After a glowing review of Byways on the Food Network, my good buddy was ecstatic to try it out when she came to visit me. I love trying new places, so we had high hopes for this piece of Americana.
We went on a Saturday, and our rumbly tummies were not excited about the 20 minute wait, but we were patient. Once seated, my buddy was a bit grossed out by the amount of dust/grime, but I tried to view it as "authentic." The kitschy decorations were cute (in a dead-grandmother sort of way) and our waitress was great. We waited another thirty minutes for our food to arrive (so a total of nearly an hour).
My buddy was not impressed with the hash, even though the Food Network had made it look delish (disclaimer: she hates onions, and it was loaded with them). I ordered the special, Lily's Scramble, which was tasty, but not anything to write home about. However, what really hooked us was the blue cornmeal pancake we had ordered on the side. It was fantastic! In fact, it was so good that we decided to come back again before my friend left for home.
On Monday we went again, and were prepared for another long wait. Good thing, because we sat outside in the sprinkling rain for nearly half an hour (note to Byways--an awning would be great!) This time, we ordered nothing but pancakes. (I also ordered a raspberry scone, which the waitress forgot to bring, so I don't know if they're any good.) When our pancakes arrived (sans meat or eggs or other side dish--these are a la cart here), we dug in with gusto, only to discover that they were awful! My friend summed it up when she said they tasted like what she imagined kitty litter pancakes would taste like. There was also barely enough butter for half a pancake, let alone three.
In conclusion, make sure to double-check their hours (call ahead) and pray to god that it's not a bad day, otherwise the uber-long wait and overpriced meal will leave you feeling cranky.
Pros: ambience (if you like kitsch)
Cons: long wait, inconsistent quality, inconsisten service
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