We Review Sleepy Opossum

If you go to Sleepy Opossum Cafe’s new location on a Saturday morning, you’ll notice a lively energy. Due to its great food, charming atmosphere and prime location near the intersection of Cherry Street and Pickwick Avenue, it’s a popular brunch spot. Sunlight cascades in, diners are well caffeinated and therefore extra chatty, and you’ll most likely have to wait a bit for your table and food. 

In addition to the breakfast and lunch offerings, Sleepy Opossum recently experimented with dinner service that allowed us to experience the eatery in an entirely different way. The lighting was dimmer, there was a calm vibe and it was a bit easier to snag a spot.

One thing to note: Owner Danielle Hunnell has since changed her menu and is no longer offering the dinner dishes we ate when we visited for this review. But if you visit for breakfast or lunch, you’ll find unique dishes with the same creative spirit, like the luxe toasts and miso-infused cake that were photographed for this story.

For this review, my husband, Chandler, and I headed to Sleepy Opossum for an early dinner. The menu emphasizes locally sourced ingredients, and each dish is heavy on the vegetables. I was craving comfort food that evening, so I went with an order of chicken and dumplings. I absolutely loved the dumplings and actually ran out of them about midway through my meal. I was sad I didn’t pace myself, but the tender local chicken and delectable and peppery cornmeal gravy still kept me satisfied with every bite. I was also impressed that the roasted carrots had a soft consistency. It came with some arugula and spinach, and the dressing was light and a tad sweet to cut through the bitterness.

Chandler went with a Smothered & Buttered sandwich, and the real star of the show was the polenta rosemary sourdough it came on by La Mère Bakery. There are so many unexpected flavors in this dish. The smoky apple jam lends some sweetness, the rosemary butter smear gives it an herbal flavor, and the smashed white beans and charred pickled onions contrast well.

However, the very best thing I tasted that evening was certainly the cake. It was a cornmeal apple butter with meringue cream frosting, and it was not too sweet. I’ve been a fan of Sleepy Opossum’s breakfast offerings since back when they shared a space with The Royal. Since The Royal has such a beautiful atmosphere, I was happy to see that Hunnell put so much care into curating an equally adorable space of her own. There are many details to look at, and you can tell she poured many hours into picking paint colors, wallpaper and kitschy knick-knacks to display.

Overall, it’s evident that Sleepy Opossum is one big labor of love, and I’ll gladly keep coming back.