Review of Country Gables Cafe

Country Gables Cafe, is a Roseville icon, and has been voted in the local newspaper as the "Best Breakfast in Roseville" many times over. I set out to see for my myself if Country Gables really serves the best breakfast in Roseville...

As with all of my restaurant reviews, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.

Photo: It's a little past 10:00 in the morning on Sunday, July 09, 2023, and we've arrived at Country Gables Cafe, located in Roseville, CA, to enjoy a delicious brunch on the patio.

Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll be greeted with a "Please Wait to Be Seated" sign, and seated by the friendly staff.

Photo: Country Gables Cafe is truly an "old school" diner, as it offers a counter, tables and booths for your dining pleasure and comfort. The staff is super friendly, the dining room is comfortable and there are several video screens displaying local programs. Great dining on a late Sunday morning!

Photo: Country Gables Cafe serves an amazing breakfast, and has been voted "Best Breakfast in Roseville." The restaurant serves a truly amazing breakfast, but I can't say the word "best" as I simply don't know what is best.

Photo: Sandwiches, burger and Mexican specialties are on one section of the menu. The restaurant's menu features five pages of great food, and since Country Gables Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch, all menu selections are available any time the restaurant is open.

Photo: On this late Sunday morning, it was a beautiful 65-degree day outside, so we chose to enjoy our brunch on the patio, overlooking Washington Blvd. I can't say the view is the most scenic in the world, but it makes for great patio dining.

Photo: These friendly gentlemen shared the patio with us, along with their super friendly dog, and offered great conversation and friendly dining.

Photo: Claudia makes a friend, thanks to the friendly gentlemen dining on the patio next to us.

Photo: Meet Hunter, our amazing friendly host who delivered our brunch to us with a smile. This gentleman treated us like rock stars. What a great host and a great guy!

Photo: My friend Claudia M. and I enjoy a great breakfast on the patio. Since it was around 10:00 on this Sunday morning... do you enjoy breakfast or lunch? Claudia went with breakfast, and I went with lunch. It all worked out well, since we've been "foodie" friends for over 10 years.

Photo: From the breakfast section of the menu, Claudia went with "Huevos Rancheros," as she loves anything "Mexican" when it comes to food.

Hash brown potatoes, eggs over easy, grilled jalapeño pepper, a small salad along with Mexican hot sauce, and a small dipping sauce made for a perfect breakfast. My friend loved her breakfast! I loved looking at it, lol.

Photo: From the "Sandwiches Burgers" section of the menu, I went with "Texas Sandwich," which worked out to be an amazing brunch selection. I agonized between breakfast or lunch, and after I settled on lunch, I went on to agonize between a burger or a sandwich, but I love the State of Texas, so the "Texas Sandwich" won my favor.

The sandwich started out with two pieces of sourdough bread, which was my choice, as per our gracious host, Hunter. Rye, wheat or white bread was offered, but I went with sourdough, as I love it and it fits my character. The bread was buttered, toasted and grilled to perfection and topped with a generous portion of juicy, thinly sliced roast beef, cut in the true "Texas style." The beef was drizzled in thick, red barbecue sauce and topped with perfectly melted Cheddar cheese to make for an amazing sandwich.

My brunch included a small cup of barbecue sauce, along with - not shown in the photo - a cup of "Ranch" dressing which worked out well for dipping. On the other hand... my brunch was so delicious that I didn't really need anything to enhance it, as my brunch was simply delicious. Claudia did use Cholula Mexican Sauce on her eggs, as she loves to add spice to her life.

On the side, I enjoyed French fries, which were cut on the medium size, fried to a perfect light golden brown on the outside, but juicy, white and tender inside, which makes for the perfect fry. The chef at Country Gables Cafe has amazing talent, as both my fries, and my breakfast were simply delicious!

Photo: The "Texas Sandwich" from the lunch menu grabbed my attention, and it worked out well for me.

Photo: "Texas Sandwich," along with an order of "French Fries" as a side, complete with a cup of barbecue sauce. Talk about an amazing brunch on a late Sunday morning in July!

Photo: Such an amazing "Texas Sandwich," showing he roast beef, melted Cheddar cheese, and the toasted sourdough bread. This sandwich was simply as good as it gets, and truly 5-star dining in Roseville.

Photo: It's a little past 09:10 in the morning, September 29, 2022, and I've arrived at Country Gables Cafe, located in Roseville, Ca to enjoy a great breakfast from the specials posted outside the restaurant.

Photo: The "early day" menu is posted outside the restaurant, and lists a breakfast of "Ham and Eggs" for $6.99. How could I resist? However... the menu... when you are inside the restaurant, lists a different option.

I think the outside menu posts 2016 prices, not the prices reflected in September, 2022. Country Gables Cafe is posting prices outside, that the actual menu inside, will make you wish the date was September 29, 2016.

Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll be greeted to a friendly "welcome" sign and a friendly staff member who will seat you.

Photo: The "Breakfast Specials" selections differ from the banners posted outside the restaurant by a lot... $4.00 or so? Alright... why do the banners advertise 2016 prices, while the date is 2022?

I don't see the $6.99 "Ham and Eggs" breakfast, as listed outside on the banner, on the menu. When I questioned my hostess, Sara about this, she seemed to be nonplussed... and most likely deferred the issue to management.

I suppose I could really make an "issue" out of this, but I can spare a few bucks, so I'll just "pass" on any commentary or judgment.

Photo: Yes... Country Gables Cafe has achieved a reputation among Roseville residents, and Placer County "foodies" as a breakfast destination, and the decor is pure country, any way you want to look at it.

Photo: The main dining room features a mixture of tables and chairs, and as no matter where you're dining, and enjoying your meal, there's a television monitor on the wall, tuned to your favorite sports or local news program.

Country Gables Cafe is a favorite of Rosevillians, and all "foodies" who enjoy a great breakfast. The main dining room is inviting and comfortable, and has television monitors posted everywhere, so you'll never miss your news, or your favorite spots.

Photo: At the counter, you'll enjoy dining with local Roseville "foodies" and you'll get a peek into the kitchen.

Photo: Meet Sara, my amazingly friendly hostess, who brought my breakfast to me with a smile. She, along with her co-staff member Sam, treated me like royalty.

Photo: Ham and eggs is for breakfast, and I'm all smiles, and I'm "in business" for breakfast, as Sara took my photo. Thanks!

Photo: From the "Breakfast Specials" menu, I went with "Ham, 2 eggs, potatoes and toast," which is served weekdays from when the restaurant opens, until 11:00 in the morning.

My ham slice arrived thinly sliced - about quarter of a pound - just the correct portion for breakfast, and perfectly and attractively grilled, complete with criss-cross grill marks. How could you ever hope to find a better "show stopper" for your breakfast than a slice of ham... perfectly grilled?

The large side of hash brown potatoes were cooked to a perfect golden brown on the outside... crispy... and tender, and juicy inside, just like the way perfect hash brown potatoes are supposed to be cooked. Oh yeah... along with my ham and hash browns... I enjoyed two eggs, fried "sunnyside up," just the way I ordered. My choice of toast was sourdough, so I enjoyed sourdough toast, toasted, and perfectly buttered.

I ordered an optional side of gravy, which was an "extra charge," but I was given my side of gravy, on the house. Sweet!! Thank you to the management of Country Gables Cafe for giving my this treat, au gratis. Thanks!!!

I love breakfast, and Country Gables Cafe serves one of the premiere breakfasts in Roseville. So, if you're a "foodie," and you like breakfast... you'll simply love Country Gables Cafe.

Over the past 20+ years, Country Gables Cafe has competed in the "best breakfast in Roseville" competition, and they have always been on top, and my dining today has cemented the fact that Country Gables Cafe serves an excellent breakfast.

Photo: Here it is... from the From the "Breakfast Specials" menu, I went with ham and eggs, hash brown potatoes, sourdough toast, along with an optional side of gravy. Such a delicious breakfast at Country Gables Cafe!

You'll love the grilled ham, complete with grill marks and the amazing sausage gravy!

This fine restaurant has been a favorite of mine, since I moved to Roseville, back in 1998. During the early "2000's," we had a group of friends we dubbed the Sacramento Breakfast Club, as every other Friday, we'd hit a different breakfast restaurant, in the greater Sacramento area, for breakfast, and Country Gables Cafe was our choice on many occasions. Friday morning, August 03, 2007 was the first time that I enjoyed breakfast at this amazing restaurant, and took photos. Check out the link!

Lets go back to Monday, April 03, 2016, when Sharlene and I enjoyed a delicious brunch at Country Gables Cafe, in Roseville, CA.

Photo: Late Monday morning, April 03, 2016, and we're set to enjoy a great breakfast... or lunch? Note the patio dining shown near the center of the photo. Although the day was sunny and the temperature was in the mid-60's, we chose to dine indoors, as it was quite breezy outside.

Photo: The view of the counter, and the window to the kitchen, to the extreme right, as you enter the restaurant. The main dining room is actually around the corner, behind the partition, where we were actually seated.

Photo: Our friendly server, Lola, brings our order to the table. Since it was about 10:30 on this late Monday morning, do we order breakfast or lunch? No worries at Country Gables Cafe, as any item is available anytime the restaurant is open. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch only, so that makes things very easy. Sharlene chose breakfast, and I chose to order lunch, as I'd never enjoyed a burger at Country Gables Cafe, and I was eager to take one of their burgers for a test drive.

Photo: Thanks, Lola, for snapping our photo, as we get ready to enjoy a delicious brunch on this late Monday morning.

Photo: Sharlene ordered the "California Benedict," which includes avocado, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. She had the choice between hash browns, or country potatoes, and she chose country potatoes. She loved her breakfast, and I cleaned it up after she ate her fill, and I can tell you it was delicious.

Photo: I really, really wanted breakfast, but every time I had come into this wonderful restaurant, I'd always eaten breakfast, and I just couldn't get a burger out of my mind. So, I asked our server, Lola, if I could order a burger, and the answer was a resounding "Yes!" So, I ordered the most basic burger on the menu, a "Cheeseburger," which is a good place to start.

The cheeseburger comes cooked medium, unless you specify otherwise, and it includes cheese - duh - onion, pickle slices, lettuce, tomato and 1000 island dressing. As far as sides, you get to choose between fries, coleslaw, a small salad, or a cup of soup. When I'm choosing a side for the first time, I always choose fries, as fries are a good benchmark of a restaurant. I chose fries, and boy I'm glad I did! I had no idea the fries were STEAK FRIES!!! Today, I it the jackpot.

This is an "old school" burger and it reminds me of the kind of burger that I enjoyed back as a kid in the 1960's. It's a two-handed affair to eat, as it takes both hands to hold everything in. If you're not inclined to use both hands, it comes speared with a knife - not shown in the photo - so you could cut it up into manageable pieces. It's a "four-napkin" burger, as it's moist and juicy, just the way I love it.

Photo: Close-up of all this burger goodness! Everything about this burger was perfect, including the fresh lettuce, onion, tomato, the perfectly cooked 1/3 pound beef patty, the fresh bun, and the amazingly delicious steak fries. This all adds up to make a winning combination!

Meanwhile, back early Monday morning, June 06, 2016, I paid a previous visit to Country Gables Cafe...

Photo: It's 0615 on Monday morning, June 06, 2016, and I've hiked 4+ miles to enjoy a great breakfast at Country Gables Cafe in Roseville. Gables is open from 0600 in the morning, until 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are offered, but at 3 o'clock, is that a very late lunch or a very early dinner? The local newspaper has conducted polls among the subscribers, and Country Cables Cafe has been voted "Best Breakfast in Roseville" several times.

Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll note the furniture is a mixture of booths, tables, and a counter. The dining room is "L-shaped," as it extends to the left, in an area not shown in the photo. Initially, I sat at the counter, but since the temperature was a balmy 70 degrees at 06:15 in the morning, I moved outside to the covered patio, to enjoy the beautiful morning.

Photo: Weekday mornings, the menu offers a number of breakfast specials. There are breakfast specials painted on the windows, and a banner hung above the patio, that I didn't notice until I'd already placed my order, and moved outside. One of the specials on the banner was ham and eggs, complete with home fries and toast for $5.95. I would have probably gone with that, had I noticed it before ordering. Today, from the breakfast special menu, I ordered New York Steak and eggs for $8.99, which is a great deal.

Photo: Close shot of the breakfast counter, and the window to the kitchen, as Rhonda, who was performing server duties on this early Monday morning, stands near the window. Note the "country" decor - there is a sign above the kitchen window that reads "Country Kitchen" - and the television monitor that is tuned to my favorite morning news/magazine show, "Good Day Sacramento."

Photo: My breakfast was ready less than 15 minutes after placing my order, and my friendly server, Rhonda, kept my coffee cup full. She wasn't thrilled when I took her photo, but she was a good sport about it.

Photo: I'm all smiles a this early hour, as Rhonda snaps my photo, as I know that I'm going to enjoy a delicious breakfast. I'm sitting outdoors, on the shaded patio, with Washington Blvd. in the background.

Photo: Today, I enjoyed a 6-oz New York Steak, two eggs over easy, hash brown potatoes, and a side of biscuits and gravy. The menu said "toast," and I was prepared to order sourdough, but when Rhonda gave me the option of ordering biscuits and gravy, I went that direction.

Such a delicious breakfast, cooked to order! I ordered my eggs fried over easy, and as the photo shows, they arrived perfectly cooked. I ordered my steak cooked medium, and it arrived, as ordered. The hash brown potatoes were golden brown on both sides, and tender in the middle, which is just the way I like them. The gravy and the biscuit were made from scratch, in-house, and were delicious. Country Gables Cafe serves a delicious breakfast, worthy of any breakfast lover in Roseville.

Let's go back to Friday, November 09, 2012, where I enjoyed an amazing breakfast with friends...

Photo: As you walk in the front door, you'll notice the restaurant is arranged in an " upside down L-shape," with the kitchen and breakfast counter to your right. You go straight forward until you come to the main dining room, which is pictured in this photo. Our group is seated at the rear of the photo, next the bay window, which gives a good view of the landscaped patio. Country Gables Café is a favorite of the Roseville locals, and on this Friday morning, November 9, 2012, they're doing a brisk business, as usual.

Photo: Our friendly server, Vonnie, places Teri's breakfast on the table. Vonnie remembered our group, as we've held meetings at this restaurant several times before. The food is great, the prices are very inexpensive, the coffee is delicious, and the staff is very friendly. Country Gables Café is a great place to enjoy breakfast!

Photo: The breakfast menu at Country Gables Café includes all of your breakfast favorites, at very reasonable prices. Today, I wasn't as hungry as usual, so I broke out of the mold and ordered selections from their "Build Your Own Breakfast" special menu section. The section is divided into four sections, and each section has several related items in it. For example, the main entree in my breakfast is a sausage, cheese omelet, and the section it was in contained a couple of other omelet choices, scrambled eggs, and other breakfast goodies. For $4.99, you get to choose one item from three of the four boxes, and, to up the ante, with this breakfast choice, you can add unlimited cups of delicious coffee for $.99! You can't beat this deal! So, for $6.00 plus tax, I enjoyed a sausage, eggs and cheese omelet, hash brown potatoes, a biscuit covered with country gravy, unlimited coffee, and lots of great company. Such a great way to spend a Friday morning!

Photo: Today's members of the Sacramento Breakfast Club, from left to right, David Rowland, Sean McCloud, Eric Rench, David DeMario and Teri McCloud. We enjoyed an outstanding meeting this morning at Country Gables Café!

Another fine breakfast adventure with the long-defunct Sacramento Breakfast Club, back on Thursday, August 02, 2012.

Photo: This is the view of the restaurant as you walk in the front door, with the kitchen and breakfast bar to the right, and a rather narrow strip of tables and chairs to the left. The main dining room is straight ahead and around the corner.

Photo: We were seated at a table for eight in the main dining room, as our friendly hostess, Vonie, takes our order. Vonie and the rest of the staff remembered us from our last visit, nearly two years ago... I suppose my picture taking and the personality of our group must have made a lasting impression, for better or for worse. The dining room is packed on this Thursday morning, and as more club members arrived, we took over another table.

Photo: Here comes some of our food! Today, we were a large party, and due to socializing and other logistics, I didn't get the names of our friendly servers.

Photo: I ordered two eggs over easy, a sausage patty, hash brown potatoes, biscuit and gravy, and of course, a bottomless cup of coffee. A couple of years ago, the local newspaper asked the readers to nominate a restaurant to win the title of "Best Breakfast in Roseville," and Country Gables Café won the title. Personally, I can't say who serves the best breakfast, but Country Gables definitely serves a delicious breakfast.

Photo: Today's members of the Sacramento Breakfast Club, from left to right: Sara Donnelly, Matt Donnelly, Eric Rench, Bobby Riccoli, Glenda Kipperman, Robert Kipperman, Dan MacLeod, Bev MacLeod, Teri McCloud, Tessa McCloud and Sean McCloud. Thanks to our friendly hostess, Vonie, for taking this excellent group photo!

Friday, November 12, 2010, we enjoyed an amazing breakfast with friends, as the restaurant was rebuilt and recovered from the devistating fire back on Tuesday morming, May 19, 2009. The fire was determined to be caused by an electrical short circuit.

Photo: This is what it looks like, as you walk in the front door, on a very busy Friday morning in November. The small breakfast counter, and the kitchen are to the right of the photo, as the owner of the restaurant, Sukhi Sander, in the center of the photo, seems to wonder, "Why is this guy taking a photo?" In mere moments after this photo was taken, I explained to him the mission of the Sacramento Breakfast Club.

Photo: Vonnie takes Sharlene's order, as David seems to be a bit overwhelmed by the myriad of choices that the breakfast menu offers.

In the middle of October, the overtime hours at work stopped, and I was free to resume a normal life once more. Imagine my surprise one day when I was driving down Washington Blvd., and there, risen from the ashes like a phoenix, stood Country Gables Café, looking almost nothing had ever happened except it had received a fresh coat of paint! I was amazed, as the last time that I'd been by there, which was probably in July, there was nothing but an empty concrete slab, and I hadn't heard about any plans of rebuilding. A quick search of the Internet found that they had reopened for business in early October, 2010, and they were going strong, serving breakfast and lunch to their loyal clientele, like nothing had ever happened. I knew that we needed to hold a club meeting at the place so we could see the metamorphosis up-close, and personal, so when it was my next turn to choose the meeting location, the location would be Country Gables Café.

The bi-monthly club meeting for November came to fruition on Friday morning, November 12, 2010. From the outside, the building looked almost identical as before, except that the plants weren't fully grown, and the paint was very fresh - as the restaurant had only been open for about a month prior to our visit. Just like before, Country Gables provides gorgeous, outdoor dining, on a beautifully landscaped and furnished patio, but on this cool Friday morning, there were no takers, as all of the action was inside. As we walked in the door, we were greeted by the owner of the business, Mr. Sukhi Sander, who greeted us warmly and made us feel at home. Dan, Bev and David had already arrived, and staked out a large table in the main dining room, so we headed over to the table, sat down, and got down to the business of the Sacramento Breakfast Club, which is discussing breakfast, and the endless quest of "what to order from the menu?" It's all good...

After we were seated, we were greeted by our friendly server, Vonnie, who produced menus and coffee... two of the most important items when you're in the mood for breakfast. To most, but not all of the members of our breakfast club, a breakfast without coffee is like a day without sunshine. Needless to say, Country Gables Café excels in coffee, as their reputation has been founded upon breakfast, and what is breakfast without coffee?

The completely rebuilt Country Gables Café is déjà vu, yet it isn't... it's the same in spirit, yet there are many subtle changes. The floor plan is the same, as it's basically an upside down "L" shaped floor plan. As you enter the front door, you're immediately greeted by the cashier's station, on this occasion, manned by the owner of the business, the kitchen and breakfast counter are to your right. You walk through a dining room and then make a hard left, which is the bottom part of the upside down "L," and you walk into another dining room. So the floor plan hasn't changed. The waistcoating and the paneling are gone, along with much of the woodwork, and it's been replaced by pastel painted walls. Much of the former wall decorations, and small shelves holding knick-knacks have been replaced buy just a few wall mounted pictures and decorations, which gives the illusion of more space. The restaurant's decor is very light, attractive, comfortable and contemporary; combine the comfortable surroundings, friendly staff and clientele, and you have a winning combination.

Photo: Take the "L," the "L" being upside down, as Vonnie, dressed in her de facto "uniform" tee shirt, takes Dan's order in the rear of the photo. This is the upside down "L" dining room, which is a fine place to enjoy a great breakfast.

Photo: The menu is, well, déjà vu as well, yet it isn't... with the addition of dinner entrées being the most obvious change. We noted new items have been added to the breakfast menu - we didn't even bother to look at lunch selections... we're a breakfast club - and the menu contains a separate, detached section of breakfast specials. At $3.79, four of them are eye-openers and are obviously loss-leaders. Here's a sample of what $3.79 will buy you for breakfast: A combination plate that includes a 4-oz chicken fried steak, two eggs, hashbrowns and toast. You can add unlimited coffee for only an additional $.99... Wow! They're rolling the price of breakfast back 20 years... the only catch is it's a Monday through Friday thing before 0800. The main breakfast menu is simply sublime, as it features a vast array of choices, and there is no doubt in the mindset of the Sacramento Breakfast Club that each menu choice would be a winner.

Our friendly server Vonnie came around to take our orders. David, Dan and I all had set our sights on "The Country Breakfast," which features two eggs, two pieces of country sausage, biscuits and gravy, and potatoes, until David injected a red herring, as he noticed a addendum to the menu that listed the following: "Smoked Tri Tip Breakfast - Served with 2 eggs, hashbrowns or home fries and toast." Smoked tri tip for breakfast? That was a first for me... I signed up and got on board. Dan stuck to his plan and ordered the "Country Breakfast," and David ordered the "Whole Hog Breakfast." Us guys seemed to order massive, stick-to-your-ribs breakfasts, while the girls, Sharlene and Bev ordered breakfasts on the petite side, yet still bordering on massive, and truly delicious. Bev ordered a breakfast featuring a ham and cheese omelet, while Sharlene ordered the "California Benedict," complete with poached eggs, avocado slices, tomatoes, English muffins and lots of hollandaise sauce.

Our breakfasts arrived in a timely manner, thanks to the friendly and efficient service of Vonnie. Needless to say, we were all dazzled and amazed at the breakfasts placed before us, due to the freshness, the quality, the quantity, and the friendly service. There is no doubt in our minds that Country Gables Café has earned the "Best Breakfast in Roseville" award - all you have to do is to have a server set a breakfast in front of you, and the sight and smell of it will trigger your senses into shouting ... BREAKFAST!!!

Oh yes, my breakfast was good. I ordered the smoked tri tip, with two eggs, fried over easy, sourdough toast, and as a departure in my usual m.o.p., I ordered hashbrowns, but in loving memory of our departed breakfast club member, Brad Holther, I ordered a cup of breakfast gravy on the side. Sharlene allowed me to sample her "California Benedict," ... it was so good that maybe I'll order it during our next club meeting at Country Gables. I didn't get to sample, not that I'd want to sample, Dan and David's breakfast, nor did I sample Bev's, but everybody raved at the quality, the quantity, and the overall merit of the food. Speaking of quantity, I was the only one in the club that was able to sprint to the finish line... the other club members were overwhelmed by the quantity of the breakfast. Unless you're a lumber jack, a truck driver or a linebacker, you'll leave Country Gables with a full stomach, as the portions cam be described as ample, or maybe even huge.

Photo: I pose beside Mr. Sukhi Sander, owner, cashier, coffee filler, clean-up guy, and chief cook and bottle washer, and all-around nice guy.

Photo: Today's Sacramento Breakfast Club members, from left to right: Eric Rench, your photographer, web master, editor, and CEO of the club, Dan MacLeod, David DeMario, who loves to hoist a coffee cup for the camera, Bev MacLeod, and Sharlene Rench. The photo was graciously taken by Sukhi Sander, owner of the business.

A word about the owner of the restaurant, Mr. Sukhi Sander. He has other enterprises besides Country Gables, but in chatting with him, his true love is Country Gables Café, and his true love is, you guessed it... breakfast! Sukhi wears many hats, as he fulfills the role of owner, cashier, greeter, coffee-guy, and who-knows-what-else... and he's very friendly, a great conversationalist, a congenial host, and an all-around nice guy. We watched him in action, and by his friendly chatting with fellow diners, body language and whatever, we could tell that running the restaurant was his true passion, which translates into outstanding breakfasts.

Country Gables Café is not a truck stop, diner or a roadhouse, as it's miles away from busy I-80, so you won't see truckers, Freightliners, 5th wheelers, or the highway crowd at the restaurant. What you will see are lots of locals, all of them friendly, and all of them enjoying some of the best breakfast cuisine available in Placer County. Yes, we usually look for the highway crowd when we pick a restaurant, but there are exceptions to every guideline, and Country Gables is the exception, as it's a exceptional restaurant.

Photo: If you're curious about smoked tri tip for breakfast, look no further than this photo. Yes, the tri tip was smoked, tender, and good! The hasbrowns were perfect, the fried eggs over easy we cooked perfectly; ditto for the sourdough toast, and the bowl of breakfast gravy covered everything with class... and lots more.

Around 09:00, Monday evening, May 18, 2009, a devastating fire broke out in Country Gables Café and the adjacent N.Y. Pizza restaurant. The blaze quickly went to four alarms, and it took crews from eight engines and two ladder trucks to bring the blaze under control by early Tuesday morning. Ultimately, it was determined the fire was caused by a short electrical circuit.

Photo: Tuesday morning, May 19, 2009, looking at the burnt-out facade of Country Gables Café from the sidewalk along Washington Blvd. The devastation was complete, as the restaurant burned nearly to the ground.

Photo: The entrance to the restaurant from the patio is to the right of the photo, and the burned-out patio is to the left. Note that the roof has totally collapsed.

While inside the burning building, the fire crews noticed an unusual amount of flames coming from the roof, which can be a precursor of a roof collapse, which caused the crews to evacuate the building, and fight the fire from the outside. Shortly after the crews evacuated, the roof collapsed.

Photo: Close-up of the burned-out dining room. The building was already surrounded by chain link fence, so it was difficult to get decent photos.

Photo: Looking at the main entrance to the restaurant from the parking lot. Compare this photo with the lead photo in this article to really appreciate the devastation.

Our first dining adventure at Country Gables Cafe, back on Friday, August 03, 2007...

Photo: The banner on the outside of the restaurant reads Voted "Best Breakfast in Roseville." If you're a connoisseur of a fine breakfast, how could you resist checking out a place that so proudly flaunts its breakfast menu? Voted "Best Breakfast in Roseville...?" By who? That's a pretty big statement! The Sacramento Breakfast Club couldn't resist the challenge, and on Friday, August 3, 2007, we had the chance, as a scientific experiment, to see if the Country Gables Café really does serve the best breakfast in town.

Every day, in order to keep the "Battle of the Bulge" defeated, I take a 4 to 6 mile walk, and once a week or so, my travels take me by Country Gables, as its located only a couple of miles from my house. Naturally the banner proclaiming their breakfasts are the best in Roseville really got my attention, as another sign that advertised weekday breakfast specials for $4.95, but there were a couple of other items that looked very interesting as well. I noted that Country Gables Café features outdoor dining on a lovely, shady patio, decorated with many potted flowers, and I also took note that the café always seems to be very busy during the traditional breakfast hours. No, there aren't any big rigs parked in the vicinity, as Country Gables is miles from the nearest Interstate, but it always seems to draw a large crowd of local residents, and that's a sure sign that its a place that deserves our visit.

Photo: The attractive outdoor seating. Note the beautiful potted flowers and plants.

Photo: The main dining room. Note the pleasing oak and green waistcoating. The kitchen is to the left, behind the counter.

We arrived a little late for the $4.95 breakfast specials, as it was after nine in the morning, but that wasn't a traumatic issue. We were greeted by Brandi, who's job it is to greet customers, seat them, present menus, and keep their coffee cups full. Since there were five in our party, we had to wait a few minutes while a table was prepared for us; during the wait, I amused myself by taking a few photos. When our table was ready, we near a window in their "L-shaped" dining room. Brandi brought us menus, took our drink orders, and left us to ponder the extensive breakfast menu that Country Gables features.

Photo: Besides keeping coffee mugs full, one of attractive Brandi's jobs is to make the coffee. I guess you could call her the "coffee girl..."

Country Gables Café's breakfast menu is huge, and includes practically every common breakfast item, and some not-so-common item's like a San Francisco scramble. They also have a senior menu with reduced portions, priced a couple of bucks cheaper than the regular menu items. There is something for everyone on Country Gables menu, including many vegetarian items to keep the P.E.T.A. lovers happy. Despite the fact that Country Gables has lots of scrambles, which I go crazy over, I couldn't resist their Italian sausage Combination Breakfast, that also included homestyle potatoes, eggs, with biscuits and gravy on the side. Davis chose the Country Scramble, as he's a huge fan of scrambles, Dan chose a Mexican omelet, Bev ordered a plain omelet, and Sharlene chose a half waffle, bacon and scrambled eggs from the Senior menu.

Photo: Marie brings our order to us with a smile. That's my breakfast she has on top!

Country Gables Café employs very talented staff, and we enjoyed the company of Marie, who served as our waitress and happily took our order. I ordered bell peppers and diced onions with my homestyle potatoes, and she was glad to make a note of my desires. After she'd taken our orders, I asked her how Country Gables had earned the title "Voted Best Breakfast in Roseville," and she told me that the local newspaper, the bi-weekly The Press-Tribune conducted a survey about fine places to enjoy breakfast in Roseville, and the readers nominated Country Gables twice, in 2007 and 2006. She said that all of the staff are very proud to have achieved the award, and they're doing everything they can to win the vote in 2008. Quite interesting.

The decor of Country Gables is very clean, simple and modern, and the color scheme is pastel. Booths, tables, chairs and some of the waistcoating is made of medium oak, and some of the waistcoating is painted green. The walls are off white, and are decorated with photos, paintings, and small shelves with hold artificial flowers and other knick-knacks. Its very tasteful and attractive, and promotes a relaxing effect. But if you're the outdoor type, you can dine outside on their shady patio, that features potted flowers and plants everywhere. Somebody who works at the restaurant must have a green thumb, and the flowers are beautiful.

Photo: Marie tops off our coffee mugs as we begin to eat our breakfast. I'm not quite ready to start, as I'm the guy behind the camera.

Our breakfast arrived after only a few minutes, and in the meantime, Brandi kept our coffee mugs full. Our orders arrived hot from the kitchen, prepared exactly as ordered, and featured a delicious smell and an attractive presentation. I always order eggs over easy, and if the yokes are "medium" or broken, I'll send the eggs back, buy my eggs were cooked perfectly. My homestyle potatoes included the peppers and onions that I'd ordered, and the Italian sausage was cooked medium, as per my request. The biscuits and gravy arrived on a side dish, and the biscuits were light and fluffy, and the gravy was very meaty, with lots of little pieces of sausage.

Photo: My Italian sausage Combination Breakfast, with the order of biscuits and gravy on the side.

Now the question: Does Country Gables Café really serve the best breakfast in Roseville? Although Country Gables serves an outstanding breakfast at an attractive price, with attention to detail, offering superior taste, service and presentation, I can't nominate any restaurant for the title of "best," as I haven't sampled breakfast at every restaurant in Roseville, and if you've read on this web site some of our past breakfast adventures, you'll probably note that we'd be hard-pressed to give any restaurant the title of "best." So before I can really answer that question, I guess we'll have to dine at every restaurant in town, which could take a while. So don't hold your breath.

After enjoying an amazing breakfast, I don't know that I would vote for Country Gables Cafe, or any other restaurant in Roseville, for serving THE BEST breakfast in Roseville. But, as per my description in the last photo in this article, Country Gables serves a delicious breakfast. If you love breakfast as much as I do, Country Gables Cafe deserves your breakfast attention.

Country Gables Cafe
699 Washington Blvd.
Roseville, CA 95678
916 797-0669
www.countrygablescafe.com