cakes! They where TOO GOOD FOR SYRUP!

    Golden Milk Latte, Blueberry Lemon Pancakes, Spinach Feta omelette
    Katie D.

    We went for a little birthday brunch, and the food was absolutely delicious. I also really enjoyed my coffee-- I got the specialty golden latte. My friend and I split an omelette and the blueberry lemon pancakes, which I think was the way to go because both were incredible. It also meant I got a little bit of sweet, little bit of savory The cafe is well decorated and very clean, and our server was extremely kind and helpful. We'll be back for sure!

    Cauliflower Omelette

    We had a wonderful breakfast at The Early Bird Eatery! They turn tables quick so we got right in, our server Shannon was great and the food was excellent.

    Golden Milk Latte
    Megan M.

    Such a fun breakfast spot in a super good location when you're visiting. We were sat immediately at 10 am on a Friday. Ordered the best latte - Golden Milk was super unique and our server cautioned me against it (spicy like a chai), I have a new favorite morning indulgence. Kids got the biscuits and gravy and French toast. Both were fabulous and nice to have sweet and savory options. Hubby was craving a sandwich so he asked for a breakfast version and they met his desire! So nice of them to make something special for him. We loved this place - come hungry!

    Corned Beef Hash
    Justin T.

    If you're in South Bend and looking for a good little breakfast spot, I would highly suggest Early Bird! We got there about an hour after they opened and there was still plenty of seating but it filled up quick. The wait staff was friendly and responsive to any questions or concerns. Most of all... the food was fantastic. I had the crab cake eggs benedict. The hollandaise was made perfectly and complimented the dish well. The crab cake was thick and cooked to perfection. Great choice. My wife had the peaches and cream French toast. The French toast itself was delicious and the candied pecans made the dish in my opinion. Her only criticism was that the peaches were not hot. Not a detriment to the composition of the dish in my opinion but it caught her off guard. Again... still delicious, just cautioning those are considering trying it when you eat at the early bird. My son got the corned beef hash. Very savory and delectable. The over easy eggs on top were slightly overcooked but was still a great dish. He cleaned his plate. And if you're an orange juice fan, it was some of the best I've had. Overall a great experience and priced appropriately. I look forward to returning next time I'm in South Bend and trying more of the excellent looking options on the menu. Specifically the biscuits and mushroom gravy. I almost went for it this time but it's hard to pass up a good benedict. Great job Early Bird! Yum!!!

    Pork green chili poutine and latte
    Rhet T.

    Good food, good coffee. Service was just ok. I had the pork green chili poutine. An interesting fusion that was tasty but wouldn't be my first choice again. Coffee latte was very good.

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    3 months ago

    It's great for breakfast! 5 stars if it opened earlier during the week and we could meet there before work.

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    2 months ago

    Delicious breakfast in downtown South Bend! Love their lattes, huevos rancheros and the Crab Cake Eggs Benedict.

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    3 months ago

    The most delicious Monte Cristo sandwich I've ever tasted! Cute millennial decor and friendly staff make this a must-try place in South Bend

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    Super busy. We were there for Brunch...which had plenty to choose from. Great price point and service is excellent.

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    Ask the Community - The Early Bird Eatery

    I entered a wrong phone number for a reservation on Sunday at 10:40 for 5 and a high chair. Can you change the number?

    Yes we can. Just send it to us and I can update it.

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    The Local Cup - Locally roasted zen coffee brewing

    The Local Cup

    4.8(30 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    Best coffee shop ever! You pay what you want. They have a pay it forward policy so someone has…read morealready paid for your drink. You can either pay it forward or receive the gift. I believe the workers work for tips, at least Ja'Lila does who served us. During our hour there we observed a mix of folks coming in. Some were obviously regulars chatting it up with Ja'Lila while they sipped their drink. Another couple on a road trip stopped in on their way to the east coast for some coffees and to use the WiFi. Some were in and out. Steady flow. Everyone treated with respect and dignity whether you made a donation or not. Donations are pay what you want. I'm not a coffee drinker but my sister said it's good! I got hot chocolate. The hot chocolate is homemade and I got fresh whipped cream which was also homemade. Delicious! Can you get that at Starbucks? Just asking I wouldn't know. I no longer lived in South Bend but if I did this would be my new spot. My sister does however and she's already been back before I had a chance to post my review. If you're a local and you remember the old VanBuren grocery store this is the spot! Support a business making a difference in the community, fostering connection and spreading kindness. Please support and let's keep places like this open!

    Great mix of people and a welcoming place to meet. Love the donation based coffee, friendly staff,…read moreand the fun bar up front. The big window adds a nice touch. Grateful to have this spot in our community.

    Photos
    The Local Cup
    The Local Cup
    The Local Cup

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    Hagerty Family Cafe - Lenten Special - Lox toast with capers, tomatoes, and arugula

    Hagerty Family Cafe

    3.0(2 reviews)
    1.9 mi

    I usually get dark roast and cappuccinos because it's a convenient location, but the coffee is a…read moretad bit mediocre and nothing special. I don't view this as an actual coffee shop but more of a quick service establishment. The pastry proportions sometimes disappoint me because they are more expensive than they should. I got their unsweetened matcha once and was terribly disappointed. I honestly couldn't taste the matcha. I think that ABP in Hesburgh library serves better coffee, and it's worth the short walk over there.

    I don't normally have the sweetest of teeth, but I've only had the gelato and smoothies from here…read more Their gelato is OK; it's not good enough as gelato to be better than ice cream. The smoothies are pretty good. I think I've had the Orange Sunrise and the Bangin' Berry. I'll probably try more, but of those two, the Orange Sunrise is better, hands down. I've never had breakfast here, but they do offer Quorn substitutes for anything that comes with chicken, so there are plenty of vegetarian options for a place with such a limited menu to start with. It's located in the Duncan Student Center, which is the building they attached to the west side of the football stadium. The cafe is near the north entrance. There's lots of seating, but some of the stools are annoying tall ones, which seem to be all the rage these days, even though they're uncomfortable. The good thing about the tall stools is that they have these special metal baskets at the bottom so that you have somewhere to put all your junk while you're eating. I can see this coming in handy when the weather's bad, which it often is in South Bend; you don't have to sit against your wet and/or cold coat.

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    Hagerty Family Cafe
    Hagerty Family Cafe - 16 oz Pete's Cold Brew ($4.75)

    16 oz Pete's Cold Brew ($4.75)

    Hagerty Family Cafe

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    Decio Café - Exit, go around to enter

    Decio Café

    4.0(4 reviews)
    2.0 mi

    The nice man behind the counter was very attentive and personable. The wraps are exceptionally…read moredelicious, and the perfect end to my rigorous academic week. Great food, better people. Hope this helps

    Eh, this place seems just like every other cafe on campus. There is a small salad bar, soup area,…read moreand place to order sandwiches and daily specials. There is a rack of chips and cooler for drinks. Chicken and sausage jambalaya soup: Meh, I probably wouldn't order it again. It didn't taste very fresh nor flavorful. Chili dog with cheese: This is a Tuesday special. This was not very good, but I wasn't expecting it to be. It was edible, but I didn't particularly enjoy it. I probably wouldn't order this again. I did get vegetables (carrots and celery) as a side though, which were good. Chicken tenders: Typical chicken tenders. Three pieces, which was a reasonable size. The inside seemed more like processed meat, like the chicken nuggets you get at McDonalds, rather real chicken that was fried, as you couldn't see the individual strands of meat. Came with mac & cheese. Mac & Cheese: This came with the chicken tenders. It was surprisingly good! The cheese flavor was strong. I would have liked some Sriracha with it, but there was only Tabasco-style sauce. Cornbread: I initially thought this was okay, albeit a bit dry. My friends didn't think it was good. I tried some cornbread at another place and realized how bad the cornbread was here. It was horribly dry sand bland; it almost felt like eating soft sand. I would probably eat here again because of its close location, but I don't think it's anything special as of now.

    Photos
    Decio Café - Banh mi special with pulled pork ($6.15)

    Banh mi special with pulled pork ($6.15)

    Decio Café - Chicken and sausage jambalaya soup with cornbread

    Chicken and sausage jambalaya soup with cornbread

    Decio Café - Mediterranean bowl with falafel ($6.15)

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    Mediterranean bowl with falafel ($6.15)

    The Early Bird Eatery - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

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