Recently, I found myself up at the ungodly hour of 6 a.m. and driving around Cape Girardeau, evidently the only soul on the street at that hour. The city was eerie then, like traveling through a ghost town, and I was struck with the thought once again that we don't really know what goes on in the world for the dark half of the day. But then I found what I was looking for and was reassured that, no, I wasn't the last person on the planet, and other people were up much earlier than me, working for a living and putting food and coffee on the table.
At 602 Morgan Oak St. in a small, square, squat building and lit up like a beacon on that dark road, was Sands Pancake House. As soon as I got out of my car, I could smell the delicious, dominating smells of cooking, smoky meat and yeasty bread.
Before I get ahead of myself, let's talk about the one quirk of Sands. They only take cash payments. It's posted on the door, and there's an ATM inside where you can get some cash for a fee. Don't let this stop you. Sands is worth the trouble if you never carry cash.
So I sat at a table where the sweetest waitress took my order, and we both laughed at what I chose. I told her that I wanted to try everything, so I ordered the Country Breakfast with country ham, two eggs over medium, fried potatoes and biscuits and gravy. I had to add a piece of French toast, because that's what everyone online was raving about. The reason this order was funny is because I'm one person, and this order came out on four plates, all of them absolutely steaming and smelling wonderful. It was an impressive presentation.
I'm not a huge ham person. Sands' country ham is a large slice of bone-in ham, warmed on a griddle until there were some golden brown markings. It was wonderful. Smoky, not too salty, and so, so tender. If you like syrup on your sausage, try dredging a piece of this through syrup and you won't be disappointed.
I always order my eggs over medium for two reasons. One, I genuinely like egg yoke, and I like being able to dredge it up with bread, or maybe take some potatoes through the rich warm yellowness. Two, As much as I love runny yoke, I hate runny egg whites. My brain can't get past that image. I couldn't knowingly eat runny egg white without gagging. Therefore, an over-medium egg is not only the perfect egg for me, with its runny yoke and solid white, but it's also a very good indication of the skill of the person cooking your food. There is a very narrow window of time between the whites cooking, and the yoke going solid as well. Sands nailed it.
The biscuits were fall-apart soft and fluffy. The gravy was peppery, and the sausage was sparing, but the flavor was significant throughout. My favorite part about the gravy was its thickness, and the way it coated the biscuits like a candy shell, perfectly sealing them in. Once again, very satisfying to look at.
So we come to the French toast, which is what was most mentioned in the online reviews. I confirmed that it was made with homemade bread, and the slice I got was thick and generous. The crust on the toast was crunchy and not eggy at all. In fact, there was definitely a sweetness to it, like the crunch came from caramelized sugar. The French toast was served sprinkled with powdered sugar, margarine and syrup. If you can wait, let the margarine and syrup soak in a little first. The crunch doesn't disappear and when that bread becomes permeated in the fat and sugar, magic happens.
Sands opens early at 5 a.m. and stays open until 2 p.m. every day of the week. The menu is prodigious and also includes lunch items. I didn't come anywhere close to trying everything. I've heard the place can get busy, but I was one of three tables just after 6, and I received my order quickly. Bring your cash, an empty stomach, and maybe treat yourself to an early day to beat the rush. Ironically enough, I didn't try a pancake, so maybe treat yourself to one of those, too.
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.