After hearing so many wonderful things about this gem I finally made my way out on a snowy and wintry Saturday. I arrived to find a somewhat busy restaurant with a warm feel and smiling faces everywhere.
The menu consists of comfort food. The main specialty at Mel-O-Dee is Broasted chicken and you can instantly smell it as you walk in the door. They serve breakfast all day, and their pancakes look fluffy, but the smell of the Broasted chicken was too overpowering. I opted for the Mel-O-Dee Broasted Chicken Specialty which consists of a wing, thigh, breast, and leg with two sides. I chose hash browns and Broasted potatoes. I was going to get a cinnamon roll for a little breakfast until I spotted the biscuits and gravy and instantly added a half order to my already expanding order.
While the Broasted chicken was being prepared I was able to snack on my cinnamon roll which was served piping hot, topped with a nice sweet glaze. It was tender and moist from the core to the outer layers, and everything you want from a cinnamon roll: brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter goodness.
Shortly afterwords the chicken arrived, so hot that I quickly burned the roof of my mouth. Each piece was juicy and full of flavor with an excellent crispy skin that I just fell in love with. The hash browns were in need of some serious flavor as they were very soft and could have been cooked much longer. The Broasted potatoes, cut into thirds, were very flavorful as they had the same crust as the chicken.
As good as the Broasted chicken and sides were, the biscuits and gravy were excellent and have instantly vaulted to the top of my all-time favorite biscuits and gravy list. The biscuits were buttery, soft, and full of flavor. The gravy was just peppery enough to be noticeable but not so much that it overwhelmed the biscuits, and there was plenty of it to smother the biscuits.
Just when I thought I had enough I spied a dessert case with assorted pies and instantly there was enough room for just one piece of pie. They had numerous fruit and cream pies. I chose coconut cream, a personal favorite, and it was quite excellent: lots of coconut in the creamy filling with a perfect amount of whipped cream on top. The crust could have been a tad bolder in flavor but held its own against the rest of the excellent flavors.
"Good old-fashioned layer cake."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
"This homely pile of food tasted like Mom's home cooking."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
"A hot shot is Ohio-ese for beef and potatoes blanketed with dark gravy, called hot beef in Iowa. This one uses cube steak in place of the usual beef slices and shreds."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
"Many customers grab a loaf or two of the good white or rye to go."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
"We love great old signs like this one."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle
