Bunny’s has been a favorite lunch spot of mine for years, (evidenced here), but you don’t have to take my word for it… two more SP reviews can be found here and here. When the word came that Bunny’s would begin serving breakfast on the weekends, I knew I had to try it. Sadly, it took me four months to get it done.
A couple friends of mine and I regularly meet up on Sundays for breakfast and rotate around the area’s ample choices. We like to rotate locations to avoid stagnation, yet order the same things no matter where we are. Someone studying anthropology or psychology could probably explain why; and I’ll leave that to those experts, but we are probably qualified to report on breakfast.
The first thing I noticed, and appreciated, was the condensed menu. Large menus result in too much thinking early in the morning, and that’s the last thing I’m looking for on a weekend. Perhaps that is some insight in the habitual meal selection, but I digress. The second thing I noticed wasn’t on the menu at all but staring right back at me… a Bloody Mary bar. I know this isn’t everyone’s favorite cocktail, and I neither condone nor condemn early morning drinking, but it sure is a nice way to start a relaxing weekend day. Price depends on your vodka selection, but I believe the Tito’s base was $3-$4.
My buddy ordered the Hangover Stack ($7.99); if you’ve never had a stack you are missing out. There is nothing culinarily special, it’s just an efficient way to get a ton of breakfast food on a plate. They also provide an opportunity for a balanced bite of breakfast glory, the ultimate ode to the food pyramid of my childhood. All food groups are properly represented: breads & starches, meats, eggs, and gravy. Despite the messy and haphazard appearance, the stack can represent breakfast perfectly.
I ordered the Breakfast Porker because… well… pork belly, that’s why ($7.99). Pork belly is the uncured, unsmoked precursor to bacon and it’s usually cut in a thicker piece. The rest of the sandwich is basically a cheeseburger with an egg on it. So “bacon” cheeseburger for breakfast? Yes please! I think this would go great on one of Bunny’s biscuits typically reserved for the chicken sandwich on Mondays and Saturdays.
I also ordered the biscuits and gravy, not because I was still hungry, but because it’s a breakfast standard and a lot of insight can be gained ($4.49 half; $7.99 full). They were very blah. I know for a fact Bunny’s knows what they are doing in the biscuit department so I can’t explain what happened. They lacked any texture or crust. The simple solution would be to use their normal Monday and Saturday biscuits and problem solved.
My other buddy chose Belgian waffles with a fried chicken filet… not to be too pedantic, but the menu suggests waffles, plural, but you only get one ($5.99 for waffle only; $4 for chicken). Don’t worry; it’s large enough. The waffle could have used a little more crispiness, but the flavor was right. The chicken was tender and tasty, and you can add an egg for a $1 and make this the total package.
Overall, Bunny’s breakfast is a fantastic value. The three of us ate a ton of food, had several cocktails, and still left under $60…no one can complain about that. My biggest gripe would be a general lack of seasoning. I understand to serve the masses there must be a certain amount of tempering, but I expected a little more based on my other dining experiences there. I hope it’s just part of the learning curve.
Small complaints aside, the fact that Bunny’s is in the breakfast game is a great thing. It is reminiscent to my school years grabbing breakfast at Tod & John’s before exams. Nothing better than breakfast in a bar — they also have the hair of the dog to cure what ails you. I hope Bunny’s is successful in this endeavor and I know I’ll be back.
Bunny’s
119 W Water St
Urbana
M-F 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Sa + Su 7 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Breakfast served 7 to 11 a.m. Saturday + Sunday
Photos by Rob Schaffer