COLUMN: Herm’s is a hit waiting to happen
A few weeks ago I was approached in the Taggart Student Center by a fellow student who asked, “You’re the guy who writes that restaurant column, right?” Admittedly, my initial internal reaction went something like, “Oh, crap. Who did I piss off this time?” Fortunately, the gentleman had simply stopped me to suggest a new breakfast and lunch spot that happens to be located in a somewhat secluded area.
The place I’m talking about is Herm’s Inn, which occupies the historical fuel station and eatery that went by the same name many years ago. Herm’s – a place I predict will give new meaning to the phrase “best kept secret” – can be found hiding on the east end of Canyon Road, kind of close to First Dam. As soon as you know where it is, it’s likely you won’t forget it.
The first time I made the trip there, I showed up at 6 p.m. and realized the place is only open until 2 p.m. The next time I made it well before closing time and had a seat at the counter – I was given the choice to sit in one of two separate dining areas, but when I’m alone in a new place, I’ll opt for the counter if they have one – some people refer to it as a bar, but since Herm’s doesn’t serve alcohol, I have a hard time calling it such.
Any time I visit a new breakfast joint in the West or Southwest, I make a point of trying the “huevos rancheros.” Huevos rancheros is an authentic Mexican breakfast dish, which translated means rancher eggs, or ranch-style eggs. It usually comes with eggs, scrambled, fried or sunny-side up, fried potatoes, beans, salsa, avocado, sour cream and sometimes cheese, all served over tortillas.
The best huevos rancheros I’ve ever had were served to me at The Bunnery in Jackson Hole, Wyo. I’ve also had excellent huevos in Moab, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. Ironically, I found out from the woman who took care of me at Herm’s that the place in Salt Lake City that served me huevos rancheros – called Eggs in the City – is owned by the same people who own Herm’s. Knowing this and knowing how much I like the eggs from Eggs in the City, I figured Herm’s would inevitably impress me. Especially since I got the impression that the woman who served me is a co-owner.
This wasn’t the first time I’ve been waited on by the owner of a restaurant. In fact, since I began writing this food column, I’ve been waited on by owners three times now. You can’t always expect excellent service when an owner serves you; however, my overall experience at Herm’s was pleasant. My server, the co-owner, said one of the most popular breakfast dishes ordered at Herm’s is biscuits and gravy. I also took notice of the special board, which advertised a daily macaroni and cheese special – Thursday’s being artichoke and goat cheese.
The Herm’s menu is a simple one that appears concise yet appetizing, offering the typical breakfast and lunch fare with a contemporary Western American twist. It didn’t take long, though, for me to home in on huevos rancheros. I promised my server I would let her know which of her two restaurants served the better huevos – by a narrow margin, the winner was Eggs in the City. Her explanation: An “authentic Mexican” cooks the eggs in the Salt Lake City restaurant. I still enjoyed my breakfast at Herm’s, which also offers free refills on Dr Pepper, and I plan to return soon.
I’m still going to give Herm’s an A-minus because of a couple of minor flaws that I’m sure any restaurant is susceptible to. The first is actually a sign that Herm’s – which has only been open for one month – is doing great business. When I walked in, I was greeted and seated almost immediately, but the place was slammed for the duration of my stay. For this reason, the kitchen found itself in the weeds the entire time – this means it took awhile for food to be prepared and make it to tables. I didn’t wait incredibly long, but 15-20 minutes for breakfast is slightly longer than most people would like to wait or have time for.
Another problem I had was with the sketchy looking sour cream that came with my food; I actually thought it was cottage cheese at first. I don’t usually use sour cream anyway, and it was served on the side, so I didn’t have a major problem with this. It just didn’t look too appetizing.
The woman who greeted me and the woman who served me were both super nice and seemed eager to answer questions and accommodate my needs. The restaurant appears exceptionally new and clean – clearly the building was either completely rebuilt or at least went through a major demo and overhaul. As I said before, I was also impressed with the simple but alluring menu. Because Cache Valley doesn’t have a whole bunch of unique breakfast joints, be sure to give Herm’s a try.
– dan.whitney.smith@aggiemail.usu.edu