Vegan Island: Palmetto Bay Sunrise Café

Once upon a time before I was vegan, my husband used to make fried eggs and toast for us on Saturday mornings. It was the only meal he’d cook for me (don’t worry, I rarely cook for him either) and it was a delightful ritual that we dreaded giving up replacing when we both committed to a fully vegan lifestyle.

He ventured out into the world and was determined to find a vegan breakfast that gave him the same Saturday morning joyous ritual feel and what he discovered was breakfast at the Palmetto Bay Sunrise Café. After test-driving it for several months he invited me to join him. Since it’s not the healthiest vegan breakfast, I insisted that we ride bikes for the 8 mile round trip to ease my nutritionist’s guilt.

So that’s what we do every Saturday morning when we are both in town. We ride bikes from home to breakfast year-round as long as it’s not raining and it’s not bitterly cold. Our vegan breakfast ritual is like a mini-morning vacation where we enjoy the verdant outdoors, the popular bike paths on Hilton Head Island, and that someone else cooks for both of us!

We have joked about getting an RV and seeking this simple vegan breakfast meal across the United States of America. The explorative project could become a devoted blog comparing the variations of a simple creation that can probably be ordered in most cities and towns across the USA. Stay tuned for the All Vegan American Breakfast RV Tour!

Our breakfast consists of (this is exactly how we order it): hash browns with mushrooms extra crispy, a bowl of grits dry, and whole wheat toast dry. (This meal is assembled from ‘on the side’ options.) Earl Grey hot tea for me. Black coffee and water for my husband.

We have ordered this same meal for so long that the regular wait staff at Sunrise Café doesn’t even need to ask for our order. We show up. The drinks come. And shortly afterward the food arrives. The only words we’ve spoken since our arrival is a bouquet of “hellos” to all the wonderful people who work at this popular island eatery at the Palmetto Bay Marina on Broad Creek.

We usually sit outside (at our regular table, of course) year-around. In the winter, the porch is enclosed with transparent curtains, heaters warm the space, and blankets are provided on every chair. In the summer the porch is open and fans are turning. Indoor seating is a bustling option for those who prefer a booth, sitting at the counter, or enjoying an indoor wooden table as opposed to an all-weather porch table. Sitting at the counter affords you an entertaining view of the open and very busy kitchen.

Inside and outside are both child-friendly. The porch is delightfully dog friendly. There are so many wonderful canine dining companions to watch and meet!

Delightfully there are a couple vegan menu items from which to choose. One was created by a local vegan friend and musician Kyle Wareham and it’s called the Pretty Darn Vegan Benedict, named after his popular band. (Thanks for the photos Kyle!)

The other is a delicious new Avocado Toast which I tried for lunch just recently. It is stacked with arugula, watercress, radish microgreens, and almonds all atop the amazing local bakery Sprout Momma’s toast.

While the Pretty Darn Vegan Benedicte and the Sprout Momma’s Avocado Toast are certainly more healthful options, the replacement of our old fried eggs and toast ritual with our hash browns, grits, and toast plate is something that we cherish and enjoy eating alike. (Somehow piling the toast with warm grits and crunchy hash browns feels similar to eating a fried egg on toast.) Even vegans like to hang onto some old patterns of comfort and nostalgia while making more compassionate choices. The wafting typical diner aromas of coffee, bacon spices, and waffles around us is enough for us to feel as though we’re eating our old breakfast even though we’re thoroughly enjoying a fully plant-based replacement.

If you live on Hilton Head Island or are visiting, ride your bikes down to Palmetto Bay Sunrise Cafe and explore their vegan options. Build your own like we do or order one from the menu.

Check out the Palmetto Bay Sunrise Café website HERE and on the Happy Cow directory HERE. The restaurant is open Monday – Friday 6am until 2pm and Saturday and Sunday 6am until 3pm. Enjoy!