The Florida Foodie
Revisiting an Old Face in a New Place . . . John G’s
By Saucy Sarah
As a native of this area I can remember driving by John G’s old location, at Lake Worth beach, as a girl. People would stand in a line that wrapped clear 
around the strip mall, waiting for their famous breakfast selections that arrived to your table in heaping mounds, enough for two or three to share easily. It is safe to say that John G’s is a legend in these parts. When Lake Worth beach began its facelift (AKA years of construction), John G’s headed a bit south to a much more posh address in Manalapan, just across from Lantana Beach and the Ritz Carlton in the Plaza Del Mar. With a new location and a fresh start, I was eager to visit and see if John G’s was the breakfast mecca I remembered in my youth.
The new restaurant is much more spacious than the tiny storefront of the past. From the outside, you feel as if you are about to enter some upscale place, but once you step through the doors you are almost surprised to find an unpretentious café atmosphere with the classic mirrored back wall, open kitchen, and sparse nautical décor. There was no line the day I went with my family and we were seated immediately on a Tuesday. It was cheerful and sunny and we were all hungry and in the mood to chow down on their notorious big breakfast entrees.
The portions are still quite big. My Aunt and I ordered French toast; one plain and one order of their famous cinnamon nut. Both plates arrived with hearty portions of thick cut egg-dipped brioche bread – well-cooked. The cinnamon nut was crusted with almonds and both arrived with warm maple syrup. We enjoyed both. Another highlight was the peameal bacon – a Canadian delicacy of center cut pork loin coated in a thin crust of cornmeal and fried was delightful and perfectly cooked.
As for the rest of our breakfast items, John G’s has some work to do if they plan to stay in Manalapan. The fruit cup that you can choose as an accompaniment with your meal is canned fruit. I was taken aback when the small dish arrived with canned pears and other assorted fruits soaked in heavy syrup. Here in Florida, we are privileged to have fresh fruit all year round. I don’t think there is a place for a canned fruit dish at a restaurant in Manalapan unless you are one of the cafeterias that provide chocolate pudding alongside the fruit salad at the buffet. I was pleased to have a slice of fresh cantaloupe and watermelons that accompanied my French toast and that did redeem my favor a bit. I say get rid of the fruit cup or have it as a side for those who like fruit that has sat in a can for who knows how long, but don’t offer it as a choice for each entrée.
Although I did enjoy the heaping mound of hash browns that I ordered on the side, it became clear very quickly that pre-frozen hash brown patties had been deep fried and smashed together to try and hide the fact that no actual fresh potatoes had been peeled and diced at John G’s. We also had an ongoing issue with the bacon. My mother’s side of bacon came to the table completely charred and unsuitable to eat. We asked to have it remade, and the second batch came out a bit better, but still burnt. We gave up after that. As for the eggs – in my mind, eggs should be a test of a good breakfast joint and both my and my mother’s requests for “over-easy” and “basted” came out overcooked. 
Although I am a foodie, I am not a food snob; however, I do expect a legendary breakfast café located in a high-end area to offer fresh food and resist the temptation to offer frozen and canned items. We have a higher level of expectations nowadays and a much more discerning palate. So I say only go to John G’s if you are prepared for what you will get. I hope they will change their ways and focus on fresh produce from now on and master the art of frying eggs and bacon!
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.”