Take a stroll down Purchase St. in Rye, and the signs are unmistakable: times are tough for small business owners. Numerous shops have up and vanished, giving way to banks, empty storefronts and “Retail Space for Rent” signs. Not far from Le Pain Quotidien is a row of vacant stores. They’re just sitting there. You can practically see tumbleweeds.
And so I worry about Poppy’s, our local greasy spoon. Will I walk by one day and find that it’s closed, soon to be replaced by a chain store or soulless bank? Let’s hope not. Poppy’s is like an old car — not cool or sexy, but dependable and will get you where you need to go.
It’s a narrow space with a few tables in the back.
Best bet is to grab a bar stool and sidle up to the counter.
I’ve never actually eaten anything there other than breakfast, so I can’t vouch for the rest of the menu. The 2-egg special comes with hash browns, toast, choice of sausage or bacon, and unlimited juice/coffee refills.
Is it the best egg breakfast you’ll ever eat? Probably not. The hash browns for instance, could use a dose of onions mixed in. But you won’t leave hungry or unsatisfied.
Poppy’s draws a steady stream of regular customers who are greeted by name and chat freely with the staff in comfortable familiarity. That’s what happens when you’ve been firmly rooted in a town for 25 years.
It’s the Cheers bar of Rye. All that’s missing is Norm planted on the corner stool.
Poppy’s Cafe: Old School Charm
I worry about Poppy’s Cafe.
Take a stroll down Purchase St. in Rye, and the signs are unmistakable: times are tough for small business owners. Numerous shops have up and vanished, giving way to banks, empty storefronts and “Retail Space for Rent” signs. Not far from Le Pain Quotidien is a row of vacant stores. They’re just sitting there. You can practically see tumbleweeds.
And so I worry about Poppy’s, our local greasy spoon. Will I walk by one day and find that it’s closed, soon to be replaced by a chain store or soulless bank? Let’s hope not. Poppy’s is like an old car — not cool or sexy, but dependable and will get you where you need to go.
It’s a narrow space with a few tables in the back.
Best bet is to grab a bar stool and sidle up to the counter.
I’ve never actually eaten anything there other than breakfast, so I can’t vouch for the rest of the menu. The 2-egg special comes with hash browns, toast, choice of sausage or bacon, and unlimited juice/coffee refills.
Is it the best egg breakfast you’ll ever eat? Probably not. The hash browns for instance, could use a dose of onions mixed in. But you won’t leave hungry or unsatisfied.
Poppy’s draws a steady stream of regular customers who are greeted by name and chat freely with the staff in comfortable familiarity. That’s what happens when you’ve been firmly rooted in a town for 25 years.
It’s the Cheers bar of Rye. All that’s missing is Norm planted on the corner stool.
Poppy’s Cafe
27 Purchase St.
Rye, NY
914-967-1544