Phantom Gourmet: Breakfast At Jac's Cafe In Rockland

ROCKLAND - When the oversized pancakes are topped with insane indulgence, the skillets are heaping and smothered in cheese, and the plates are overflowing, it is easy for an owner to make a promise like this:

"I guarantee you're not gonna find a better breakfast shop than Jac's Cafe in Rockland."

Jac's Cafe is most definitely a hidden jewel. Tucked away in the South Shore town of Rockland, this cute, cozy, 32-seat spot is where owner Jacqui Berardi makes it her mission to fill customers with great food, and the right attitude to tackle the day.

"However you start your day off, it sets the tone for the rest of the day," she said. "You start off happy, you start off full, you start off with a mug that says 'Wake Up, Kick Butt, and Repeat' you're gonna keep going on for the rest of the day."

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Jacqui has been the boss here since she opened the place back in 2015, and customers were quick to discover what made Jac's so great. From the inspirational mugs and fast friendly service, to the absolutely awesome food coming out of the kitchen.

"I think we've taken breakfast and taken it to the next level and created this whole experience. I mean we've just completely changed the way that people do breakfast."

Everything on the menu at Jac's is so temping that it can be tough to decide what to order, but the pancakes are a great place to start. Keep in mind, at Jac's they are called Flap Jac's. While the name may be old school, these sweet stacks are anything but.

"Pretty much we've taken every dessert you've ever wanted to eat in your life and turned it into a breakfast item," Jacqui said.

There are S'mores Flap Jac's studded with chocolate, graham cracker, and toasted marshmallow; Cinnamon Roll Flap Jac's infused with a swirl of cinnamon sugar, and topped with plenty of sweet icing; and the outrageously indulgent Cannoli Flap Jac's.

"I love cannoli, I wish I could eat 10 of them a day. I can't. So instead, now we have Cannoli Flap Jac's." Jacqui said. "We add broken up cannoli shells into them, with chocolate chips. And then in between the two layers of the enormous Cannoli Flap Jac's, we have the sweet ricotta filling. Then we top it with powdered sugar and an enormous cannoli on top."

If you would rather create your own piece of heaven, Jac's also offers a Build Your Own Flap Jac bar.

"You can take our enormous traditional Flap Jac's and top that with any toppings you can imagine. We have Gummi Bears, chocolate chips, Kit Kat bars, anything you can imagine you'd find on a sundae bar."

If your breakfast cravings lean toward savory over sweet, Jac's has you covered there too. There is the Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich, topped with egg, cheddar, bacon, avocado and onions. Breakfast Tacos are filled with eggs, black beans, red onions, tomatoes, and peppers. Their Steak and Egg Grinder is stuffed with juicy steak tips, two fried eggs, and melted cheddar. Sizzling skillets are piled high with options like potatoes, homemade hash, and cheese sauce, or loaded tater tots.

"Everybody loves tater tots," Jacqi stated. "Top that with broccoli, onion, cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs, and then topped completely with cheddar cheese sauce."

For a bit of breakfast, lunch, and dinner all rolled into one, you can order an appetizer like Jac's Breakfast Skins with hash, cheddar, and eggs. Follow them up with a ridiculously filling bar-style Breakfast Pizza.

"They're 10-inch pizzas, but when you add in all the breakfast toppings on top of them, they're so good, but they're so filling at the same time," Jacqui said. "People always take them home; they can never finish them."

There certainly are some more traditional breakfast options on the menu at Jac's, although they are still serious showstoppers, like the combo of eggs, bacon, loaded home fries, and a giant Flap Jac, known as The Wrecker.

"It's gonna completely wreck your appetite, like I couldn't think of a better name for that. You're ready to go to sleep probably after you eat this, but you're happy."

Rounding out the menu is an ever-changing Avocado Toast, thick cut Cinnamon Raisin Toast that's filled up, rolled into loaves, and baked fresh every day, and Jacqui's personal favorite, Coffee Cake French Toast.

"It's our thick brioche toast. It's cooked on the skillet with the coffee cake crumbles, and then we top with sweet icing. It is just insanity."

You'll want to eat at Jac's Cafe every day for the great food, and uplifting mood.

"They come in here, they get these amazing items, they have this upbeat waitress that's serving them, they have this awesome atmosphere that they're around, and just food that you can never find anywhere else. They leave here and they're so happy and ready to conquer the world for the rest of the day."

You can find Jac's Café at 86 VFW Drive in Rockland, and online at jacscafe.com.

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