Northside Grill

I took Terrific Son for breakfast at the Northside Grill in Ann Arbor. Not bad at all, I say.

A friendly staff welcomed us and we chose to sit at the small counter rather than wait for a table or booth, though at noon on Sunday the wait would not have been more than ten minutes. I like that they give the waiting customers one of those little vibrating messangers to carry while they wait outside in the spring sun drinking coffee supplied outdoors by Northside.

I had a pancake with eggs OE, hash browns, a biscuit and bacon. High marks for the bacon - thin and crispy and clearly good quality. The hash browns were pretty good. Just potatoes, but very well cooked - crispy on the outside and soft inside. Eggs were fine, properly done with firmish whites and runny yolks and the yolk was filmed over nicely. The biscuit was just ok - a little on the heavy side. I have the opinion that biscuits are wonderful in the first five minutes after they come from the oven. After that, I would stick 'em in a barrel and sell the barrelful to the British Navy.

I ordered a single pancake because I like to make a pancake sandwich with my eggs. This single pancake could have made a meal by itself. I usually make buttermilk pancakes that are very light and fluffy. This buttermilk cake was thick and cakey and covered an entire dinner plate. It tasted fine, though I did not notice a buttermilk bite. It was not the ideal shape and texture for a egg sandwich, but I don't suppose I can fault Northside for that. For those looking for this style 'cake, Northside does a very decent job with these. If you're a light and fluffy sort, order eggs or something else here. Northside offers pure maple syrup for $1.45 extra, which seems reasonable to me.

Terrific Son had the corned beef hash. It was very nice, almost all meat, not greasy at all, and it had some spice to it. He enjoyed it.

I put Northside Grill on a par with Angelo's and The Broken Egg in Ann Arbor. All serve a tasty breakfast in different styles - tho it's easier to make a pancake sandwich at The Broken Egg.

Incidentally, Terrific Son graduates soon with a double major in film and communications. He has not yet selected a job and is still willing to listen to offers. You can contact hm through this blog if you're in need of a terrific filmer and communicator.