It’s bigger and (much) cleaner than you may think when compared to some of the diners back home in New Jersey. The atmosphere here is simple and uncomplicated, with large tables and furniture that don’t quite match anything, but are comfortable and sturdy. The walls are decorated with various Lincoln Highway and Huskers paraphernalia. The mugs for our drinks were all mismatched, as if the owners/staff have been collecting them for years. My only complaint would have to be about the prep refrigerator that was occasionally left open for all to see the backup food and premixed sauces. It was right under the television!
There was one waitress who sat us, took our orders, and even helped prep food in the kitchen. She was a Super Waitress who knew the menu, could make recommendations, as well as bus tables and refill coffee without being asked to do so.
For my meal, I ordered the veggie scramble. Finally, a legitimate vegetarian breakfast dish that doesn’t seem like a forced alternative to appear sensitive to non-meat eaters! It was $7.95 for a scramble of broccoli, peppers, onion, mushrooms, and cheese topped with 2 eggs however you’d like it. I asked for mine to be fried to over-medium. And of course, I asked for hashbrowns to be thrown in for an extra $.60.
It’s a hearty breakfast and not for those on a diet, but not so fatty that you feel awful about yourself after. The cheese was not overdone (as I feared) and the veggies tasted fresh and almost sweet against the salt that was present. Hashbrowns were thin and crisped all the way through (think Waffle House-style). It came out hot with the eggs cooked properly. It reminded me a bit of an American-style bibimbap Korean dish) without the rice. My wheat toast was yummy and they didn’t skip on the butter which made me happy. However, the butter was unsalted, which was strange at first but eventually became a nice change. Overall, it was a unique breakfast with just enough indulgence and excess you’d expect from a dive-y establishment. This meal gets bonus points for keeping me full for most of the day and for not giving me a stomachache when I visited the zoo later that day. Chris went in a different direction for his breakfast:
I'm apparently in the middle of a biscuits and gravy phase at the moment, and thankfully, Vic's carried it on their menu. I would have loved to go with the one of the Husker Skillets, but they were both already ordered by others at the table. Their biscuits and gravy had components that ranged from mediocre to great. Let's start with the aspects that did not shine. The gravy itself was so-so. It congealed very quickly and looked and felt like a paste more than a smooth, rich gravy. The flavor of the gravy was good and I'm sure a lot of that came from the delicious bits of bacon scattered throughout. The biscuits were a step up from the gravy. Even through the mountain of sausage gravy that they were covered in, you could still tell they were fresh, soft and flaky. On the second plate that came out I got two eggs over medium and two sausage patties. The eggs were cooked perfectly. They were also fresh, lightly salted and just tasted like a great egg (maybe my mind is biased from being in Nebraska and thinking everything must come straight from the farm). The sausages were by far the highlight of the meal for me. The amount of fat in these two morsels was out of this world. Each patty was so incredible juicy and tender. The meat wasn't over worked and spiciness that was incorporated was incredible. Vic's sausages were hot but not uncomfortable. Next time I'm in Fremont, I will make it a point to go back to Vic's to get their sausage and eggs, and hopefully a Husker Skillet.
Additional notes:
Rachel Ray’s cooking show was playing on the TV, to which Chris’s dad said, “Why?” Wouldn’t that create an unconscious need to compare your food to the glamorized meals on the screen? Perhaps it works because Vic’s doesn’t pretend to be more than it is- neither pompous high-class food nor low-class campy. If you’re just a little bit country, you’ll fit right in.
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