5 Coins

by Jake

Some may disagree, but like whip cream on a Hot Fudge Sundae, a good conversation can distract from the proper analysis of a plate of biscuits and gravy during any breakfast. This morning Shannon and I found ourselves torn between a discussion with a few of our friends on much more weightier matters than the intricacies of whether the gravy tasted like it came from a bag. But in keeping our motives to review the B&G close in our pockets, we silently took our notes noticing all the non-verbal cues that set apart a good gravy from a great one.

When you’ve tasted one bagged gravy you’ve tasted them all. I hate to say it but 5 Coins offered nothing to be remembered. Now this doesn’t necessary mean that you’d be wasting your time, but it does mean that you shouldn’t make a special trip. The service was great, although, I made it almost a game to finish my cup of coffee before our waitress could top it back off. I could see that Shannon found the same game to be a thrill as his eyes dilated from the absurd amount of coffee he drank. It brought back memories of being in high school and playing the Buckle Game in the Mall. Oh, those childish times; and yes I didn’t mistype. I was in high school. So onto the review

Here is the short of it.
Gravy:  pleasant cracked pepper taste, but definitely bagged
Sausage:  tasteful, but on the ordinary side
Biscuits:  the best part of the entire plate
Coffee:  It left Shannon jittery, so it was good for me

by Shannon

Several months ago I ate at the 5 Coins restaurant, and even had their biscuits and gravy; however, my memory leaks worse than a colander, so I was excited to go back and try them again.

We had a superstar waitress who was very prompt and never let our coffee cups get more than half empty (more on that later). Our wait was short and the portion was pretty typical of what you would expect—two biscuits cut in half and covered in a blanket of creamy goodness. 

I always anticipate that first bite in the same way I did when I opened that first Christmas gift as a boy. There is something exciting about the anticipation and uncertainty of whether this is going to be the finest plate I’ve ever eaten or one that is just clogging my arteries with no benefit to my taste buds. As I cut the first biscuit with the edge of my fork, scooped up a glob of gravy and slid it into my mouth, I was neither disappointed nor dazzled. But, it was slightly above average in my book.

The biscuit was—once again—a bit cakey (when will I ever get a nice flaky biscuit?). The gravy was the star of this show as it was nicely seasoned with just a tiny kick on the back of my mouth from the pepper. The sausage was the perfect size and at no point did I consider NOT finishing the serving that was given to me. By the time I was finished I was satisfied and full.

As for the coffee. I am one to rarely drink caffeinated coffee, but because we were meeting at 6:30 a.m. and I had woken up late, I decided to drink one cup to get the cobwebs out. Well, because I was so engrossed in the conversation as well as the food itself, and because our waitress was an overachiever, I estimate that I drank between four and six cups total. This may have affected my excitement for the b&g, but it most certainly made me a wired mess for the rest of the morning. It was nearly impossible to sit at my desk without twitching, so I went outside and did some gardening just to release some steam. Of course, later in the day I completely crashed and was worthless to the world.

Lesson learned: Like a fine-tuned athlete, I MUST at all costs keep my head in the game and not make rookie mistakes like that again. I feel as though my review is tainted because of my blunder. Nevertheless I give the 5 Coins Restaurant 3.5 Forks for their Biscuits and Gravy and 5…ur 2…uh 3 spoons for their coffee.

5 Coins Restaurant
4358 Sandy Hollow Rd
Rockford, IL
(815) 874-1973‎
 
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