Jack's

Breakfast has always been my favorite meal. I eat breakfast for breakfast. I like breakfast for lunch. Had breakfast for dinner just the other night. Breakfast is good. It is the most important meal of the deal, especially when you eat it multiple times a day.
There is plenty of quality breakfast grub in Reno. Peg's has received national attention, having been called The Best Breakfast in America. Reno also got another treat recently when The Squeeze In, a longtime Truckee favorite, opened a location in northwest Reno. The casinos do a fairly decent job, starting with the 99-cent Ham-n-Eggs at the Cal-Neva to an old college haunt, the Purple Parrot in the Atlantis, to the new buffet at the Eldorado.
But there are plenty of lesser-known greasy spoons worth mentioning and this week's Tuesday Lunch went to one of them -- Jack's, an old-time favorite on Victorian Ave. in Sparks. There are a couple things you need to know about Jack's. First, it's old and the decor is straight out of the 1970s. Second, it's gone through some ownership changes in recent years and even closed for a stretch. Third, the service isn't stellar -- my order was messed up this week -- but the food gets there quick and its hot and tasty.
Five of us went there this week, with three suckers ordering lunch and the Angry Pirate and I getting breakfast. None of us were disappointed at all, though I ordered the chorizo omelet and received the chili-cheese omelet. Momentarily annoyed, I dug in and was pleased with mix-up. The point is that you can't go wrong with Jack's. The weekend wait is noticeable, but nothing like that at Peg's. And on a weekday, you can get in and out in a half-hour.
Side note -- At one point recently, there was as an ownership/management relationship between Jack's and the Hometown Cafe out in Lemmon Valley. That's not the case anymore, according to our waitress at Jack's. Regardless, both eateries are solid choices and if you go to the Hometown Cafe, I highly reccommend the Two Eggs and the Whole Hog with Biscuits and Gravy on the side. It is a pure gut bomb, but one of the heartiest breakfasts I've ever had. They also do Joe's Special very well there, better than Peg's even. But not better than the redninja. Never had better Joe's Special than when the redninja used to make it in college.

Without putting too much thought into it, here are my quick rankings of best breakfasts in Reno:
1. Peg's. This is a no-brainer.
2. The Squeeze In. Pricey but tasty.
3. Hometown Cafe. Best-kept secret because of Lemmon Valley location.
4. Jack's. Plenty of options.
5. Archie's. Nothing special, but I've never had a bad breakfast here.

Two others of note:
The Stonehouse Cafe. This uppity joint on Plumb gets rave reviews from friends. I've been there a couple times and just haven't been overly impressed, both with quality of food and the service. Will give it another shot.
PJ and Co. I've heard good things about this place on Wells but have never been. Keep meaning to get down there sometime. Hopefully soon...