A large sign on the front of the Goody Goody Diner announces “BREAKFAST SERVED ALL DAY.” That’s a relatively recent development at this family-owned spot that’s been feeding folks for 60 years. And we’re delighted. We take just about any excuse to eat breakfast at Goody Goody.
An interior so dazzlingly white and shiny that shades are needed on sunny mornings draws a clientele ranging from postmen to politicians. Servers, many of whom appear to have been there since they were barely old enough to hold a job or lift a tray, know the menu like the back of their hand and seem to fly around the dining room. Plenty of regulars, of course, with their accompanying banter – including police, who’ve made this a regular stop since at least, in our experience, 1969.
When it comes to Goody Goody, the one group we might warn are the indecisive. Ordering something as simple as bacon and eggs calls forth piles of options. Definitions of terms like like “over easy” and “soft-scrambled” are spelled out in the menu so a diner knows exactly what to expect. And we’ve never had an egg that did not meet the menu’s description or our expectation. The carbohydrate options: rice, grits, cheese grits or hash browns, and if it’s hash browns, do you want onions on them? (You do, believe us.) And bread? Toast, sure, but white or wheat? Or English muffins, bagels, biscuits or – wait for it – dollar pancakes.
So you don’t want bacon? How about ham, pork sausage as patties or links, turkey sausage. Take a deep breath and go on to pork chops, hot Polish links, strip steak, country fried steak, hamburger steak, chicken breast, catfish, salmon patty, house-made corned beef hash and, of course, biscuits and gravy. Variations on pancakes and waffles are offered, too, although not in such breathtaking variety. And there are the omelets, including the Wilbur, the signature dish, an omelet filled with hash browns, peppers, onions and tomatoes, then topped with chili and cheese.
On a recent visit, we ended up with the country mix, a scramble with fresh onions and green peppers, along with ham, with tender, yummy dollar cakes alongside. A side of the hot link gives a good-sized chunk of the large, finely ground sausage, still moist, with what we suspect is a natural casing. The second breakfast plate held a good-sized salmon patty, seasoned like Mom should have, with a little green pepper and a good hit of black pepper, alongside softly scrambled eggs and those excellent hash browns, crispy here, tender there, the onions added afterwards but in a goodly amount. A very proper biscuit sat alongside, and better-than-average-diner coffee, refilled almost constantly, topped things off.
No reservations, of course, but Goody Goody does a lot of carry-out. And they’re closed on Sunday. Plan on a wait if you visit on a Saturday morning.
Family is important at this North St. Louis landmark. Owners Richard and Laura Connelly took over from his parents, who turned a drive-in into a full-service spot. Long may they fry.
Goody Goody Diner
5900 Natural Bridge Ave.
314-383-3333
Breakfast and Lunch Mon.-Sat.
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Yes
Smoking: No
Entrees: $4-$8
