Eat Athens: Popular Mexican eatery Agua Linda is now offering breakfast. See what's on the menu.

The Normaltownie skillet with sweet potato hash, chorizo, red onion, radish and two eggs at Agua Linda's new breakfast.
The Normaltownie skillet with sweet potato hash, chorizo, red onion, radish and two eggs at Agua Linda's new breakfast.

We've all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but there doesn't seem to be any information regarding whether the food we hurriedly stuff into our mouths needs to taste good in order to serve its vital purpose.

Last week, one beloved Athens eatery entered the conversation.

Agua Linda Mexican Restaurant recently started serving breakfast at its 1376 Prince Ave. location, offering several new menu items from 7:30-11 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays only.

Those who are well-versed in Agua Linda's lunch and dinner fare may find the early morning offerings to be a revelation.

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Conchitas at Agua Linda’s new breakfast.
Conchitas at Agua Linda’s new breakfast.

The Banner-Herald visited Agua Linda for the first day of breakfast service and were greeted with conchitas, a Mexican sweet bread topped with colorful icing. Co-owner Juan Robledo was on hand to make sure everything went well, and was enthusiastic about giving customers yet another innovation after their La Carreta food truck, rooftop dining area and exclusive birria dishes.

Agua Linda's breakfast menu includes a selection of skillets, nachos, entrees and sides that incorporate eggs prepared in a variety of ways. In addition to ham, bacon, chorizo and barbecued pork, guests can choose black beans or soy meat as their protein, and the drink offerings feature special coffees, Mexican hot chocolate, milk, orange juice, soft drinks and mimosas.

Los Benedictos with refried beans mixed with chorizo, pico de Gallo, two poached eggs with Hollandaise sauce on Luna bread at Agua Linda’s new breakfast.
Los Benedictos with refried beans mixed with chorizo, pico de Gallo, two poached eggs with Hollandaise sauce on Luna bread at Agua Linda’s new breakfast.

The Banner-Herald ordered Café de Olla, which is a traditional Mexican spiced coffee made with cinnamon and raw dark sugar mixed in with the grounds. The result is a natural, brewed-in sweetness that is addictively delicious without adding anything else to it. Black coffee is usually bitter-tasting on its own, but a $3.50 cup of Café de Olla tastes great poured right from the pot, and refills are free.

For our breakfast dish, we ordered Los Benedicto, Agua Linda's twist on the familiar Eggs Benedict. A base of thin toasted Luna bread is topped with a mixture of refried beans, finely chopped chorizo (Mexican sausage), pico de gallo, and poached eggs coated in Hollandaise sauce. Priced at $12 with a choice of one side, the portion was more than generous, and a few dashes of habanero hot sauce was enough to put us back to bed.

Cafe de Olla at Agua Linda's new breakfast.
Cafe de Olla at Agua Linda's new breakfast.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Eat Athens: Agua Linda Mexican restaurant adds breakfast