Belinda Thompson, left, Margaret Kelly and Sue Treece chat at the Blue Willow. Expect good food and friendly faces at this Tucson restaurant.

James S. Wood / Arizona Daily Star

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We cringed when we pulled into the parking lot of the Blue Willow Restaurant, Bakery and Gift Shop on North Campbell Avenue two weeks ago.

We were first-timers to this popular Tucson restaurant and had heard good things about its breakfast menu.

But the modestly sized lot was packed and we were hungry. Had a family of four not pulled out of their space mere moments after we arrived, we would have probably hightailed it over to the Beyond Bread down the street.

We're glad we didn't. Despite the parking issues, the Blue Willow, owned and operated by Rebecca Ramey and her mom, Janet Seidler, turned out to be a pleasant experience with loads of good food and friendly faces.

We barely had time to look through the random books and knickknacks in the gift shop at the entrance, before the hostess whisked us away to be seated. We chose to eat in one of the smaller dining rooms where it was cooler, while most of the morning's patrons enjoyed the restaurant's open-air patio. The spacious outdoor dining section, with its vine-covered brick walls and matching floor, shade cloth and large wooden overhang, seemed more like a quaint, European town square than the back of a Tucson restaurant.

Inside, the morning crowd included a mix of retirees, college students and middle-age diners enjoying a bit of food and conversation amid intricately crafted paintings and bustling waitresses.

Unfamiliar with The Willow's generous portion sizes, we went ahead and ordered three breakfast plates that in retrospect was far too much food for two people.

The Blue Willow Special ($8.50) looked daunting on arrival, a mess of scrambled eggs, chicken, chopped-up tomatoes and chiles, sour cream and salsa with a layer of Cheddar cheese that covered the meal like lasagna.

The salsa and tomato flavor dominated the dish, but the chicken, a bit dry, and melted cheese held their own. The meal was served with seasoned potatoes and raisin toast on the side.

Next up was the breakfast burrito, also with chicken ($9), a mammoth collection of scrambled eggs, pinto beans, potato and cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla with sour cream and salsa.

Again, the chicken was dry, but there was plenty of sharp flavor between the eggs and potatoes. At this point, we were loosening our belts.

We were not disappointed in thinking the fresh fruit crepe ($6.75) would provide a sweet balance to our meal. The thin, rolled-up pancakes came to the table covered and filled with banana slices, pineapple chunks and blueberries. A mound of whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top made things even sweeter.

The meal left us waddling to the parking lot, freeing up a space for the next round of weekend eaters.