These days, it seems like brunch tends to get equal billing with lunch and dinner. So many restaurants offer a weekend menu of a mix of breakfast, lunch and, yes, sometimes dinner items for those who are yearning for a hearty meal to start the day.
And it does seem to be particularly big among the upscale and high-end restaurants, though plenty of mid-range spots and chains do brunch as well. But what about places that serve up good, basic breakfast dishes that won’t break the bank and may not be fancy but satisfy the soul in a way that only a good breakfast can do?
For that, it’s best to head into residential neighborhoods to find the local eateries where regulars go week after week. One of the better ones in Boston can be found in a rather quiet little pocket of the city only a few hundred feet from one of the busiest stretches of highway in New England.
McKenna’s Cafe has been welcoming locals to their restaurant in the Savin Hill section of Dorchester since the late 1990s.
The place is located just up the road from Dorchester Avenue and about a 45-second walk from the Savin Hill T station, where Savin Hill Avenue crosses over the Southeast Expressway. Indeed, tens of thousands of people basically drive right under McKenna’s, but it remains a bit of a hidden gem in part because there really isn’t an exit all that close to the restaurant.
Because of this, the dining spot is mostly filled with neighborhood people — and those in the know who either get off the Red Line at Savin Hill or take a drive over (and there is usually a good amount of street parking, especially on the bridge over the Expressway).
Breakfast spots can often have a buzzy feel on weekends (and early on weekdays as well, as people grab food on their way to work), and McKenna’s Cafe is no exception, opening at 6 a.m. for those who don’t want to rush their way through a meal before starting off the day.
But the restaurant is never overly loud and is quite comfortable, with lots of space within its dining area, which includes booths, low-leading tables and a few seats at the counter. Memorabilia on the walls give the place a retro feel, including old-looking metal signs featuring everything from Betty Boop to Hostess CupCakes to the Sunbeam Bread mami.
McKenna’s does do a brisk takeout business, so much so that the occasional line out the door for seats can sometimes mix with those waiting for pickup orders, which can cause a bit of confusion when it’s really crowded. But the restaurant has a pretty efficient system of handling both, so it rarely gets to be too much of a hassle.
Don’t come to McKenna’s expecting the type of fancy, beautifully presented dishes found at some of the higher-end restaurants that offer brunch – it is simply not that type of place. Instead, the offerings here tend to be the type you might find at a classic diner, and McKenna’s at its heart really is a diner of sorts, albeit not one with the long, narrow space found in old-timey retro dining cars.
One of the most popular options at the restaurant holds no surprises, but the McKenna’s Special is nearly perfect in its own simple way, with two eggs, corned beef hash, home fries and a choice of bacon or sausage and a choice of toast or an English muffin. This is the type of dish that you’ll find at any good breakfast joint or old-school diner, but McKenna’s does it better than most and it contains enough food to hold most people until dinner.
PHOTOS: Breakfast and brunch with a retro feel at McKenna’s Cafe in Dorchester
The McKenna’s Special may be the pick of the lot, but their takes on other familiar breakfast dishes such as waffles, French toast (the granola-crusted version is wonderful), pancakes, breakfast wraps and sandwiches, omelets and breakfast burritos are all excellent.
A few other plates worth mentioning include the Savin Hill Scrambler, which is a bit like the McKenna’s Special but with ham instead of hash; huevos rancheros, which has eggs over toasted corn tortillas, farmers cheese and refried beans while also getting a slight kick from the house-made sauce; the Mexican Fiesa, which also comes with tortillas and refried beans and has salsa, guacamole and sour cream; and the traditional Irish breakfast, a belly buster of a dish with eggs, Irish sausage, Irish bacon, black and white pudding, home fries and toast.
Healthier options such as oatmeal, avocado toast and fruit crepes are served as well, and McKenna’s is also open for lunch, offering some very good sandwiches, including meatball, steak and cheese, chicken parm and more, along with a turkey dinner, steak tips, spaghetti and meatballs, and a variety of salads.
Oh, and if you like flavored coffees, the Snickerdoodle here is not to be missed – the combination of hazelnut and cinnamon is perfect for an autumn day, whether you opt for a hot or iced version.
While restaurants that serve brunch tend to get talked about more and more these days, neighborhood breakfast spots in the Greater Boston area continue to serve a real purpose, with their large portions of delicious food at decent prices, and McKenna’s Cafe kind of sets the standard for everything a breakfast place should be. It may not be elegant or trendy or chic, but this Savin Hill eatery continues to make locals happy with their plates of comfort food that help start the day off right for so many.
McKenna’s Cafe, 109 Savin Hill Avenue, Dorchester, MA, 02125. mckennascafe.com
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