I was last at The Coffin Bar about a month after it opened, going with Graham and Jonathan for dinner. We had a great time. There were some of the hiccups you’d expect of a newly opened restaurant, but nothing major.
This time, though, it was time for brunch! Alex hadn’t been to The Coffin Bar yet and I hadn’t had a proper brunch there. Lunch yes, but not brunch. With me about to jet off to another continent, him having just left a long-term position, and it being the 34th anniversary of my now-defunct marriage, we were both ready to have a relaxed meal in a happily kitschy environment and just chill.
Parking in Lancaster proper is a pain in the neck. I did find something about a block away from the restaurant, but I never seem to have much luck when I attempt street parking. Alex got there a little after I did and we settled in at our table with dead flowers arranged in a bud vase.
We started with a Body & Blood Shot, which came complete with a communion wafer. The shot itself was pretty good! Definitely on the different side, which was what we were looking for.
We started with kimchi fries and they were wonderful! Everything is made in-house, including the sauces, and the fries are vegan. The gochujang made the kimchi just this side of sweet without making it overly so. The fries themselves are addictive. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. There was nothing left on the plate by the time we were done.
Of course, what do you have with brunch but a Bloody Mary? I had mine with vodka and Alex had his with gin. We both asked for the Holy Water hot sauce, which gave them a nice little kick.
For our mains, I went with Wrath, which was buttermilk biscuits in the shape of coffins, served with chorizo poblano gravy and scrambled eggs. I am not a big fan of eggs at all, so I asked for mine to be prepared “so hard it makes the chef cry”. I know, terrible. I fully own that this is not a good thing and I should be excoriated for it. French omelets and I are not good friends because they are so soft. I often ask for my eggs to be done very hard and they rarely come out that way. This time they did. The chorizo gravy was wonderful and spicy and there was just so much food I could only eat half the plate. I had no more room, especially after the fries!
Alex ordered Greed, a ribeye benedict served with black truffle hollandaise, poached eggs, and potatoes. I had a taste of the ribeye, ciabatta, and hollandaise and it was everything you’d want in a steak benedict. The ribeye was done perfectly and the black truffle complemented the meat and ciabatta very well. Alex’s plate was empty by the end of the meal.
While we skipped dessert because we were both stuffed, we were tempted by the Breakfast Shot. This is bourbon and butterscotch, with an OJ chaser. This intrigued us both. I wish I had taken shots of our faces after having this, though. We both drank the bourbon/butterscotch, then chased it with the OJ, and stopped, heads titled to consider what we had just experienced. The OJ changed the shot entirely. Suddenly, it tasted like we’d just finished pancakes, with maple syrup lingering on the taste buds.
What a fun and delightful meal. I’m looking forward to going back again. The hiccups in service are gone. Our server was wonderful and attentive and had lots of information for us regarding the items on the menu. If there is anything to complain about, it’s the state of the restrooms. From the experiences each of us had, we can say that this needs to be addressed. The lock on the men’s room didn’t work and the ladies’ room was not very clean. Nothing major, but enough that we did talk about it at the table.
Outside of that, though? We loved the food and the service and will be back. Go for the kitsch. Stay for the food. Come back because the service is delightful.
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