Welcome to the Bayou!
Early this year, Huckleberry’s took over the South Towne Crossing Mel’s Diner spot near Walmart in South Reno. Before that, it was a Denny’s.
In a never-ending parade of chain breakfast restaurants, Huckleberry’s is a fit, but it offers something different.
A complete interior overhaul transforms the casual family breakfast and lunch spot into a kitschy themed restaurant. There’s a fake tree growing near the hostess stand and plenty of gators and other Louisiana-themed décor.
It’s a fun place to take the kids or enjoy a more casual breakfast in town.
The theme, however, doesn’t stop at the décor. The small chain (with 25 locations in California) only expanded outside of the state with their Reno building, bringing with it a clever menu heavy in huckleberries.
Morning cocktails include a huckleberry mimosa and Bayou Bloody Mary. Then you can dive into the stuffed French toast, a creamy sweet vanilla flavored stuffing topped with your choice of fruit, including huckleberries. The breakfast is truly decadent, using New Orleans sourdough, dipped in eggs and grilled until golden.
You can get the same treatment with the breakfast waffles and Huck’s Sweet Crepes, both offering a huckleberry fruit compote as a topping (or other fruits if you prefer).
Outside of the huckleberries, which also appear in the non-alcoholic swamp iced tea, the rest of the menu offers a lot of opportunities to embrace New Orleans’ flavors in an accessible way.
Shrimp is a common ingredient in the pelican state’s fare, so you won’t be surprised to see an omelet and a skillet both topped with it. Many of the breakfast items also include andouille sausage and Creole sauce, neither of which is spicy.
The Cajun Benedict is two poached eggs over andouille sausage, sliced tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread, completed with a smattering of chopped green onions. My favorite for a savory dish is The Cajun Omelet, a three-egg omelet with andouille sausage, onions, bell peppers and cheddar cheese topped with Creole sauce and served with a potato side and your choice of bread or a huckleberry muffin.
Don’t forget the beignets and fried green tomatoes, shareable plates that make a good starter to any meal.
Outside of breakfast, which seems to be the restaurant’s busiest time of day, there is a full lunch menu as well that echoes the flavors of the breakfast menu. And while Huckleberry’s isn’t your out-of-the-box, fancy, all-day brunch spot, it is a big step up from most restaurants of its kind with a more imaginative menu and a theme that goes all the way.
