By: Lindsay Martin | Staff-Writer
The Broadway district of Newport is host to an array of shops and restaurants, modest spots that attract tourists and residents alike. One such place, The Corner Café, is situated appropriately on the corner of Broadway and Collins Street, right beside the Newport Police Department. It may seem like an easy-to-miss spot at first, but its orange exterior and awnings, and chic outdoor seating area, will undoubtedly steal your attention—and your appetite.
The line of people waiting down the sidewalk is the first indication that The Corner Café is renowned, “Famous for Breakfast, Fabulous for Lunch and Dinner,” as their website expresses. Its menu, inspired by European flavors, boasts a variety of options, including all-day breakfast, lunch, and weekend dinners.
For breakfast, options range from pancakes to breakfast burritos. There are also breakfast sandwiches, oatmeal options, avocado toast, and, of course, the classic eggs; you can even substitute egg whites, if you’d like. The options for side orders are nearly endless, including turkey bacon and cups of fruit. I cannot recommend the home fries enough. While I have had my share at other breakfast spots, I can honestly say that The Corner Café’s recipe is by far the best.
For lunch, the Café offers a variety of salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, quesadillas, and burritos. But these aren’t your average entrees: how about a shrimp and chorizo quesadilla or a black bean and avocado salad? Or what about a southwest black bean and sweet potato burger or a stuffed tomato? One word: delicious!
Dinner is only served Thursdays through Saturdays, but who wouldn’t want to toast to the weekend with wood-grilled pizzas? From “The Rock”—topped with sliced turkey, cranberries, sauteed onions, sliced almonds, and smoked gouda and cheddar cheeses—to “Verona”—topped with Italian sausage, caramelized onions, and mascarpone, provolone, and asiago cheeses—they have a little something for everyone.
And I do mean everyone—even those with food sensitivities.
If you have food sensitivities, like I do, you know it can be incredibly hard to find food to eat at restaurants. You conduct your Google searches and scavenge the menus beforehand only to find one or two dishes at each restaurant. I know, because that’s exactly what I did to find The Corner Café: the first restaurant in my Google search for “gluten-free in Newport.”
The servers are well-informed of their menu, despite its great size and variety. I ordered an omelet and asked that it be made dairy-free. The server wrote it down and told me it was no problem at all. When she then brought out my meal, she assured me that the chefs used fresh eggs to limit cross-contamination. They also have gluten-free options for toast, wraps, and pizza crusts, which is not something you find at every restaurant. They stock Little Northern Bakehouse whole grain bread, which is just about the best brand of gluten-free bread in terms of resemblance to regular wheat bread; my gluten-eating friend could not tell the difference.
They also have plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, as well as “Healthy Zone” and “Kids Zone” sections of their menu.
The Corner Café’s menu is large enough to offer a variety of options for both customers with food sensitivities and for those without. Plus, the outdoor seating area, located on the grey pavers that adorn Broadway, is cute and cozy; they have even invested in outdoor heaters for the colder months. The servers are incredibly friendly, and the service is quick and orderly. Prices are also reasonable for their portion sizes.
In terms of COVID guidelines, restaurants are about the most dangerous place to be right now. While I have not sat inside the café, the outdoor seating area is adequately spaced. I watched the servers thoroughly clean the tables, chairs, and condiments after every party. The menus are visibly cleaned as well. All of the servers properly wear their masks, and I trust the kitchen staff do so as well, based on their outside reputation.
If you’re looking for a nice breakfast or a late-night pizza, The Corner Café is the perfect spot for you. At just a seven-minute walk from Brick Market, you’re in for a convenient and tasty treat.
The Corner Café is open Monday through Wednesday 7:30am-2:30pm, Thursdays 7:30am-9:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays 7:30am-10:00pm, and Sundays 7:30am-4:00pm. You can visit their website—and find their incredible menu—at www.cornercafenewport.com.
