Monument Cafe

A monument to hearty, down-home dining

By Dale Rice
American-Statesman Restaurant Critic
Oct. 14, 2004

The piece de resistance was the large ham-and-cheese omelette ($5.95) made from three yard eggs and filled more generously with chunks of lean ham than any omelette either of us had encountered.

On one side was a pile of hashbrowns, with many of the grated potato shavings dark and crisp from the frying (just the way I like hashbrowns). On the other side were two light, fluffy homemade biscuits, served with a side bowl of cream gravy. Together they added to the heartiness of the platter.

My plate held six wedges of lightly browned French toast ($5.25) that had been dusted with powdered sugar and topped with fresh blueberries and sliced strawberries. A side of peppered bacon ($1.95) proved crisp and dark.

Those items made for a breakfast so good that it was easy to see why the parking lot was packed and nearly every table was occupied (largely with the gray-haired set) at 9:30 a.m. on a recent Friday.

A previous dinner at Monument Cafe also was tasty.

The chicken-fried steak ($9.95) was tender and moist, while the chicken cordon bleu ($9.95), a nightly special of chicken rolled with ham and cheese, was flavorful but a tad dry.

Each was served with a choice of three vegetables that included a creamy macaroni and cheese, good mashed potatoes, okra fried in a sparse cornmeal coating, well-cooked green beans and thin, light onion rings.

The only disappointment of the evening was the fried apple pie ($3.50). It was reheated in a microwave, which made the filling brutally hot and ruined the crust. (What can I do to convince restaurants to halt the terrible practice of microwaving pie?)

The Monument chocolate pie ($3.50), on the other hand, was a rich, luscious, dark chocolate filling in a crust of chopped pecans. Topped with whipped cream, it was a winner, showing just how good Monument Cafe can be with its home-style food.