The Hen House passes our breakfast test, eggsellently

/ July 8, 2015
The Hen House aims to please me.

The Hen House aims to please me.

The last few times I drove up and down our big and busy road that leads to both the WalMart and BJs and the car wash with a turbo-level vacuum strong enough to hoover Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle’s excess coat at the peak of shedding season, I noticed that yet another establishment had taken over the once-hallowed hut that once housed favored breakfast joint PardZee’s.

So when my dear wife Karen declared a trip to buy some stuff that fell miles from the Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood was necessary at the tail end of the Independence Day weekend and added that a morning meal out would also be a nice spousal pleasure, I brought up this location.

I liked the Breakfast Served All Day aspect of the big sign, considering that the weekends are the time my dear wife catches up on that sleep her job at SMG robs from her Monday through Fridays, and I’m not going to wake her to run any trip out that doesn’t involve something more serious than eggs. You know, money coming in or money already spent or family or special friends you can’t meet at any other time …

Looking fresh.

Looking fresh.

The front entrance looked spruced up, too, always a good sign.

Karen spotted an insignia parked to the side and decided we should walk over there with my iPhone 6 because my suggestion that we catch it after we ate would more likely translate to: Oh, honey, I forget to shoot …

Will bring the feast to you, too.

Will bring the feast to you, too.

I thought that a trailer to bring the cooking on the road was another good sign that we’d like what we’d find inside The Hen House.

Booth-table combos.
The menu awaits
Singles welcome.
Go on, pig out
I didn’t test how strict this is.
And more, please.
The other side of the room.
Your plaque could go here.

Click on any gallery photo for a description. Click and hold on the bottom right photo for an enlarged slide show.

We entered through a small foyer, and then waited to be seated as instructed. The joint was crowded, with three waitresses scurrying to serve a dozen or so tables. One assured us that she’d clear and set up a spot for us, and we stood patiently for five or so minutes.

Karen took the booth side and I sat on a chair at a table that could have fit four.

What we considered.

What we considered.

We each ordered coffee and water, and the waitress brought them as we looked over our menus: a page-and-a-half for breakfast up front, half-page for lunch bottom right, more sandwiches and heavier fare when you flipped inside.

I thought about an omelette — misspelled on the menu, Karen pointed out — but wanted more. I was disappointed that they didn’t offer an egg-meat-pancake combo special.

Karen said she was attracted to the French toast, listed as Texas French Toast, with strawberries, with a side of bacon.

Our waitress took my dear wife’s order just like that, and I went with three eggs over easy, hold the potatoes, bacon as the meat, wheat toast. I asked if they served sugar-free syrup, and when she answered yes, I wondered if there was a short stack of pancakes not to be found anywhere on the menu that I could order as a side. She agreeably showed me the size of a pancake, and asked if I’d like one instead of the usual order of two. We had a deal.

One pancake was plenty.
Thick Texas French Toast.

When the waitress arrived with our plates, she had to ask with her eyes which order went where. And I had to remind her I’d requested sugar-free syrup.

We dug in. It was after 11 a.m., and breakfast served all day was a very good idea.

And this was a very good breakfast, both sides of our table.

Karen gave two thumbs up to her French Toast, thick style, and agreed when I commented that it looked a whole lot like a waffle.

We both loved the thick-cut bacon slices, comparing it to the crispy, heavenly strips of pork we’d savored in June at The Pancake Man in Cape Cod. Those still win, but these are the best we’ve had in Syracuse in a good while.

My eggs were hot, and the yolk was over easy, just runny enough for me to sop up with my toast.

The pancake was large enough for one to do the trick as part of a combo. It was light and fluffy and tasty. Hey, Hen management, might you not want to add a combo to your menu?

The bill came to $22. I was happy to see that the waitress had halved the price of the pancake stack.

We don’t go out to breakfast that much these days, but I’d say we’ll be back to The Hen House the next time we’re in the mood.

What’s your favorite way to order eggs? Do you look for the big breakfast combo sometimes, and if so, what is your order? How do you like your bacon cooked?

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62 thoughts on “The Hen House passes our breakfast test, eggsellently”

  2. Like my eggs over hard. Like sour dough bread lightly toasted with butter on the side. Like my bacon crisp.

    Man, suddenly I am hungry!

    Know what I ate for breakfast this morning? Pizza left over from last night – served cold. I loved it! 😀 I am such a Philistine!! 😄😄

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  6. I always order eggs over easy at restaurants, but at home, I prefer poached. I eat poached eggs on toast several times a week. I believe I discussed with you my love for The Old Timer’s breakfast combo at Cracker Barrel? I ate that twice on vacation. Delicious. I skip the bacon tho.

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  7. eggs – like them fried and runny. Bacon crispy. Haven’t been out for breakfast in a long time. We don’t do that so much here. We have a lot t learn 🙂

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  9. Sunday Brunch is our family favorite here at home! We do not eat out a lot my husband is fussy like that. Since I love to cook and bake it is no problem for me to whip up breakfast/brunch. Scrambled eggs usually wins out with cheese, home fries, bacon and sausage links, corn bread or biscuits, always fruit, cinnamon rolls. Phew, I am tired typing-Hee! What is Karen’s SMG??? The Gatorette.

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  11. I love eggs. If I get toast and I’m out I order them over easy. My favorite is poached, but I do that at home. If I just want a quick snack I scramble them. I prefer my bacon more crisp than limp. Your Hen House prices seem pretty reasonable. I notice they offer corned beef hash. I wonder if it may be house made. Now that would be great. Now I want some eggs.

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  12. When I saw the prices, they seemed to be on the higher end but when I looked at the picture of the food – you got your money’s worth. $22 US is , I think, about $575 Canadian – give or take a bit . Ha! 😀 I love eggs and breakfast specials but I don’t get out much (mostly just finances). When I trucked, my favorite was fried bologna and three eggs (poached) with Texas toast and home fries. Keep in mind that I would usually eat about 4 or 5 am and then not stop until about 2 pm for brunch. I found that a good breakfast really made the day so much brighter and gave extra energy.

    Interestingly enough, there are usually deals to be found on the menu if you care to eat what they make cheapest. For instance the Hen house only charges $.75 for an egg. You could have 3 eggs and a sausage patty for $4.25 and dispense with the carbs. That’s a good deal.

    Fun post Mark – it is interesting to see the restaurants you frequent and the shops you visit.

    P.S. – I am not suggesting you lose the carbs-m I love them and eat lots. But if something has to be sacrificed for price,l they are the first to go.

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  13. When I saw the prices, they seemed to be on the higher end but when I looked at the picture of the food – you got your money’s worth. $22 US is , I think, about $575 Canadian – give or take a bit . Ha! 😀 I love eggs and breakfast specials but I don’t get out much (mostly just finances). When I trucked, my favorite was fried bologna and three eggs (poached) with Texas toast and home fries. Keep in mind that I would usually eat about 4 or 5 am and then not stop until about 2 pm for brunch. I found that a good breakfast really made the day so much brighter and gave extra energy.

    Interestingly enough, there are usually deals to be found on the menu if you care to eat what they make cheapest. For instance the Hen house only charges $.75 for an egg. You could have 3 eggs and a sausage patty for $4.25 and dispense with the carbs. That’s a good deal.

    Fun post Mark – it is interesting to see the restaurants you frequent and the shops you visit.

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  15. omg, this made me so hungry, mark! i love the breakfast all day concept and it looks like a very cute place. i’m not a huge egg person, but do enjoy breakfast combo plates. heavy on the meat and toast and potatoes side )

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  17. The restaurant looks great. I’m an over easy egg person, with sourdough toast (dry, butter on the side – because I hate soggy toast) sausages and orange juice. Don’t like pancakes, but I do make pancakes for the boys (from scratch). I don’t eat maple syrup because it reminds me of an experiment we did with fruit flies in 7th grade. I had soft-boiled eggs and toast for dinner last night and it was yummy!!!!

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    • S.D., you are quite the pioneer making pancakes from scratch for the boys when you don’t like them yourself. Just saying. Wow. Fruit fly experiment turned you from maple syrup for life. That teacher needs reprimand daily.

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      • I must say the fruit fly experiment went rather awry. Some fruit flies managed to escape and our school seemed inundated with them for about a week after that. Awful!!!!

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  18. I always enjoy going out for Sunday “brunch”, and often we take our grandchildren out for lunch on Fridays, my favorite thing to order is a cheese omelette, swiss or muenster, with fries on the side and a coffee. My granddaughter orders the omelette too(she’s 10) and my grandson’s “usual” as e calls it (he’s 8) are chocolate chip pancakes with a side of fries which he dips in maple syrup 🙂

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  19. One of my fave guilty pleasures is breakfast for dinner so I love the breakfast served all day aspect of this. Pancakes are a once a year thing in the UK (Pancake Day is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday) but my friends here are convinced Americans eat them daily. At all meals. If only!

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  20. You see…I should know better….Never open a post about a diner before you’ve had breakfast. That was excellent, and made me hungry. ☺☺☺ Love your word play, Mark…”hoovering” the dog.

    Before I pop off to start the coffee…did you ever see the scene in the movie Twister where they show up at her aunt’s home and she makes them steak and eggs, with mashed potatoes and home made gravy ??? My whole family salivates at that scene…it is a perfect appetizer !!

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  21. I was eating eggs while i read this. 🙂 Hubby and I have always liked breakfast at any meal. When we dated, the primary eating place would be a Long Island diner for eggs. This place looks amazing. Sugar free syrup sounds kind of bad. My preference when I’m cutting back is to put fruit on it.

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