Favorite Place for Breakfast

Written by: Deborah Davis

My favorite place to eat breakfast these days is the QC Coffee & Pancake House, located in Rock Island, at the corner of 3rd Avenue and 19th Street.  They are open daily from 6am – 3pm and serve breakfast all day, with different breakfast and lunch specials offered and a cozy diner-style atmosphere.

Owned and operated by husband and wife duo, Jose and Sarah Zepeda, they’re no strangers to serving great food. They worked at and co-owned the Windmill Family Restaurant in East Moline for years. Jose started as a dishwasher there and slowly worked his way up to Executive Chef. Now he’s creating some fantastic new dishes down in Downtown Rock Island.

I kept hearing people talk about these legendary Cinnamon Roll Pancakes and how they have changed the world of breakfast as we know it.  After my third friend insisted I get down there and try them, I listened and I was blown away by everything we ate.

The legendary Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I ordered the breakfast Panini with bacon, my friend ordered chorizo and eggs, and my sister ordered the daily breakfast special called, “Chicken Coop”. It was stuffing topped with scrambled eggs, and covered with gravy. We all split an order of the infamous pancakes, which aren’t on the menu but always available.

The Daily Special, “Chicken Coop”

I stole bites off of everyone’s plate, so I could make sure I established a well-rounded opinion of everything, of course! We had so much food; I had to take the second half of my sandwich home with me. The service was top-notch as was the classic, diner coffee, and everything reasonably priced for all that we ordered.

The Breakfast Panini with Bacon

We, unfortunately, didn’t have any room left to try out any of the desserts from their pie case, but they all looked amazing. I will definitely go back for cake and coffee. I’ve heard it’s good to go during the weekdays, if you can, because they have a line out the door on Saturdays and Sundays from the time they open until the time they close. So be prepared to wait if it’s during peak diner hours. There’s a reason why people do so every single weekend, though, because the food is delicious.

Check out QC Coffee & Pancake House sometime for a great experience, and like them on Facebook to keep up with the daily specials and new items as they come out hot from the kitchen.