Brentwood Café & Tavern
Warm Pretzel Bites with Queso
Two Fresh Baked Biscuits
Banana Pecan French Toast – Fresh bananas & pecans inside & on top, dusted with powdered sugar, served with maple syrup & butter
All-star Root Beer Float Pancakes – Root beer baked inside the batter, topped with French vanilla ice cream & whipped cream, served with maple syrup
Recently under new management, and located slightly adrift of where one’s GPS might suggest on West Warm Springs Road, Brentwood Café and Tavern was brought to my attention by a couple sitting next to me the week prior at Old School Brewing Company and featuring a similar 24/7 format with a family friendly dining area separate from the 21 and older bar and gaming area an early morning visit was planned – my 6:55am arrival finding only a young graveyard shift bartender, line cook, and janitorial staff present in the surprisingly large space.
Divided into two sections, the larger dining area not open until 8am thus relegating me to thankfully uninhabited and largely smokeless lounge, it was with friendly service from the barman named Jesse that I was greeted and opting for water over booze a few questions about the menu were answered before a two-course order was crafted, the youngster clearly acknowledging the need to confirm items with a kitchen that still managed to botch one half of the four items chose.
Oddly lit, with red lights overhanging tables and a multi-hued system centered at the bar, it was with a trio of slatted windows open to sunshine that I sat in waiting and although the WiFi was down the combination of SportsCenter and a soundtrack featuring Soudgarden, Nirvana, and Niko Case managed to keep me entertained until savory selections arrived, the fluffy biscuits proving well crafted despite being delivered without any jam or butter while a basket of salty pretzel bites with a pot of creamy queso was admittedly quite good, though certainly not worth $9.49.
Clearly not familiar with the breakfast menu, having to write down the second half of my order and again relay it to the kitchen, it was only after a fairly sizable delay that plates three and four emerged from the back and although the French Toast was the richly saturated sort that I love, crisp over custard beneath sliced bananas and toasty nuts, the “All Star” pancakes were anything but what was promised – the flavor entirely devoid of root beer and arriving completely stark despite the menu promising both whip and ice cream, the later only arriving once I pointed out the error, my own 100% maple syrup brought from home added to make the fluffy triple-stack much improved.
TWO STARS: Friendly in service and featuring an excellent soundtrack I only wish the food and overall experience at Brentwood Tavern would have been as good, some of my issues undoubtedly due to the timing of my arrival but others simply due to poor execution with none of it on par with several local competitors in the 24-hour scene.
RECOMMENDED: Banana Pecan French Toast
AVOID: None of it was bad, and had the pancakes simply been described as ‘buttermilk’ they actually would have been quite respectable, but alas they were not.
TIP: While the online menu is not up-to-date, Brentwood Café and Tavern is currently offering a restaurant.com $10 off $20 that can help soften the blow for those looking to score a deal.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
http://www.brentwoodsw.com/
