Breakfast At Rise ‘N Shine

For years I’ve wanted to go to Rise ‘N Shine at 500 Westcott St, but I couldn’t get anyone to go with me… not that I needed it. About 3 years ago I went with a friend of mine named Mark around 11:30, but it was packed and the line was long… and we decided to go elsewhere and hopefully make it another time.

A few weeks ago I finally went there by myself. I’d been looking at the menu online and I knew I wanted one of two choices. I woke around 6AM, knew they opened at 7, and decided to take my shot at it. Got there around 7:15, mad at myself because I was worried I wouldn’t get a seat. I was wrong; at that time of the morning I was the first customer of the day… yay!

I don’t remember the waitresses name; I’m ashamed of myself. Still, she was very kind and said I could sit wherever I wanted. It’s not the largest restaurant in the area, but they have a loyal crowd and a totally different atmosphere, which is nice when you visit a place that’s not a franchise, a place people talk about often.

view from my booth

The waitress gave me time to decide what I wanted; there were only two choices in my mind. One was Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Pancakes, the other was New Orleans Style Shrimp and Andouille Grits. Because it was early in the morning, and I wasn’t ready for a diabetic crash, I went for the grits, which was the thing I saw years ago that prompted me to want to go there. It only took about 10 minutes to show up, and I wasn’t mad… though a bit confused.

Shrimp and Grits

Although it looked mouth watering, it looked totally different than any shrimp and grits I’d ever had. It looked a bit watery, whereas it’s usually more like regular grits, dryer and without as much liquid. I also asked for the sausage to be put on the side, because the waitress said it packed a punch, and I don’t like spicy stuff. I took a quick small bite, my tongue burned and that was that for the sausage. lol

Well… what can I say except it was tasty. I mixed everything together, thinking that maybe the excess wetness was butter. I’m not sure what it was, but mixing everything together might not have been the smartest thing to do. I enjoyed it a lot, but as I got close to the end, my stomach started feeling like it was bloating; as Han Solo would say, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

Still, I liked it, and when the waitress came I said I thought about the peanut butter pancakes but it looked like a monster size. She said patrons can request anywhere from 1 to 3 or more if they wanted to; at my present age I’d have only asked for one, and the next time I go I’m getting that.

I can’t remember how much it cost, but I always tip well, so I paid $30 for the experience. I’m going again one of these days, but I’ve learned one major lesson; unless it’s a weekend, the “crowd” isn’t a problem if you’re there at 8am; that works for me, and I recommend y’all take a shot. Oh yeah, check out the menu on line first, because there’s a lot of choices; you’ve been warned!