Restaurant Review- The Oak Table

An institution in Sequim, no one has anything bad to say about this restaurant.  It is so unassailable as the market leader that it can charge $12 for an omelet.  It must be a damn good omelet huh?  

Located just off Washington Ave, it presents a nice, understated look that fits right in on the seam it occupies between the mainstreet and residential street it straddles. Inside the decor it kinda rustic- almost too country cute, but not quite. More like what a nice grandma's house would look.  The clientele adds to that effect.  Except for the visiting grandkids, anyone under 60 would be the kids.  

Service is quite good, and servers are quite long term.  Not the crusty long term truck stop kind, but the kind where it is likely mom raised the family working here, and now her grown daughters are doing the same.  They know what they are doing, and do it with a smile.  They also know just about everyone in the place, contributing to the "grandma's house" atmosphere.  As you would expect, coffee cups are kept full, and at $2.25 a cup they damn well better be.  The banter with servers is just right- whatever the customer wants.  Oh, and the servers' style of dress?  Also balanced- country cute light.


The Oak Table specializes in breakfast food, particularly pancakes.  They make several kinds, and all are expertly done- Swedish, German style potato pancakes, buttermilk, and flapjacks.  I may have missed a type or two, or if your fave isn't included in the list, I bet they can make em.  The omelets and scrambles are really, really well conceived.  They don't have every combination everyone has ever heard of, but they are all balanced in flavor, light, fresh, and perfectly cooked.  The best reason to go the to Oak Table is the bacon.  It may be the best bacon ever.  Thick, tasty, not over cured or flavored, and absolutely perfectly cooked.  Dark, rendered, moist and chewey.  No one makes better bacon, the reason for breakfast.  


That $2.25 coffee?  It's like grandma's too- OK.  Not good, but OK.  Of course served with it is heavy cream.  It rolls out of the tiny little pitcher like honey.  It hits the coffee, dives to the bottom and erupts back to the surface in tiny columns of white.  Stir it and watch it swirl before dissolving.  Maybe its worth it.  


The pancakes?  All are as good as they should be.  None are "the best ever" good, but all are good.  Flavor, cooking, quantity, and getting to the table hot.  The syrup is maple syrup.  Not colored corn syrup.  The potato pancakes are properly served with apfel sauce, and are as good as about any restaurant.  


If you go here, stick to breakfast food, the rest of the menu is un-remarkable.


So is an omelet worth $12 here?  Once in a while.  We do go back when looking for a mid-day special occasion, and if we have people in town, this is on the list of 3 places we can go and count on having a good experience.  I just can't imagine going here frequently enough to be known by the servers.