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(November 17, 2006)
When you mention Dan’s, one of Austin’s
most popular burger joints, most people justifiably think of cheeseburgers,
fries, and shakes. But the comfort food cognescenti know something else
about Dan’s. They open at 6am for breakfast. And this is a serious
Texas breakfast. My Ton O' Fun colleagues would not do well here, but
hey, once in a while you’ve got to splurge, right?
There’s a plethora of breakfast choices at
Dan’s and they are all very tasty and reasonably priced. I am partial
to the Omelets. I like the Bacon and Cheese Omelet. It’s done on
the soft side as I prefer and the damned thing just melts in your mouth.
This omelet oozes comfort and what better way to start the morning.
Add some has browns and some whole wheat toast and we’re talkin’
serious vittles. If the density of omelets is not your thing, then by
all means try the Three Eggs Over Easy with sausage. They get it right
every time. The yolks are always perfectly cooked. I like this one with
Texas Toast because it’s more conducive to dipping up those yolks.
Yum.
Another great breakfast choice is the Biscuits and
Sausage with creamy gravy. This is a steal at $2.99. The gravy is the
star here and it is just what you’d expect in this traditional
southern favorite: nice and thick with lots of flavor. And let us not
overlook the Pancakes. These aren’t tricked up fu-fu pancakes with
huckleberries and granola like you see at so many places these days.
These are good old buttermilk cakes and they are fluffy and delicious.
The Short Stack is enough to fill me up and that hot maple syrup seals
the deal.
And if you taste leans to the Tex Mex side of the
spectrum, there is much to like at Dan’s as well. You can get three
Sausage, Potato & Egg breakfast tacos for $4.50. They add cheese
for just a few pennies more. The tortillas are fresh and their homemade
salsas and ranchero sauce are darn good. As aficionados of the breakfast
taco genre will know, this is a good deal.
And the Huevos Rancheros are a blast. I like mine with bacon and the
eggs over-easy. The potatoes and beans do their jobs which is to mingle
with the eggs and the ranchera sauce on the tortilla. The identity of
the inventor of Huevos Rancheros is probably lost in culinary antiquity:
but in my humble opinion, this person should be enshrined in the TEX
MEX hall of fame. And Dan’s really nails this vital dish.
There are breakfast sandwiches as well at Dan’s.
What’s not to love about a Bacon and Egg Sandwich on Texas Toast?
There are days when I eschew the more ornamental dishes and just get
basic. And this does it for me.
Dan’s has a new location off I-35 at Exit 221
in Buda. It’s behind the HEB near Kabella’s. And they say
breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? So get yourself
a good foundation at Dan’s and then you can go over to every hunter’s
dream of the afterlife and catch trout from a faux pond. Or not. Either
way, you’re gonna have a good day.
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