Thursday, September 6, 2012

Queen at Kings Oak

It was the day after my sisters bachelorette party. We were in the city, tired and hungry. We needed to find sustenance for our dehydrated bodies, and fast! No one knew of any good places, so we decided to do a drive by in Northern Liberties. My brother lives around this area and we made our way over there to drop off his fiance Chrissy. We passed a few restaurants located at The Piazza at Schmidts. So we found parking and walked over. As we passed by, Kings Oak had about 3 or 4 waiters call out to us  to come in and eat. They were screaming their specials at us! They weren't opening for another 15 minutes, but that didn't stop them from welcoming some potential customers. I guess they could see the look in our hung over faces that we needed to sit and eat ASAP. They were having an 80's themed brunch at 11 am, but we didn't feel like waiting an hour for an Olivia Newton-John Omelette. It was bright out and the sun felt nice so we decided to eat outside at one of their picnic tables. There were some really cool seating areas with couches and bistro tables that would be great for a happy hour.

The menu was different, but I liked it. It wasn't your typical diner type food you're used to shoveling in your mouth.The menu as a whole would not be categorized as inexpensive, but there are still some steals. Two eggs any style, home fries and toast for $5.
That's the typical price for a hefty breakfast and believe me, their portions are generous! They also have a pretty awesome deal with brunch, bottomless Mimosas or Bloody Marys until 3pm. If I was in any condition to even smell alcohol you can bet I would have been throwing back. I'm not sure how I feel about the Happy Pickle Shot. It is a shot of Jim Beam garnished with a spicy pickle. And to top it off, you can order a PBR to go with it for an extra $2. Weird, but a intriguing option. Since it is a brunch menu, there are some not so breakfast foods to choose from: 50 Cent Wings, Turkey Club, Ceasar Salad. I guess my favorite part about the menu is the size. Now, there isn't a lot to choose from but they do cover it all. Usually I have a hard time choosing between the eggs, creamed chip beef or lunch. Kings Oak had the perfect solution for me and it didn't take long to find: The Breakfast Burger! This baby was an 8 oz Angus beef burger topped with Canadian Bacon, Fried Egg, Lettuce, Tomato and Hollandaise Sauce with a side of Home Fries.


So it's not Cheap, and not very healthy, but how could I resist? Don't worry I didn't eat the whole thing, I split it with my sister Cate. We all ordered and while we waited the service was great. Constant refills on coffee and we had our own ice cold water pitcher for the table. Another plus was free juice refills which is unheard of. Even Granny's Dive Diner or the corner charges $3 for a small OJ, no refills! It took the food a little while to come out, but I think that had something to do with needing to cook my Burger. Now I like those babies raw, but I was sharing with Cate, so we decided to order it cooked. Finally the food arrived. Remember what I said about portions being generous? Understatement. The portions were huge in a never ending kind of way.  The Omelette Chirssy ordered weighed about the
same as a toddlers head. Everything was monstrous and no one finished. Not to worry, take home containers are available. Usually I wouldn't save my breakfast  leftovers, but there was so much left, and it was too good to trash. Luckily for me Brunch was on the house since Cate decided to treat us. Those are the best meals, a free one. It was also a nice change to be in the city and be able to eat outside in the morning. It's not too hot out and not over crowded. If you have never been down to Northern Liberties I highly recommend the trip. But you need to know where you are going or you could end up in a crack house. 

Sum It Up
Service: It was early on a Sunday, and we were the only people there so our waiter was very attentive. If the staff didn't flag us down as we walked by we might have never stopped! So I am very thankful they took the initiative to get us in their restaurant
Atmosphere: Lots of fun! How often do you get to sit at a picnic table in the middle of the city? It was a little ways off the street and at the height of Northern Liberties located at The Piazza at Schmidts. It's one of those younger trendy restaurants who focus on making it a "hip" place to be. 
Food: Breakfast food is usually standard across the board. But Kings Oak offers a different approach to the expected selection. There menu has it's limits, but still offers a lot. Taste and quality was superb. I was only able to taste a few but everyone raved about their meal. Their drink specials, although I did not indulge, seemed very promising.  
Extras: If you decide to sign up for the bottomless option, for drinks, you also get a one day pool pass for the Piazza at Schmidts. By the time I take advantage of the deal swimming might not be the extracurricular I partake in when I leave, but still it's an option. They also have Lunch and Dinner available and a drink list to die for. They offer crazy cocktail specials and a micro brew beer list accompanied by the usual suspects. 

I am definitely going back for more! And with my brother John in the area, I can take advantage of all the drink specials. I always see on TV or movies people drinking at an outside restaurant having the time of their lives. My previous experiences never ended up that way. I was either in the rain or choking on the fumes of a broken down trash truck. This experience, including the hang over, was wonderful. It's in the perfect location and exactly my style of food. Like I said, I am definitely returning and I am bringing an entourage for sure. I would love to hang all day on the patio, sip mimosas, and feel like a queen for the day.

Rating: 9 of 10













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