Steak and Shake for Breakfast?

Yeah, breakfast. I had to drive Thing2 to football practice early, and with no milk in the house, I didn't have breakfast before I left, and I had errands to run (try moving about 1 ton -- literally -- of bagged topsoil in the trunk of a small car. It takes four trips), so I spotted the "Open 24 Hours" sign at Steak and Shake, and said, "Can't be too bad, can it? Certainly better than McD's, right"

Well, yes, I was right. I like being right.

Their "Eggs with the Works" is a big breakfast for $4.89, more than I should have ordered. Two eggs, any style (they overcooked the scramblers just the way I like 'em), two sausage patties (nearly the size of their steakburgers), 'silver dollar' hashbrowns, and choice of break (I picked a biscuit).

The biscuit was pretty good: split and toasted on the griddle, it was very flaky. The downside is that they don't have butter, only Land O' Lakes Buttery Flavor Spread, with something like 3% fresh cream in it. I asked, "Don't you butter the buns for the burgers?" and the server told me that it comes in a liquid form. "So it's probably not really butter, is it?" and she agreed.

The hashbrowns were a pleasant surprise: very onion-y, with a texture much like a potato pancake. I could really have gotten into them with a little sour cream, but without baked potatoes they probably haven't got any... especially after the whole butter thing.

Would I do it again? On the interstate needing a hot breakfast, sure. It's at least as good as Denny's, and not much different in price. I'd rather find a local diner, sure, but in a pinch, yeah, I'll do it again.

S&S does make a decent breakfast, but at the 24-hour outlets, at least, they also will grill up anything on the menu at any hour. So, I recall with relish the triple steakburger breakfast I enjoyed in Effingham about 8 years ago ... Nothing like hitting the road empty-stomached at 5:00 a.m. and holding out for that perfect meal three hours later ...

I refuse to go back to S&S for breakfast based on what happened to me 7 or so years ago. I was on a road trip and pulled off for gas. I was tired and needed a break so after taking care of my car I stopped in a Steak & Shake for breakfast.

I sat at the counter and ordered the biscuits & gravy. The cook pulled a package of biscuits from a drawer, they looked like something one would get from a vending machine. After he opened them he split them and put them on the grill. Then he pulled a small carton from the refrigerator and poured it into a container and then zapped it a microwave. 30 seconds later he pulled my biscuits off the grill and put them on a plate poured the ‘gravy’ over them and gave them to the waitress.

One, small bite later I asked for my check from a very surprised waitress, and left. I don’t ever plan to go to a S&S for breakfast again. Actually I have only been there once since then and that was because my friend insisted. I had a shake and said I wasn’t very hungry.

R.

Press release from the company:

INDIANAPOLIS, July 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- On the heels of announcing the conversion to 0 grams trans fat frying oil, The Steak n Shake Company (NYSE: SNS - News) has expanded its menu with the addition of a line of Lighter Choices in all its restaurants across 20 states.

Headlining the menu of Lighter Choices are new made-to-order entree salads, available beginning July 16 -- following the recent introduction of grilled chicken sandwiches and Fruit 'n Frozen Yogurt Milk Shakes. Within the salad line, there are two new entree salads, Apple Walnut Grilled Chicken and Classic Grilled Chicken as well as new and improved versions of Beef or Grilled Chicken Taco, Fried Chicken and Deluxe Garden. All of the salads feature a romaine lettuce blend and premium toppings such as grape tomatoes, dried cranberries, Granny Smith apples, honey roasted walnuts, ranch pecans and sea salt 'n black pepper croutons.

In addition to new salads, guests may also enjoy two additional flavors of Fruit 'n Frozen Yogurt Milk Shakes -- Peach and Black Cherry -- this summer along with lighter side options such as improved side salads paired with new and improved dressings, and apple slices 'n grapes, which may also be substituted for fries in junior meals.

tcdup wrote:Press release from the company:

apple slices 'n grapes, which may also be substituted for fries in junior meals.

Heresy. Not to mention, entirely missing the point of going to Steak 'n Shake.

When I take all 3 kids out to eat, we tend to order 2-3 kids meals with just 1 or 2 with fries and the other with fruit. Then, they all share the fries and fruit and I don't feel so bad that they ate fast food again for dinner.

One of the articles I read about their addition of salads notes that they're not getting away from their "bread and butter" of burgers, fries, and shakes. Rather, they are trying to capture business they feel they are losing to competitors (e.g. Mickey D) when there is a group of people in which most of the group wants burgers but there is at least one person who wants something lighter, like a salad, and that person vetos S&S. And, when you think of some of the groups of people who go out for fast food - whether it's a group of co-workers, or a mom with her kids - that rationale makes plenty of sense to me.

I recently tried S&S breakfast for the first time. I guess it compares favorably to fast-food breakfast, but....

I walk into the place at about 8 a.m. on a Monday. I am the only customer there. I order a combo meal with eggs and bacon or sausage. I tell the waiter, who is, at that hour, apparently also the cook and the manager, that I'd like my eggs sunny-side up. He points to small print on the menu that I have missed, where it says that due to company concerns about the health issues of undercooked eggs, they won't make sunny-side up. He says he can do them over easy and that he'll cook them as light as possible. OK.

Then I ask if, instead of four strips of bacon or two sausage patties, I can have two pieces of bacon and one sausage patty. He says he's not supposed to do that, either, and his inventory guy will yell at him.

At this point, I am ready to apologize for my effrontery in trying to order breakfast the way I like it and leave, and he can tell, so he says he'll do it anyway. The food comes, and the over easy eggs are as lightly cooked as they can be, but they're still over easy; the sausage is only adequate and the coffee is weak. I did like the hash browns, which were kind of like flattened tater tots; I wouldn't be surprised if they were cooked in the deep fryer.

I give the guy points for effort, but don't think I'll be in a hurry to go back.

I also gave the Egg Factory another try recently and found the service improved (although it took heroic efforts to get a second cup of coffee) and the food no better.

I was in a hurry this morning and did a drive through breakfast at S&S. I ordered the sausage, egg and cheese biscuit. It was easily the best fast food breakfast sandwich I have had. The eggs were coooked well - not overcooked and dried out. The sausage was actually tasty. The biscuit was a bit too crumbly, but otherwise, I would do this again.

I was there very early in the morning and there was no line. Perhaps that had something to do with it.

The perfect Steak and Shake menu item for breakfast

JimInLoganSquare wrote: So, I recall with relish the triple steakburger breakfast I enjoyed in Effingham about 8 years ago ... Nothing like hitting the road empty-stomached at 5:00 a.m. and holding out for that perfect meal three hours later ...

I agree with this, sometimes a thin-patty griddled SNS burger for breakfast just hits the spot, especially if there was some drinking the night before. And for a truly apocalyptic hangover, the super-greasy Frisco Melt can be a life saver (as long as you can take a shower afterwards).

The actual SNS breakfast menu I don't like so much, because they use those frozen seasoned hash brown coins. Real hash browns are the best part about going out for breakfast.