photos/Dan Zarin
St. Joe’s Café
220 Gorham Rd, Scarborough
883-8835
stjoescafe.com
“Home of the Bennie.” So proclaims the sign outside St. Joe’s Café, an unassuming beige building set back from the busy intersection of Mussey Road and Gorham Road (Rte. 114) in Scarborough. And though the promise of creative riffs on the classic poached-eggs-and-Hollandaise brunch dish always caught my attention, it took me about a dozen drive-bys before I finally stopped in with my family.
After ordering at the register, my wife and I sat down with some hot coffee from Kingfield’s Carrabassett Coffee Company ($3.65 for a medium), while our daughter opted for iced coffee ($4.40 for a small). Both were acceptable but not great; more function than form.
Next order of business: uncovering the truth behind that sign out front. It turned out the “bennies” in question were not Benedicts at all, but rather beignets, New Orleans–style mini doughnuts dusted with powdered sugar. I bought an order of four ($7.75) with a side of raspberry sauce. They were denser and doughier than others I’ve had before, but the flavor was good and the tart raspberry sauce provided a welcome contrast to the sweet pastry.
Despite the sign, the true flagship items at St. Joe’s are their folded-egg breakfast sandwiches. These things are enormous: comparable to a typical omelette you’d find at many Portland restaurants, for about half the price.
My daughter chose the Popeye ($7.35), with eggs, spinach, feta and tomatoes on a fluffy, homemade buttermilk biscuit. The eggs were rich, creamy and nicely seasoned; with just a bit more feta it would have been perfect.
My wife went with the Patty Joe ($8.05): eggs, American cheese, hash browns and a sausage patty on toasted, homemade white bread. There was nothing fancy about this one, but it was tasty and double the size of the typical bodega breakfast sandwich it most closely resembled.
I ordered the Carnita Burrito ($10.95), a large flour tortilla stuffed with eggs, shredded pork, red onion, parmesan cheese and hash browns, served with mild salsa and sour cream. It was an excellent breakfast burrito, quite filling and well seasoned; all it needed was a few vigorous shakes of hot sauce.
St. Joe’s offers something unusual in this day and age: value. Yes, you can find cheaper breakfast sandwiches around, especially if you’re willing to go the fast-food or convenience-store route. And to be sure, Portland has no shortage of delicious, bougie brunch spots. But for my money, St. Joe’s Café is the best deal around.
St. Joe’s is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
