The Best Breakfast Sandwich In Rhode Island Is On a Bolo
My two favorite breakfast sandwiches in Providence.
“Sittin’ in the kitchen, my house in Macon, Loretta singing on the radio. The smell of coffee, eggs, and bacon, car wheels, on a gravel road.” - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Lucinda Williams
“Como el olor a café y tostadas, como alcanzar un tren que se escapa, estaba enamorada.” - Enamorada, Amaral
Breakfast is an emotive meal for me: the pot of coffee percolating, the greasy smell of bacon clouding the kitchen, the scrape of a butter knife over bread. It’s the texture (and taste) of home.
I love the lyrics above because I love breakfast—and while I’m all about tucking into a plate of homemade pancakes, dousing some hot sauce on scrambled eggs, or slowly sipping my coffee in my living room on a cool morning, I also love a good breakfast sandwich on the go. Since I work from home, this usually happens when I meet my friend for a breakfast treat and walk once a week.
Over the past few months, we’ve tried a ton of breakfast sandos from the Providence-adjacent area, but two really stood out as stellar. Now, you should know, I want a breakfast sandwich to be a greasy, perfectly balanced, no-frills little thing; no arugula (it just gets limp and tastes like day-old salad), no brioche buns (unless they’re fresh and toasted and smashed; but most often, they’re stale and dry), and while I love a biscuit breakfast sandwich, that biscuit better be light and fluffy; most I’ve had are like hockey pucks and eating the sandwich is like chewing on wet cement (it sticks to the roof of your mouth, most unpleasant). So, without further ado, these are the two breakfast sandwiches that have me coming back and ordering them again and again.
The Hash It Out | Amy’s Place | Providence
This has got to be one of my favorite breakfast sandwiches in the state. The reason? It’s on a bolo. We have a thriving Portuguese and Azorean population here in Rhode Island, and bolos are their amazing little breakfast buns. They’re slightly sweet, soft, and tender, and get this nice little crispy crust when toasted. I love them on a breakfast sandwich, especially the Hash It Out at Amy’s: it’s got bacon (or sausage), egg, cheddar, spicy aioli, and a crunchy layer of hash browns for texture. It’s also smashed and toasty and everything is melty and delicious. Paired with their dirty chai and the morning can’t get much better.
The Cole’s Go-To | The Nitro Bar | Providence
My second favorite brekkie sandwich is this delightful little guy from Nitro Bar on Broadway. It’s got avocado, bacon, cheddar, poblano aioli, and a soft-boiled egg, all loaded up on a toasty English muffin. Give it a lashing of hot sauce to give it a bit more zip and tang.
What’s your fave breakfast sandwich in the state? And what’s your breakfast sandwich pet peeve? Drop a note in the comments! I’m always down to try a good recommendation.