Sabrina’s Cafe

The wait is so often annoyingly long and they tend to not honor call-​aheads as they should, but the food is so good that it doesn’t even matter. There are a bunch of solid brunch spots in Philly, but this one is almost certainly the most delicious.
I find myself craving their outrageously fluffy pancakes and mouth watering huevos rancheros almost every Saturday morning. I only wish I could find a few other items on par with these to work into my rotation.
Any weekend with Sabrinas is a weekend well spent.

Ok, I have been to Sabrina’s for Brunch and it always delivers, but this visit for dinner was underwhelming. I don’t have to discuss the brunch — there are enough Unilocalers on here giving Sabrina’s 4+ stars and it is deserving. As other reviews will let you know — any location that you visit — it will give you great portions for great value.
My review is of dinner. Service was quick and the wait staff was friendly. The portions were large too and the. My friend had a soup & salad as appetizer and the meatloaf as her entrée. I had the cheesesteak spring rolls as my appetizer the and calamari as my entrée. The issue with both of our orders was they were under seasoned — very bland. That was disappointing to us both.
Will it stop me from returning — No — but only for brunch.

As a first-​time customer, I ordered takeout in lieu of dining in via a third party courier. I’m aware that takeout/​delivery differs from dining in, and that travel and commute are factors that I’ve made allowances for, but all things considered, I’m not pleased or impressed. My order arrived incomplete, under-​seasoned and in a disarray. It left me underwhelmed and irritated. I ordered the steak and eggs specifically for the chimichurri– it didn’t make it to my apartment. Maybe it’s still at the restaurant. My boyfriend ordered the ultimate Mexi scramble. It too was bland and unappealing, like the rest of my experience. I’ve heard so many good things about Sabrina’s, so I was disappointed with this. Maybe after the dust has settled, I’ll dine in and give them another shot. Definitely won’t order takeout again, and I’d suggest you don’t either.

Looks like a great place breakfast/​brunch if you’re going with friends. The name Sabrina’s «café» is a bit misleading because it looks more like a restaurant than a café… it is not a place you want to get a meal alone whiling reading or working. It doesn’t have a cozy, quiet atmosphere. It’s rather loud and has an exposed kitchen, making it look more like a typical restaurant.
Ambience aside, the food was only good, nothing too special. I see it is Zagat rated (²⁵⁄₃₀), and I don’t know why because it really doesn’t deserve so much hype… with that being said, I do like their breakfast menu, it has something for everyone (savory, sweet or both). Check out my picture of their menu specials, they have themed names for their dishes. I got the ‘Sonia Sotomayor’s serving it up supreme court style stuff french toast’ — It’s supposed to be grilled challah french toast with a strawberry plum apricot compote (has the consistency of a sauce though), crumbled graham crackers, walnuts and strawberry mascarpone frosting. The french toast was thick-​cut but not stuffed with anything, so I’m not sure what the «stuff» in it’s name means. This is a large plate, so buy to share. The first few bites are delicious, the strawberry/​apricot/​plum compote tastes just as tart as expected but my dish leaned more towards sour than anything in the end. They really skimped on the mascarpone frosting and really everything else. The compote truly dominates. Unless you’re in the mood for a large sour, tart, fruity breakfast, don’t get this dish. Or get it to share so you won’t be overwhelmed by the taste.
ALSO BEST PART is that they serve brunch all day :) It’s kind of far away from center city and in what looks like a quiet neighborhood. It wasn’t crowded on a weekend morning, so I don’t think its going to get any fuller, I don’t think you’ll need to make reservations if they even take any.

I would give it 1000 stars if I could the food was heaven on a plate. The stuffed French toast is amazing. Can’t wait to try more of there food…

Wow! What can be said about this place. I have eaten in diners and cafes all over this country and I have to say that this place is something special. I came in yesterday with a few friends and has the Huevos Rancheros. Wow! Absolutely 100% delightful.
My buddy and I were so impressed that we decided to come back, again, this morning. Not only were we blown away by the food, AGAIN but we had the pleasure of being served by the fabulous Arielle. Oddly enough she actually took care of us yesterday. And this is what really iced the cake… She remembered us! For someone who works in the industry and eats out often, having your server remember you is rather pleasing.
**Arielle, your general disposition and overall hospitality pedicure are all to be commended. I can only hope that the next time I am in Philly and come to Sabrina’s, that you are not only there but that I am able to be in your section.
Until then, keep up the GREAT work!

Just relocated to Philadelphia all the way from Miami, Florida. My first visit here was yesterday with my girlfriend and best friend. What an awesome place!!! No long wait to get a table at all, speedy service, and the food was great. I had the French toast with walnuts and M&M’s…that’s right, I put candy on my breakfast. I was taking my best friend to the airport this morning and we decided to go back for another visit because our first experience was so awesome. Oddly enough, we had the same server as the day before… and, she remembered us and what we were having to drink! Arielle, you were awesome and I hope you are recognized for such great service and guest satisfaction.
Now that I am an official Philly resident, I plan on being back frequently to have more great experiences. And hopefully Arielle can wait on us every time.
This place kicks ass… go check it out!!!

As soon as I suggested this place to my girlfriend, her ears perked up and she basically gave a little Unilocal of excitement. We got seated very quickly and we ordered the french toast and barking chihuahua. Loved the American diner vibes and very rustic American qualities.
The french toast was massive and coated in syrup! The banana and cream cheese filling really made it awesome, and completed the dish. Barking chihuahua was great — the homefries were seasoned well and nice and crunch on the outside. There were poached eggs on top and complemented the burrito underneath. Overall, a great dining experience for brunch! Would recommend!

This cute retro styled brunch/​breakfast spot is a short walk from the Sheraton Downtown hotel and is an excellent treat for the most important meal of the day
I walked here one morning while I was staying at the above mentioned hotel for the PA AFL-​CIO convention earlier this month. I was a total Philly newbie, but the neighborhood is safe and there are sidewalks the whole way there.
The first thing I thought was that the place looked like my grandma decorated it which in some ways is cool because I’ve been told my grandma was fly! The booths are upholstered in difference vintage patterns and there are mismatched lighting fixtures throughout. Aside from that, the interior is set up like any normal diner, with a bar to sit at a semi-​open kitchen.
The super friendly and casually dressed server sat me in a booth and served me decent coffee. I consider myself a coffee snob and always expect the worst, but I was surprised, someone must have taken the time to think of what coffee to serve. Other beverages must be important to them as well, because I noticed a HUGE selection of teas on the wall and the soda fountain selection had unusual/​vintage varieties such as RC Cola, 7-​UP and some others I can’t recall.
I ordered the stuffed French toast because I’m a sucker for sweets, as well as a side of bacon (doctor says I need protein with every meal!) The bacon was normal, but the stuffed French toast was to die for. I won’t describe it in detail, because you can read the menu on their site. I appreciated that it was made with challah, which is pretty rare I think. My only complaint is that the cream cheese filling was a bit cold in some places.
If I am ever in that area again, I will make a point of stopping there again.

We were pretty excited to try Sabrina after numerous people had recommended it to us.
Overall our breakfast wasn’t particularly memorable. I tried an omelette and hubby had «Ice Cube’s This is a good breakfast.» The omelette was standard. My husband said Ice Cubes breakfast was only an «okay» breakfast. The breakfast potatoes were pretty disappointing. They were overall quite flavorless and deep fried. Its not the difficult to cut up potatoes and throw them in a deep fryer. I would have enjoyed it more had they been seasoned a bit and grilled or roasted.
We also tried a short stack of pancakes which was good. I highly recommend the pancakes.
If we do come back, it will probably only be for the pancakes or to try the french toast.

There are multiple Sabrina’s throughout Philadelphia, each with a unique vibe but a similar menu. If you like large portions this is your place. There are lots of vegan or vegetarian options for all you picky eaters. The prices range $ 8-​$ 15 for what is essentially 2 servings of food (aka get ready for your take out box)
They change the brunch specials every two weeks and none have ever been repeated. They have such unique food combos that are all unbelievably fresh.
My top menu choices are the egg white turkey bacon frittata and the ultimate mexi scramble (each about $ 11). The ultimate mexi scramble has two huge slices of creamy avocado with a giant dollop of cilantro pesto (see picture below). The service was superb. We arrived a little before the kitchen opened but they sat us and brought coffee over anyway. Our server Dan was very friendly and even let us take coffee to go which we needed. Check this place out. You won’t regret it.

I’ve never inhaled french toast but this might be the best brunch I’ve had this year! So glad my 2 friends picked this spot that they frequent on weekends. This spot is very small and do not take reservations on weekends (45 mins to hour wait). This is expected, it’s like this at any brunch place on East Coast. They told us 45 but we were seated within 20. The menu is very extensive with about equal amount of herbivore options just as much as carnivore options.
I like the options on on their standard menu as well as their special menu. The special theme this month is ’90’s hip hop and r&b’. I chose the MC Lyte Cha Chaaaa. It was good. The prices are moderate and they give the hugest portions. Our table shared it all communal style.
I’ll probably be back when I’m in the area again! ;)

Mm mm mm! Scrumptious brunch spot with great service! I had the stuffed french toast which was simply heavenly! I had just arrived in Philly so I had my suitcase with me (bad move when going to a popular brunch spot, I’ve learned!) and the host helped me find a spot for it so that I didn’t have to awkwardly navigate the crowd.
The coffee was marvelous, and I am still dreaming about that cream cheese and banana stuffed challah french toast… my friend’s savory egg dish looked lovely too, and maybe I’ll try it next time I visit (though I am not one to mess with perfection!). Sabrina’s was slammed, but we had a reservation and were seated promptly. Everyone who worked there seemed to love their job, too!
Fyi, portion sizes are humungous, so you’ll either satisfy a ravenous appetite (as I did!) or have a treat for the next day (if you can wait that long!).

Consistently good food and excellent service. This diner is a small chain, but it has a neighborhood vibe and a creative menu.
We were surprised by X-​Files specials, which was a fun idea, and so all of us ordered off the specials menu.
Portions are generous and the food is delicious. I particularly like the pan fried potatoes.

Sabrina’s café has a few locations and each one has its own charm, this one in particular… Well I don’t know if it’s charm exactly, but, it’s uhhhh. It has an old western dinery feel if that makes any sense at all to you fine readers.
We sat down and started our journey through the menu, and for us we made a fast decision but in true Doug and Jackie form, we debated out choices for the next 16 years… Anyway we finalized our orders and waited impatiently as we guzzled down our Juices.
Overall the place is great, good food, okay service, I’d go back!
I’d like to check out the other locations too, I’ll post some pix of the food — we really enjoyed it and it was reasonably priced for the portions… Otherwise I can’t really think of anything creative to say, great breakfast spot for sure and the home fries were super crispy without any gritty burnt pieces.

Great place for brunch and dinner. They offer breakfast menu into the night. Excellent selection of classic American brunch and food, prices are fairly decent for the large portion you are getting. Service is always friendly and the servers know their foodstuffs.
The dessert menu does not exist but is internally memorized by the servers who would love to tell you about it when you ask.

Been here twice,
first time was very lovely with perfect food perfect ambiance perfect service — 5 stars
2^nd time was during a very busy afternoon, the eggs benedict was a disaster. The egg had not been poached all the way and the whites were uncooked. The sauce had separated into the two oil and water soluble phases and was runny all over the plate, the blanched spinach was much too salty. told the server but she never even got back to us, I understand that things can get busy but it was a total disaster — 1 star
I’ve averaged out the score to a 3 star review, we have not been back since the 2^nd time.

My boyfriend found this place on Unilocal,knowing I would like a lot of the things offered here. As soon as we got our rental car from the airport we headed to the other location, but parking was insane! Not like California haha! So I suggested we try coming to this location and parking was so much easier. I’m thankful we made it!
We walked in and it was a really fun, creative environment. Everyone was friendly and it was quite packed. Our server Michelle was very sweet and made it a wonderful experience. I ordered the tofu scramble with potatoes and toast and my boyfriend had their famous French toast. We both absolutely loved our food! I’m so happy we had the chance to come here on our trip.

There are lots of places to eat in this neighborhood, with some of which we’ve had mixed experiences, so we finally walked the extra block to try Sabrina’s and were pleased that we had. Even at 2:30 on a weekday they still had several tables finishing lunch; our food came out promptly and we were pleased with the quality and quantity. We were struck that their chef has an inventive palette (cilantro in the coleslaw, turmeric in the vegetable purée soup) that wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste, although it suited us just fine. Service was available without being intrusive and left overs were quickly packaged to go, and although next time we’ll skip the hummus and falafel, neither of which its apparent are house specialties, we’ll definitely consider stopping back next time we’re in the area around breakfast or lunch time.

Come hungry! The dishes at Sabrina’s are HUGE. I’m known to always clean my plate, but I always have a hard time finishing the whole food here. Their normal breakfast menu is solid: if you like stuffed French toast, you’ll love their cream cheese stuffed challah bread french toast drizzled in syrup and topped with fruit. Check out their specialty themed menus too! The names are always so clever, and the dishes are creative and delicious too. My one complaint is that I think the flavor is a little heavy handed, and the sweet brunch dishes especially can be a little too rich for me. Also, it’s BYOB, so bring a bottle of champagne for mimosas!

I love this little diner. Delicious food and coffee, good service, and a nice casual atmosphere. Since I discovered this location, I’ve been going about once a week. I used to go to the Powelton location on occasion, which is also great, but not as great as this one; I think because the other location is overwhelmed by university students.
Breakfast items and burgers are great choices here, and make sure to check out the always-​amusing, frequently-​changing specials menus.

I’ve been here many times over the years for brunch before putting my review on Unilocal,but my most recent experience solidified my rating. I will start by saying the food is consistently good and I love that there is usually a themed specials menu. No matter what I’ve gotten from the Tofu or Mexican Scrambles, to the stuffed French Toast, right down to the simple omelettes, I’ve never been disappointed. The BYO option is also a big plus to save money with your table on pricey brunch cocktails.
Be warned: this place draws quite a crowd and wait times are usually upwards of one hour for a table. I’ve learned over the years that there is a call-​ahead option, provided you arrive with your full party within a certain amount of time (30 minutes from when I called, I believe). There is also some sort of integration with an app you can use on your phone that gives you an estimated wait time and shows you how many parties are ahead of you. These are helpful ways to have just an average wait as opposed to an extra long wait.
The last time I was here, there was some sort of mix up and communication breakdown between the hostess and our party. Despite being told we were next in line and receiving a text on my phone, nobody approached us or called our name for seating. About another 20 minutes had gone by before I checked into it. The hostess politely but firmly stuck to her position that our names were called and we didn’t respond. We were given the next available table, but our wait time really added up to being just as long as if we were a walk in without calling ahead.
All in all, great and unique food, and a fun brunch spot, but it’s really not worth the hassle sometimes. I’m sure I’ll come here again but there are many other places in this city that are just as good without having to jump through hoops or wait an hour+ just to get a seat.

So delicious and fun! My boyfriend and I went here Valentine’s Day afternoon around noon. We called before we got on the train and put our name in for the 1 hour wait. When we arrived an hour later that were packed and said it would be about 20 more minutes and apologized multiple times. I completely understood knowing eating anywhere on a holiday would take some waiting.
Once we were to be seated the table was against the cold window and where all of the people waiting to be seated were standing so we asked to wait for the next table and again they were extremely accommodating.
We brought our own champagne and the cappuccino was perfect. Our food came out quickly, we never felt rushed and our server was the sweetest! The stuffed French toast was on every table and the cream cheese was a bit too sweet for my boyfriend but he loved the actual toast. I had the flank steak sandwich and it was BEYOND amazing!
The most fun, small made from scratch brunch place you’ll find!

My boyfriend and I got a chicken cutlet sandwich and the famous stuffed french toast to share. Portions were huge so definitely share if you can’t eat all of it! There’s always a long wait and there isn’t much room inside so there’s groups of people standing outside waiting to be called. My recommendation for getting around this is to call ahead and ask for your order to go! Food should be ready in about 20 – 25 minutes and you can enjoy it at any of the nice areas around Philly!

Let me give you a warning, this place is notorious for their long waits. And they do not accept any reservations beforehand, so you’ll have to brave out the elements if you want a coveted seat in this fine establishment.
I love the cozy atmosphere of this place. It’s always bustling, but there’s something intimate about it as well! Another endearing element of this place is the fact they have mismatched mugs for all the coffee drinkers out— like you’re having a cup of coffee at a friend’s house with a few dozen of their closest friends as well. Alright, here’s the deal, you have to try to Challah French Toast filled with cream cheese. They are absolutely out of this world and it should be incorporated into everyone’s daily diet. And another crowd pleaser is the Huevos Rancheros. Undeniably fresh and vibrant in the flavors.

This place is poorly rated as 4 stars. I give it 5 plus. Even though the place was packed for breakfast the courteous waiters manage to serve everyone in a timely manner.
That tells you the great coordination from the front staff and the kitchen staff (the chefs). The food was nicely presented on the plate.
Thanks to our waiter Jayson

A bit too much hype if you ask me.
Food: We had brunch during the time they had the Star Wars themed menu, which my boyfriend super happy about. I ordered Boba Fett’s Bountiful Mexi Special. The entrée was a chipotle chicken quesadilla over a bed of egg whites (my choice) and covered in a sweet mole sauce with a wedge of avocado, crèma and fresh cheese. Also came with a side, which I opted for fresh fruit. The quesadilla itself was mediocre, I personally prefer savory quesadillas and this one was unduly sweet from the mango mole sauce. I was hoping for more spice, but chipotle peppers are some of the most mild, so I had to douce hot sauce to add some kick. The quesadilla was stuffed with chicken, pepper jack, black beans, shrooms and cilantro pesto. A little too much happening all at once. The eggs were cooked very well if it matters at all. My boyfriend had the Empire Makes Brunch with a side of fries. His meal was a buttermilk biscuit, pieces of thick ham, spinach, cheesy eggs covered in a red pepper sauce. The buttermilk biscuit was far from buttery. Though filling, it was very dry and a bit tasteless. They give you a huge portion of it, so after the eggs and fries were gone, we drenched it in honey to add flavor. The honey really helped us consume it. His meal was a lot tastier than mine, aside from the biscuit. A good combination of flavors.
Service: Above and beyond customer service experience, this was instrumental for us and if we come back, it’ll probably be for the wonderful service. Everyone was super friendly, upbeat and courteous! You really feel at home at Sabrina’s.
Price: Affordable brunch considering the healthy portions they serve at Sabrina’s. We paid between $ 12 – 14 for our huge entrees.
Atmosphere: Very appropriate American brunch — nothing really matched from the mugs to the wall décor, but that’s what gave the place more character and peculiarity.
Overall: Good pricing for the portions served, great service and okay food. Average run of the mill brunch place.

Sabrina’s (regardless of which location) overall is a solid, safe brunch place to take friends and family from out of town to.
Pros:
– Dishes are very VERY filling — do not attempt to order multiple items because it is a daunting feat to even finish one plate of food!
– A number of vegetarian and vegan options to choose from and substitute with!
– Tofu Scramble is amazeballs!!!
– The Fairmount location is BYOB (not sure about the other locations)
Cons:
– Do expect a long wait time… I would recommend calling ahead of time to make a reservation
– Weekend brunches, in particular, can get extremely crowded. So be prepared to be in a room full of people and expect a high noise level.
– If you end up on the waiting list at this location, expect to wait outside for there is very little room inside to wait (unless you’re fine with blocking the indoor foot traffic).
– The sweet breakfast dishes are extremely sweet, to the point that it can get sickening… I would recommend the sweet breakfast items to be something shared.

Sabrina’s will forever be one of my favorite brunch spots in Philly. Typical I go the branch in University city, but this one had the shorter wait time.
Likes —
— Wish I knew beforehand that it was BYOB. Totally bringing a bottle of champagne and orange juice for mimosa next time!
— Ever changing themed specialty menu, such as Star Wars, Breaking Bad, Beyonce etc.
— Holy Portions! Well worth your money! Be prepare to come hungry and leave stuffed. Even the Kid’s meals are pretty big.
— For an extra fee, can substituent fries for fresh fruit
— Vegetarian and vegan options available
— My Go-​Tos dishes are Egg Benedict and Huevos Ranchers. The popular stuffed French toasts are great too, but I find it overwhelmingly sweet after few bites and impossible to finish by myself. I think it’s a good dish to share with the table.
Dislikes —
— Incorrect wait time — I called on a Sunday for reservation for 5, the wait was 45mins, which was fine. Then at arrival we wait another 30 mins. Don’t get me wrong, the food the totally worth the wait, but waiting out in the cold is no fun, since there little space to wait inside
— 2 people in my party got «The Empire Makes Brunch» Special Breakfast from the Brunch specials #2. Their dill buttermilk biscuit were very dense and had a bitter, metal-​like taste. My guess is either expired baking soda or baking powder was used.

Great place for breakfast. I had the Boba Fett off the special menu (Star Wars themed). It was a Mexican style omelette with mushroom & avocado, topped with a fabulous & very flavorful mole sauce. It was accompanied by a pulled chicken quesadilla & home fries, both of which were very good. The only miss is that eggs were browned & overcooked (this coming from a person who does not like runny eggs!!). Unfortunately it wasn’t just mine, all 4 guests in our party had overcooked eggs.
Still giving 4 stars cuz this was not my first visit and never had this problem before. The coffee is good and the menu is creative. I’ll be back.

I met a friend here for breakfast last month. I am not from the area, but she suggested it and we arrived around 10 am and there was a 30 minute wait. I gave the hostess my cell phone number and we stood outside the restaurant and chatted while we waited for our table. A little less than 30 minutes later, my phone went off and I had a text message that we were ready to be seated! The iPad table seating system this restaurant was neat.
Now, the food was AMAZING. Definitely worth the wait. My friend said the stuffed French toast is what Sabrina’s is famous for so that is what I got. It was super delicious. Eating healthy was the last thing on my mind while I was enjoying this amazing breakfast. I also really loved the coffee cups the restaurant has — they are like ones you would have at home. All different and quirky.
If you are in Philadelphia, check this place out for an amazing brunch!

I miss the days of being able to go here for brunch every week! It’s one of my favorite diners in Philadelphia! The French toast is always on point and they have the most clever and tasty specials. The portions are out of this world huge! You almost always have leftovers but the prices are very reasonable. I prefer this location over the location by Drexel college because it’s a little less busy! Although — both locations are always popping! Guess that’s a good sign right?
Overall, great atmosphere, great food, great diner!

Coming from South Philly, Sabrina’s has been a household name for me ever since I was in high school. I’m just so glad to find that their quality has been very consistent outside of the original South Philly location.
I originally planned a meetup with old college friend at the UCity Sabrina’s, but boy, the wait was 90 minutes and it was already 1 pm on a Saturday. So we decided to come here instead and lucky us it was only a 30 minute wait.
The huevos rancheros and the stuffed challah french toast here are totally must-​tries. Can’t ever go wrong with a side of scrapple. If you don’t know what to order, just ask your server for recommendation (they’re always so enthusiastic with this). Another plus is it’s BYOB.

Wow what a nice treat. A few years ago (before my Unilocal days) while in the neighborhood and feeding into my pregnancy cravings I ordered the stuffed french toasted. Yum! This is the stuff dreams are made of!
Fast forward to today I was looking for a good breakfast spot and in looking at the menu decided I could really go for an apple cheddar omlette. It was better than I had expected. The apples tasted like they were slightly roasted with cinnamon before being placed inside with the Wisconsin Cheddar. I love breakfast meats but I was not missing them with this combo. The multi grain bread was to die for and I finished it all even though I have sworn off bread for the sake of my birthday dress. I also finished all of the homefries. In all actuality I never stood a change against the carbs :(.
I ordered a full stack of chocolate chip pancakes for my daughter and nephew to share. They were overall delicious but could have used more bananas my nephew refused them because he couldnt see the bananas. This may have been a one time thing because judging from other photos the chocolate chips and bananas are abundant.
They are BYOB so if you are in the mood for a few mimosas this is your spot. We were a party of 5 and even on a weekday I did see the hostess sweat a little about our party size but she quickly put together a table for us. Our waitress was awesome and made us feel like we were the only table when she really had a full section she was taking care of. They accept all cards of payment EXCEPT for discover. The parking situation is not too bad as each time I have been here we are able to find street parking on the same block but dont forget to pay for the meter ticket.
I’m sure I’ll be back this time with a smaller party and a champagne bottle in tow.