Mamie's - Roxbury, CT

Posted by Michael Stern on November 19, 2009

Stretched leisurely through the rolling fields and hills of northwest Connecticut, Roxbury is a wonderful place for a ride on a pleasant day. Actually, it is a nice place for a ride any day, but when the weather is nice, you can have breakfast or lunch on a picnic table on the broad lawn of Mamie's. I first came for lunch a couple of summers ago because I had arrived at nearby Clamp's hamburger stand at 2:10pm; and Clamp's, per strict company policy, stops serving precisely at 2. I have returned for many meals since then, and this place has become a favorite.

The small cafe, which started as a bakeshop and still offers a magnificent array of cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins, cupcakes and donuts, has a handful of tables indoors, but you cannot beat the al fresco dining facilities. It is perforce casual, but in no way downscale. Even at the rough-hewn picnic tables, you'll get a thick white napkin and solid silverware; and while the menu is not much more than sandwiches, salads, and breakfast, everything is several notches above ordinary. Mamie can cook!

Eggs are free-range, and taste it: bright, sunny, farm-fresh. The bacon to go with them is thick and full flavored. Buttermilk pancakes have a fetching tang and come with local maple syrup. House-made seven-grain bread, toasted and buttered to go with breakfast, is deeply satisfying. It also is available on good sandwiches of turkey, ham or roast beef. It behooves anyone who eats here to venture inside at some point during, or preferably after the meal to peruse the pastries, which are beautiful.

Note: Mamie's also serves dinner Friday and Saturday nights. BYOB.

Overall: Worth planning a day around

19 out of 19 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?

Reviewers "Must Eats" List

BLT ($6.00)

Blueberry Pancakes ($8.00)

Brownie ($2.00)

Chocolate Cake ($3.00)

7-Grain Toast (N/A)

Hot Dog ($6.00)

Root Vegetable Hash ($9.00)

Fried Green Tomatoes ($8.00)

Granola ($8.00)

Bacon & Eggs ($6.00)

Black Forest Ham & Brie Sandwich ($8.00)

"A well-nigh perfect example of a New England hot dog roll -- buttered and grilled -- sandwiches one mighty wiener."
Michael Stern

"Even though it was warm as summer on this November day, root vegetable hash was a good reminder of the season."
Michael Stern

"This picture of eggs over easy with bacon gives a good idea of why I rave about the bacon. It is thick but not grossly so, perfectly cooked to a point that it offers a wee bit of crunch, but is mostly pig-drippin' chew. And may I mention what a joy it was to dip pieces of the 7-grain toast that came alongside into the hidden yolks?"
Michael Stern

"It's a bit of a walk for the waitstaff to get to these tables on the broad lawn in front of the restaurant. For a picnic-like setting in which to enjoy high-quality cafe food, Mamie's outdoor dining is hard to beat."
Michael Stern

"Nothing's dramatically different about this BLT, but the tomatoes are full flavored, the lettuce is crisp, and the bacon is smoky and plentiful. You get your choice of breads. This one is on Mamie's seven-grain, toasted. Delicious!"
Michael Stern

"The brownies at Mamie's are very, very big. They are the cakey sort of brownie, not gooey in the middle. I took one home and loved it with a cup of coffee."
Michael Stern

"Great devil's food cake ... and even more impressive frosting: oh, so creamy and sweet enough to underscore the fudgy goodness of the cake."
Michael Stern

"You can't see it, but these pancakes are loaded with blueberries, and big berry flavor. They really don't need syrup ... but the pitcher alongside is pure maple."
Michael Stern

"7-grain toast. Organic white and rye also are available."
Michael Stern

"Mamie's feels like a picnic, but a very polite one."
Michael Stern

"On a recent Sunday visit, I was lucky enough to find fried green tomatoes on the brunch menu. The waiter explained that they had served them at supper the night before. They were terrific: the tomatoes al dente, their breading just spicy enough. On the side came a ramekin of peppery Cajun sauce for dipping."
Michael Stern

"Having eaten so many excellent plates of pancakes at Mamie's, I decided to branch out and try the granola. It was served warm, accompanied by yogurt and very fresh, just-cut fruits. I felt so virtuous, I picked up two chocolate cake brownies on the way out."
Michael Stern

"Mamie's is open year-around, and I stop there regularly for excellent cupcakes, pies and brownies, but it's an especially good destination when the weather permits seating outdoors at Mamie's picnic tables ... as it did on this pretty autumn day."
Michael Stern