Coffman station
Yesterday morning my pretty lady texted me early and suggested we hit the road to visit Lawrenceburg Cemetery to see a few bourbon-related graves before we hit the gym. She was most interested in seeing the grave of Mary Dowling, also known as the “Mother of Bourbon” on the day she died. I was happy to oblige as I strongly felt we would be grabbing brunch at some point. We stopped in Shelbyville for gas and my pretty lady figured there would be some leftover Valentine’s roses in the gas station she could purchase for the cemetery. She was right!
As you may recall I’m a founding member of the French Toast Mafia and remain committed to upholding the honor of French toast. I will never allow pancakes and waffles to rule the breakfast world. I had no idea where we were going to enjoy brunch, but I felt confident I would be enjoying French Toast after a visit to Lawrenceburg Cemetery.
Lawrenceburg, Kentucky is a charming town home to Wild Turkey Distillery and the Ripy Mansion. As we drove down Main Street we noticed a restaurant that seemed to be poppin’ - Coffman Station. I had a feeling after the cemetery visit we would be hitting up that spot for brunch.
As soon as we walked into Coffman Station we were greeted with down-home hospitality and seated in a booth with a red rose in the vase. The romantic vibes from Valentine’s Day were still going strong over the weekend and we were feeling it! I decided to break away from coffee or water and ordered a mimosa. I’m secure in my identity and I look at enjoying a mimosa as a statement of self-assurance.
When the server mentioned their Valentine’s week mimosa special I had to order it. It was called Sunset Mimosa and had Prosecco, Grand Mariner, orange juice, and raspberry syrup. The Sunset Mimosa was not only eye-catching it was refreshing and invigorating.
There was no question I was going to order the French Toast. When I opened up the menu it was the first brunch item listed. It mentioned a side of seasonal cream cheese and spiced maple syrup. Of course, I had to order a side of bacon to meet my daily protein goal!
The egg-battered French toast was the exact level of crispiness on the outside I like! I immediately scooped a generous amount of the maple bourbon cream cheese swiped it across the top of the French toast and then drizzled the spiced maple syrup. It was a no-frills French toast situation I was about to embark on. On a scale of one to ten, Coffman Station’s French toast is a ten.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how great their bacon was and tasted perfectly with the French toast. It was salty, smokey, and savory. I ate it all and did not share one bite with my pretty lady.
I’m sure she didn’t even notice my bacon as she was enjoying her dish quite a bit. My pretty lady ordered the eggs benedict with two poached eggs, a cheddar grit cake, and two pieces of cooked ham with hollandaise sauce. I’m happy to report she loved it. The cheddar grit cake was more in the shape of a scoop ice cream giving her plenty to work with in the sauce. In my opinion, the hollandaise sauce didn’t quite look like hollandaise sauce, but I didn’t say anything as she was really into it.
While our dining experience at the restaurant was overall delightful, the only complaint would be the absence of a hook in the ladies' restroom!! I could tell by the look on my pretty lady’s face when she made her way back to the booth there was no hook. She did mention the restroom was very clean.
We enjoyed Coffman Station. It was a welcomed change from Wild Eggs and First Watch. There is just something so special about a cozy restaurant on downtown Main Street in a small town.
