Patty O’s Cafe and Bakery was under construction when we were last at the Inn on Little Washington in 2021.  Built in a former gas station building, it was named for the Inn’s Chef Patrick O’Connell’s nickname ‘Patty O’.   It offers visitors an option to the Michelin style fine dining of  the Inn by offering lunch and dinner daily except for Wed when they close at 4.  The cafe has two interior rooms, one housing the large bar with seating and the other closely set tables, and there is an outdoor patio.  It is also connected to the bakery which supplies its and the main restaurant’s bread.  The rooms are filled with decorations and art with a beamed ceiling and windows to the street.  Service was efficient and willing to make recommendations.  It aims for a more casual atmosphere which it achieves with bills coming in little metal boots , a menu of American classics and a large free parking lot out back.  Thinking it was mid-week and we didn’t really need a reservation, but we did anyway and that was the right call.  The place was packed with tables turning over.  Walk-ins were seated at the bar.  The food was mixed but the place serves a real need for those in the area.  If nothing else, just go for the pecan ice cream with caramel sauce.

Set-up

Food

All tables got a bread basket from the attached bakery.  Interestingly they all contained different combinations of the breads produced there.  Ours had slices of baguette and egg bread.  Both were a bit dry, in that they’d been sliced some time back.  They were served with softened butter and no refills were offered.

Patty O’s Classic chicken club sandwich came with bacon, lettuce, tomato, Russian dressing and pickled red onion and a side of fries.  The sandwich had been recently added to the menu and it was lovely.  The tender moist chicken was sliced which made it super tender and eat to bite.  The thin sliced bread was the traditional 3 slices with the crusts removed and was griddle toasted.   The mix of ingredients was great and the sandwich was definitely one we’d get again.  The fries were a thin cut frozen ones that were dusted with paprika.  They were okay.

Their hamburger was made with a half pound wagyu topped with crispy onions and Comté cheese and also came with the same fries.  This was recommended over the Reuben sandwich by the server.  The meat was good and cooked just as ordered but the brioche bun was way too much for the burger.  The crispy onion bits were a coated variety and added nice flavor but the lettuce leaf was wilted and a distraction.  It came with a tomato jam that was good but could have been more on the sandwich.  The burger was drippy and fine but the club was the better of the 2 sandwiches.

‘Our Famous Butter Pecan Ice Cream’ was served with a warm caramel drizzle added tableside.  You knew it was ‘famous’ because it was pictured on the back of the dessert menu.    The ice cream came in a tall silver chalice with a glass bowl inside to hold the ice cream.  I rolled and filled crisp cookie was on the side.  The caramel syrup was warm and poured on at the table.  A delicious thick sauce that the dense smooth ice cream held up well too.  Studded with tons of toasted pecan bits is was a fabulous combination.  The cookie was a fun adornment on this dessert that easily fed 2.