Breakfast / Chain Diner places

[wiffleball 4,281]

Seriously, alleged hating aside, is there a better breakfast / diner place than cracker barrel?

 

I'm not talking about local joints. But nationwide, those guys kick the crap out of every other chain that I can think of in the same category.

 

 

 

 

[weepaws 1,792]

Never been to the one, what’s on the menu that’s so tasty?  Just a question, calm down.  I know that answering a question is a tough one for most people today.  

Thanks. 

[josh wiley 17]

You get to play the peg game out on their front porch with your mother in law

[Strike 3,003]

Sure as long as there aren't any Canadians there at the same time.

[wiffleball 4,281]

4 minutes ago, weepaws said:

Never been to the one, what’s on the menu that’s so tasty?  Just a question, calm down.  I know that answering a question is a tough one for most people today.  

Thanks. 

Google. Menu. Return. 

[bostonlager 1,911]

I prefer Bob Evans breakfast over Cracker Barrel 

[TimHauck 1,204]

Ihop

[League Champion 316]

Y'all ain't from the South are you?

It's Waffle House and not even close. 

[Hardcore troubadour 9,777]

It’s stupid to pay for breakfast.  Easiest meal there is to prepare and it Tastes the same at home.  Sometimes better. 

[League Champion 316]

2 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

It’s stupid to pay for breakfast.  Easiest meal there is to prepare and it Tastes the same at home.  Sometimes better. 

Agree, but you're not always home. Some people like truckers for example are always on the road. 

[bostonlager 1,911]

1 hour ago, League Champion said:

Y'all ain't from the South are you?

It's Waffle House and not even close. 

I love greasy, unhealthy, garbage food but I can’t do WH. I have to draw the line somewhere. 

[League Champion 316]

Just now, bostonlager said:

I love greasy, unhealthy, garbage food but I can’t do WH. I have to draw the line somewhere. 

Haha. It's like eating a slice of heaven. 

[Engorgeous George 435]

Drove from Colorado to Florida and back two weeks ago.  Wafflehouse finally got me in Tennessee on the return trip.  The regulars stared at me when I hit my grits and my waffle with tobasco sauce (also my eggs and sausages).  One even snuck a picture on his phone.  Another commented.  I said try it.  Tobasco pumps up those grits and tobasco plus maple syrup tastes like liquid red hot candies melted onto your waffle.  One guy tried it and loved it.  Breakfast was 12 dollars and change.  I gave a twenty.  The waitress asked how much changed i wanted back.  Keep it I said.  She had a look that she could not believe it.  Must be some cheapskates that frequent the place. 

 

That breakfast traveled with me to Goodland Kansas where I offloaded it at a rest stop during an ice storm.

[Cloaca du jour 1,717]

Wiffleball likes the Waffle Bowls

[jerryskids 4,114]

2 hours ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

It’s stupid to pay for breakfast.  Easiest meal there is to prepare and it Tastes the same at home.  Sometimes better. 

True, when I eat breakfast out, I never get just regular eggs, I'll get a sammich or an omelet with fixins I usually wouldn't make at home.  

[Hardcore troubadour 9,777]

3 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

True, when I eat breakfast out, I never get just regular eggs, I'll get a sammich or an omelet with fixins I usually wouldn't make at home.  

We used to eat breakfast out everyday on vacation. Next thing I know I’m spending 80 bucks with tip. Now we bring cereal and fruit and eat breakfast in the room. But I’m not subjecting myself to my wife’s cooking on vacation. It’s one of the reasons I go on one. 

[Engorgeous George 435]

George Webbs

[wiffleball 4,281]

4 hours ago, bostonlager said:

I prefer Bob Evans breakfast over Cracker Barrel 

[Fireballer 2,075]

Waffle Houses waffle is the draw there.  No one has duplicated it.  IHOP fro French toast.  I’m unusually attracted to hotel breakfast buffets, but they have to have DIY waffles with Carbons waffle mix.  

[Engorgeous George 435]

Who amoungst us has not debased themselves with Moons over My Hammy, or a Rooty, tooty, fresh and fruity?

[Bier Meister 1,341]

I am not a big breakfast person so rarely go out for it.  It is also hard to find the value when most items can easily be made at home for 25% of the cost.  If we do go out I'll try to order things less accessible. 

 

never been to a WH

IHOP can be ok

denny's? meh

[TimHauck 1,204]

2 hours ago, jerryskids said:

True, when I eat breakfast out, I never get just regular eggs, I'll get a sammich or an omelet with fixins I usually wouldn't make at home.  

This.  Eggs are easy to make, but I’m not a fan of making bacon, mostly just because it’s harder to clean up.

[jerryskids 4,114]

8 minutes ago, TimHauck said:

This.  Eggs are easy to make, but I’m not a fan of making bacon, mostly just because it’s harder to clean up.

I was going to mention bacon -- we've got a ceramic microwave bacon thingy that works pretty well, but it isn't as good as baked or fried bacon.  Basically I tend to prefer the bacon at a restaurant and will usually order it.

[TimHauck 1,204]

4 minutes ago, jerryskids said:

I was going to mention bacon -- we've got a ceramic microwave bacon thingy that works pretty well, but it isn't as good as baked or fried bacon.  Basically I tend to prefer the bacon at a restaurant and will usually order it.

Well you mentioned sandwiches and omelettes, and only a crazy person would get those without bacon (or Pork Roll/Taylor Ham for a sandwich)

[Sean Mooney 904]

One thing about breakfast is when you have really little kids (like 3 or under) it is the easiest meal to go out for because the kids are fairly subdued and hungry and it isn't super expensive.

Lunch is almost a never go type situation.

Dinner it depends on a number of factors.

 

Even kids that are really well behaved can struggle at dinner if they miss a nap or get a truncated one. 

[Fireballer 2,075]

8 minutes ago, Sean Mooney said:

One thing about breakfast is when you have really little kids (like 3 or under) it is the easiest meal to go out for because the kids are fairly subdued and hungry and it isn't super expensive.

Lunch is almost a never go type situation.

Dinner it depends on a number of factors.

 

Even kids that are really well behaved can struggle at dinner if they miss a nap or get a truncated one. 

I miss the days of cycling through the “kids eat free” nights at different restaurants. 

[jerryskids 4,114]

16 minutes ago, TimHauck said:

Well you mentioned sandwiches and omelettes, and only a crazy person would get those without bacon (or Pork Roll/Taylor Ham for a sandwich)

While I generally agree that bacon is one of the four major food groups, sometimes it doesn't quite go with the entree.  I recently had a "scrambler" with salmon and cream cheese that was quite good.  Also a local place offers eggs benedict (my most common order) with fried crab which is awesome.  In such cases I sometimes get a side order of bacon.

I should also mention that I love egg meals -- we often do it at home for lunch or dinner.  When I go to Denny's (daughter works there during school) I never even look at the non-breakfast food.  My usual there is the Grand Slamwich which has all of the meats including bacon.

Also also, hash browns are a bit of a "treat" as we never make those at home.  

[Pimpadeaux 1,327]

12 hours ago, josh wiley said:

You get to play the peg game out on their front porch with your mother in law

I don't think they allow pegging on the Cracker Barrel front porch, but they do have a private room.

[Pimpadeaux 1,327]

My favorite restaurant breakfast was the international burrito at IHOP.

It was a massive breakfast burrito with three pancakes. They stopped serving it years ago.

My current favorite is First Watch, but I don't think they have them outside Texor and Louisiana.

In the Dallas area, Cafe Brazil is pretty good, and Magnolia Cafe in Austin is my favorite. The brisket benedict there might be my favorite breakfast ever.

I focking love breakfast. I had an egg sammich this morning with a piece of cheese and last night's leftover porkchop on one of those Hawaiian buns. It was awesome.

[TimHauck 1,204]

4 minutes ago, Pimpadeaux said:

My favorite restaurant breakfast was the international burrito at IHOP.

It was a massive breakfast burrito with three pancakes. They stopped serving it years ago.

My current favorite is First Watch, but I don't think they have them outside Texor and Louisiana.

In the Dallas area, Cafe Brazil is pretty good, and Magnolia Cafe in Austin is my favorite. The brisket benedict there might be my favorite breakfast ever.

I focking love breakfast. I had an egg sammich this morning with a piece of cheese and last night's leftover porkchop on one of those Hawaiian buns. It was awesome.

There are a bunch of First Watches, they have them in NC and I know they had them when I lived in MD.  It’s okay, but they try to make it “upscale” so they can charge more for the same basic stuff pretty much.

[Pimpadeaux 1,327]

3 minutes ago, TimHauck said:

There are a bunch of First Watches, they have them in NC and I know they had them when I lived in MD.  It’s okay, but they try to make it “upscale” so they can charge more for the same basic stuff pretty much.

Another good one is Snooze, which has decent bloody marys. 

[TimHauck 1,204]

13 minutes ago, Pimpadeaux said:

Another good one is Snooze, which has decent bloody marys. 

That’s one I’ve never heard of…

[wiffleball 4,281]

2 hours ago, Pimpadeaux said:

Another good one is Snooze, which has decent bloody marys. 

You are right. 

[Bier Meister 1,341]

In colorado, mrs used to like le peep.  they weren't bad.  are they still around?

[bostonlager 1,911]

I miss Dennys. I know they are still around in some places but all around me closed years ago. 

[Cloaca du jour 1,717]

3 hours ago, Pimpadeaux said:

My favorite restaurant breakfast was the international burrito at IHOP.

It was a massive breakfast burrito with three pancakes. They stopped serving it years ago.

My current favorite is First Watch, but I don't think they have them outside Texor and Louisiana.

In the Dallas area, Cafe Brazil is pretty good, and Magnolia Cafe in Austin is my favorite. The brisket benedict there might be my favorite breakfast ever.

I focking love breakfast. I had an egg sammich this morning with a piece of cheese and last night's leftover porkchop on one of those Hawaiian buns. It was awesome.

First watch is good..have several near me...near pittsburgh and Akron.  Too yuppy for me.. I dont need whole grain pancakes and soy bacon...they have some wierd stuff.  I loved that Bacon with the maple syrup/spicy pepper glaze.  That was Brilliant.

There is a place in Akron that has unlimited Mimosas...jesus..mybwifr loves that place.

[jerryskids 4,114]

We've got First Watches and Snoozes, both are good.  The place with the salmon/cream cheese "scrambler" I mentioned is called Butters Cafe, looks like there are only 3 of them, all in Scottsdale.

https://www.butterscafe.com/

For the Denny's vs. IHOP, to me they are interchangeable.  Quality is more location dependent than anything.  I usually would pick Denny's just because my daughter works at one.

[Strike 3,003]

Just because it hasn't been mentioned I'll throw in Village Inn.   I like their VIB which lets you mix and match 4 items from a large set of choices.  Denny's stole the concept from them.  They are also well known for their pies, kind of like Marie Calendars.

[frank 1,942]

Kiss my grits.

[Pimpadeaux 1,327]

1 hour ago, jerryskids said:

We've got First Watches and Snoozes, both are good.  The place with the salmon/cream cheese "scrambler" I mentioned is called Butters Cafe, looks like there are only 3 of them, all in Scottsdale.

https://www.butterscafe.com/

For the Denny's vs. IHOP, to me they are interchangeable.  Quality is more location dependent than anything.  I usually would pick Denny's just because my daughter works at one.

The Denny's in these parts are nasty. I liked their Moon over My Hammy, or whatever that sammich is called. The only Denny's in my neck of the woods is located in an undesirable part of town, full of hotels with working ladies. I've never been there.

IHOP > Denny's in this part of the world.