"Seattle has plenty of breakfast and brunch spots—but not many true diners where your coffee cup is never empty and a server named Sassy quickly becomes your new favorite person at 7am. Village Square Cafe fills that diner void with its warm wood trim, cozy upholstered booths, and a chalkboard urging you to share a plate of specials like citrus-spiked cinnamon rolls (just do it). It’s hard to go wrong with almost anything: buttermilk waffles have the perfect crispy-to-fluffy ratio, and the scrambles are packed with every ingredient you can imagine. Just make sure to arrive around 7am on weekends, or you'll be stuck with a long wait." - kayla sager riley, aimee rizzo