My Mission: Finding Cheap Breakfast in Sausalito
I woke up starving one morning and thought: screw paying $20 for avocado toast in Sausalito. Grabbed my notebook and hit the streets to find legit breakfast under ten bucks. First stop? This funky yellow shack near the ferry terminal.
Barged right into Sausalito Bakery & Cafe around 7 AM. Counter lady eyeballed me when I asked “What’s cheapest but still fills you up?” She slapped a paper plate down. “Sausage breakfast wrap – $6.50. Coffee’s $2.50 extra.” Grabbed both – total damage $9 even. Thing was stuffed with eggs, potatoes and grease. Exactly what I needed.
Crossed the street chatting with a fisherman unloading crab pots. Leaned against his truck asking where locals go. He grinned: “Fred’s Place. Ain’t pretty but portions’ll knock your socks off.” Followed his finger to this 1970s time-capsule diner.
Fred’s menu shocked me – omelettes starting at $8.25! Ordered the Mushroom Swiss special ($8.75). Cook slammed a skillet down behind the counter, eggs sizzling loud enough to hear over the jukebox. Got three eggs, melted cheese oozing out, pile of hash browns bigger than my fist. Soaked it all up with sourdough toast.
Waddled down Bridgeway spotting construction crews huddled outside The Anchorage. Copied their move: $2 drip coffee and $7 breakfast sandwich. Bacon, egg and cheese crammed in a sourdough roll. Foreman told me “We’ve killed thirty of these this week” while wiping yolk off his shirt.
Found the secret weapon though – Lighthouse Cafe’s “Early Bird Burrito”. $9.25 for a football-sized tortilla bulging with chorizo and beans. Watched five retired guys demolish these while arguing about football. One jabbed his fork at me: “Tell ‘em Frank sent ya! We’ve been doing this every Tuesday since ‘98.”
So yeah, mission accomplished. Got grease-stained receipts to prove it: Fed myself four times for less than a single fancy brunch. Locals? They ain’t dumb – follow the work boots and old timers arguing about sports. Your stomach and wallet will thank you.
