Coffee Mug in Elko, Nevada, Epitomizes Diner Experience

Diners are a part of the American experience, to be sure, and The Coffee Mug in the Elko Junction Shopping Center on Elko, Nevada's, west end is a place that lives up to the title well.

A recent visit to this well-like local establishment led me to indulge in a meal I hadn't had when eating out in quite some time - breakfast.

Although the menu boasted plenty of dinner items and a hefty selection of gourmet burgers to choose from, breakfast seemed to be the main thing that jumped off the page.

While it would seem easy, breakfast is actually something that can be difficult for some folks to do right. The relatively low cost on the breakfast items had me scared as to whether it would be a wise decision, but I took the plunge anyway with breakfast country fix'ens plate that came with eggs, sausage, hash browns and biscuits and gravy.

First, let me say it was a wise decision and one of the few times I've been surprised in a good way when eating out - especially at breakfast time.

The wait for the food was relatively short, but considering its breakfast items that have to be expected. Still, the waitress was prompt first with the drink and then with brining it two hot, fluffy biscuits and a large cup full of homemade sausage gravy that was piping hot. I've certainly had better gravy, but not more than can be counted on a few fingers. The flour wasn't browned the way I like it, but it had good non-lumpy consistency with large pieces of sausage within. Often, I'm left wondering why they call it sausage gravy when there isn't s single piece of sausage to be found.

After finishing the biscuits and gravy I was already content. That's when the main event was brought out.

A hefty plate with a nine-inch folded over slab of lightly fried hash browns was accompanied with a good portion of scrambled eggs (you could get them any way you want them) and a large hockey puck sized piece of sage pork sausage. The eggs were done just right. They weren't watery and it seemed they'd picked up flavor flecks from the grill top, which is a personal favorite technique of mine. The hash browns were light and fluffy in the middle, indicating the potatoes were cooked through, and the outside was nicely crisply browned, but not so much where it tasted burnt as I've had at other places.

The sausage was cooked thoroughly and the outside of the patty was lightly crispy, but not so much where there were burnt parts. Again, I've had that elsewhere before and it's definitely a turn-off to an otherwise ideal meal. The Coffee Mug definitely delivered the goods on this outing.

My wife had a simple bowl of vegetable, beef, noodle soup and a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. First, the soup was excellent. It was truly homemade, which is something they tend to do a lot of at the restaurant. The beef pieces were hefty, but neither overwhelming nor puny in size. The noodles weren't mushy, but had definite substance to them. And there were plenty of vegetables to be found.

The ham on the sandwich looked like it was cut from an actual ham steak and not some processed, pressed together crappy low-grade of ham. Again, more bonuses to this eating experience.

The wait staff was prompt with orders and making people feel welcome. The only thing I'd recommend they do is find a way to level the tables. It seems most of the tables had folded napkins shoved under the table legs. While most folks don't look under the tables, this does look a little sloppy. However, tables were swept underneath promptly, and tables were bussed quickly once diners left.