By Barbara Salter
According to legend, the early bird gets the worm—but in Flagler Beach, the early riser gets an outstanding breakfast at Sammy J’s Boston’s Best Breakfast. Word travels fast here in Flagler County, especially about a good, new restaurant.
I’d heard about Sammy J’s right after it opened about two months ago. People were saying the service was friendly, the place was clean, and the food was really good. The biggest accolade I kept hearing, however, was that it was open early! Like 5:30 a.m. early and around here, that is really unusual.
Now with rare exceptions—like wanting to watch a sunrise on the beach or having to catch an early flight —I don’t make it a practice to get up early. But to many local golfers, fishing fans, and even those who have to be at work before the sun has fully made the leap above the horizon, a great early breakfast is a wonderful thing.
So I decided to check out Flagler County’s newest wonderful thing albeit at a slightly less than “early” time. It was more like 8:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning. To my amazement, the parking lot was jammed!
Sammy J’s is located in a shopping center that was hard hit by the economy and not many of the shops survived. Considering that and considering it was too early for the other few shops to be open AND considering that all the cars were parked directly in front of Sammy J’s, there was no question that Sammy J’s was doing a hopping business!
And now that I’ve eaten there, I know why!
The coffee was great. The menu was extensive—and unique. The service was fast and friendly, but not rushed. The place was clean and the food was excellent! What more could you ask for?
I was tempted to try one of the menu items like the Portugese Omelet ($7.99) with cheese, linguica (a spicy Portuguese sausage), onions and peppers, or the Bacon Cheeseburger Omelet ($7.99) but I was in the mood for corned beef hash.
Great choice! The corned beef hash ($6.99) was prepared exactly the way I like it—crispy—and was served with two perfectly cooked eggs and fabulous home fries. I had asked for the optional onions and peppers with the potatoes and I’m glad I did. Yum…
Sammy J’s has something for every appetite. In addition to a wide variety of huge omelets, there are lighter breakfasts starting at $3.25 and healthy options like egg whites, eggbeaters, and multigrain pancakes. They also serve thick French toast as well as buttermilk pancakes, Belgian Waffles, crepes with your choice of fruit fillings, and all kinds of meats and sausages as well as Sammy J’s Special Baked Beans. Now that’s something you don’t usually see on most breakfast menus! There are also three different Kid’s Meals ($3.49) that come with a small drink.
Sammy J’s is not fancy. It’s a Florida breakfast place that feels like a diner. But it’s already become a Flagler County favorite with both the natives and with our valued visitors. This is the way breakfast should be served!
Sammy J’s Boston’s Best Breakfast is located in the Flagler Square at 2513 W. Moody Blvd (State Road 100—just before the bridge) in Flagler Beach. They are open from 5:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Monday through Friday and from 6 a.m. – closing on weekends. Their number is 386-693-4864.
Photos by Barbara Salter