The Echo

The Place

This place is a classic, The Echo in Hyde Park. There are so many found memories of coming here for a late morning breakfast after sleeping in from a late night out on the town. Other good memories entail stopping by for the Protein Platter after a Saturday morning workout at Cincinnati Fitness Boxing , because your body needs goetta, bacon, and eggs over easy to repair itself after a workout right?

Location

The Echo is located on Edwards in Hyde Park Square. The restaurant selection in Hyde Park Square is very eclectic with each place offering it's own unique experience and atmosphere. Meter parking is plentiful throughout the square and on side streets. If you don't mind walking a bit you can snag free parking on side streets a little further down from the square. Also there is pay lot behind Arthur's.

Atmosphere

The Echo has a great sidewalk storefront with a vintage (I am assuming original) sign that hangs above the entrance and neon coffee cup light in the window. The inside has a classic

diner feel with a curvy counter in the middle of the main dining room, framed with booth, and table seating. There is an additional dining room to the side with a more family friendly vibe. I arrived this particular morning at 9AM and it was already hopping on the inside.

I was flying solo this morning so I was able to snag a seat at the counter. Since this place is consistently busy the seating process and service is very efficient. The wait staff are constantly rounding on customers. I was pleased to see that they did offer a small selection of AM cocktails. I ordered the Hibiscus Mimosa which was a mimosa made with cranberry juice instead of orange. The mimosa came out in a large glass resulting in a juice to champagne ratio that was off. The mimosa contained a large amount of cranberry juice which threw off the fizz factor. Despite all of this, I still managed to get a decent buzz.

Order-Up

Crabby Benedict

I was pleased to see they now offer a seasonal menu that contained some new options, and with that being said, I opted for the Crabby Benedict. I enjoy trying different versions of bennies outside of the traditional realm. This benedict had all of the classic elements except it had a

crab cake under the poached egg and on top of the English muffin instead of Canadian bacon. The hollandaise tasted fresh, poached eggs were prepared perfectly, crab cakes were crispy, and the English Muffins were nicely toasted. I ordered a side of potato cakes to go with my benedict and the were cooked to golden perfection.

Overall Experience

The overall experience at The Echo was good. The only downside was my diluted mimosa that tasted mostly like cranberry juice. Service was prompt, they have the art of running a busy breakfast spot down to a science. My breakfast was delicious and portion size was fulfilling. You can expect to have an amazing breakfast for five to twenty dollars. As a side note they offer Monday thru Friday breakfast specials that range from five to six dollars.

Recommend: Yes or No?

YES! This is a wonderful place for a nice hot breakfast/brunch for a reasonable price. The addition of the seasonal specials gives you a reason to keep coming back for more! I am looking forward to trying the Red, White, and Blueberries and the Go Green Mess this spring!