By Nancy Brumback, Contributing Writer
Westborough – Stop by Harry's Restaurant on Route 9 some weekday morning and treat yourself to the breakfast specials the chef has come up with that day.
Breakfast is always available at Harry's; it has its own page on the menu. So you can get an omelet or pancakes or eggs and home fries whenever you are in the mood for them. But Monday through Friday between 7 and 11 a.m. the whiteboard menu offers a handful of specials that are creative and fun, but not found on the printed menu.
A friend and I headed to Harry's one recent Thursday morning, hungry after a swimming workout. At midmorning, the restaurant was still doing a brisk breakfast business when we slid into a booth, and our server was there with a pot of coffee and menus before we got our coats off.
The specials offered on the white board included pancakes with bananas and walnuts and an omelet of the day. But we both picked two other choices that sounded yummy – the cowboy breakfast sandwich and “breakfast in bed,” each $5.95.
“Breakfast in bed” gets its name from two generous pillow-like squares of puff pastry. Tucked in between them are eggs any way you's like them, bacon and parmesan cheese, all served with home fries. That's what I picked, with the eggs scrambled until they were well done.
My friend opted for the Cowboy breakfast sandwich? with eggs any way you want, sausage links, cheddar cheese and jalapeno peppers on Texas French toast, also with home fries. She promised me a taste before she cut into her sunny-side-up eggs, knowing I's not a fan of runny yolks.
Just after we ordered, our server came back to report the kitchen was out of Texas toast for the sandwich, and after a discussion of what type of bread would make a good substitute, my friend went with thick-sliced Challah. The choice, she said, turned out to be a good one, with the slightly sweet Challah a counterpoint to the bite of the jalapenos.
Harry's kitchen works fast. Your meal will be on the table before you know it. And your server will keep your coffee cup full.
The puff pastry pillows in my breakfast in bed were crisp and flaky, delicious with the cheesy eggs and bacon. It was an unusual and interesting twist and was a bit lighter than the usual breakfast breads. Harry's home fries are nicely browned cubes of potatoes.
The cowboy sandwich was also good. My friend liked the spiciness of several slices of jalapeno, but if you don's, it would be easy to take the pepper rings off the sandwich or to request that they be served on the side so you could add them to your own taste.
If you get to Harry's after 11 a.m., or go on a weekend, there are still a lot of breakfast choices.
Three-egg omelets start at $6.95 and the menu suggests a dozen varieties, including southern, Denver, Greek, Spanish and Mexican with various meat and cheese combinations.
French toast can be made with a variety of breads??”Texas toast, Challah, raisin bread or whole wheat. You can customize with add-ins like cranberries, bananas, and nuts. And you have a choice of one, two or three slices, an option also available with pancakes.
Harry's twists on eggs Benedict include hollandaise or cheese sauce, Canadian bacon, sausage or crab cake, and even a vegetarian version with tomato and spinach.
There are combination breakfasts of eggs, choice of meat, home fries and choice of bread, and a 6-oz. sirloin steak makes it a truck driver breakfast. Most of the combinations are under $8.95, except for the steak.
The children's breakfast for $2.95 includes juice or milk. Kids can pick an egg and toast, Mickey Mouse pancakes or French toast.
Harry's has been dishing up breakfast as well as its famous fried clams since 1946 with friendly, efficient service. The place still has that ’50s look about it, with knotty pine walls and ads and posters that will bring a smile. It's located at 149 Turnpike Rd. (Route 9), just west of the Lyman Street intersection.
Harry's serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant opens at 7 a.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. weekends.? It's open until midnight Friday and Saturday and until 11 p.m. other nights.
Harry's is cash only, no credit cards, but there is an ATM machine in the restaurant.
For more information or for takeout orders, call 508-366-8302 or visit www.harrysrestaurant.com.
