Late this afternoon, Jeff Eats came across a “southern” chicken/ribs joint that I think you guys will absolutely love…Bay Bays Chicken & Waffles. Just so you know, Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats ate at the 2400 Okeechobee Boulevard location…the 1558 Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard joint is scheduled to open sometime next week.

To be perfectly honest with you–Bay Bays was an “impulse stop”—Jeff Eats saw Bay Bays’ big chicken sign from the road and like a Greek siren the red/yellow 1200 square foot run down/free standing building with its 24 outdoor bench seats and 30 indoor booth/counter seats called my name…remember the movie “Deliverance”? Bay Bays looks exactly what Jeff Eats “envisions” 1950′s-1960′s southern roadside joints having looked like.

Anyway…

At this stage of the discussion you can check menu/prices/photos at www.baybays.com.

Bay Bays menu features some of the most delicious fried chicken and babyback ribs that Jeff Eats has had in a very long time. For sure, the joint’s menu has its fair share of salads/subs/sandwiches/burgers/pastas/desserts but the real game here is the chicken and waffles’ (plain, apple cinnamon, peanut butter & jelly, cuban coffee, cornbread, lemon cake, red velvet, strawberry, chocolate, pumpkin pie, pecan) combo and the fall-off the bone -sweet sauced oven baked ribs.

Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats shared a 1/2 fried chicken/plain waffle ($11.95)–1/3 slab of ribs/macaroni & cheese/mashed potatoes ($9.95) and–every item was absolutely dynamite…Just a fast note– the fried chicken has a spicy kick to it -which is balanced by the sweet waffle flavors offered–the combo of spicy/sweet in one “mouthful” was really delicious. For those of you who aren’t as adventuresome as Jeff Eats–on request, Bay Bays will make your chicken toned-down.

Like I said a few seconds ago, the game here-for Jeff Eats “is” the chicken/waffles and the ribs…that said, the table next to us raved about the fried catfish (no thank you!) sandwich and jerk turkey burger they had. As Jeff Eats has said countless times—each to their own—live and let live—one if by land, two if by sea.

No fooling around here, Bay Bays is something you gotta try.

So there is no misunderstanding or anything…

Bay Bays which has been open 8 months–serves beer and wine-and is about as casual as it gets. When we arrived, our waitress brought us a couple of fried chicken wings on a paper napkin to-taste—soda was served by the bottle and samples of collard green and baked beans also found their way to the table. Just so you know, those great-ribs are only served Friday-Saturday-Sunday “from 3pm until gone.” Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats were there from 3:30pm to 4:15pm–we ate outside and really enjoyed Okeechobee Road’s speeding traffic–during the time we were there, every seat inside was taken and let’s say 82% of the outside seats were filled. By the way, every customer surveyed was clad in shorts.

If you are looking for fancy schmancy—this joint ain’t gonna work for you.

Now nothing for nothing, Jeff Eats can’t really say for sure what 1950′s-1960′s southern roadside joints really looked like…afterall, we didn’t have too many of them on Cortelyou Road in Brooklyn. Look, I saw “Deliverance” (Do you remember what they did to Ned Beatty’s character?) and have read numerous articles/books so I think I’m making a real good call here…Bay Bays has got it down-perfectly!

Finally, Bay Bays is set -later this week to open an inline location on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard. Bay Bays owner (Israel) told Jeff Eats that the new store will have the exact same menu/color scheme/decor as the original location—the only thing I question (that figures) is whether the Bay Bays’ concept loses something in the translation without having the outdoor patio/free standing/run-down building look that makes its first location absolutely cool! Time will tell on that.

Jeff Eats loved Bay Bays.

The joint is open for breakfast/lunch/dinner…Sunday-Thursday 9am-11pm, Friday-Saturday 9am-midnight.

Got something absolutely terrific for you…Mojo Donuts in Pembroke Pines…that is, if you are looking for some of the most delicious donuts that you have ever eaten. If this isn’t your game, Jeff Eats will have have “something” else for you later in the week.

Long story short, a husband wife-team in their 50′s who previously owned smoothie shops—in February 2013 opened Mojo Donuts in 1400 square feet in a bombed out shopping center in Pembroke Pines. Prior to Mojo they had never been in the donut business. They start baking around 1am and the official store hours are Monday-Sunday 6am-5pm… but when they “sell-out” they just close the doors no matter what time it is. In the 2 months that the joint has been opened, it has been featured on several local tv news programs, one reality tv series and in several South Florida newspapers/blog sites. Talk about getting the word out!

Jeff Eats’ friends over at food blog- Burger Beast (www.burgerbeast.com) on February 20, 2013 did a real good story on the joint—check the writeup out. By the way, Burger Beast is how I found out about Mojo.

The concept…7 or so standard donuts like glazed and Boston cream pie—and then, 15 or so different daily donuts (try and say that one fast 10 times).

Trust Jeff Eats on this one, this ain’t Dunkin’ Donuts type stuff…these are off the chart–dynamite–can’t stop eating donuts. Just so you know donuts are gonna run you $1.09-$1.39-$1.75 a shot.

I recently “tried” glazed–maple bacon–apple fritter…like Jeff Eats said 11 seconds ago, some of the most delicious donuts going.

Mojo has a handful of tables inside and a couple outside. It has 4 large flat screen tvs and also does coffee (that figures!).

Let me wrap this up…this is a real “mom & pop” operation—you can taste their “pride” in every bite (No! Jeff eats hasn’t gone all soft and fuzzy, but last week was Passover and yesterday was Easter Sunday).

If you want to eat-try something very-very special…then you gotta get to Mojo Donuts—but get there early, because you ain’t the only one who knows about this fabulous donut shop.

For our purposes…let’s call Blondies a “neighborhood diner.”

For a pleasant change–no faux 50′s look or falling a-part “formica” deal – but rather…warm tones–semi-upscale counter/booth/table seating setup.

Blondies is open Monday-Saturday 7am-9:30pm, Sunday 7am-3pm. You can check menu/prices at www.blondiesgoodfood.com.

Now for the story…absolutely loved the joint. Recently did lunch…

Blondies does-a-beautiful thing, that being, it serves breakfast all day. So while Mrs. Jeff Eats and her friend Ellen where able to eat salads, I (or is it me?) and Ellen’s husband Steve–were able to stuff our faces on breakfast stuff at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. I gotta tell you, Blondies makes an absolutely perfect thick-French toast and has a breakfast sub (3 scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, American cheese) that alone is worth the price of admission. To round out this story for you, Jeff Eats “forced” himself to sample the tuna and chicken salads that the ladies had—they were also delicious. Throw in a fried macaroni & cheese nibblet appetizer and a bacon cheeseburger with fries—and I gotta tell you, Blondies is an absolute homerun.

Let me wrap this one up…

Blondies was one of the best neighborhood–mom & pop diners I’ve ventured into–down here in sunny South Florida.

One final thought, for you faux 50s and falling apart formica diners out there…please don’t take umbrage with Jeff Eats’ “décor” comments—I still love you guys and always will!

Just curious, what do you guys think about national coffee/donut chain Dunkin’ Donuts?

Got something really-really good for you guys…El Balcon De Las Americas—a joint that does Columbian/Latin stuff.

Just so you know, there are 4-locations…Jeff Eats “did” lunch at the Coral Springs’ restaurant.

You can check menu/prices/locations at www.balcondelasamericas.com.

The Coral Springs location has both indoor/outdoor patio seating. Not 100% sure on this, but when Jeff Eats, Mrs. Jeff Eats and another couple were there last Sunday afternoon around 3pm, it-seemed that we were the only customers “speaking” English. The joint was jammed packed and I’m gonna figure that at least 75 people were eating. Now you “scared-e-cats” don’t worry, the waiters and counter folks spoke English, so Jeff Eats, Mrs. Jeff Eats & Company had no problema what so-ever ordering. Based on the fact that Jeff Eats was a straight “D” student in high school/college Spanish–the bet here is that everyone else was speaking Spanish…but then again, what does a “D” student know? Putting two and two together, I’m thinking that a Columbian-Latin food joint “warrants” Spanish speakers, but then again, Portuguese sounds like Spanish to me, so I could have been dead wrong.

Anyway…this joint is one cool restaurant. Real easy going–can’t exactly explain the décor…let’s “say” a neighborhood diner with Latin flair.

El Balcon De Las Americas’ menu has a handful of breakfast items, appetizers, salads, soups, meat/chicken/seafood entrees, desserts.

Let me tell you that the arepa de cholo ($1.75) and beef empanadas ($.99) were dynamite…Our “party” also had, chuleta calena (thinly pounded/breaded/deep fried pork tenderloin-$8.99), carne asad (grilled flat steak-$10.99), chicken fajitas ($12.99), pargo rojo (deep fried red snapper-$13.99)…every item was delicious, the portions were enormous—and the prices were very-very reasonable.

Like I said before, think–neighborhood diner with a Latin flair and you’ll be on the right page.

It goes without saying, shorts/tee shirt ensembles are the dress of the day.

El Balcon De Las Americas is open 7 days a week for breakfast-lunch and dinner.

Yesterday afternoon, Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats “picked-up” some stuff at Bagels & A Whole Lot More in Coral Springs….tuna salad, low fat tuna salad, chicken salad, matzo ball soup, bagels (sesame, onion, everything, onion), flagels (everything, onion)…

The taste test:
Tuna and low fat tuna- excellent.
Chicken salad-lousy. As a matter of fact, after eating just one forkful, Jeff Eats dumped the entire 1 lb purchased in the garbage. Talk about bland! Think chalk and you’ll be on the page.
Matzo ball soup-very good.
Bagels which were boiled and then baked-okay but I’ve had better.
Flagels, like the bagels were okay-but Jeff Eats had to toast them-to achieve that “okay” status.

Bagels & A Whole Lot More…order at/pickup at the counter. Half-dozen tables inside–Half-dozen tables outside.

You can check menu/prices at www.bagelsandawholelotmore.

Bagels & A Whole Lot More is open Monday-Saturday 6am-4pm and Sunday 6am-4pm.

One final thought, I understand that Bagels & A Whole More’s owner is a native of Malverne, New York–where he owned/operated a bagel joint…now nothing for nothing, when “you” think New York Bagels–has the word Malverne ever entered your thought-equation? As we say in the legal business, I rest my case.

Got a real good “mom & pop” Greek joint for you guys…My Little Greek Deli in Miami Springs.

Absolutely-positively nothing fancy going on here. Half a dozen or so “counter seats”—half a dozen or so tables.

When you check www.mylittlegreekdeli.com for menu/prices you’ll also find a handful of décor-photos.

The joint’s menu has the “expected” Greek appetizers, pita wraps, and dinner entrees. It also has a load of “non” Greek stuff like pastrami-corned beef-philly cheesesteak subs and hamburgers.

Anyway…stopped in there the other day for lunch and tried—tzaziki, gyro pita, pork souvlaki pita, tilapia pita—every thing was delicious. Nice sized portions, figure 6-8 bucks an item.

Let me sum up My Little Greek Deli this way…like I said about 13 seconds ago, a real good “mom & pop” Greek joint.

My Little Greek Deli is open Monday-Saturday 11am-10pm, closed on Sunday.

D’Apple Cafe…”mom & pop” 7 days a week 7am-3pm diner in Coral Springs. You can check menu/prices/pictures at www.dapplecafe.com.

You regular readers know that Jeff Eats is a huge fan of “mom & pop” diners…personally “they” are right up there with my favorite places to eat breakfast and lunch. You regular readers also know, that America literally has 22,000,786 joints just like D’Apple. For sure, some are better than others…but over the past 6 years or so, only a handful of South Florida “diners’ didn’t get the job done for Jeff Eats.

D’Apple’s menu has loads of breakfast stuff, salads, sandwiches, burgers, “special” entrees and desserts.

A recent outing had me doing breakfast at D’Apple…western omelet ($6.79), corned beef hash ($6.49), French toast ($4.49), home fries hash browns. Everything was A-OK…nothing out of the “ordinary” but joints like D’Apple aren’t in the cancer curing business, either. Nice sized portions, very friendly wait-staff, reasonable prices, decent enough coffee. D’Apple delivered a good solid diner-breakfast.

The advertisers of this world want you guys to believe that America runs on Dunkin’…trust me it doesn’t. It’s joints like D’Apple that make America-America…Hopefully you can appreciate Jeff Eats’ sentiments here.

One final thought, to the owners of D’Apple (not that you care)–but I don’t like the D’Apple name. Names like Z Best Pizza, Da Best Sandwich just don’t ring right to this boy’s ears.

Shakers American Cafe…”mom & pop” breakfast and lunch diner in Orlando. You can check menu/prices at www.shakerscafe.com.

Just so you know, the joint’s Americana decor features something like 12,000,000 types of salt & pepper shakers—thus the name Shakers. An 8 year-old with a bat would have a field day in this joint.

Shakers’ menu is loaded with breakfast stuff, salads and sandwiches.

Jeff Eats recently did breakfast there…western omelete with hashbrowns ($6.59), Greek omelete with potato pancake ($6.59), french toast with blueberries ($5.49)—everything was delicious. A special shout-out to the potato pancake. Real reasonable prices, very pleasant service.

Just so you know, Shakers is open Monday-Friday 6am-2:30pm, Saturday 6am-2pm, Sunday 7am-1:30pm. Monday-Friday Shakers serves breakfast until 11am but on Saturday-Sunday breakfast is served all-day.

You’ll need a freaking train schedule to keep track of this joint’s hours.

Anyway…the food is really good so if Shakers fits your schedule, give it a try.

The Daybreak Diner…”mom & pop” diner located in Orlando.

I’ll bet you a buck, that without ever setting foot in the door, you guys know exactly what The Daybreak Diner looks like…let’s just say “formicasville” tables/booths. You can check menu/prices at www.daybreakdiner.org.

You regular Jeff Eats’ readers know, that “mom & pop” diners have a special place in my heart. Personally, I’d rather eat breakfast/lunch in a neighborhood diner, than in a bagel joint, fast food restaurant, chain operation. You guys gotta appreciate that most of us-folks of the 50′s-60′s were raised on diners—anyway…

A week or so ago, I was up-in Orlando and came across The Daybreak Diner. All kinds of breakfast stuff, appetizers, salads, soups, burgers, sandwiches, subs/wraps, meat/fish/chicken “meals”- desserts. A quick taste “test” netted Jeff Eats…western omelet with hashbrowns ($6.59), bacon cheeseburger and french fries ($8.50), chicken salad on white toast ($4.95)—everything was just right. Just so we are straight—Was The Daybreak Diner the best “diner” I’ve ever eaten in? Nope! But as “expected”…my party was served decent enough diner food by a super pleasant waitress…suffice it to say, The Daybreak Diner held-up its end of the bargain…the food, the decor, the vibe–just what the “recipe” called for.

So, you Orlandoians and non-locals now know about a mom & pop” diner where you can catch a decent enough breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The Daybreak Diner is open Monday-Friday 6am-8pm, Saturday 6am-2pm, closed on Sunday.