Breakfast Brackets Game 5: Brother Juniper's vs. Pancake Shop
Breakfast Brackets Game 5: Brother Juniper's vs. Pancake Shop
I know many of you have been waiting to see how Brother Juniper’s would fare in the Breakfast Brackets. Wait no longer, hungry people of Memphis! Today’s match up is Brother Juniper’s vs. the Pancake Shop on Summer Ave.
In this corner:
Brother Juniper’s
3519 Walker Ave
Memphis, TN 38111
Order: A #2 – bacon, scrambled eggs, biscuits, grits, coffee, orange juice
Coffee: The coffee was pretty basic, but it came to the table in an adorable / creepy mug that had a cat in a stocking for a handle. The coffee wasn’t bad – hot, not too watery and it got the job done. (6.5 points)
Biscuit: Brother Juniper’s has wheat biscuits, which is a first for the Breakfast Brackets. It was a good first, though, as they were completely soft and fluffy. (8 points)
Bacon: The bacon had a sort of sweet maple-ish flavor to it. It walked a nice line between crispy and soft, too. (8 points)
Scrambled Eggs: The scrambled eggs at Brother Juniper’s are nice compromise eggs – fluffy, but just runny enough so that you know they’re real. (7 points)
Pancake: This was the biggest pancake I’ve ever seen. Seriously. It had to be about 10 inches wide. It was also fairly thick If you’re going to get more than one of these, bring a friend. (7 points)
Grits: Yes, these grits had cheese in them. But the texture was weird – it was like half the grittiness of normal grits floating in some Wisconsin cheddar soup. They get points for having some flavor, but texture freaks might want to avoid. (6 points)
Service: The service at Brother Juniper’s is super friendly and was fairly quick (I was there around 8:30 a.m. on a Tuesday). My waitress also noticed when I dropped almost all of my silverware (because I’m graceful like that) and was quick to bring over another roll without me having to ask. (8.5 points)
Atmosphere: Brother Juniper’s is bright and homey. There are a lot of religious images there, which makes sense (the cafe is named after Brother Juniper, a cook for St. Francis – it’s part of a group of cafes that sprang up around the country in the 1960s.) (8 points)
Price: The price was a little steep ($14) , but I could have easily shared my food with another person. (5.5 points)
Total Score: 64.5 points
And the challenger:
Pancake Shop
4838 Summer Avenue
Memphis, TN 38122
Order: Light breakfast number 2 – one egg, grits, bacon, biscuit, one pancake, coffee
Coffee: The coffee was a little watered down and purely utilitarian. (4.5 points)
Biscuit: The biscuits were about two inches thick, which is kind of insane. It was incredibly doughy, too, but didn’t have much flavor beyond EXTREME DOUGH. (6 points)
Bacon: The bacon was flavorful and had nice texture – a little crunch, a little give. (7.5 points)
Scrambled Eggs: The egg was fluffy, but a little dry. I can’t tell if it was a powdered egg or a real one. (5.5 points)
Pancake: Since the place is called Pancake Shop, I started eating the pancake with high expectations. It didn’t let me down – it wasn’t ginormous, but it had a nice texture and a light, sweet flavor. (8 points)
Grits: The grits were super watery. I tried to add butter and honey, but the flavor that would have come from the condiments seemed to get lost in the watery weakness of the grits. (4 points)
Service: The service was kind of insane. I got called “baby” approximately four times before I placed my order. The food showed up about five minutes later and my waitress apologized for it taking so long. (8.5 points)
Atmosphere: The Pancake Shop is open 24 hours a day. It’s got a homey utilitarian feel. I did love the Memphis in May Barbecue Cooking Contest posters on the walls (especially the one that said “Memphis: The 4th fattest city in America (we won’t rest until we’re #1). (7 points)
Price: The Pancake Shop is a lot of food for not a lot of money. My meal was $7. (7 points)
Total Score: 58 points
It’s totally unsurprising, but Brother Juniper’s takes the win. They’ll face off against the winner of the Beignet Cafe / Bagel Shop match up.
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