Brunchfaced: Wakin’ Bakin’ makes eating your veggies totally worth it
Wakin’ Bakin’ is one of those places you hit up when you’re looking for a full on breakfast - like the kind your mama or grandmama would cook on a Saturday morning
by Angelique Dyer
June 17, 2019
I am a recovering non-morning person. I go to sleep at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning (thanks, sleep training!). But it’s hard to actually… get out of bed.
But if there’s coffee and brunch on the other side of my feet hitting the floor – I’ll get to moving.
And I’ll get to moving for brunch at Wakin’ Bakin’. This breakfast/lunch/definitely brunch spot has two locations, one on Prytania (where they sell DRANKS, y’all!) and one in Mid City, on Banks Street. You honestly can’t miss it, for Wakin’ Bakin’ is the brightest thing on Banks Street. With its walls painted a bright Tiffany blue and red and yellow umbrellas providing shade on the sidewalk, it’s sure to wake you up in the morning.
Wakin’ Bakin’ is one of those places you hit up when you’re looking for a full on breakfast – like the kind your mama or grandmama would cook on a Saturday morning while Stevie Wonder plays on the radio. Grits and eggs, biscuits and bacon, sausage and ALL THE THINGS.
The folks behind the counter and in the kitchen are as sweet as the Blue Dot donuts they sell, and in my personal experience, the ones that tell my adult self to order more veggies.
I ordered the queso burrito and I had a choice of lots of fixin’s in the cheese and egg burrito. As I stared at the menu like my answer would magically appear and the man behind the counter smiled and said, “take your time. But get some veggies, trust me.”
I smiled back and just started rattling off all the veggies I wanted in there – tomatoes, spinach, avocado – and I even got some meat in there; a bacon confit. The bacon confit was delicious and packed with tender bacon cooked down and gave the burrito a flavor out of this world!
My brunch buddy ordered the breakfast bowl, topped with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, the same bacon confit, hash browns, AND black beans. I took one bite (or maybe like three, it was for science) and squealed at each bite of the black beans that tasted as if they were simmered with love, care and all the seasonings.
And because I can be a bit ravenous in the morning, I also ordered a hot, buttered biscuit and a bowl of fresh fruit – and they were the perfect way to round out a quick brunch on a Saturday.
My plan for the next time I drink lots of rosé on Friday and feel it on a Saturday, I’m going to wake up and head over to Wakin’ Bakin’ and try the pancrepes I eyed on someone else’s plate. Paired with a cup of coffee, I’m sure it’ll be the thing that brings me back to life. And the way my Fridays are set up this summer, I’ll definitely be back for a Saturday brunch!
More Local Stories
Dream House Lounge is New Orleans’ first oxygen bar and wellness lounge
The downtown lounge is bringing soul to self-care.
Guide to the Barrel and Flow Pittsburgh Beer Festival
Barrel and Flow, the nation’s only beer festival in Pittsburgh to put people of color in the spotlight is back. August 13, 2022
Take a look inside the Duquesne Incline Museum
You can’t spell funicular without F-U-N. Grab two quarters – tours are just 50 cents – and step into the year 1877’s finest in transportation technology.
Reading along the River: A guide to New Orleans independent bookstores
These 12 indie bookstores can help you find your next read and connect you to the greater New Orleans community.
Eat Play Stay: Natchitoches
In this episode of Eat Play Stay, explore Natchitoches, Louisiana, the oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory.
Not Your Average Cup of Joe: Unique Coffee Houses in Orlando
Here are three unique coffee shops where the cup of joe isn’t the only thing that’ll get you moving.
Top 407: the best breakfast sandwiches in Orlando
Here is a list of locally-owned spots to get your breakfast sandwich fix.
My Amazing Cheap Date: Orlando Festivals & Stand-Up Comedy
On this episode of “My Amazing Cheap Date” two couples explore bliss on a bun and get their game on. – for $50 or less.
Eat Play Stay: Lexington, SC
Fill your glass at a local winery, bite down on a gourmet biscuit, and cuddle up in a carriage house. Find this and more things to do in Lexington, S.C. on this episode of “Eat Play Stay Greenville.”
Dream House Lounge is New Orleans’ first oxygen bar and wellness lounge
The downtown lounge is bringing soul to self-care.
Here are 5 Coolinary New Orleans picks you need to try this summer
Coolinary is running from Aug. 1 to 31 and over 80 restaurants are participating. Here are five of our favorites that are offering something special this year.
🐾 A guide to dog-friendly breweries in Pittsburgh
Our faithful four-legged friends rode out quarantine nestled next us, from the halcyon days of sourdough starters through the long, dark, interminable cold of Pittsburgh winter. And now that we’re vaccinated, the plan is to leave them, home alone, while we sip IPAs in the sun? Better yet, take Fido along: here’s a list of Pittsburgh breweries with dog-friendly outdoor spaces.
Afrodisiac restaurant brings Creole Caribbean fusion to Gentilly
This popular food truck now has a home on Franklin Avenue.