By Jameson Moyer
Approaching the Breakfast Club on a Sunday afternoon, large groups of people dressed in modest dresses, slacks and button-ups crowd the front door and lounge on benches on the front porch. The menu boasts homestyle classics such as omelets, chicken and waffles, buttermilk pancakes for breakfast, and blue-plate lunch specials like country fried steak, fried catfish, and chicken spaghetti.
After entering the restaurant, the first thing I am reminded of is home—circular white lights connected by black wire run across the ceiling. Caramel-colored rough textured pine paneling makes up the interior walls. Simple black café tables and wooden booths are filled with people of all ages. There is no defining guest; they range from blue-collar dressed workers to college students sporting Greek letters across their chests to families dressed in Sunday church attire. A bright-eyed woman greets my friend and me from a white reception desk next to the door and tells us to sit where we please.
We make our way to a wooden booth in the restaurant's corner. Decorating the walls are newspapers, plaques, and photographs, all highlighting Mississippi State Athletics. One of the most prominent items on display is an American flag with the Mississippi State mascot, Bully the Bulldog, located dead center, covering a corner of the space.
Our waitress approaches with a broad smile and friendly demeanor, asking for our drink order, for me, coffee, for my friend, water. She shuffles back shortly with the coffee and a variety of mini creamer cup flavors, of which I choose the French vanilla. I order a sausage biscuit with a hash brown casserole and bacon, while my friend orders an omelet, toast, and extra bacon. The wait was brief, and the food was hot.
My biscuit was golden brown with a crisp on top. I smothered the underside in sweet and sticky grape jelly before biting. The flavor of the crispy, buttery bread mixed with a thin layer of sweetness from the jelly and the savory, greasy sausage patty made for a juicy first bite. The hashbrown casserole was full of cheese and crispy potato. A considerable portion of the plate was overtaken by deep reddish and brown bacon. As I bit the bacon, I could hear a crunch signifying a crisp.
Megan Myers, a junior elementary education major at Mississippi State, is a regular at The Breakfast Club.
“This is one of my favorite restaurants in Starkville,” Myers said. “There are a few brunch places in Starkville, but I come to The Breakfast Club almost every time.”
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The Breakfast Club is located at 105 Eckford Drive in Starkville. They are open Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with special dinner hours on Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, they are open from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. To make reservations call 662-324-1987.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TBCStarkville/