Secluded in the North Hill Plaza Shopping Center on the corner of Rochester and Tienken Road is a little “ma and pa” restaurant called George’s Coney Island. This coney island stands out significantly more than the Leo’s chain restaurant because the atmosphere is that of a family-owned establishment. The restaurant itself is smaller than a traditional coney island, but the staff was personable and helpful. It is somewhere I could easily go every Saturday with friends and feel at home.

As a vegetarian, coney islands are one of my greatest allies as there is always something I can eat there that contains a good amount of protein. So, I ordered a spinach and feta omelette. The serving size caught me off guard. The omelette stretched end to end of the elliptically shaped plate. It was amazing, to put it simply. The chunks of feta cheese were strong, which I enjoyed. The taste of the eggs themselves are great, but you should also be able to taste the kind of omelette you are eating. For $9.50 I received an omelette the size of my head, a huge side of hash browns and two slices of buttered toast. For being a college kid on a budget, the meal was filling, tasty and semi-healthy.

However, there must be balance. When there is great, there is also terrible. My friend ordered the chili, and it was strange. The chili came out as a bowl of brown, slightly burgundy mush which instantly made me question the contents of said “chili.” The chili I have always eaten and made was chunky but never a nearly homogenous mixture of beans and meat. My friend claimed the mushy baby food was good, but for me, food has to at least look edible and not like liquid concrete.

Up next on the list of undesirables were the unfortunate hash browns. For the record, I live for hash browns or any greasy potato item. Hash browns are the backbone and best supporting actors to any breakfast, but this side truly broke my heart. They looked fabulous and just like my mother’s homemade ones, but the excitement was short-lived. Alas, it was not meant to be. The correct texture was there for sure but there was no taste. Tasteless textured hash browns. I was cut deep. To quote President Donald Trump, “SAD” was exactly how I felt.

Now, service was impeccable. I was seated immediately, waited on immediately and had a cup of coffee delivered to me so quick my eye had not even hit the menu yet. The waitress was friendly along with the other staff, which gave the feel of a family-owned business.

I would not wish for anyone to make a mistake when ordering, therefore I am being frank. You want to enjoy the meals you eat and be satisfied especially if you are on a budget. If you are a poor college student such as myself, the omelette is a perfect entree because of its filling protein properties that make it large enough to take home and save for later. The omelettes can also be varied in combinations to a person’s taste, aka not vegetarian. Stick to the coffee, eggs, and toast; avoid the chili and hash browns!