Dining Old School at The Coffee Pot

Finding the local favorites can lead to some good meals and delightful experiences. In Kenosha, Wisconsin, we dropped by The Coffee Pot to sample one of their hearty breakfasts. This unique diner has more to it than meets the eye. A neon sign had caught our attention, which means it was serving its purpose. We discovered that the sign was made in the 1930s, and had been found laying on the roof. Once repaired, it was put back into use to guide diners to this cozy restaurant. A steady stream of locals told us that they must serve up some good eats, while the retro decor meant we would be dining old school.

We want to thank Visit Kenosha and The Coffee Pot for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are our own.

Hanging With Locals

They have an outdoor patio area, named the “Garden of Eatin”, but we saw a spot in the front window that was calling our name. Inside The Coffee Pot, diners were concentrating on their breakfasts. This place is a no-nonsense eatery, designed to give you a solid start to your day. We did hear some friendly banter taking place, which was a sign that most of the people were regulars. Of course, when someone new pulls out a camera, it can certainly quiet a crowd. Fortunately, the food was keeping them all in place, while I snapped a few photos. The place isn’t huge, but it still offers plenty of seating options that reminded us of the road trip days of the 1960s. We were beginning to see a pattern of long standing breakfast stops in Kenosha. (You can read about another one here.)

A Hearty Start

On this trip, we were doing a three city tour, with Kenosha as number two. Today was the last morning in town, so we wanted a hearty breakfast to tide us over during our drive to the next destination. Crystal decided that dining old school would work best for her. Eggs and bacon are standard fare, but we were surprised to find that The Coffee Pot uses homemade bread. They actually offer four varieties of their thick sliced bread. Crystal chose the standard white, but could have picked wheat, marbled rye, or even gluten free, if she had wished. I was enjoying the fun design of the formica table tops, that reminded me of my childhood years.

Sweeten It Up

With the decor whisking me back to my younger years, I guess it also influenced my meal selection. When I saw the Stuffed French Toast on the menu, I was intrigued. Made with two slices of their fresh baked bread, it is stuffed with a whisked cream cheese filling. This makes the filling lighter in consistency, so it was a perfect blend. They offer to top it with a fruit of choice, but I was struggling to pick. Our server finally suggested I just do a blend of fruits, and the problem was solved. Knowing that I would need some protein to tide me over, I added a side order of sausage to round out my meal. Little did I know that it would be so substantial.

Dining Old School

With all of this food laid out before us, it was time to dig in. There is something special about these types of diners. I’m not sure whether it is the atmosphere, the food, or just hanging out with the locals. It makes you feel closer to the community you are visiting, which is the goal we were wanting to achieve. By the end of our meal, we felt like one of the locals, as everyone around us had warmed up to our presence. (Once they got over me taking so many photos.) Later, as I was doing my research for this article, I discovered that there is a Coffee Pot Inn on the second story of the restaurant’s building. Evidently, we could stay just a few steps away, and be dining old school every morning. That’s something we will have to keep in mind for our next visit. Would you consider staying in an apartment above a restaurant?