This is a brunch rating, and I am occasionally willing to tolerate long wait times for brunch. Waiting is the hardest part here; everything else is good. You can judge accordingly.
My mom's favorite meal is brunch, and she not only lives some distance from Seattle, but she's generally not an early riser. This means that when she comes to town for brunch, it's usually right at the peak of business for good brunch spots. I love getting to see my mom, so I've just gotten used to this, though with friends I often try to eat earlier or go to places that aren't crushed on weekend mornings (I eat a lot of Asian food on the weekends, as it turns out--though dim sum is as bad as good omelet places).
One of the primary cool things about Hudson is that they are in the middle of nowhere. Not only are there are no other neighborhoody bacon and egg places for miles in any direction, but there's really no neighborhood, either. It's almost all industrial and aircraft around here, not residential. The fact that they've occupied a welcoming little perch in the middle of all this instantly makes you feel like you've figured out a cool fact, if not a secret.
There's a little bit of parking, and a couple benches where you can sit while you wait. Inside, you put your name on the list, help yourself to coffee, possibly score one of the chairs in the waiting area. It's a bit noisy in here, but smells amazing.
There's a big bar, serving beer and drinks all day, right in the middle of the joint. There are tables and booths too. The staff are just the nicest, friendliest people. They all pretty much look like they go out a lot--the hair and makeup and jewelry make me feel like I'm at a live music show. They draw in all kinds of oddballs here, and they're warm and loving with their regulars. There are plenty of square-looking people here, too (I'm on that list), and they're pretty damn warm and loving with newcomers, too. The neighborhood vibe here is bona fide.
Between us, we had the bacon and eggs, and the shrimp and grits, and the francesca scramble. The menu is fairly short, maybe a couple dozen brunch and lunch items. Mostly standards. The bacon, eggs, shrimp, and grits were all big hits; I tried a bite of the grits and they were good, but awfully rich. The Francesca was great; the sausage didn't make it greasy, the greens and veg didn't make it fall apart, the cheese didn't make it chewy. Great toast, solid hash browns. Everything worked together just the way it should.
Two coffees, an iced tea, and three plates of food were $51. Not the cheapest in town, but certainly not crazy expensive. We waited about 45 minutes for a table, which is long enough that I won't come running back every time I'm late for brunch, but I'll definitely be back. read more