Gastrognome - Ginger Brown’s Old Tyme Restaurant
by Pete WannSaturday is the day that my family goes out for breakfast. This occurs in spite of the fact that I usually buy good breakfast fixin’s with the intention of cooking them on weekend mornings. We always manage to crave waffles or pancakes or whatever, and then have to make our way out to one of the usual haunts to satisfy that need.
Last week our usual haunt (Old Neighborhood Grill) was closed for Labor Day weekend, so we had to scramble to find someplace new. My companion wanted waffles, so the hunt was on!
For those of you who think we don’t take your criticism and suggestions seriously, here’s some proof that we do: Ginger Brown’s Old Tyme Restaurant is OUTSIDE the 820 Loop. (Just barely. Maybe 1000 yards. Probably less.)
I’m not even sure how I found this place. I think I punched “Fort Worth breakfast” into Google on my iPhone and then skipped past all the places I’d been to before, and there it was.
I’m glad it was. Ginger Brown’s claims that their cinnamon rolls are World Famous, and the truth is that they’re pretty damn good (although also pretty small). More on that in a minute, let’s talk about ambiance.
The Old Tyme Restaurant is located in a strip mall next to an Albertson’s. (Why is it that so many good restaurants are in strip malls next to a grocery store? Fresher ingredients?) Anyway, the decor is best described as “country tacky.” The walls are covered with someone’s collection of cookie jars (not all old) and someone else’s collection of antique clothes irons. The irons are hung on the same wall as several paintings of varying quality which are all apparently for sale. It looked like they’d been hanging there for a while.
Ginger Brown’s is the kind of place where you can get a chicken fried steak for breakfast (I did). The menu is written in a way that’s supposed to be cute, but winds up grating on your nerves after seeing the same creative misspelling (”aigs”) over and over. Speaking of over, the available dishes are pretty all over the place as well. Everything from a “country” interpretation of migas (the “Panch Villa Macho Mia”) to the usual breakfast joint fare like eggs aigs and pancakes.
I got the chicken fried steak, which came with biscuits, hash browns, and two eggs aigs cooked to order. The steak was the way most people like it, greasy and more breading than meat. I tend to prefer mine cooked a little better and more meat than breading, but the flavor of this one was pretty good. The gravy was excellent — a little peppery and not too salty. The hash browns were decent; my pile ranged from burnt to raw, but once doused with Tabasco and ketchup, I didn’t even notice. The biscuits were a disappointment — they seemed to be straight from a can or a mix, clearly not fresh made.
The cinnamon roll, served with inoffensive “diner” coffee and your choice of juice or milk for less than $4, was warm, cinnamon-y, and covered with melted frosting. I wouldn’t call it exactly melt-in-your-mouth good, but it was certainly above average, and way better than I was expecting. I’m not sure I’d drive all the way out there to pick up a dozen for a meeting, but they’re certainly worth the trip to try at least once.
Ginger Brown’s Old Tyme Restaurant
6312 Lake Worth Blvd
Lake Worth, TX 76135
(817) 237-2114
Entrees (breakfast) $5-7
Tags: Gastrognome, ginger brown's old tyme restaurant, lake worth, outside the loop, restaurant
5 Comments, Comments or Pings
TexasBurgerStops.com
I found this place some time (or is that Tyme in this case) ago.
It’s good stuff. I have been back a few times. It’s a bit out of my way, but worth a trip.
Sep 8th, 2008
Mike
You should go there when they have “entertainment”. I think it’s every other Tuesday that they host “The Velvet Voice of Michael Merrill”. Picture Charlie Pride doing Chicago, Billy Joel and Neil Diamond’s greatest hits with a wireless mic as he hands out silverware and occasionally refills a coffee. Excellent.
As far as the food goes i can agree on the chicken fried steak, but the sides can be somewhat spotty. I like my mac and cheese to taste like mac and cheese, not something else.
And as a fatty I’m allowed this joke. Do you think that it could be considered a hostile work environment if you’re a more than slightly heavy-set gal/guy and your employer makes you wear a t-shirt that says “Got Rolls?”
Sep 8th, 2008
Chris H
Only been once. The food was pretty good, but the chain smoking by just about every other patron was too much for me. I left with an ashy taste in my mouth and a headache.
Sep 8th, 2008
Steph
I didn’t even know this place existed.
Sep 8th, 2008
Felicia
Nuh uh! Find me a better cinnamon roll anywhere in Fort Worth and I’ll pin
two Ginger Browns to my hair, Princess Leia-style.
My entire downtown office used to plead with a co-worker who lives by the lake to swing by on her way to work to bring us a box of Ginger Browns cinnamon rolls. Made life in the salt mines almost bearable.
When it comes to the area’s sugary breakfast treats, we know from good.
Sep 8th, 2008
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