Bertha's Cafe & Catering — Restaurant in Phoenix

We're all too familiar with the Over Easy's and Hash Kitchens of the world, and while great, we expect them to be. Their ubiquitous nature, while not entirely fair to them, makes one take them for granted. That being said, maybe the scorn isn't entirely unearned, as the bigger a chain is, the less of a personal touch they potentially have. To that end, I'm more than a little fortunate to have found perhaps Phoenix's best kept breakfast secret, Bertha's Cafe!

Bertha's has been here right under many of our unsuspecting noses for the better part of 20 years, surviving all the shenanigans of the aught years and more recently Covid. Bertha herself built up quite the reputation for the restaurant focusing on a customer forward and quality ingredient laden home cooking approach coupled with reasonable prices, and impeachable cooking expertise. My brother Steve and I, stumbled upon it doing a Google search upon finding out that they shuddered the doors of the Over Easy on Camelback and 24th St. of alternate breakfast spots.

After agreeing to try it, and not expecting much, we were immediately and warmly greeted by Mary, whose family now owns the place after purchasing it from Bertha after she tapped out to enjoy other endeavors. Many folks would start casting side eyes after a sea change of management, but I'm happy to say the reputation that was built carries over into the new ownership through a redoubling down on all the core values that Bertha painstakingly implemented.

Mary suggested the Chorizo burrito. Being no stranger to this at other places, I was pleasantly surprised by how refreshingly different in the best possible way, this one was, exuding such delicious flavor with it's perfect marriage of Chorizo, cheese and potatoes. Paired with a zesty but not overly spicy Salsa, you'll wonder where it went, you'll eat it so fast. With a large breakfast and lunch menu and a veritable goldmine of heavenly pastries, brownie and other dream bars, this diamond in the crowded breakfast rough is just begging to have it's untold treasures discovered by Phoenicians and weary tourists alike.

So that hard earned cash you were going to give to the major breakfast chains? You would do very well to hand it to this hard working and well deserving family instead, whose sole purpose is to reacquaint you with homemade food prepared with that which is missing from the faceless giants. Care, comfort and quality customer service. All the staff is amazing, from the rarely seen, but hardest working cooks led by Joanna and James, to the front of house with our lovely hostess Mary and the dashing Douglas, who both welcome guests with the warmest of wishes and the biggest of smiles. Try Bertha's today. Arlen approved. 10/10...

I have been a long-standing Bertha's customer for 10+ years and there simply aren't enough good things to say about the establishment itself and it's incredible staff and owners. The food is always fresh, made with the highest quality ingredients and unfailingly consistent. The employees are pleasant and welcoming and you can FEEL the effort and care that makes this small mom & pop business really stand out. It's no wonder they've been a Valley staple for 20 years now. Recently, Bertha's catered a corporate function for my workplace and we simply couldn't have been more pleased with their service! Each item in our order had a personalized sticker with the employee's name on it which was such a thoughtful (and helpful) touch that really stood out to us! The owner also included a large tray of mini desserts as a show of gratitude which was incredibly thoughtful and has earned not only rave reviews from myself but from the whole of our company. Bertha's, you have customers for life in all of us and we appreciate all that you've done and continue to do for your customer base! You're all MVPs...

Update 2022: while my favorite sandwich is still on the menu, their prices are really up there. They also changed their red potato dill salad. They added mustard to it, making it taste like everyone else's potato salad. Mustard overwhelmes dill, duh! Yuck! They changed a bunch of other things with their goodies. $22 for half a sandwich with one thin slices of chicken, half salad and small ice tea. After coming here for almost a decade, this is now my last visit. Bummer, but nothing lasts forever. ✌️

Bertha's been great in the past but something has changed over recent months. Everything still tastes pretty good, but let me explain. The panini bread appears to have changed. It's thicker, a lot thicker. Also, there's less veggies and meat on my sandwich. Less asparagus, less peppers, less chicken. I've been ordering the exact same sandwich for 4 years. The last 3-4 times I've ordered this sandwich, I've noticed it. Whatever move was made to skimp on the good stuff is not what I consider a smart business decision. I'm not gonna pay more for...