Memorial Day Special. May 26th 2014

Ruggie's

Review by Aaron Kimmel and Carissa Hayes

Address: 707 Main St. Harwich MA 02645

Website: Ruggie's

1. Initial impression of convenience, parking, and location.

• Establishment is located on Main Street, therefore parking leaves a bit to be desired. The locations to park are on the actual street itself, so on a busy day you will be S.O.L.  If you feel like off-roading there is also a dirt lot located at the rear.
• The restaurant itself is very quaint. Two bay windows on either side of the doors provide you with a great view of the main street going-ons as you enjoy your meal.

2. Wait time to be greeted, seated, and first impressions of staff.

• This breakfast occasion was slightly different as two more breakfasters were present. The gentleman's fiancée and he arrived early and were pleasantly greeted by three members of the staff standing behind the large counter. We mentioned we were to be a party of four and they promptly went about preparing a table for us.
• Positive marks for seating us in advance of the whole party arriving.

3. Type of seating, comfort, wait time for server introduction.

• A large counter made up half of the restaurant, serving as the hub.
• There were only 8 or 9 tables of either two or four tops. It is possible that a wait could occur at any moment.
• We sat at a four top situated in the bay window alcove looking onto the sidewalk. The temperature slowly rose to a noticeable heat. I would argue it was the hot coffee raising the degrees but I'm sure it was their system misbehaving.

4. Variety of menu options (too many/too little)

• Breakfast and lunch are served here. Per yuje the focus was solely on the breakyfast.  
• On top of customary breakfast offerings please see below for non traditional offerings expanding the menu.

5. Menu highlights of uncommon items.

• "The Breakfast Sandwich Challenge" called "The Duke" this is a 30 minute timed breakfast endeavour in which you must eat the entire plate provided.

• The Melting Pots. These are items of international backgrounds.

• Chicken and Waffles
• Breakfast "lasagna"
• Breakfast "nachos"

6. Speed of food delivery, and first impressions of plating, initial aroma.

• The chef's offerings were delivered in a reasonable amount of time. The wait was substantial enough that you could be assured that great time and care was going into each dish.
• When it was delivered, the sights and aromas of the meal provided an excitement at the table that was noticeable. The air was electric with anticipation.

7. TASTE!

• Coffee. Delicious. Plentiful bounty of glorious nectar. One might say it was "Boston's Best".
• The Gentleman ordered the uncommon breakfast lasagna per the servers enthusiasm for it. The choice had been between the chicken and waffles or the lasagna. Coming down to the wire after everyone at the table had ordered, the servers recommendation was taken. Maybe that ricotta cheese makes everything taste like lasagna but substituting pasta for omelette style eggs made little difference to the dish. It was enjoyed like every other pasta dish. For that reason, although fine in taste, in hindsight the idea of chicken and waffles was still tempting. Another time perhaps. Oh shucks.

• The gentleman's fiancée tried the breakfast nachos. Her appreciation of the meal was so high she presented an oral blog after each bite. The two fiancé(e)'s may be keen to start writing reviews of eating amongst their lady and gent.

• The Lady's two egg and meat with rye toast was a mouth party that you need to experience. One of the meats available was polish kielbasa, which just so happens to be The Lady's favourite. It arrived at the table with an aroma of glorious seared perfection. The sear on the outside was golden, and provided the perfect resistance to your bite. The eggs were over easy however a tad overdone. The rye toast was buttered well. Overall, the meal was exquisite. An explosion of deliciousness.

• The lady's fiancé ordered Apple Crisp French Toast which came dressed with whipped cream. Initial impressions were good with an excellent fragrance of spiced apple. The whipped cream was mountainous and the perfect replacement for the piled whipped butter that is the norm. The French toast was just the right consistency and the apple topping created a much better experience than French Toasts had in the past. Not opting for the 100% maple syrup wasn't an issue as the dish was great on its own.

8. Value of product.

• Excellent value at this location. The taste vs cost ratio is on par for what a good restaurant should be.
• Coffee $1.87 per bottomless cup
• Side of bacon $3.00
• 2 eggs and choice of meat $5.95
• Muffins $2.25

9. Payment options.

• Cash
• MC, Visa

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Good: 

Delectable. If you want an exceptional breakfast for a good price, Ruggie's is a great place to provide that to you. The staff treated us as familiar faces instead of ruffians.

Bad: 

Although the bay style windows provided an enjoyable view, the temperature increased over the course of the meal. Near the end, it was hot and humid. However, that did not prevent one final cup of Boston's Best.

Overall: 
Ruggie's has been the most pleasant breakfast experience on Cape thus far. Proving why it was voted Best Cape Cod Breakfast in 2012 by Yankee Magazine. There was not a part of the meals that left something to be desired. The parking and seat allotments do make this a difficult option if it is a busy day, so plan for that and arrive early.