Willalby’s Cafe

Willalby’s is a classic neighborhood diner located at 1351 Williamson St in Madison. It’s one of several great breakfast places in the Willy Street neighborhood. Over-Easy has been there several times, but this was my first time. Right when I walked in, I knew I would like the place. It had a greasy spoon vibe and I loved the quirky decor, especially the chalkboard wall in the back.

We went in the middle of the week to avoid the weekend crowd. There was no wait and there was one very efficient waitress serving the entire place. She took our order right away and we were happy with how quickly our food was ready.

I ordered the huevos rancheros and O.E. got the 3-egg ham & cheddar omelette.

The base of the huevos rancheros was perfectly crispy tortillas, and on top of it were layered beans, two perfectly cooked over-easy eggs, shredded cheddar, and salsa. The portion size was huge. Overall the flavor was really good; however the salsa was a little bland and this is coming from someone who cannot handle spicy food. Just a little bit more seasoning or flavor would have been nice.

O.E.’s 3-egg ham and cheddar omelette was a winner. He liked that the ham was grilled prior to being added to the omelette, said it added excellent flavor and texture. The cheese to egg to ham ratio was perfect and deliciously melty.

Both of our meals came with hashbrowns. They were just okay. Normally we love crispy hashbrowns, but these seemed a little over-cooked in some spots and undercooked in others, and tasted a little burned.

Overall Willalby’s is a great neighborhood place to get a quick bite during the week. The food was pretty darn good. O.E. will for sure get the omelette again and I look forward to trying something else from the menu. This place isn’t too far from our house so I’m sure we’ll be back soon.

Rating: 9 out of 12 eggs. (See our rating scale for more information)