Linda’s Homeplate hits it out of the park

Why: For many years, Linda’s Homeplate has offered a cozy, baseball-themed dining experience for Clark County residents. If you’ve seen the yellow Scion XB that looks like a giant toaster, just follow it to Linda’s out-of-the-way location off of Fourth Plain Boulevard for a tasty, home-cooked meal that will have you coming back for more.

What I tried: I tried Linda’s hash in a half-order size with wheat toast, and my dining companions tried the Belgian waffle with strawberries and whipped cream plus sausage and scrambled eggs, and the French-toast breakfast combination with scrambled eggs and bacon. We also tried the made-to-order doughnuts, which come three to an order with chocolate frosting on the side.

The doughnuts arrived hot, each with the hole sitting on top. The delicious chocolate frosting was smooth and easy to spread. The doughnuts hinted of more good things to come.

The half-order size of the hash was a reasonable portion. The hash consists of hash browns, eggs, bacon, onions, peppers and cheese all topped with gravy with sausage bits. It was not greasy, and all the ingredients’ individual flavors could be identified, which made the dish enjoyable to eat. The wheat toast was a good accompaniment, and I was thankful that it wasn’t doused with too much butter.

My dining companions enjoyed their meals and noted that everything was cooked just right. The syrup was served warm — kudos — and a small cup of fresh fruit came with each meal.

We all left Linda’s with plans for a return visit.

Menu highlights beyond what I tried: All the classic breakfast favorites like chicken-fried steak, steak, biscuits and gravy, a burger patty, Polish sausage and Spam are on the menu, in addition to omelettes and traditional egg combinations with pancakes, waffles and French toast. Among the lunch sandwiches is a Philly cheesesteak, an egg salad, a tuna melt and a Reuben. Halibut and fries and slaw as well as chicken strips and fries are also available. Dinner options include prime rib, sirloin, pork chops, meat loaf, salmon steak and chicken. The homemade fettuccine Alfredo served with garlic toast and soup or salad sounded delicious. Kids menu items include a hot dog, corn dog, hamburger, chicken strips, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a cheese pizza with salad, macaroni and cheese. Pies and cakes, a cinnamon roll, assorted Danish or muffins and ice cream sundaes are listed for desserts. A full selection of soda, tea, juice, milk and coffee are available for beverages.

Atmosphere: Located in an industrial-style business area, the restaurant is completely nondescript, but once you step inside, it feels like you have stepped into a giant dugout filled with all manner of baseball memorabilia. The kitchen is located in the rear, and there is counter-style seating as in a diner. Tables and chairs fill in the open space, which is flanked by booth seating on the sides.

Other observations: The staff at Linda’s is welcoming and attentive. The atmosphere is comfortable, cozy and clean, and all the baseball-theme items are more than one can take in on a single visit. The food is made-to-order fresh, so expect satisfying but not super fast.

Cost: Breakfast selections range from $5.95 to $13.95, with most under $10. Breakfast sides cost $1 to $4.95. Sandwiches are $3.50 to $9.50 (some half sandwiches are available). Other lunch options cost $8.95 to $10.25. Soup, chili and clam chowder come in a cup for $3.75 and $5.75 and in a bowl for $4.75 and $6.75 (combined with a salad for $7.50 and $10.25). Salads are $3.75 to $10.50. Dinner items start at $6.95 and top out at $14.95. Kids menu options (10 and under) are $2.50 to $3.95 for breakfast and $2.50 to $4.95 for dinner. Desserts are under $5.