Family owned and operated Dunk N Munch combines superlative breakfast and lunch as well as Portuguese favorites

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Dunk N Munch has two locations where you can get these amazing looking Belgian Waffles.

Every once in a while, I like to hit the road and go beyond the greater New Bedford area. Anything from this area to Boston and Providence is in my sites! We like to showcase some of the great destinations within a short drive.

Often when I am out and about, people will ask “When are you going to do such and such a place?” or “How come you haven’t done a spotlight on “X” yet?” People are passionate about their favorite spots and believe me, I would love to visit them all. One place that meets both of these criteria is Fall River’s Dunk N Munch.

There are a lot of great eateries in Fall River and people mention them often. Dunk N Munch is a place that has been brought up to me a few times. To be honest, the first few times it was mentioned, I thought it was a place that served donuts and coffee. A sort of local version of the popular coffee and doughnut chains.

The entire range of American breakfast and lunch options are available, plus your Portuguese favorites.

When it was brought up to me again, I mentioned off-hand “Isn’t it just a donut joint?” You would have thought I had a finger jutting out of my forehead. The response was a resounding “Absolutely, not! They serve some of the best breakfast and lunch in the area.”

Assumptions always backfire, don’t they?

So Mike and I hopped in the car and off we went to visit one of Dunk N Munch’s two locations. We chose to visit the Rodman Street location – a place that used to be a Dominican eatery called “Mi Tierra.” Though, they have been at their North Main Street location for over 15 years. That particular location was opened as the aforementioned coffee and donut style place by Azorean transplants Inocensio Santos and his wife Mary-Lou.

Santos family spreads the love through food
In that 15 year span the family owned and operated eatery grew into something else. Children Jesse and Sandy grew up around the business since day one and helped their dad achieve his vision of converting the coffee shop into a bonafide breakfast and lunch restaurant, because their dad really loved to cook.

The family restaurant has not only expanded, but the family as staff has as well. Jesse’s wife Michelle, and Sandy’s husband Tony have joined the ranks. They are the core of the restaurant and run it as if you walked into their home to dine. Chatting with our waitress who was extremely friendly, shows that they feel strongly enough about maintaining a family style atmosphere that they make an environment where the staff feels like part of their extended family. No cold, gum chewing, brash waitresses here. You have a name and by the banter we could hear between the waitresses and clientele – first names were known all around. A restaurant with regulars who are all on first name basis with the staff because there is no turnover rate is a big statement about what is going on at the establishment.

Smiling faces and a warm welcome are the norm!

One of the buzzes about Dunk N Munch that almost everyone mentioned was that they are pioneers in the concept of delivering breakfast. Can you imagine? You can keep those pajamas on and have a classic American breakfast brought to you!

The Santos family chose Fall River since that is the city Inocensio came to from Portugal. This is where they have taken roots. Like New Bedford, Fall River has its share of detractors and cynics, but the family feels that Fall River is undergoing a huge change. They see the potential with the waterfront, small downtown, different cultural backgrounds, and restaurants and businesses that are opening up. Of course, being Portuguese in a Portuguese community makes it a no-brainer.

The Santos are a warm, welcoming group of people who love the city enough that they not only frequent other eateries to stimulate the local economy, but they will actually recommend these places if you want to try something new. They are confident that their homemade cooking can stand on its own against any other eatery. Their generosity extends to the community at large and it’s not uncommon to find them donating gift cards for a fundraiser. In fact, we heard through the grapevine that they did a secret toy drive last year for a local charity in New Bedford.

Decor, atmosphere and FOOD!
On the way in we noticed near the entrance there was an old fashioned counter with embedded stools. It reminded me of sitting at the counter eating an ice cream float at Woolworth’s Five and Dime when I was growing up. Mike and I sat at a window seat in a packed house. The main dining room was an eatery that had a feel of someone’s living room. Very welcoming and inviting.

We asked the waitress what the signature dishes were and she was more than happy to tell us about the Cinnamon Swirl French Toast – 3 french toast topped with a secret sauce, loads of whip cream, and cinnamon, Chourizo Hash – Hash with chopped up chourizo, onions and peppers and the Titanic Omelette – Every meat and veggie in a 4 egg omelet.

She also told us about something called a Hangover Scrambler that wasn’t on the menu – you had to ask for it. We weren’t hungover, so opted out of that, but marked it for future reference.

Tarragon Sandwich: grilled chicken tossed in homemade tarragon mayo on a bulky roll served with a choice of sides and a pickle.

Looking over the menu, all the classic breakfast and lunch items were there at ridiculously affordable prices. If you’re not a “rock the boat” kind of guy or gal, you can have the standard eggs with bacon, sausage, corned beef hash, or steak. There is Eggs Benedict, egg sandwiches and over a dozen omelettes to choose from. Pancakes, French Toast, bagels, home fries, hash, toast, donuts, muffins and more. You also have a choice of three different specials: The Triple Double, The Big One, and The Sampler. These are increasing amounts of eggs, bacon or sausage, french toast or pancakes, home fries, toast, and ham. The most expensive one, The Sampler, only costs $6.99 and could probably feed two people. Generous portions for a low, low price.

Anyhow, we were there for lunch and so bee-lined it for that section. The gourmet sandwich and seafood section had gourmet sandwiches that were all served with your choice of potato chips, pasta salad, french fries, potato salad, onion rings or coleslaw and a pickle for the $5-$6 range. Pastrami, French Dip, Turkey or Swiss Patty Melt, All-American Cheeseburger, Classic Roast Beef and all the other stand-bys were there. Of course there was the homemade cacoila sandwich as well.

Sandwiches, salads, wraps, seafood and more
In addition to sandwiches, there were fresh salads, signature wraps, wings, chicken fingers, soup of the day, and fried seafood options: fish and chips, shrimp or scallop plates, whole fried clams, clam rolls, fish sandwiches, and one of my personal favorites everywhere I go, a Seafood Platter. The vast majority of these were between $6-$10. Unbelievably affordable.

I’m a fan of just about any variation of what Dunk N Munch calls The Pilgrim – Turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mayo. I had my sights on that when I came across an interesting sounding Chicken Tarragon Sandwich grilled chicken tossed in homemade tarragon mayo on a bulky. Yeah, I’m having that. Of course, I couldn’t have a sandwich without clam chowder, so I ordered a cup.

Since breakfast is served all day, Mike decided on the Triple Double Special – 2 eggs, 2 pancakes or French toast, and 2 bacon or sausage. Price? An unreal $4.99. I’m not sure how they get away with giving that much food for so little. Everything was flawless and cooked perfectly. Eggs as ordered, bacon not so crispy that a bite turns it into brittle, but a perfect balance of crispy with a slight chew to it. Pancakes as big as your head.

The clam chowder was classic New England style chowder with an extra kick of clam – likely from the addition of clam liquor or more broth than is typical. Chock full of clams and creamy potatoes. Thoroughly enjoyable. One of the top cups of chowder I’ve ever had.

The full array of fried seafood like their popular fish and chips!

The Tarragon Sandwich was a perfect marriage of crusty bread, tomato, mayo and tarragon marinated, tender chicken breast. If you are unfamiliar with tarragon, it is an aromatic herb that is considered one of the four “fine herbs” of French cooking. It goes extremely well with chicken and fish and here it’s an absolute winner. All the players in the sandwich are in a calculated ratio so none overpowers the other.

If you’re looking for a classic American breakfast and lunch place that also has elements that reflect the local Portuguese flavor, Dunk N Munch is a fantastic place to visit. Knowing it is family run, using recipes they have been using in their home is like being invited to your Portuguese friend’s avo’s house. They’ve managed to capture this superlatively. While you maybe won’t drive to Fall River for eggs, bacon, and omelets (though it would be worth it) the cozy atmosphere, affordability and the items like the Pilgrim (I’ve since gone back to have it), Tarragon Chicken Sandwich, breakfast specials, cacoila, and fried seafood are worth the 15 minute drive.

In addition to dine-in and delivery, you can get all the deliciousness through their catering service. There is a parking lot, and off-street parking. Credit cards are accepted.


Dunk N Munch Breakfast & Lunch
1393 Rodman Street & 4263 No. Main Street
Fall River, Massachusetts
Phone: (508) 677-DUNK (3865) or (508) 646-1248
EMail: http://dunknmunch.com/contact-us/
Hours of Operation:
6am-2pm everyday (Fridays till 8 PM).

Facebook: facebook.com/Dunknmunch
Website: dunknmunch.com/
Photos:: facebook.com/Dunknmunch/photos_stream



About Joe Silvia

When Joe isn't writing, he's coaching people to punch each other in the face. He enjoys ancient cultures, dead and living languages, cooking, benching 999#s, and saving the elderly, babies and puppies from burning buildings. While he enjoys long walks on the beach, he will not be your alarm clock, because he's no ding-a-ling.

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