Welcome to the newly opened 'caf' in Westgate, The Breakfast Club's term for their dining establishment. With locations across
We arrived and were quickly seated by the staff who proved friendly and welcoming, even if they were in short supply. The Breakfast Club has a warm atmosphere, but it feels out of place in the Westgate, more suited for an older builder with architectural charm, as opposed to the sparkling chunk of the future that now resides in the centre of town.
My order of a starter of mac & cheese fritters couldn't be filled as they were out of stock. It didn't really matter as the burger I chose proved filling enough. More notable absentees were the milkshakes, which seems a particular oversight, given the degree to which the setting was attempting to emulate elements of Americana (including a soundtrack packed with hits from Pulp Fiction and The Blues Brothers, and the arcade machines in the waiting area). I ordered a lemonade instead, whilst my friend took advantage of the 2 for 1 Happy Hour we were in and ordered two glasses of wine for himself.
Our food came quickly and my choice proved to be the right one. I had the Cow vs. Pig burger, a beef patty topped with pulled pork. It was tasty and very approachable, the right size to fill my hunger but not proving a daunting challenge. The fries were tasty and I was happy with my choice, a smug smile of satisfaction on my face. My friend's meal was The Night Monty, a hodge podge of Western breakfasts, with some elements working better then others. My friend particularly liked the chorizo sausage, and the bacon was flavourful. The rest was fine, with the meal proving a tasty heft. One issue that arose with the breakfast steak(!) was that the staff did not check how well done this needed to be. As anyone who loves steak knows, this is a cardinal sin. Still a pair of satisfactory meals were had.
The Breakfast Club doesn't really go in for desserts, with pancakes includeded as main meals, so we passed on those this time. Despite the teething problems of this new restaurant, hit by understaffing and a few items missing from the kitchen, I would return to it, certainly for the weekend brunch, which looks particularly tasty.