Panclog #25: Ginger Sue’s
Surely Sweet with the Sue
May 11th, 2016
Ginger Sue’s is a bruncheonette that has 3 locations in Kansas City; the original in Liberty, the second in Lee’s Summit, and the one we frequent in Olathe, KS. Ginger Sue’s is open daily, 6:30 AM – 2:30 PM. Throw them a like if you care to.
I would like to note that this location is sadly located in the same storefront of the 3rd ever Panclog spot, 119th Street Diner. Please check out that wonderful review and enjoy the baby photo of Stephen and I.
Location/Environment: The Olathe location of Ginger Sue’s is less than a minute away from Brent Morgan’s home. This makes Ginger an obvious choice to host many a #BreakfastBuddies meetings. The environment is clean and simple. There are more tables than built-in booths.I believe that this gives a restaurant a more sleek and crisp feel. The music was fantasticly fitting to the rainy morning that it was. Ginger Sue’s makes a great first impression and is cut from similar cloth to First Watch. The restaurant is bright, open, and inviting.
Service: Service at Ginger Sue’s is excellent. It has been noticed on many occasions that they like to staff pretty heavily in the mornings. Servers tent to be quick and attentive no matter how busy they are. The church rush and families eating Saturday brunches do not slow the servers down.
Wait time for food: 13 minutes
Menu/Selection: Ginger Sue’s serves breakfast and lunch very well. We all know which menu is the more important of the two. Breakfast > Lunch. Sometimes you have to include a lunch menu for people who don’t have the guts to eat breakfast food at every meal.
Ginger Sue’s has daily specials. These specials aren’t really publicized any where in the restaurant. These specials are recited to you by the server. You may see a review of a special later on in this very Panclog.
Food:
Belgian Waffle with Bacon (Brentley)
“You need to be very careful. You are already on thin ice.”
I heard these chilling words as I kissed my blushing bride as I prepared to leave for Ginger Sue’s. It seems that I did not properly reset the alarm in the morning and it went off a few additional times whilst I took care of my morning ablutions. In our home, we do not wake my beloved before she is ready. Her eyes must open naturally or there will be ugly times ahead.
It is at times like these that I begin uttering selfish prayers. “Please Lord, cause my children or some innocent bystander to do something that will draw my wife’s ire. Otherwise I fear that my world will crash around me.”
With fear and trepidation, I wandered over to Ginger Sue’s for the Panclog. A place that was certain to provide some calm before the storm.
Ginger Sue’s Olathe location is very close to my home, which makes it a place that I like to frequent fairly often. Ginger Sue’s has even made it into the regular rotation for the Cloggers. We Cloggers go to breakfast about once a week – consider this an open invitation to join us.
The food at Ginger Sue’s is fresh and well prepared. This restaurant is definitely not a greasy spoon. For this Panclog I ordered the Belgian Waffle with an a la carte side of bacon.
The waffle was light and airy. I am not entirely sure why, but I gravitate to the waffle served at Ginger Sue’s pretty regularly. Perhaps it is the berry compote that is served with the waffle of which I am a huge fan.
Ginger serves a peppered bacon that is pretty good too. Although it may not be to everyone’s taste.
The coffee at Ginger Sue’s is usually quite good. However, on this fateful morning it seemed off. Also, Ginger Sue’s does not provide a carafe for the table, which is something I am beginning to prefer.
Speaking of music, give the band, BABYMETAL, a listen. The group is fronted by three Japanese, teenaged girls who sing well. What makes this group interesting is the band behind the singers plays a speed metal sound while the singers come over top with J-Pop vocals. The juxtaposition of these two styles mixes well and it is just weird. I would recommend starting with their songs, “Karate”, and “Gimme Chocolate”.
For those still wondering, I did survive the day when I inadvertently woke my spouse. I just happen to be an inch shorter now.
Waffle: $5.25
Bacon: $3.00
Coffee: $2.25
Aloha Awakea Omelette and Pancake of the Day (Jared)
Ginger Sue’s is a gem in the breakfast world. At first, I wanted to not like this place as much as I enjoyed 119th Street Diner. The sour cream pancakes are still a focal point of my mouth’s dreams. I can not forget the good times I had beginning this fine blog. So when I come across a breakfast spot that now inhabits something I used to enjoy, I start to worry that something nice has become desecrated. After the first breakfast burrito, then peanut butter and banana pancakes and then the aforementioned aloha awakea omelette, I knew that Ginger didn’t ruin anything of my past. She made it better.
Omelettes are eggs with stuff in it. Sounds simple. I have personally ruined at least eleventy egg dishes. I have not learned the art of balance of flavors when it comes to sharing egg flavor. I always think more is a good thing. I find myself thinking, “Brisket is good. A pound of brisket should be enough for a 4 egg omelette.” Turns out I am wrong. That is the near mythical amount of too much brisket.
The Aloha Awakea Omelette is a tasty concoction of egg, ham, pineapple, cheddar-jack cheese, and toasted coconut on top. I can not state how beautiful it is when salty and sweet come together. Be it salted caramel lattes from Starbucks, potato chips covered in chocolate, or ham and pineapple together. 5 out of 7 tongues agree that salty and sweet is meant to be. Please try this and tell Brent how much you loved it. Mr. Morgan can not have pineapple unless he wants to take an expensive trip to the emergency room.
The omelette came with some breakfast potatoes. These were some of the most delicious breakfast potatoes that I have ever experienced. They were seasoned wonderfully and then cooked to the crispiness that you have always heard about but have never experienced. I want more.
Now to the reveal of the Pancake of the Day. Firstly we have the buttermilk pancake base. A classic beginning to many pancakes masterpieces.
Secondly, we add apple cinnamon. A normal addition. Dr. Jared Söva of BSI Breakfast Studies Inc. explains “Carbohydrates love to be connected to the natural sugars that fruit possesses.” I can not deny that I truly agree with that doctor. The most common addition to pancakes is a fruit flavor. The cinnamon is there to refresh the mouth with some spice.
Next we add bacon. Because bacon. Do we need any other reason.
Lastly we add goat cheese. WAIT WHAT? Goat cheese!?! In a pancake? CHEESE?? Oh cheese? That tasty stuff that you peel from a stick during lunch? But from a cute little goat. perhaps from a goat like this. The goat cheese gives the pancakes some tartness that will bring the magic of this pancake of the day together.
Altogether I would gladly get this pancake again. Savory pancakes are a necessity in a life like mine. I am surrounded by sweet things so much that I need a break.
The prices are very standard to the brunch industry. I will be coming back. And I hope to one day meet Ginger. The pancakes are quite something special. They are large and in charge. If you don’t like pancakes. Try the omelettes. They are infinitely better than any egg dish that I can make you.
Aloha Awakea Omelette: $7.75
Pancake of the Day: $3.00
Coffee: $2.25
Overall: I would highly recommend paying Ginger a visit. Enjoy her breakfast and her nice mix of music.
Grade:
Jared: A
Brent: 4.5/ 5 stars or B-
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