Who's Got the Best Eggs Benedict?

For this segment of Chowdown Showdown, I decided to go beyond breakfast basics and search for the best eggs benedict in Yorkville. I do enjoy a good stack of pancakes, but let’s be honest – there are oh-so-many ways to mess up Hollandaise sauce. I took the risk pre-coffee and checked out three local diners on three separate mornings.

, 58 E. Schoolhouse Road.

I started with Southern Belle’s, because it’s in the same shopping center as my gym, . (Yes, I laughed too when I realized a gym is essentially next to a pancake house. On some days, the parking lot smells delicious.)

The pancake house is decorated with cute country paraphernalia, and the servers are generous with the coffee (yay!). They offer a variety of eggs benedicts, including the Shamrock Benedict with corned beef hash, but I chose the Southern Belle’s Benedict. This variation came with bacon, sliced turkey breast and tomato.

The Hollandaise sauce was amazing: a great consistency and good flavor. My only criticism is that the dish was really filling – perhaps too much for breakfast. If you can’t clear your plate, I’d suggest skipping the hash browns, because the Southern Belle’s Benedict was yummy.

The good: The Hollandaise sauce and combination of turkey, bacon and tomato.

The bad: The generous portion might be too hearty for some.

, 102 Stagecoach Trail.

Next, I hit up Silver Dollars when I had a case of insomnia at 5 a.m. Props to the staff for being courteous and quick at such an early hour. The dining area also featured a fireplace, which is a nice touch in cold winter months.

To be adventurous (and because I love portobella mushrooms), I ordered the Portobella Benedict. It was rather disappointing. The menu indicated the mushroom would be stuffed with baby spinach and artichoke, but somehow those ended up mixed with the Hollandaise sauce. I can’t particularly say the combination of artichoke and Hollandaise is something I enjoy. (But it might just be me.)

Considering the restaurant’s website is eatbetterpancakes.com, I’d say you’re better off ordering a pancake specialty (Banana walnut pancakes? The Kendall County Combo of pancakes with crisp apple, crunchy pecans and dried cranberries topped with butter? PB&J Pancakes?) than the Portabella Benedict.

The good: Excellent service and coffee.

The bad: The Hollandaise sauce was disappointing.

, 382 E. Veterans Parkway.

I finished my Tour de Benedict with a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice at Sunfields. (It’s worth the $2.79 price for a glass, in my humble opinion. The fact that, if seated in a certain area, you can see the fresh oranges roll into the machine to be squeezed is just a bonus.)

I ordered the Sunfields Benedict, which featured sausage patties between the English muffin and the poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. I was a little wary of how the sausage would mix with the other flavors, but it was great. It wasn’t too heavy, and it didn’t overpower everything else on my plate. The Hollandaise sauce was good, too.

The good: The combination of sausage patty and Hollandaise sauce.

The bad: Uh, I can’t think of anything bad. It was a pleasant dining experience.

The winner: Southern Belle’s Pancake House. Despite my glowing words for Sunfields, I liked Southern Belle’s Hollandaise sauce the best and enjoyed the combination of turkey, bacon and tomato the best. But each diner offers several variations on eggs benedict, so I suggest you give them a try yourself.