Steak, eggs, hash browns and Texas toast for $5.99?
Yep.
No foolin’.
This and other $5.99 breakfasts are served all day at Cliffhanger Sports Bar &Restaurant in Lynnwood.
Reader Gerald Jensen told me about it when he called about the recent limerick contest. He wasn’t a poet but he said he had a book of 1,700 limericks he wanted to donate. I’m not sure why but somehow we got to talking about food.
When he mentioned the steak breakfast deal at Cliffhanger, I invited myself to join him.
Jensen, a retired tool and die maker, goes there often. He knows all the breakfast deals around town and this is one of his favorites.
I see why.
We settled into a comfy booth in the dining area of the spacious eatery. It was mid-morning and a scattering of tables were occupied. It was quiet in the sports bar, which has 16 TVs, darts, pool tables and live music on weekends.
Does the name Cliffhanger not ring a bell?
It opened last summer under that name in the space that was formerly Marco’s Restaurant and Lounge. It’s next to the QFC on Highway 99.
It’s the kind of place where you can linger over your third cup of coffee that stays warmed up.
Service was friendly and attentive. The steak was juicy. The potatoes were crispy but not greasy. The company was great. Jensen told me all about his kids, grandkids and garden. I don’t meet strange men for breakfast very often. Actually, not often enough. Gents (and ladies), got a place to suggest? Give me a call.
Cliffhanger has homestyle cooking with daily soups and specials. The menu is extensive. Here are some items that all are $12: Pot pies. Pot roast. Meat loaf. The Cliffhanger burger, topped with a fried egg. Bacon wrapped scallops.
This time, I stuck with the $5.99 menu, which also included pancakes, bacon and other morning favorites.
To get another opinion, I brought a to-go order for the 8-months pregnant woman who sits at the desk next to me, Jacquelyn Howell, who does social media and marketing.
“The words ‘discount’ and ‘steak’ aren’t two that normally go together well, but this is the exception to the rule,” Howell said.
“The perfectly seasoned cut of beef was flavorful and tender enough to eat with plastic utensils. It was paired with fluffy scrambled eggs and crispy, golden-brown hash browns that were both delicious and well salted (a rarity at many breakfast places today). While not exceptionally large, the portion size was more than enough to keep even the heartiest of eaters satiated well through lunchtime and at just $5.99, it was truly a steal for breakfast.”
I can’t wait to take my cheap-breakfast guru father-in-law to Cliffhanger when he visits this summer. It will give him something to tell his buddies back in Ohio.
Oh, and as for Jensen’s limerick book, which started this whole thing?
The tome of 1,700 steamy limericks can be found at the headquarters for the contest’s judging panel, Shawn O’Donnell’s American Grill and Irish Pub in Everett.
Andrea Brown at 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown.
Cliffhanger Sports Bar &Restaurant
17525 Highway 99, Lynnwood; 425-967-5781; www.cliffhangersportsbarrestaurant.com.
Restaurant hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Sports bar hours: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Saturday.
Specials: Wednesday night children under the age of 10 eat free. Friday and Saturday “date night” special, with prime rib, sauteed prawns and a bottle of champagne for $49.99.
Alcohol: Full bar
Vegetarian options: Some
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