Great Ham and Cheese Omelet
The ham and cheese omelet at The Arcade Restaurant is, in my opinion, the best in town. I like the omelet because of the country ham that it uses. The ham is tender with a mildly sweet taste, accentuated by the griddle frying technique that the Arcade uses. The cooking results in the ham being brown or slightly charred. I usually order this with hash browns and sausage patties that nicely complement the entrée.
As for the other items on the Arcade's menu that I've had, they're okay. Even the Travel Channel favorite "Eggs Redneck" was just average and not nearly as good as the ham and cheese omelet. The one item on the menu that I avoid is the "Famous" Arcade Cheeseburger, which was the worst burger I had ever tasted. I had the burger for lunch several years ago, and it was so bad that I remember it to this day. As far as I can recall, the meat had a sour taste that I just couldn't stomach. I eventually left the burger unfinished (at least the fries relieved some of my hunger). I hope the restaurant made improvements to the burger, but I advise caution to anyone thinking about ordering it.
UPDATE: I have recently (October 23, 2012) had the Arcade Cheeseburger for the second time that was a lot better. Either scroll down or click here to read my mini-review.
Although I go the Arcade most of the time for the ham and cheese omelet, sometimes I stop by just to get a cup of coffee. While the coffee is average, I enjoy the service provided by the friendly staff. They are very attentive, to the point that some of the servers remember my name and what I like to order. Even though I only visit occasionally, the servers never fail in taking care of me. The service, intertwined with Southern charm and the atmosphere of the classic diner, makes The Arcade a Memphis institution worthy of visiting.
Awesome Sweet Potato Pancakes!
Recently, I had the Sweet Potato Pancakes (aka "Sweet Cakes", as it said on my bill), which were divinely delicious. With syrup and butter, the fluffy four-stack more than satisfied my appetite. It was so huge I couldn't eat all of it (I'm glad that I didn't order sides). A Food Network favorite, this is an entrée that I highly recommend, especially if you don't have a lot of money to spend (it cost $4). After the ham and cheese omelet, this is my favorite menu item.
Redemption
I recently had the Arcade Cheeseburger again with better results. This time, the diner prepared and cooked the burger (well done) correctly with proper seasoning. While it is not the best in Memphis or even G.E. Patterson Avenue (that title goes to Double J Smokehouse & Saloon), it is a decent burger. On my scale of five, the Arcade Cheeseburger gets a score of "3½" for being slightly above average. I hope The Arcade can stay consistent with it, because I want to get another one of its burgers soon.
Also, try the Arcade's version of a breakfast pizza. Unlike the other pizzas on the menu, the breakfast pizza consists of the typical components that you could find in an "egg scramble" like green peppers, tomatoes, onions and of course, scrambled eggs on top of a flaky thin crust and held together by melted cheese. In eating it, the pizza held together for the most part and was decent as a breakfast meal. If you haven't had it, give it a try.
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