Pat's Kountry Kitchen

70 East Mill Rock Rd., Old Saybrook, CT - (860) 388-4784

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Posted By Deborah Pastor on 1/20/2010 2:46:00 PM

I love hash: corned beef, oyster, halibut, you name it. So I was very excited when I heard about the clam hash at Pat's Kountry Kitchen in Old Saybrook, just down the road from our B&B. Pat's certainly earns the "K" in Kountry: the decor has a kitschy but pleasant appeal. There were old-fashioned Santa Claus pictures all around the wall and some signs advertising the take-out pot pies. But my husband and I were there to get the hash and that is what we ordered: one famous clam hash and one red flannel hash, along with eggs and home fries.

Unfortunately, the clam hash was a letdown: so-so hash brown potatoes with a few nuggets of clams thrown in. I wanted to like it, I even went back the next day and tried it again. Same thing; mediocre. Luckily, the red flannel hash was a different story. It was very good, with a balance of potato, corned beef, and beets. I appreciated the fact that it was real hash, meaning chopped fine. So often, restaurants, in an attempt to avoid the appearance of serving canned hash, overcompensate by giving the hash a very rough cut so that it is almost more of a stir-fry. Our sunny side up eggs were perfectly cooked.

The next day, we tried the corned beef hash and the turkey sausage, in addition to one last try with the clam hash. The turkey sausage was excellent and tasted homemade. The corned beef hash was disappointing and later the waitress told us that it was canned. The table next to us ordered the spinach omelet and it looked fantastic, so I'll try that next time, with an order of flannel hash.

Scorecard

Overall: Excellent - Worth a Detour

Red flannel hash	Clam hash

Rate this place

"Pat's famous clam hash. It has an ocean smack cushioned by plenty of potatoes, making it a surprisingly wonderful breakfast for all but the intransigent clamphobe."
Michael Stern

"For many years, the readers of Connecticut have named Pat's Kountry Kitchen their favorite family-style restaurant in the state."
Michael Stern

"A photo taken of Pat's enormous coffee-cup-shaped planter on the last day of winter, 2003. In a short while, the cup will runneth over with spring flowers."
Michael Stern

"We first saw this sampler at the late, great Mendenhall Hotel Revolving Tables in Mississippi. It fits Pat's decor very well; but even though portions are ample here, they aren't ridiculously large."
Michael Stern

"Pat's is a favorite family gathering place, and it can get pretty crowded, especially weekend mornings."
Michael Stern

"Although the lettering on this sign is hard to read (blame the photographer, yours truly), we love this picture because of the sign's featured attraction. It's the only roadsign we've ever seen boasting of clam hash."
Michael Stern