Miss Shirley's Cafe

This place is on the more pricey side of our spending spectrum, but you can still manage a great meal for under $15 a person, especially if you avoid the crab dishes, which today we didn't. We have been here plenty of times and I was excited about returning. This is the type of place were several items practically jump off the menu and yell "PICK ME!" Even though there are several tried and true items, we wanted to try something new (well, one selection we have had before at a different restaurant). Here is their full menu.

Before I get started on my review, I just wanted to say I do like this place overall and I recommend it to anyone who would ask, but today's experience was below what I've come to expect. I never thought this would happen, but here comes a less than perfect review for Miss Shirley's.

The Mac Crabby - Both of our eyes were drawn to this selection. Mac and cheese made with high quality, creamy cheese and savory crab, what's not to love? Our high hopes were dashed. We agreed the main problem was the cheese. It was a thick get-stuck-in-your-throat cheese that muscled out any other flavors. When a savory and pricey ingredient, oh let's say crab, is featured in a dish, I personally would like to taste it but that's just me. We separated several pieces of crab from the cheese, cleaned them off, and enjoyed them separately. The Old Bay seasoning came across as regular salt after being submerged in the over powering cheese.

Pumpkin Cheesecake-Stuffed French Toast - We have ordered this before at Blue Moon Cafe and we were expecting a similar, if not better, quality. The first thing I noticed was the thickness of the bread. I suffer from chronic Eyesbiggerthanmystomache Syndrome, so this excited me. But the thickness turned out to be a negative as it overwhelmed the dish and made it seem dry. The pumpkin cheesecake filling between slices was good, but spread to thinly to compensate for the dryness of the bread. Have you ever had a dry roast beef sandwich with too little mayo? Similar situation. I added some syrup, but I would have had to drench it. There was also a thin layer of raspberry coulis along the underside, but it didn't mix well. I would have rather had slices of fresh bananas and strawberries to balance with the sweetness of the syrup, cheesecake filling, and whipped cream.

I don't leave my food unfinished often, but today I did. Again, I want to stress that I do recommend Miss Shirley's. Unfortunately, we chose two-star selections from a typically five-star menu. Will we return? Yes, eventually but no rush.