We shared an unexpectedly good meal on a Sunday morning at the Family Restaurant in Davenport. With a name as generic as 'Family Restaurant,' and the facade of a 1980s dentist office, it was easy to ignore its existence for all these years.
Rolling up on a Sunday morning, the parking lot was filled with Buicks and Lincolns. Walking in, the whole place was stuffed to the brim with geriatric gents. We were the youngest people there by at least 30 years. This, along with the horrible decor and fake fall flowers on the walls, worried my hungry stomach. I hoped they put more thought and care into their food.
The menu is homestyle with a small section of Greek and Italian foods. Family Restaurant was actually voted Best Greek Restaurant in the Quad-Cities because, apparently it is owned and operated by Greeks. I certainly wouldn't consider it a Greece-y joint, though they did have a few delicious offerings like Spinach Pie and Gyros.
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| is that a tumor on my shoulder? |
We grabbed two seats at the 4 seat counter and were immediately greeted by a server. She was hurrying about but still found time to check on us often and refill Richie's coffee.
Breakfast is available anytime of day so I was immediately smitten. I asked for a ham and cheese omelet with toast and hash browns. Richie ordered 2 eggs with corned beef hash, pancakes, and hash browns.
Despite the massive grey crowd of ravenous elders, our food came out promptly.
My omelet was a giant cloud of delight, unbelievably fluffy and filled with ham and gooey golden goodness. The toast was cut thick and the potatoes were freshly shredded and fried. They tasted like a baked potato rather than the a pile of crushed chips other places serve.
Richie's 2 egg order was magically upgraded to 4. I later found out that this their regular practice, buy 2 get 2 free.
With their reasonable prices, I'm not sure how this place stays in business. He slammed down his 'best ever' hash browns along with everything else on the plate.
I eyed the spinning pie rack til I was dizzy, but felt too satiated for dessert.
We found a diamond in the rough in the Family Restaurant. Maybe these seniors aren't so senile after all.
