“Country roads, take me home to the place I belong…” – John Denver
Our crew took the scenic drive out to the Mahantongo Fire Company in Pitman. Negative-degree weather wouldn’t stop us from having a great time amongst friendly company! We arrived around 8:30 a.m. to an almost completely filled parking lot. This is a seat-yourself establishment, so you have to keep your eyes peeled for any open spots. We found four seats almost immediately, however there was a line that formed as we ate. One of the reasons why we decided to come here was because it is all-you-can-eat. Needless to say, we tried almost everything they had to offer.
Bryan ordered two-eggs (sunny-side-up), smoked sausage, and homefries with onions. He ordered a pancake for his second helping. Matt also ordered two-eggs (scrambled), fresh sausage and homefries. Tonto aimed big today and went with a ham and cheese omelette, a side of bacon, and a big bowl of mackerel that was served in a milk & butter mixture. We were told that the milk draws the oils out of the mackerel, which makes the taste less fishy and salty. Interesting. Mike went with two-eggs (over-easy), bacon, and homefries smothered in SOS. His second helping included a pancake, more bacon, and a small bowl of the mackerel in milk sauce.
Establishment: 4/5 – A decent-sized fire hall that had an ample amount of seating. The parking was slim, but the friendly atmosphere helped make this place worth the drive.
Service: 4/5 – We had to wait 25-minutes to receive our food, which was the longest wait so far. The accommodating staff and jubilant personalities of the clientele made up for it. They had a stand that served big or small cups of apple cider, which was different. We had the option to walk up and ask for our coffee, or we could’ve waited at our table for the waitress. Bryan, Mike and Tonto all decided to walk up to the gentleman pouring the coffee. Matt, on the other hand, was a little shy and decided to wait. He eventually asked Tonto to go up for him.
Appearance: 4/5 – Platters looked good and fresh. All-you-can-eat means you can order how much you want for each item. Everything we ordered looked great, even the mackerel in milk sauce!
Taste: 4/5 – Very good. Homefries were hot and fresh. Both types of sausages (fresh and smoked) tasted delicious, however Matt and Bryan both thought they were a little dry. The mackerel was salty but delectable. Tonto thought the milk sauce made the taste more palatable, while Mike didn’t seem to think it made much of a difference. Tonto described the taste as “mackerelicious”! The best part about all of our meals was the bacon. The bacon had a smoky flavor that made it stand out above everything else. I’ll just go ahead and say it: it was the best bacon we’ve tasted so far on our breakfast tour.
Price: 5/5 – $10 for all-you-can-eat and drink?! Are you freaking kidding me?! This is a steal. You can literally just sit here and eat for five hours for only ten bucks. It doesn’t get much better than that!
All in all, we’d definitely recommend checking out the Mahantongo Fire Company’s breakfast in Pitman. Homemade food (and plenty of it) for only ten dollars. Oh, and it all goes towards a good cause! They also sell t-shirts and gallons/half-gallons of Zimmerman Farms Apple Cider that you can take home. Tonto bought a shirt as a memento. Their breakfast is served every first Sunday of the month through May. Don’t wait too long to try this place!
P.S. If you are driving home and head east on Taylorsville Mountain Road, you might want to watch out for this guy on the side of the road!
Have a breakfast spot for us to visit? Email us your comments or suggestions at schuylkillbreakfast@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Twitter: @SkookBreakfast.
Breakfast in the Skook 