One of New Smyrna Beach’s best brunch spots just got better
A beloved New Smyrna Beach eatery is expanding its menu with new sweet and savory Argentinian offerings.
Wake Up Café, best known for its authentic array of American-, Spanish- and Argentinian-style dishes, has been a local brunch-spot staple for Volusia County residents since 2013.
Wake up Café’s first location opened in New Smyrna Beach 10 years ago, while the second, Wake Up Café North, opened for business in 2017. The popular eateries offer a full menu of fresh breakfast and lunch selections, ranging from specialty waffles, pancakes, Benedicts and sandwiches to Argentinian-influenced dishes like the chorizo skillet, as well as several with Spanish influence, like the Tortilla Española, a Spanish potato omelet.
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Earlier this summer, the local brunch spot announced on social media that something exciting was in the works, teasing the eatery’s upcoming empanada bar on its Facebook page.
The new addition to the beloved 749 E. 3rd Ave. location will feature a full menu of delicious, homemade empanadas, ordered to go or enjoyed in the restaurant. According to Jennifer Stach, who co-owns Wake Up Café with her husband David, made-to-go empanadas are a staple in Argentina, where her husband was born, making them a no-brainer addition to the couple’s eatery in New Smyrna Beach.
“It was my husband’s idea because, you know, he’s from Argentina and he grew up doing this with his mom,” Stach said in a phone interview. “Before we opened our first Wake Up in 2013, we tried to open an empanada bar like this, then we changed our concept to breakfast because we have young kids and wanted to do mornings.”
The long-time-coming dream will act as an extension of Wake Up Café’s existing menu, but with different dining hours. While the local café is open for brunch from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. daily, the empanada bar will be an afternoon treat, open daily from 3:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. and will only be available at the 749 E. 3rd Ave. location.
Although the menu is still being finalized, according to Stach, only a few lunch items from Wake Up Café's existing menu will carry over to the new menu, including the Lomito tenderloin sandwiches. The new empanada bar will feature a limited menu of 10 deep-fried, savory and sweet empanadas – with vegetarian options included – ranging in flavors from chicken, onion and peppers, and ham and cheese, to Humita – a traditional offering made from a creamy corn – and Dulce de Batata – a classic Argentinian flavor, combining sweet potato paste, chocolate and a creamy cheese.
Customers are welcome to order a mixture, combining several of the eatery’s intriguing flavors in an order to go, as well as enjoying the homemade dishes within the beloved eatery during a casual date night or dinner with friends. According to Stach, the empanadas are commonly ordered by the dozen, making an extra tasty and easy dish to bring along to a casual get together, family party or weekend barbecue.
“We would love to see people dine in,” Stach emphasized over the phone. “We’re going to do counter service with just a relaxed, friendly, fun atmosphere but also to-go (orders), like they have it in Argentina.”
In addition to the new menu’s 10 staple selections, Stach noted that the eatery plans to also include an array of daily specials and seasonal flavor offerings, like pumpkin and more.
Although an official date hasn't been announced, the couple hopes to open the empanada bar by the first week of October.
Wake Up Café is located at 749 E. 3rd Ave. in New Smyrna Beach and is open 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. daily, while the empanada bar will be open 3:30 – 9 p.m. For information, call 386-410-4719 or visit wakeupcafensb.com.
Helena Perray is the restaurant and dining writer for The Daytona Beach News-Journal. A New Jersey native and passionate storyteller, she can be contacted at hperray@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook. Support local journalism by subscribing
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: New Smyrna Beach brunch restaurant adds new empanada bar
