Café El Dorado is a treasure tucked away on Pleasant Valley Road in the little town of El Dorado; or as the café notes on their coffee mugs, “on the historic Pony Express route.” The eatery is reminiscent of an old country house, in both its décor and charm, and the wait staff attends to new diners like longtime friends. 

For my solo breakfast journey on a sunny Sunday morning, I took a table in the covered porch, where I could catch the morning breeze and still enjoy the buzz of happy conversation amongst diners and employees indoors. I ordered the eggs Benedict with hash browns and a side of bacon. The server then asked if I wanted onions and peppers on my hash browns—sure, why not? 

The coffee was hot and strong, the orange juice fresh, and my plates of Benedict and crispy bacon arrived quickly. Food-wise, Chef Alberto’s cooking is too good to be called home-“style”—it should simply be called “home.” The poached eggs were huge, with perfectly runny yolks; the country ham was at least 1/4-inch thick, and there was plenty of tangy hollandaise to go round. 

But the hash browns—Lord have mercy. Golden brown on top and bound with moistness like a delicious potato casserole, with sautéed onions and peppers to boot, They were a thing of breakfast beauty. I wondered, had I ever really had hash browns before this meal? These were better than any I’ve experienced. 

After my meal, an old-timer sitting a few tables over asked how I liked my eggs Benedict. I told him they were great, and he said he was thinking about ordering them next time. I confessed that it was my first time to the café and that I loved the family-friendly atmosphere. The old-timer smiled and said: “That all comes from Alberto. It starts from the top and works its way down.”

Café El Dorado, 5787 Pleasant Valley Road, El Dorado, 530-626-8865.