Food & Dining
For more recipes and reviews of Clark County restaurants, visit columbian.com/food
Why: Old Town Burger & Breakfast opened at its new location, just steps away from its former digs, on Dec. 26, offering more seating and elbow room with the same friendly service and excellent food that has given the family-style restaurant a superb reputation in the community.
Proprietor Fadul Farran knows what it takes to make a restaurant a success, as evidenced by his personal commitment to giving his customers the very best and his long-standing restaurant, which years ago began as a Jerusalem Cafe and later changed to its present culinary delights, offering Greek, middle European, and middle American selections.
Atmosphere: “Clean and inviting” were my first thoughts when I walked in for a breakfast visit. The restaurant presents itself much like an old-style diner — kitchen at the center core, barstool seating up front, and tables and chairs take the place of booth seating around the perimeter. However, it doesn’t have that ever-present layer of crumbs or the “hurry up and wait” vibe that usually accompanies diners.
What I tried: I decided on the French toast combo, eggs scrambled and bacon. My dining companions settled on the eggs Benedict with hash browns, and The Original, eggs scrambled with hash browns, bacon, and wheat toast. We had coffee and orange juice to drink.
Coffee arrived right away but it was lukewarm. A fresh hot replacement was immediately supplied after bringing this to the attention of our waitress.
Each of our selections was cooked to perfection and none was greasy. This was especially impressive given the fact that we arrived just before the end of breakfast service, which elsewhere might have resulted in hurried preparation and too much grease.
Some notable characteristics of our selections where other restaurants often fall short: the scrambled eggs were fully cooked and void of slimy areas, prepared for us to salt and pepper at our discretion; the hash browns were lightly browned on the exterior and soft, not mushy, inside; the toast was lightly and evenly toasted; the French toast was classic restaurant style; and the bacon was appetizingly lean and cooked to between chewy and crispy. We also noted that the portions were generous enough to satisfy, but within reason.
We all agreed Old Town to be in the upper echelon of breakfast options in Clark County.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: The chicken and waffle, which consists of a breaded chicken tender atop a waffle with syrup, sounded intriguing. The rancher’s steak and eggs, USDA choice cut steak with honey-cured bacon crumbles and two eggs, would nicely satisfy a morning steak craving. Pigs in a blanket is on the menu and comes with one egg.
Other observations: On every occasion that I’ve visited the restaurant, I have observed a table visit from Farran as a regular part of the dining experience. Conveying this sense of appreciation and combining it with good food, attentive service and fair prices, it is no wonder that he’s a success.
Breakfast is served until noon every day, the next best thing to all day.
Cost: Omelets are $5.99 to $9.99. French toast, pancakes and waffle dishes are $2.99 to $8.99. Specialties such as rancher’s steak and eggs range from $5.99 to $14.99. Gravy dishes are $5.99 to $9.99. Other breakfast items that include a breakfast wrap and oatmeal are $2.99 to $4.99.
Burgers and sandwiches may be ordered alone or as a basket, which includes a soft drink and fries. Prices start at $3.49 and top out at $9.99, Mediterranean and Greek sandwiches included. Hot dogs and corn dogs cost $3.99 to $7.99. Salads are $3.99 to $8.99. Soups and chili are $3.49 and $4.99. Pastries are $2.49 and $2.99.
Kids menu items are $4.99 and $5.99.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday; 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Where: 809 W. Main St., Battle Ground.
Telephone: 360-666-0522.
Web: oldtownburgers.com
Health score: Old Town Burger & Breakfast received a score of 0 on Sept. 28. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants that score 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.
