Motto

Never work before breakfast; if you have to work before breakfast, get your breakfast first.

--Josh Billings (1818-1885)

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Richard Walker's Pancake House, 5680 Northwest Hwy, Crystal Lake, Illinois

Richard Walker's Pancake House is a family favorite. We eat there several times a year, and it's only negligence on my part that's kept me from writing about my experience there. The line can be out the door on Saturday and Sunday morning, but the service is quick, efficient, and attentive, even when the restaurant is full. We've enjoyed sitting on the patio in the summer and by the fireplace in the winter.

This morning, we went to breakfast as a family after a night of good cheer, so we went late--11:00 AM or so. We were seated immediately since the breakfast crowd had finished and the lunch crowd hadn't started yet. Nearly perfect timing for three weary partiers.

Shelby's theory about ordering the house specialty was formed at Richard Walker's, so he ordered a short stack of flapjacks. But Debbie and I ordered the Cherry Belgian Waffle, served with Cherries Jubilee Sauce on top of a golden brown waffle, sprinkled with powdered sugar ($7.50). Sprinkled with powdered sugar is not my favorite way to eat a waffle, but I forgot to ask our server to hold that. It's not so much that I don't like powdered sugar; it's that I don't need it to enjoy a waffle with Cherries Jubilee Sauce. There are few things that powdered sugar cannot make sweeter, but Cherries Jubilee Sauce is one of them. The sauce was a perfect blend of sweet and tart, and I don't use the word perfect lightly on a blog called The Perfect $4.00 Breakfast.

I ordered bacon and coffee with milk, and was thoroughly satisfied. The bacon was thick and cooked just as I like it--crispy on one end, not so much on the other. The coffee was--well, it was coffee, and I still don't like it that much no matter where it's served. But, many people who do like coffee in general have wonderful things to say about Richard Walker's coffee. As always, I prefer sweet, warm, caffeinated coffee-flavored milk. Funny thing is that the coffee's a big part of the story here. They got that right even for a guy who doesn't like it all that much.

Our server was fantastic, a pro--attentive, cheerful, warm. Both Debbie and I asked for milk with our coffee, and the second--I mean the second--she and I drained the first little pitcher, our server arrived at our table with two more. Our meals were served quickly, and everyone was satisfied. I think the mark of a real pro breakfast server is that one who can enter your table conversation with hot, fresh, good food and exit it without it feeling like an interruption. The three of us remarked that we were going to award major Perk Pennies for the service. I'd tell her name, but then other people might ask for her, and she won't be available the next time I go in.

So, what's perfect table service worth? I figure it's worth a 20% gratuity, so I'm converting that to $1.50 in Perk Pennies. We sat very comfortably in the main dining room close to the fireplace, but if we had sat on the patio on a beautiful summer day or near the fireplace on a cold winter one, I'd have awarded Perk Pennies for the atmosphere. There's potentially a Perfect $4.00 on the menu at Richard Walker's.
 
The Bottom Line:  $7.50 - 1.50 = $6.00
 
An excellent score for a topnotch place that gets all the details just right.
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Scoring Guide

The best score a breakfast can receive is, of course, The Perfect $4.00. A base score is determined by the cost of the entree. That score could rise if the other factors that contribute to breakfast (service, atmosphere, and food quality, for example) warrant a penalty, scored in penalty pennies. The worst score a breakfast can receive is $10.00.

Theoretically, a breakfast could score better than a $4.00 if we walked in, were given the best seat in the place, got called by our names, were served pancakes, two eggs, bacon or sausage, and hash browns for $3.95 with great coffee or ice cold juice. But, if that happens, we won't tell a soul about it because we don't want a horde of other cheapskates messing up the place.

Let's say that Shelby ordered a plain Belgian waffle, a side order of bacon, and orange juice. Since the waffle cost $5.25 and the bacon and orange juice were sides, the breakfast's base score begins at $5.25, and Shelby could opt to begin the score at $5.00 if the conditions warranted it. If the service were bad, then Shelby might add a quarter penalty. If the seats were uncomfortable, he might add a dime, and if his syrup had that icky film on the top, he might add a nickel, resulting in a final score of $5.65. I have to say that $5.65 is a very respectable score.

Let us know how well the scoring guide works for you.