best ideas for breakfast joint??????

What would you all like in a breakfast early lunch joint?????
 
Thankyou in advance..

An egg is an egg is an egg, but what most breakfast joints don't get right are hash browns. Great hash browns make for a memorable breakfast. Secondly, great toast impresses me. I'm not talking the commercial sliced stuff but fresh baked and sliced. If a breakfast joint gets those two right the odds are everything else is of equal quality.

What a coincidence

There are two kinds of breakfast places ... the places with huge portions and a line on Sunday mornings and the everyday places.  I'll address myself to  the latter.
 
For me, I don't want the 3 egg omelet, a mountain of potatoes, etc.
 
I want to get out of an everyday place for about 5 bucks.  Too many places have a, say $2.99 breakfast special ... then $2.99 for a large milk, then tax, plus tip and you're pushing 10 bucks.  Give me 2 eggs, a little piece of meat, a handful of potato, a coffee or a milk at an "everyday" price and you'll see me everyday.
 
I'm sure plenty of people will be ready to tell me, I'm not being practical, but almost $300 a month for everyday breakfast is too much for many people.

if you have a cook that KNOWS EGGS!!!--GOOD biscuits and gravy---fresh OJ-great coffee,REAL CRISPY HASH BROWNS and--MOST important---a first class morning waitress with a great smile!!--I will be there early and often!

Great coffee...eggs ARE eggs, but must be made right, and per your order...Quality meat...hate cheap ham or poor sausage...bacon is usually OK...pancakes amd waffles are so hard to get right...must have flavor and not be overcooked. Biscuits and gravy...don't overdo the flour in the gravy....buttery grits with enough salt....and a smile on the watress's face!

Oh yes, and home fries and hash browns are indeed often ruined...I hate pre-cut or frozen potatoes just thrown on a grill...Must be made with TLC!

You can smell the country ham as you pull into the parking lot.  You feel welcome and at home as soon as you walk in the door.  The coffee is as good or better than you brew when home, and just as plentiful.  The butter is real, as is the maple syrup. The orange juice is fresh squeezed. Preserves are local. Substitutions are allowed.  The tourists, other than me, are eating elsewhere.
 
Eggs are fried or scrambled to perfection in frying pans and not on the grill. Bacon is finished off with your order. Sausages are patties and well seasoned.  The waitress (and I prefer a waitresse to a waiter in a breakfast joit) recognizes that I don't need to be warned that the country ham is salty.  The country gravy is packed with sausage and the biscuits are fresh baked, plentiful and sopping soft. Maybe some red eye gravy for dipping. The hash browns have onion and, as tiki requests have a crisp crust. The waffles are small grid and not Belgian style. Pancake and waffle batter are made from scratch.  The butter is spreadably soft.
 
The waitress is fun. The kitchen is fast. The prices are fair.

The place we went to this morning were I had nice crisp homemade corned beef hash, fresh baked bread toasted, were my partner had a nice one egg veggie omelet, nice crisp hash browns, fresh baked bread toasted and we left paying all of $10.43. Everyone is always friendly and we leave with a smile.

I'm with Leethebard, particularly on properly-cooked eggs, great biscuits & gravy, and super coffee.  As my dad used to say, the coffee can make or break a meal.  I agree on the grits, too, but am surprised the suggestion comes from New Jersey! 
 
(Don't know why I can't upload a picture of some perfect home fries.)
 

Great ideas all. Here in Milwaukee, really good breakfasts are very easy to find so I'm going with a well trained staff. If the service is off, I'm not going back as I've got lots of choices for my dime.
zim3839, something that sets you apart if you have lots of competition doesn't hurt. The "Mountains" at Ross's in Bettendorf is a good example. We had a local place that earned an early retirement for the owner. It was a smaller place that packed them in. They closed every day at 2 pm and they didn't open on Sundays. When everyone was getting $1.99-$3.99 for eggs, potatoes, toast and meat, she was getting $5.99. She offered some imaginative choices for her meats like pork chops, hot links, fried bologna and fried summer sausage along with the usual but that wasn't the key to her success. She had a mountain of potatoes cooking on the back of her flat top and served a heaping separate platter of potatoes with each breakfast. Folks came from all over town to have that huge breakfast and usually left with a styrofoam box of leftovers. That was her secret. She had an extra dish to wash, plus a to go box, along with maybe 20 cents extra worth of spuds and for that she got to charge about an extra $2. Brilliant. I hope she's enjoying her early retirement because she certainly earned it.

I would say great pancakes and the option of blueberries in them. 

99 and 9/10 percent   (probably even more) of breakfast joints outside of the Pacific NW  serve lousy, watered down weak coffee forcing me to have breakfast one place and seek good coffee elsewhere.
I would love it if a breakfast joint would break the mold of folgers or maxwell house and serve something of quality (with proper preperation too)

kland01s


The place we went to this morning were I had nice crisp homemade corned beef hash, fresh baked bread toasted, were my partner had a nice one egg veggie omelet, nice crisp hash browns, fresh baked bread toasted and we left paying all of $10.43. Everyone is always friendly and we leave with a smile.

Mellowroast...spent many summers in NC where I learned to appreciate good grits. hushpuppies ,country ham, red eye gravy,etc...Still make grits for breakfast(good brands impossible to find in Jersey...and home made hushpuppies!!!

Sorry...wrong post was quoted...I was referring to Mellowroast above. I'm one Jersey guy who LOVES southern cooking...and a GREAT southern breakfast!

leethebard

kland01s


The place we went to this morning were I had nice crisp homemade corned beef hash, fresh baked bread toasted, were my partner had a nice one egg veggie omelet, nice crisp hash browns, fresh baked bread toasted and we left paying all of $10.43. Everyone is always friendly and we leave with a smile.

Mellowroast...spent many summers in NC where I learned to appreciate good grits. hushpuppies ,country ham, red eye gravy,etc...Still make grits for breakfast(good brands impossible to find in Jersey...and home made hushpuppies!!!

 
I "Import" my Grits from Georgia! The "Speckled Heart Grits" are the real deal!
http://store.callawaygardens.com/callaway/product.asp?s_id=0&prod_name=Triple+Crown&pf_id=712937&dept_id=1000
Here's another mail order place:
http://www.adluhstore.com/grits.html
And another:
http://www.ansonmills.com/products-page.htm

In Gilbert, AZ it's:
http://www.farmhouseofgilbert.com/Menu/Entries/2010/8/8_Breakfast.html

Thanks for the grits mail order sites.....Gotta beay Quacker!!!!!

leethebard


Thanks for the grits mail order sites.....Gotta beay Quacker!!!!!

 
Hey Lee,  How do you cook your grits?  Do you like them regular, creamy or al dente? 

Leethebard:  I'm always pleasantly surprised when I hear of grits served outside the South.  In fact, I understand they're now served in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, of all places!  (I bet I'm the only Roadfooder that adds homemade pimento cheese to them.)

MellowRoast, I'd bet no one in Fort Atkinson adds homemade pimento cheese to theirs.
Grits are common up North but it depends on the neighborhood you eat in.
Thursday morning should us feasting on country ham, red-eye gravy, grits, eggs and some great biscuits 'cause we'll be in Memphis and breakfast will be at Bryants.

joerogo

leethebard


Thanks for the grits mail order sites.....Gotta beay Quacker!!!!!

Hey Lee,  How do you cook your grits?  Do you like them regular, creamy or al dente? 

Lot's of butter and salt!!!!  if I'm down south and they have red-eye gravy, some of that!!

I have a cookbook titled "Gone with the Grits". Over 100 Grits Recipes.
Grits----They're not just for Breakfast Anymore"!!

MilwFoodlovers:  I haven't been to Bryant's, but I'll bet it's great.   By the way, is George Webb a good place for breakfast? 

for mixing and matching: good grits (creamy, bit of salt, no clumps), corned beef hash, bacon, eggs (correctly to order, including poached), sausage gravy and biscuits, fruit cup, light tender pancakes, english muffins, real butter. great coffee. fresh oj.  
 
it's quite possible to find a good breakfast in a variety of restaurants, but rare to find the whole list in one place.

tiki


if you have a cook that KNOWS EGGS!!!--GOOD biscuits and gravy---fresh OJ-great coffee,REAL CRISPY HASH BROWNS and--MOST important---a first class morning waitress with a great smile!!--I will be there early and often!

When it all comes together, it is like a Symphony.
Some one said eggs are eggs. I seem to be able to taste the difference from store bought storage eggs to farm fresh eggs and free range are even better.
A friendly waitress can even perk up an off breakfast (with in reason of course).
 

<MilwFoodlovers:  I haven't been to Bryant's, but I'll bet it's great.   By the way, is George Webb a good place for breakfast? >
 
No.
 
It is a place to go at 2 am when the bars close and you have not a care in the world how your food tastes. If you find yourself in that predicament, go for it and be sure to ask your waitress why they have two clocks side by side. To be fair, the eggs are fresh and they are good. Everything else is Sysco-like except for their "famous" chili which is made from ketchup and has included (the last time I ate there) a short very very curly hair. They also sell a chicken "flavored" soup that has an odd green cast to it and allegedly is safe for vegetarians to eat. It fills a need similar to a "Maid-Rite" outlet. 
 
Bryants is very good imho.

DougS:  I agree on the eggs.  Depending on how they're sourced, eggs do have different tastes.  Similary, not all milk tastes alike, and not all salt tastes alike (boy, was that ever an eye-opener).   A real challenge for me, though, is finding a breakfast place that can properly cook an egg to order.   To get a good soft scramble in a restaurant is near impossible.  And a perfect omelet is almost as rare.

 
MilwFoodlovers:  Chili made from ketchup? 
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay!!

Dixie Lilly grits rock - tried the rest - these are the best!!! I believe they now ship... Used to pick up at Publix when in the south, they had a manufacturing problem or restructuring a while back and were no longer on the shelves.

Davydd mentioned toast and I agree.  I'm a big fan of rye toast and many places serve commercial versions similar to Beefsteak; I'll eat it but I'm really happy when I get a thick slice of marble rye or other bakery loaf.
 
And please offer me real butter!  I hate it when my only options are vegetable oil spreads and spread/butter blends.
 
MellowRoast, what is this Ft. Atkinson grits emporium of which you speak?
 
Brad

voyageurs60


Dixie Lilly grits rock - tried the rest - these are the best!!! I believe they now ship... Used to pick up at Publix when in the south, they had a manufacturing problem or restructuring a while back and were no longer on the shelves.

If you think Dixie Lily Grits "Rock", then you've obviously had limited exposure to Really Good Grits. See my post #16 above for web sites with Grits that make Dixie Lily Grits taste like something you would get at McDonalds! 

Brad, my dear fellow, Marble Rye does not qualify as real Rye Bread!
Real Rye Bread is made from 100% Rye Flour, preferably with Caraway seeds!
The Smell of a thick slice of home-made Rye Bread in the toaster is one of life's simple pleasures! 

wheregreggeats.com


There are two kinds of breakfast places ... the places with huge portions and a line on Sunday mornings and the everyday places.  I'll address myself to  the latter.

For me, I don't want the 3 egg omelet, a mountain of potatoes, etc.

I want to get out of an everyday place for about 5 bucks.  Too many places have a, say $2.99 breakfast special ... then $2.99 for a large milk, then tax, plus tip and you're pushing 10 bucks.  Give me 2 eggs, a little piece of meat, a handful of potato, a coffee or a milk at an "everyday" price and you'll see me everyday.

I'm sure plenty of people will be ready to tell me, I'm not being practical, but almost $300 a month for everyday breakfast is too much for many people.

 
Hey Gregg, I'm a once in a while breakfast guy.  But when I do it, I kill it.
 
I was thinking about your post yesterday as I was ordering this Spanish Omelet at Bock's Tea Room in Phillipsburg, PA.

 
A gentleman who was obviously a regular sat across from me and ordered a half-breakfast of bacon eggs and toast.  I thought that was a very good idea.  Kudos to Bock's Tea Room for offering this option from their breakfast menu.  

Brad:  It's called Soup's On, 1125 Whitewater Ave. (sounds like it should be in Little Rock).  Former owner Linda tells me she put grits on the menu and that they're still serving them.  And I agree on the butter. 
 
"Butter! Give me butter! Always butter!” – Master French Chef Fernand Point (1897-1955)

Joe ... That is ONE GOOD LOOKING BREAKFAST !!!

Agree that eggs are eggs, assuming they are not over cooked.  Having real butter & a good Italian bread for toast are highly preferred, but as pointed out, excellent potatoes are probably the key for me to return.   I much prefer the small $3-4 combo order that includes a small order of potatoes vs. the huge side orders that some like to offer.  
 
Another is not to include cheese priced into all omelets and having a good selection of breakfast meats (sausage patties, Italian sausage, Kielbasa, country ham and especially Taylor ham).  Once again, a small side portion is much preferred vs. a huge side order.  
 
While I'm not much of a coffee drinker, I do like an occasional cup of coffee at breakfast - served in a (ceramic)  mug, never in a tea cup. Here, a good brand such as Richard Allen or New England is expected - not some watered-down off or super market brand.  Much rather have a good $1.75 cup than hot water at $1.00. 
 
 
 
iking

MellowRoast


Brad:  It's called Soup's On, 1125 Whitewater Ave. (sounds like it should be in Little Rock).  Former owner Linda tells me she put grits on the menu and that they're still serving them.  And I agree on the butter. 

Thanks!  Ft. Atkinson isn't that far away from me; maybe I can convince the missus that we should check it out this weekend.  Has Linda ever mentioned whether or not country ham is also on the menu?
 
I know the internet has done wonders as far as bringing people together but still seems weird to be asking someone in southeastern Tennessee about a restaurant that's less than 30 miles from my house in Wisconsin...
 
Brad

You're right, strange things happen on the internet.  No, Linda made no mention of country ham, and I don't know much about the menu.  To be honest, I don't know what changes the new owner has made over the years (and I hope I don't come out looking bad on this one).  Linda and her family operated the restaurant in the '80s, I believe, before they returned here to start another couple of restaurants.  She and her family still keep up with the Fort Atkinson people, though.

Joerogo: My eyes may be playing tricks on me, but is that a chunk of pound cake along with the omelet in the picture?

I thought it was corn bread???

When I walk into a place, I have one qualifying question."Is your hash made from scratch?"
Real hollandaise, not instant from Knorr is important too.
 
mark

Leethebard:  I didn't think of that.  I thought it was a thick slice of pound cake, but I guess it could be corn bread.  I see the Land O Lakes on top, but I'd use that on either!

Doggydaddy:  I relate to that.  I'm always asking if dishes are homemade.  I own a can opener and don't need to hire someone else to open what I can open at home.

MellowRoast


Leethebard:  I didn't think of that.  I thought it was a thick slice of pound cake, but I guess it could be corn bread.  I see the Land O Lakes on top, but I'd use that on either!

 
Yep, homemade corn bread with real butter.  It was very good.

Yes,it looks great, and would be a great compliment to any breakfast!

My  eight year old granddaughter  ate cornbread with her  breakfast this morning............................it went along very well with  the  leftover  chili  from  last night.

Greymo


My  eight year old granddaughter  ate cornbread with her  breakfast this morning............................it went along very well with  the  leftover  chili  from  last night.

Glad to see you're getting your Granddaughter off on the right dietary foot! Chili---It's just not for dinner anymore!

Davydd


An egg is an egg is an egg, but what most breakfast joints don't get right are hash browns. Great hash browns make for a memorable breakfast. Secondly, great toast impresses me. I'm not talking the commercial sliced stuff but fresh baked and sliced. If a breakfast joint gets those two right the odds are everything else is of equal quality.

Actually not all eggs are equal. A great organic egg tastes so much better it is amazing

wanderingjew


99 and 9/10 percent   (probably even more) of breakfast joints outside of the Pacific NW  serve lousy, watered down weak coffee forcing me to have breakfast one place and seek good coffee elsewhere.
I would love it if a breakfast joint would break the mold of folgers or maxwell house and serve something of quality (with proper preperation too)

I totally agree. Too often on teh road one must get good coffee and then go to breakfast. Since coffee is so widely consimed why cant they serve good coffee?

• Decent Coffee
• Half-portions. Eggs do not reheat well.
• Vegetarian selections BESIDES cold cereal.
• a top notch fruit salad
• Something different than the other breakfast places. French toast made from Pannetone?
• the phrase is hash BROWNS; it is not HASH WHITES. Please remember this.

Keep It Simple! People want good food that they recognize for breakfast. They don't want weird food combinations and they don't want to have to think too hard about their choices early in the morning. When it comes to the first meal of the day, people like comfort food, food they associate with breakfast.
~ good quality coffee and tea
~ quality breakfast meats and fresh eggs, but have some veggie omelets, too
~ you don't need home fries AND hash browns - do one very well
~ fresh fruit, people these days are eating lots of fresh fruit (even if they don't eat their vegetables)
~ keep some individual cereal servings handy, and some bananas for the picky eaters, including children
~ have several bread choices, whole wheat, multigrain, biscuits, rye, and white/oatmeal/sourdough
and a hot bowl of cooked oatmeal - especially in cold weather