This Week's Counter: Goody's

Making our way out to the West side on a Sunday morning, we dropped in at Goody's in Brook Park, on Snow Rd not far from the airport.  This place is really popular, and the large parking lot was pretty full -- probably near peak time for the post-church crowd on a Sunday.

The good news is, they have a very large counter -- and with most people being there in larger groups, waiting for tables, we had no trouble getting seats.  

Goody's seems very efficient -- clean, pretty quick and well-organized.  Even the staff all wear matching shirts, and seem to work together really well.  I think we had 3 different servers paying attention to us at the counter, whether it was taking our order, bringing more drinks or delivering the food -- all seamless.

They have an extensive menu (beyond just breakfast -- they seem to do a great lunch business too). We both had potatoes and eggs, and Cam added bacon. All around, the found was great -- fresh, hot and another one of the few places that can get the potatoes right. Crispy on the outside, light on the inside, and not greasy at all.  Coffee was solid too.

This one is a keeper -- we would definitely go back when in the area -- quality and overall experience make it well worth a visit to Goody's.

Cam says: "Good food quality with comfortable counter and decent atmosphere. Service was solid.  I'm giving it 8 frying pans."

Ted says: "Really liked this place a lot -- spacious counter, attentive staff, busy but not chaotic, and the food quality was excellent. 9 pans!"

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This Week's Counter: Gus's

We're always struggling find additional East side or central counters, so we don't have to make a long trek to a new location each time. Gus's, in Old Brooklyn, was one of the remaining ones on our list that wasn't too far.  We dropped in on a Saturday late morning to check it out.

This is blue-collar, urban neighborhood, no frills dining for sure!  On the bottom floor of an old brick building on the gritty northern-most part of State Rd, Gus's seems to attract a lot of regulars from the area -- a very diverse crowd.  It was busy, but we didn't have a problem getting seats at the somewhat small counter.

Service was pretty quick and very business-like -- no frills there too. We ordered and the food arrived fast (Gus's prides itself on no more than 10 minutes wait between ordering and eating). Breakfast sandwich with egg and bacon for Cam, cheese omelet and potatoes for Ted.  All cooked well and hot -- better effort on the well-done potatoes than most places deliver. The coffee was just fair -- kind of weak, although they score points for the heavy, old ceramic mug.

If you want to experience a bit of the "real" Cleveland, maybe before a visit to the Zoo (nearby), check out Gus's -- not fancy, but good and easily worth the price.

Cam says: "Service was just fair, food was good.. I'll give it 6 frying pans."

Ted says: "Very good quality food, but lacking a lot on atmosphere. I'll give it 6 pans."

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This Week's Counter: Doug's Dinner Bucket

Having driven past Doug's a number of times when out in the area of Blossom and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, we always joked about the name.  Recently we figured out it has a counter, so we finally got around to giving it a try.

Located sort of in the middle of nowhere on old Rt 8 near 303, between Hudson and Peninsula, this little square building doesn't look like much. And it's really not -- a few tables, a small counter with 3 seats, and not much more.  There was only 1 guy in the place when we stopped in. It might have been Doug himself, since he looked like one of the drawings on the wall and the woman serving seemed to know him well.

Service was super friendly -- like having a meal at your grandmother's. The menu was also pretty good -- lots of choices from eggs/omelettes to pancakes to sandwiches and more.  Unfortunately that's about all the positives. Cam ordered the grilled cheese with egg and bacon plus home fries, and Ted chose a cheese omelette with home fries, toast and coffee.  Doug's seems to be on a tight budget as everything was served on plastic -- plates, forks and knives, and cups.  The food was just OK at best -- the grilled cheese and omelette were fine, but the potatoes, toast and coffee were pretty weak.  Sort of soggy and greasy.

Good to finally cross this one off our list, but it was far from a favorite and tough to recommend in any way. But kind of fun to say you ate at "Doug's Dinner Bucket"!

Cam says: "Comfortable seating and a barely decent meal (served on a paper plate with plastic utensils), but that's about it. I'll give it 3 frying pans."

Ted says: "Had to give it a try, but what the name implies is what you get -- a low-end, average quality breakfast. Friendly service compensates, but still. 2 pans."

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This Week's Counter: Big Al's Diner

We've known about Big Al's forever, but only figured out recently it had a counter.  Located on Larchmere near Shaker Square, this place has been around a long time and has a loyal following.  After visiting on a Saturday morning, we can see why.

Big Al's is fairly old and pretty small - maybe a dozen tables and a small counter with only 4 seats.  It was about 3/4 full when we got there and fortunately there were 2 counter seats open. After we sat down, the remaining tables steadily filled up.

One of the standout features is a great breakfast menu -- very extensive with many different types and combinations of egg dishes, pancakes and waffles, omelettes, breakfast meats, etc. Cam chose a bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich on a bagel and home fries, while Ted picked eggs, bacon, home fries and coffee.  All the food was excellent -- hot and tasty.  Coffee was also great, served in a heavy ceramic mug.

All around, this was a great counter -- maybe not the biggest and most comfortable, but the combo of the great menu, good food, friendly service and perfect diner atmosphere made this one of our favorites.  Highly recommend!

Cam says: "Average service with a not so comfortable counter. However, food quality and temperature were on point. I'll give it 8 frying pans."

Ted says: "Excellent in almost all ways -- food, service and atmosphere. Definitely a winner. 8 pans."

 

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