SPOKANE – Cozy, delicious, handcrafted atmosphere at Chaps

I’m not a morning person, and how I spent six years of my life as a barista, rising at 4 a.m., is beyond me. I rarely go out for breakfast, as this requires me to be dressed and functioning at an hour I would rather be cuddling under a heap of blankets. But on the rare occasion I can be lured out of bed by the promise of delicious baked goods.

One restaurant that has recently created a fondness in my heart is Chaps, located at 4237 S Cheney Spokane Rd. Upon entering the restaurant I immediately felt at home. The purple walls, funky art and mismatched chairs and tables create an atmosphere that invites all to relax and enjoy comfort food inspired dishes.

As I made my way to the bakery side to order I glanced around at the packed tables, everything was mouth-watering. Browsing the menu, I had a hard time deciding between the custard style baked oatmeal, Monte Cristo sandwich and various scrambles. But what won me over was their famous blueberry muffin French toast, (blueberry muffin bread made from scratch, fried like French toast, and topped with blueberry cream cheese), and my friend selected the pumpkin French toast, (pumpkin bread made from scrach, fried like French toast, and topped with whipped pumpkin spiced butter).

We were seated next to the fireplace, which elevated the already cozy atmosphere to new levels of awesomeness, and enjoyed house made orange juice and coffee as we waited for our food. The dishes arrived after a short wait and were quickly devoured. The blueberry French toast is unlike any French toast I’ve ever eaten. When the menu stated blueberry muffin bread, it really means a huge chunk of blueberry muffin, in the shape of a bread tin, baked to perfection. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I was very pleased with the results. I also kept stealing bites from my friend, as the pumpkin French toast is equally delicious.

Each meal came with a generous side of grilled potatoes and pan-fried bacon. My mouth is still watering at thought of the garlicky and crisped to perfection potatoes. Even though I was pleasantly full, I kept popping those perfect morsels one by one, pushing me over the edge to full on stuffed. I rolled out of Chaps, and was delighted I decided to pull myself from my slumber.

How to Get There: Chaps is located at 4237 S Cheney Spokane Rd. From Spokane, head west on I-90, take exit 279 to US-195 South (toward Colfax/Pullman). Follow for approximately two and a half miles, and take a right on S. Cheney Spokane Rd. Chaps is on the left, inside the Trading Company parking lot.