Because of the time change I woke up before the crack of dawn on Saturday morning. Literally, it was 4:30AM when my eyes first opened. That wasn't even remotely acceptable. I forced myself back to sleep until about 6:15AM, and then watched an episode of Crisley Knows Best. I really only ever watch these dumb reality shows when I'm traveling and in a hotel. There was no TV channel guide in my room so I was just flipping through, came across it, and got sucked in. After that I threw on some workout clothes and hit the Strip. Early morning is the best time to workout outside in Vegas. It's not brutally hot yet, and the streets are nice and quiet except for all the other runners out there. I got in 3.5 miles, which was just enough before everyone else in our group was up and starting to get ready for the day.
By the time I got back, showered, and downstairs, the group was talking about going to Hash House a go go for breakfast. I had never heard of it, but Shauna raved about it and I was starving so I was sold. I went online later and found out that it's been voted the best breakfast in Vegas. They've got a couple of locations on the Strip, and also in San Diego, Orlando, Connecticut and Chicago.
We went to the one at The Linq, an open air shopping/dining district just a couple of blocks from The Venetian. I was talking, as usual, and not paying much attention to where we were going as we walked up the escalator to the restaurant. And I saw people. Tons of people. All waiting to be seated. The guys immediately were not prepared to wait. Kacey and Shauna went to the host stand to find out how long it would be. 45 minutes. The guys said nope, and went back to the casino. The women toughed it out. It was made a little easier by the fact that you could order drinks while you wait. I don’t do bloody mary’s but Lindsay got one
By the time I got back, showered, and downstairs, the group was talking about going to Hash House a go go for breakfast. I had never heard of it, but Shauna raved about it and I was starving so I was sold. I went online later and found out that it's been voted the best breakfast in Vegas. They've got a couple of locations on the Strip, and also in San Diego, Orlando, Connecticut and Chicago.
We went to the one at The Linq, an open air shopping/dining district just a couple of blocks from The Venetian. I was talking, as usual, and not paying much attention to where we were going as we walked up the escalator to the restaurant. And I saw people. Tons of people. All waiting to be seated. The guys immediately were not prepared to wait. Kacey and Shauna went to the host stand to find out how long it would be. 45 minutes. The guys said nope, and went back to the casino. The women toughed it out. It was made a little easier by the fact that you could order drinks while you wait. I don’t do bloody mary’s but Lindsay got one
I’ve never seen that much food on top of a drink! She liked it, but it was too spicy for her, and eventually switched it out for a margarita. The margaritas are made with fresh lime juice, and their mimosas with freshly squeezed orange juice. Fresh juice makes such a huge difference.
It ended up taking about an hour to be seated. The restaurant itself is really pretty big. And so are the portions. I was watching plates go by and was amazed at how much food. But the prices are very reasonable. Much like lots of restaurants in Vegas, they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. They're not open 24 hours, but they probably could be and still get the same types of crowds. They're also closed from 2:30-5:30. That's really rare for a Vegas restaurant, especially considering how popular this place is. Maybe that's part of the allure.
The menu is pretty substantial. Breakfast and brunch feature different types of hash, scrambles, Benedicts, salads, sandwiches, and one-pound burgers. You can really get pretty much anything your heart desires. I'm not sure who would eat a one-pound burger by themselves, but I guess that goes right along with the portion sizes of everything else.
The menu is pretty substantial. Breakfast and brunch feature different types of hash, scrambles, Benedicts, salads, sandwiches, and one-pound burgers. You can really get pretty much anything your heart desires. I'm not sure who would eat a one-pound burger by themselves, but I guess that goes right along with the portion sizes of everything else.
Our server came to the table and asked if we were ready. We said no, we needed more time. She said fine, but it’s a 40-minute time limit to ticket. I've never been to a place that tells you how fast you have to eat. Other than a buffet, where you usually have at least 90 minutes. And that makes sense because you can get multiple plates. I know they’re trying to turn over tables and need to because of how popular it is, but to me that’s kind of rude. I guess it works though, because people don’t complain. When she walked away we focused, so we would be ready when she returned. We were fully prepared when she did a few minutes later. Michele went standard with eggs over-easy, potatoes and bacon.
Michele’s potatoes were so good. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Beautiful caramel color on the potatoes.
Kacey got the french toast.
Kacey’s french toast was really good, and the pecan maple syrup was outstanding. So thick and rich.
Lindsay got the waffles.
Lindsay’s waffle was huge. Just like the potatoes, crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. And really delicious flavor.
Shauna and I were both considering Andy's Sage Fried Chicken. The server said it was huge, so we decided to split it. And for some reason we thought we also needed biscuits and homemade gravy.
Michele’s potatoes were so good. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Beautiful caramel color on the potatoes.
Kacey got the french toast.
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| Griddled French toast dipped in banana cinnamon cream with pecan maple syrup |
Lindsay got the waffles.
Lindsay’s waffle was huge. Just like the potatoes, crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. And really delicious flavor.
Shauna and I were both considering Andy's Sage Fried Chicken. The server said it was huge, so we decided to split it. And for some reason we thought we also needed biscuits and homemade gravy.
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| Andy's sage fried chicken with spinach, hardwood smoked bacon, market tomato, griddled mozzarella, chipotle cream and scrambled eggs |
Our fried chicken was the most massive thing I think I’ve ever seen. Adam Richman took the challenge on Man vs. Food. No chance either of us could have even pretended to eat it on our own. However, between the 2 of us, we did a really good domination.
You might think that the dish would get mushy with so much stuff and so many layers. But it really doesn't. The chicken skin wasn't crispy, but it wasn't mushy either. The biscuit in the middle still had good texture. It took us a little while to get to the eggs, but they still tasted really delicious. Again, not any more mushy than scrambled eggs are naturally. There was a ton of mashed potatoes. Way too much really. The chipotle cream sauce was creamy and delicious, with just a hint of heat.
We ordered a round of poinsettias (champagne & cranberry) while we ate. Shauna got a snazzy peach long island iced tea. And it was fantastic. The peach really toned down the hit of the LIT. Our poinsettias were really good too. Very light and refreshing. It took a long time to get them, so we were done eating and only about half done with our drinks. But we were in Vegas, so we got them in to-go cups that looked like little sippy cups!
We ordered a round of poinsettias (champagne & cranberry) while we ate. Shauna got a snazzy peach long island iced tea. And it was fantastic. The peach really toned down the hit of the LIT. Our poinsettias were really good too. Very light and refreshing. It took a long time to get them, so we were done eating and only about half done with our drinks. But we were in Vegas, so we got them in to-go cups that looked like little sippy cups!
Funny thing is, we waited at least 30 minutes for our food, so the whole 40-minute time limit doesn’t hold a lot of water. I’d really be interested to know if they would really kick people out for taking too long. I find that hard to believe, because they would lose business. And definitely lose their “best breakfast in Vegas” status. Speaking of that, we clearly should have gotten there a lot earlier. Reilly said that too when we got there. Oh well. It was well worth it.
