Monday, September 29, 2008
Memphis, Tenn
Brother Junipers College Inn
3519 Walker Ave
Memphis, TN 38111
901-324-0144
www.brotherjunipers.com
Hours:Tues-Fri
6:30a to 1p
Sat
7a to 12:30p
Sun
8a to 1p
It's a community institution and a local "secret".(Well, it has been featured on Rachel Ray's Food Network program so I'm not sure how well the secret has been kept)
I went on Sunday morning and the place was completely packed with at least a thirty minute wait for any seating. They have two medium sized rooms and counter seating as well as some patio tables.
The wall next to the cash registar is filled with awards from various local and national publications.
The restaurant gets it name from the original Brother Juniper who was a cook for St Francis of Assisi. The first Brother Juniper's restaurant was a coffeehouse in San Francisco in the 60's. It was on
Haight St and was opened as an outreach to street people. Over the years other Brother Juniper's restaurants were opened around the country. They were independently owned but created in the same spirit as the original.
The Memphis location was taken over by the current owners, Jonathan and
Pauline Koplin, in 1999. They continued to be involved with community outreach while developing a menu that has made Brother Juniper's College Inn a nationally recognized breakfast standout.
In '01 and '02 Citysearch awarded it the "Best Breakfast in the Nation" and Mr Breakfast gave it 5 out of 5 Golden Eggs.
They serve the usual eggs, pancakes and waffles but they are made with fresh ingredients and served with grits, homefries, toast or biscuits.
Their reputation for great food probably came from the omelets. Many reviewers mention the San Diegan (Rachel Rays favorite)- an open-faced omelet topped with sour cream and home fries topped with portobellos, tomatoes, bacon, green onions, feta and cheddar cheese ($8.95).
I, however, ordered the Coastal Delight-an opened-faced omelet covered with a very tasty avocado chipolte spread then topped with ham, black beans, tomatoes, green onions, mozzarella and cheddar cheese. I chose cheese grits and a biscuit as the sides but added green onions,cheddar cheese and bacon to the grits and had some of the homemade spreadable fruit on my buttermilk biscuit. The omelet was a combination of complex flavors that worked extremely well together. The portion was large but I enjoyed it so much that I finished the whole thing. The spreadable fruit consisted of blueberries, red raspberries, white grape juice and pear juice. The juice is used instead of adding sugar. The results were fantastic. The grits were creamy and the consistency was just the way I like it. The bacon, cheese and onions were a perfect addition. The coffee was bold and the staff filled my cup as fast as I could empty it. The service was very attentive and atmosphere is very friendly. This place deserves each and every award displayed on it's wall.
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