24 hours, seven days a week - all the eggs you want

by Tiffany Royal
FOR THE POST

There's only one place on the west side of town to find The Scorpions, Brooks and Dunn, Toby Keith and Backstreet Boys on the same jukebox while scarfing down a large omelet and studying for finals.

Union Street Café, 102 W. Union St., is a favorite watering hole for Athens locals and college students alike. Popular for a cup of coffee or a whole meal, people flock in groups or fly in solo for some home-cooked food.

With a homey atmosphere, Union St. Café doesn't try to be fancy-schmancy or a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. It is simply a nice place to go for a nice meal at a nice price.

My companion chose the simple grilled ham and cheese sandwich - lukewarm with sweet ham. It was a bit dry, a drop or two of mustard or mayo could be a nice touch to enhance the flavoring. The bread falls off slightly when set down in front of you, giving it the personality of a home-cooked meal.

Famous for the 24-hour breakfasts, my choice was the favorite breakfast meal: pigs in a blanket, spicy, kickin' sausage links wrapped in thick pancakes, with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, a side note of maple syrup and a fresh dabble of Country Crock butter. The thick little pigs were wrapped warm in the pancakes but the cakes themselves were a bit dry, and just warm, not steaming hot.

The hot chocolate was a bit syrupy, but it came warm with whipped cream on top - an extra bonus. The lemonade was tart and sweet, like it should be.

Water refills were plentiful and the service was decent, as there were about eight tables in use and one person acting as the cashier, server and busser.

The jukebox, although distorted in sound, adds to the atmosphere with its eclectic collection of music selections. It's comfortable to go by oneself for some alone time with the books, a date with the honey or socialize with old pals. There is a quiet calmness about the place as everyone at each table or booth is in his or her own world. Tables can hold large parties and the booths are deep enough to settle back for one person or cram in three and still have some elbow room.

Tempting the full stomach at the cashier stand was a plethora of homemade desserts, and who can pass those up? No-bake cookies, peanut butter fudge, the cookies with the Hershey's Kiss in the middle - each for a buck a bag. Luscious.

From 80 cents for toast to $8.99 for a T-Bone steak dinner, this 24-hour pit stop fits any budget.