What defines a good breakfast spot is different for everyone.
Is it crispy home fries, seasoned and pan-fried to perfection? An egg-cellent variety of omelets, or a mouth-watering sweet starter stacked with tasty toppings?
Whatever you're craving, Greater Fall River is blessed with plenty of places serving up brunches to brag about. So instead of skipping out on this most important meal of the day, how about making it a proper sit-down experience.
If you're having trouble deciding where, we've got you covered — with a little help from our friends.
The Herald News recently conducted an online poll asking readers to weigh in on their favorite breakfast restaurants in the Fall River area.
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Competition was fierce, as our field of 15 early morning eateries included some iconic diners, quaint and scenic vacationer favorites, SouthCoast mainstays, and unique new spots featuring their own spin on traditional breakfast bites.
But in this battle for the title of best breakfast, there could only be one winner (though, frankly, everyone wins if they hit any eatery on the list).
Thousands of votes later, here is the top reader pick:
Best breakfast winner: Gina's Restaurant
Gina's Restaurant , a longtime Fall River staple at 950 Wilson Road, took the No. 1 spot in our reader poll, capturing 28% of the total 2,665 votes.
Nestled in an off-the-beaten path residential neighborhood, in an unassuming building in the city's North End, Gina's Restaurant may not look like much from the outside.
But on the inside sister team Catarina Arruda and Maria Martin are cooking up something special.
"We try our best everyday to give people the best quality food and the best value for their food," said Arruda, a Somerset resident.
"It feels great ... what we put in is actually being recognized," said Arruda of the poll results.
From one family to another
Sisters Arruda and Martin, who grew up in Fall River and are natives of the Azorean island of Sao Miguel, took the reins of the Wilson Road restaurant in 2006, purchasing the business from former owners Tony and Paul Rodrigues, brothers who also owned the former Trio Cafe and Lounge in Fall River.
It remained the same in name, but over the years the duo has made the restaurant their own.
Their recipe for success: "I think it's our consistency in our food and our service," Arruda said, as well as the fact that "it's very family-oriented here."
"Even our staff have some family members that work in front of the house and people have been with us forever so the customer always sees the same faces," said Arruda, who runs the front-end of operations while Martin oversees the kitchen.
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What's on the menu at Gina's
At Gina's you can get classic — as well as Portuguese inspired — breakfast fare seven days a week.
Highlights of their menu include everything from your basic eggs and bacon to homemade chourico hash to specialty omelets, french toast and pancakes. The star of most of their savory meals is their home fries, Arruda notes.
"Our home fries are something customers always tell us that they can't get anywhere else like ours ... our chourico hash is another thing we make that gets compared to other places because it's different," she said.
Benedicts are a big thing at Gina's. Those can be topped with chourico or corned beef hash, or you can build your own. Arruda suggests trying their Mozambique benny sauce that's taken off with customers.
Many of their Breakfast Club crowd-pleasers are menu items that are unique to Gina's. That includes their marinated pork loin breakfast meal, cinnamon bun pancake meal, the Mary Jo Special, as well as the sweet bread French toast or Momma's French Toast — stuffed with cream cheese and pineapple — which "do really well."
Combo offerings are another popular pick, especially for folks with young ones, Arruda said.
"It makes it affordable for people... we have combinations with eggs, meat, two pancakes, toast, homefries, and you can split that with someone," Arruda said.
While breakfast is Gina's forte, they also offer a wide selection of lunch offerings — from beef stew to meatloaf, turkey dinners, fish and chips on Fridays and their popular chow mein special.
Be prepared for weekend rush
With seating for 70 patrons, the restaurant is roomier than it appears. But during the weekend breakfast rush Arruda encourages visitors to be prepared. Sunday is their busiest day and there will sometimes be a wait of 30 minutes or more.
"We are very, very busy on the weekends," she said. Gina's also does a lot of lunch dine-in and takeout during the week for neighborhood businesses, which includes the nearby industrial park.
According to Arruda, even on their busiest days Gina's staff will always go out of its way to accommodate customers. Reservations are accepted, and Gina's can take large parties of 10-20 with advance notice, or a bit of patience if it's walk-in.
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It's not a restaurant many would stumble upon in their travels, yet it draws folks from near and far, a testament as to the stellar reputation the pair have built over the past 18 years.
"It's not where you're driving by... most people come here just to come here. You have to have a reason to come here," Arruda said.
When can I visit?
That eggs benedict smothered in Mozambique sauce calling you? Stop in and taste what all the talk is about.
Gina's Restaurant is open every day. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, with breakfast served all day and lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, it's breakfast only from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For updates or to get a look at their daily specials, visit Gina's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ginasrestaurant .
Runners up for best breakfast
With 747 out of a total 2,665 votes, Gina's topped the list of reader favorites. But how did our other finalists fare?
Rounding out the top five was Somerset Grille (3015 County St., Somerset), which trailed closely behind Gina's in second place with 21% of the votes. The Barn Restaurant , an out-of-the-way must-visit in Little Compton, Rhode Island, is proof folks will travel for delicious eats in a cozy, rustic setting. It came in third with 20% of votes.
Coming in at No. 4 was Fall River newcomer Twisted Griddle (757 Robeson St.) with 13% of votes, and fifth place went to Lexi-Lu's Place at 1133 American Legion Highway, Westport.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: In battle for best breakfast, see which Fall River restaurant took top spot
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