The Fryn’ Pan Family Restaurant on 12th street began as an offshoot of Country Kitchen in the 1970s and now has 7 locations in the Dakota’s and Minnesota.  It is locally owned and operated and open 24 hours a day with free wifi.   They also offer a senior discount, have a kid’s menu and a large salad bar from 11am to 11pm.  When we entered the large place the salad bar was to our right and a bakery counter was in front of us as we waited to be seated.   There also was a large free parking lot, music in the background, carpet on the floor, art on the walls and a combination of booth and table options.  Service was efficient and outstanding.  It’s the kind of place that when  you order coffee they bring your first cup and leave an insulated pot on the table for refills.  Friendly servers knew and chatted with some regular customers, but it still felt a little sterile.  It is quite inexpensive with generous plating so if you’re traveling and need a quick, fill-up and one pops up near you, it’s an acceptable option.

Set-Up

Food

The Fryn’ Pan Breakfast was on a menu called “Rise n Shine” that I couldn’t find on their website.  It included two hotcakes, two eggs your way, two strips of bacon and and you could add hash browns for just $.99 so we did.  One of us got over easy eggs and the other sunny side up.  The whipped butter came in a plastic cup and syrup was some generic sticky stuff.  The bacon was a bit underflavored but the eggs were cooked nicely.  The pancakes were in between thick and thin but only okay in flavor.  The hashbrowns were browned on both sides and the oil didn’t taste especially fresh but they were edible.  It wasn’t the worst but it certainly wasn’t the best.  Mostly I’d call it edible, cheap and generous.