Evan sent
Food, atmosphere excel in new restaurant
I never believed the perfect restaurant existed until I learned about Good Evans: a restaurant sharing my name and serving my favorite type of food — breakfast. I waited two months for it to open and finally got a chance to visit about a week after the grand opening.
The restaurant was crowded when my dad and I entered, but we were seated within 30 seconds. The atmosphere and modern decor were welcoming and familial, featuring quotes on the walls and an entire wall covered in plants. Combine that with the relaxed friendliness of the staff, and the place felt like home. The menu wasn’t very extensive, but nearly everything on both the breakfast and lunch menus sounded delightful, making it hard to pick. I ended up ordering the Southern Omelet with hash browns and pumpernickel toast. My dad went with the Mexican Power Bowl, and because neither of us could pick just one thing, we shared the Pork Belly Mac & Cheese.
Initially, I was intimidated by the price tags. A $13 mac & cheese and an $11.49 omelet seemed excessive. Those concerns vanished as soon as I saw the massive portion sizes. The mac & cheese was bigger than a bowl of pasta at most Italian restaurants. I had one of the largest omelets I’d ever seen, right next to a huge mound of hash browns. But the biggest dish was the massive Mexican Power Bowl. The portion sizes were all well worth the price.
Only a few bites in, I was in heaven.
The slow roasted pork in my omelet gave it a next-level savoriness, complimenting the soft, cheesy texture. The hash browns had the perfect ratio of potato to butter. They had a nice bit of crisp to them without ruining the soft potato inside. Even the pumpernickel toast tasted heavenly.
The Pork Belly Mac was the biggest standout for me. The combination of sriracha with melty, gooey cheese was to die for. The pork belly bites had the perfect juicy tenderness to compliment the noodles and sauce. The dish had a bit of a kick, which I wasn’t used to in mac & cheese, but it took the recipe above and beyond.
I only had a few bites of the Mexican Power Bowl, just because I had so much food of my own. Still, those bites were enough to sell me on the bowl. The meat tasted like it was coming from a restaurant specializing in Mexican barbecue, not an American breakfast/lunch restaurant. My dad ate to the point of discomfort but barely made a dent in the enormous bowl.
As we were just about to ask for the check, the table next to us was served a colossal homemade pop tart. My dad and I looked at the pastry, then at each other, and immediately knew we had to try that, too. Our Cinnamon Brown Sugar (the flavor of the day) Pop Tart was at our table just a few minutes later. The giant pastry didn’t last long. It tasted just like a homemade cinnamon roll, but had the crispy, flaky texture of a croissant.
Usually with a restaurant review, I try to find something to gripe about. Good Evans wasn’t any different, except for the fact that I legitimately couldn’t find anything. It was one of the best restaurant experiences of my life. I felt like I was best friends with the staff by the time we left, the food was some of the best I’d ever tried, and the portion sizes were massive — leaving both my dad and me full for the next 12 hours.
I guess I should’ve expected greatness from a restaurant with my name on it. 5/5
Evan is a senior at Millard West and is back for his second year on the staff of the CATalyst and the MWHS Wildcat News. He enjoys writing and creating...
