The Florida Foodie
The Ladies Who…Brunch? A Sunday Afternoon at E.R. Bradley’s
E.R. Bradley’s Saloon
104 Clematis St, West Palm Beach, FL
(561) 833-3520
By Saucy Sarah
E.R Bradley’s resides on prime real estate in downtown West Palm Beach. At the crossroads of Clematis, Datura, and Flagler, Bradley’s offers spectacular views of the intracoastal waterway from its breezy covered porch. Or enjoy the view from under one of its thatched Tiki huts around the outdoor bar. It’s the ideal spot to share a Sunday meal with your dear ones, reveling in the balmy South Florida heat. Sure, Bradley’s has indoor seating, but why sit inside when you have waterfront property to gaze upon?
My band of brunching beauties and I set off to experience what we thought would certainly be a match made in heaven; Sunday brunch set in paradise. Bradley’s website promised that such a brunch can be yours for under twenty dollars. If a brunch buffet is not your cup of tea, they also offer a regular lunch menu. I am a big fan of the brunch. A magical mixture of breakfast and lunch, served in the late morning. It is the ideal meal for the weary Saturday night party goer. It’s an event to linger over with friends until the afternoon grows late. Sundays and brunch were made for each other.
Let me say this, if you are going to call yourself a “brunch” then you
should have some “lunch” items thrown in with your “breakfast” items. Bradley’s brunch buffet is, in reality, really a standard breakfast buffet containing all the usual suspects; breakfast meats, home fries, biscuits, pancakes and French toast. There is also a continental display with Danishes, yogurt, and fruit. The food, I will say, was good for your average breakfast buffet though the fruit display looked a little tired and in need of sprucing up by the time I got to it. The food is hot, tasty, and plentiful, but, if you are looking for a splendid brunch buffet with WOW-factor, Bradley’s is not the buffet for you.
The highlight of the buffet is the made-to-order waffles. Lighter than air, the waffles are crisp and delicious. In fact, my waffle stayed
crunchy even after being buttered and doused in syrup. I could have eaten just the waffle and have been happy. The omelet station is a nice touch as well and our omelet chef was delightful to chat with while we waited for our eggs to cook.
A few of my dining companions opted to order from the lunch menu. The two burgers ($13/15) our table ordered arrived overcooked, dry, and nothing to write home about. If you want a burger done medium, be sure to ask for medium rare! Served with toasty chunks of baguette, the grilled brie ($14) and fruit platter was delightful with the blackberry balsamic reduction that came drizzled over the cheese. The cheese steak ($14) was well seasoned and tasty, but the bread lacked any character and was rather soggy. I don’t know about you, but I like my cheese steak bun to have some heft.
Overall, Bradley’s is a Saloon, a bar, first and foremost. The food reflects that sentiment. It is pretty good bar food but, if I could make a suggestion to Bradley’s it would be to elevate the brunch and add some dazzle to the buffet line-up. We are a culture of foodies and we want exciting food to go along with our pretty views. Bradley’s is not the epicenter for culinary adventures in West Palm, but you cannot beat the atmosphere and somehow the view helps to make up where the food falters. In my dreams, Bradley’s will kick it up a notch and give our gastronomical-driven masses great food that rivals the view already in place.
Learning how to cook a burger properly wouldn’t hurt either!
In her previous life, Sarah, a Palm Beach County Native, spent ten years working in various high-end eating establishments around South Florida. She is currently a fiction thesis candidate in the MFA program at Florida International University where she also teaches creative writing and rhetoric. If that is not enough, Sarah is also the owner of Cakes by Sarah, a local custom cake shop. Sarah lives in Lake Worth with her husband and two beautiful boys. “Food, fiction, and family are my life.”