As I escaped the snow and walked into Katalina’s Cafe, I was immediately met with a warm and joyful atmosphere. Two little kids in their pajamas sat eating as calm music played, the colorful walls and furniture drawing me in. On top of it all, the amazing Latin-inspired food convinced me Katalina’s is the best brunch spot in Bexley.
Katalina’s may look small from the outside, but its interior is very spacious. There are about 10 big wooden tables inside, along with high top seating along one of the windows. You could easily go with a group of four to six people as long as it’s not too busy. Once it’s warmer out, the patio
in front of the restaurant will be a great place to eat with friends and family too, as it provides even more seating.
When you walk to the counter to order, you can use the menu drawn on a blackboard or pick up a laminated one. It felt a bit strange to walk all the way to the back of the restaurant to order my meal; at most restaurants, you are greeted when you walk in.
The menu is really extensive, especially for a place that’s only open for breakfast and lunch. Besides the multitude of breakfast items, there are five different types of tacos, multiple different sandwich options, soups, salads and drinks. Additionally, a lot of the dishes can be made without
meat or with a meat substitute for vegetarians.
I ordered the breakfast burrito, which consists of purple potato hash, scrambled eggs, avocado, pickled red onions and habanero chile crunch. I added chorizo, and everything was wrapped up in a corn tortilla and served with crema. I really liked the different textures and flavors in the burrito. I wished it was spicier, but that was easily remedied with the different types of hot sauces that are provided at each table.
The food took a while to come out, but it wasn’t an unpleasant wait. The music was relaxing, and the large windows wrapping around the restaurant allowed me to see what was going on outside as well. Also, the door to the kitchen was open, and it was cool to see the chefs cooking.
Katalina’s is definitely on the expensive side: an order of six pancake balls costs $16.25, and the breakfast burrito is almost $17 as well. Despite this, I think the food is worth the price because most of the items on the menu can’t be found anywhere else in Bexley. However, I don’t see Katalina’s being an everyday breakfast because you can’t simply order a traditional omelette or stack of pancakes.
Above all else, Katalina’s maintains the inviting nature of any good brunch place while putting their own twist on traditional breakfast foods. The large menu, Latin flavors and comforting environment make Katalina’s Cafe a great new addition to Bexley’s restaurant scene.
