| rev:text
| - Folksy atmosphere with log cabin style architectural elements, bear paintings, and fun carved bears like the one at the entrance with a bear hugging a honey pot having bottom of the pot drilled by a bear underneath with an actual old drill. '50s/60s music add to the fun atmosphere as does getting one's menu on a newspaper highlighting local ads and events from the past: interesting and clever! Went with 3 others and we let each other have tastes so here's what we thought. Biscuits did not seem at all like the rolled and cut style we long for when we go out--you know, the kind where the shortening makes tender layering and the outside has a browned crusty top and bottom reminiscent of the dutch oven campfire style. These were paler, larger, shapeless, and dry enough to crumble when you tried to cut them. Biscuit gravy started congealing way too quickly. I like my bacon well done, but when it borders on black, it's overdone because you can't taste the meatiness and just get the crunch--might as well be bacon flavored crackers. Hard to find good sausage in skins anymore since it's easy to ruin them so most places yield to the patties, but theirs had a tender skin browned enough to seal in the juiciness and provide slight crispy resistance to a mostly sage flavor: excellent. My medium over eggs were prepared perfectly with no slime and no tough yolk, but the shredded hash browns weren't heated through and didn't have the requisite crisp--probably not enough oil since they were dry, and I probably should celebrate less grease, but I didn't order them cooked dry so some grease is expected for proper crunchy effect. My friend's English muffin wasn't high enough to have noticeable nooks and crannies and was so doughy it looked like someone just wishful whispered "toast" rather than actually putting it anywhere near a toaster. His chicken fried steak didn't have a seal-in-the juices flour coating but seemed to be more like dry bread crumbs and the meat was dry. His home fries were browned well but could've used more onion to actually add some flavor. The turkey, avocado, bacon on ciabatta tasted fresh, but the fries were probably not made on site or they went through heroic efforts to make it seem so--dry and bland. Our meals were enhanced with the 3 types of hot sauce, Papa, Mama, and Baby Bear versions in varying degrees of heat. It was fun to try them all or to combine them. The little cobblers and pies in the dessert display looked delicious. The banana cream had already sold out and there was only one coconut left, but we weren't craving any after our heavier than usual meals so considered taking one home but it looked like they were baked in the dishes so am not sure you could get them to go, and since there was a big line behind us and in front of us and we running late, just didn't bother to ask. However, if you could, they should have a sign making it clear since the pie case is right by the cashier.
|