Breakaway Cafe — A Breakfast/Brunch Spot by Brothers Zach & Nick Bayse (Culver City)

Located in Culver City, Breakaway Cafe offers delicious seasonal dishes by brothers and founders Nick and Zach Bayse. With Nick’s chef background in Michelin-star restaurants, Breakaway Cafe offers an elevated breakfast/ brunch experience. There are hundreds of brunch places in Los Angeles whose main selling point is being Instagram-worthy. However, as cute as the place may be, the food is not up to par with the atmosphere. 

What stood out to me about Breakaway Cafe was the food presentation and how fresh everything looked. Zach said: “By utilizing seasonal ingredients with global cooking techniques, we’re able to create a wide range of offerings and fun, unforgettable flavors.”

The cafe is located on Washington Blvd. This specific area of Culver City is dotted with cafes and businesses. The inside is very unpretentious and no-frills. As soon as I walked in, I was enticed by the delicious grilled sandwiches and luscious salads that came out of the kitchen. If you don’t want to stick to the regular menu, you can always pick one of their specials. When I was there, they had the grilled cheese sandwich. If I hadn’t been in the mood for something sweet, I’d probably have ordered it!

Below are a few pictures of their specials. These are subject to change every day!

Before I went there, I had checked their Instagram to decide on what I should order. They had so many delicious dishes that it was hard to pick only one! Should I get the Brie N Jam croissant, the soup of the day, or the chicken noodle soup?

Zach said: “I’d recommend the Brie N Jam croissant for your first time. Our pastries come from Larder Bakery and we make our Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies in house. ​​For savory, our Breakfast Burrito, which is the most popular item on the menu.” 

While I was there I briefly met Zach, who was popping in and out of a meeting. He was nice enough to answer some questions via email! 

I heeded his recommendation and picked the Brie N Jam croissant and the Salted Chocolate Chunk cookie. When I got to the counter, I noticed the fresh produce and immediately wondered if I had made the right decision by not ordering something savory. Oh well, next time! 

Once I got my number, I sat down inside. My stomach was really starting to rumble! But thankfully, not for too long.

The croissant was so fresh, buttery and flaky! The smooth, buttery brie cheese and the grainy thick texture of the strawberry jam combined with the puffy croissant was so good. What stood out to me the most was the housemade jam. As opposed to store-bought jam, where they add tons of sugar, Breakaway’s was lightly sweetened. I barely noticed the sugar because the flavor of the strawberries was so prominent. Look at how beautiful the jam looks oozing out of the croissant!

Note: You can customize the Brie N Jam croissant.

Salted Chocolate Chunk cookie

This is definitely not your average chocolate chip cookie. It was perfectly crispy and very tender to chew on with heavenly gooey chocolate chips inside and thick chunks of salt. Highly recommended! 

Overall, Breakaway Cafe really surprised me. As you can see from the pictures above, the portions are very generous. From the outside, Breakaway might seem like another cafe in Culver City, but inside, delicious food made with care by a seasoned chef awaits you. They even have hot chocolate and also have amazing coffee flavors, like maple lattes! 

On why Zach and Nick chose the name Breakaway:

“Our mom actually came up with the name and we both loved it immediately. The name has many meanings but embodies the overall vibe – a place to come to and have a bite, some coffee and break away from your day.”

Lastly, I asked why every single dish that came out of the kitchen looked so delicious:

“No secrets, just strongly believe in making every plate of food that leaves the kitchen count!”

Address: 8686 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Hours: Monday-Saturday 8am-3pm. Sundays CLOSED.

Website and Instagram