Early last fall, I finally decided to check out Gailey’s Breakfast Cafe in downtown Springfield. Gailey’s is located in an old pharmacy on Walnut Street. This pharmacy also at one time, happened to house an old-fashioned soda fountain. It is nestled next to the Seville Hotel, which is now full of loft apartments. I had heard good things about Gaileys, including the fact that it boasts a menu with some items not found at your typical chain restaurant.
On my first visit, last fall, I decided that this place was way-cool. Sitting at the counter, I ordered the “Mystery Jeff” which is named for one of Gailey’s regular customers, who also performs with the Skinny Improv. Besides eggs, and bacon or sausage, it is also accompanied by your choice of hash browns. You can choose from traditional hash browns, or Gailey’s own sweet browns. The sweet browns, are quite simply, made from sweet potatoes. Topping off this selection, was a generous bowl of fresh fruit mixed with yogurt and granola. The sweet browns were out of this world! The fruit was fresh, and the combination with the yogurt and granola was yummy. To be honest, I couldn’t finish all of the fruit. I found the Mystery Jeff breakfast very filling. Additionally, I loved watching all the buzz around me. The cooks, the wait staff, and the other customers kept me entertained. With the downtown location, it was just fun to people watch.
I didn’t make it back to Gailey’s for a second time until yesterday. I stopped in for a quick breakfast, before meeting friends to work on a mission project. The experience this time was a little disconcerting. I waited at the door, to be seated, since there was a a sign that said to do just that. One of the wait staff looked at me after a couple of moments. He told me, rather rudely, to just sit where I wanted. While there were some customers in the cafe, they were not nearly as busy as they were that day last fall. Someone brought me a glass of water, and I was told that my waiter would be right with me. I waited a good 10 minutes, while some of the workers were on break, some were clearing a couple of dirty tables, some were standing behind the counter talking, and one waiter was running his tail off. The other staff kept coming around telling me that some one would be right with me. Where was the team work? Why couldn’t some one else just take my order?
Finally, after 15 minutes, I told one of the girls that I would not wait any longer. I wasn’t going to keep waiting when the cafe was not that busy, and other tables around me were being served, no problem. She said that she would be glad to take my order. Why did she have to wait for me to demand service, if she “would be glad to take my order?”
I ordered something different this time, the banana-walnut pancakes with two eggs and a choice of sausage or bacon. I was really expecting the pancakes to be out of this world, like the sweet browns had been. Alas, they were not. The cakes were generous in size and were quite filling. Yet, they didn’t have much taste and were a little dry. I was expecting them to be banana-flavored pancakes, just like the pumpkin pancakes at IHOP taste like pumpkin. The pancakes at Gailey’s were merely plain pancakes topped with sliced bananas and some walnuts. There was not anything special about them. The sliced banana wasn’t equivalent to even, one whole banana. I tried to drench the pancakes in syrup, but even that didn’t help give these cakes any flavor. Very disappointing.
When my waiter had brought the order to my table, he also gave me the check. He thanked me for coming in and said to pay at the register when I was finished. I guess he thought that since I now had my food, his job was done. There would be no one coming by to see how my food was, no drink refills, and no one to ask if I needed anything. And guess what? There wasn’t.
Since the my first visit to Gailey’s was so wonderful, I am somewhat inclined to dismiss the second visit as a “bad day.” I will probably go back at least one more time. I don’t quite know why, but I really want to like Gailey’s.
That is a bummer. Hopefully it was just an off day. The Sweet Browns sound fabulous!
The mystery jeff is very good, so are the omlets. My favorite is the seville. I would go there again, try early in the morning on a weekday… if its late at 1:30 or so the waiters and waitresses are just sorta done. Problem? yes. Also, I wouldn’t try Saturday or Sunday afternoon around lunch time. waaaaaaaay too busy.
-a gaileys regular