Wholey Granoly
This week we hit up Wholey Granoly in Bolingbrook. Remember that each week, the person selecting the restaurant prepares a conversation-starter question. This week's question was how would you protect an egg if you were dropping it for a school science experiment? Perhaps a breakfast variation of this would be: who do you trust to protect the deliciousness of an egg breakfast? Our resounding answer would be Wholey Granoley. These folks know their way around a skillet.
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QUICK STATS
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
Price Range: $$
Best For: Folks craving healthy options and well-prepared breakfast staples
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BEHIND OUR RATINGS
Food Quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
We love this place. It's part of our regular rotation that has been somewhat neglected since we've embarked on the SSBC quest (review a different breakfast place each week for a year). That said, it was a joy to return - and we're happy to see the tables filled. People are figuring out this place is the real deal.
If you do the staples well, it says something. We've seen a lot of places screw up eggs. Wholey Granoley knows their way around eggs - and if you're going to be a breakfast place, you've got to do coffee well and you've got to do eggs well. In this case, they do both.
Service: ⭐⭐⭐ [3/5]
Here's the thing: we’re reviewing a favorite of ours, and so in some ways, it's a lot like a surgeon operating on a family member (i.e. there are ethical implications in doing so). We fully acknowledge this. Our approach, similar to how we’ve reviewed other favorites, is that ratings for the review must be based on this visit alone.
So while we’re always had good luck with service here, this particular visit was only good, not great. We're slightly worried they're growing faster than they're staffing. Our server was nice but perhaps a little stretched - she didn't introduce herself, and everything was slow coming out. On more than one occasion, our coffee cups runneth dry. In a very smart play, someone of authority noticed our sad, coffee-deprived faces and brought over a pot, so we have confidence they'll address this quickly.
Overall PSA to all restaurants: JUST LEAVE THE POT.
Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
It's an odd layout in a strip mall - they're doing their best to make the split entrance work for them (one dining; one pickup). It makes sense once you realize it used to be a Panera. The first time we visited I was worried the Ghost of Mixed-up Orders would still haunt the place, but thankfully it followed the Panera to their new location down the street.
The restaurant is clean and bright.
Noise Level: ⭐⭐⭐ [3/5]
On this visit, we sat in a booth immediately adjacent to the kitchen door. As best as we can figure, someone was using an industrial vacuum or Dyson hair dryer back there - maybe a smoothie machine? All of the tables got into a shouting match to hear one another over the noise. They should relocate that to the front area (pickup) because otherwise it's fine.
Value for Money: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
Reasonably priced, on par with breakfast places in the area.
Wait Time: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
We got right in, no issues.
Kid-Friendly: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
Birthday cake waffles? Yes please!
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WHAT WE ORDERED
Sunny had the birthday cake waffles with crispy bacon. He found the waffles delicious!
Court started with coffee which is a good breakfast variety, a little bolder side. He also had the signature latte - pistachio flavored with macadamia nut milk. Really tasty, went down easy. He had the baked potato skillet and didn't leave a sliver - it was perfect. Whatever sauce was on there (like a chipotle sauce) was the perfect spicy blend. The potatoes were cooked perfectly, the eggs, everything on the skillet was great.
Kay had two eggs scrambled with bacon, English muffin with butter and blackberry jam, and fruit as a side instead of hash browns. Eggs were done perfectly - very good and soft. Bacon was delicious and excellent. Fruit was really good - the grapes were very fresh and the strawberries tasted very sweet.
As for me (Bridget), I had two eggs scrambled, fruit, plus a side of pancakes and hash browns. Again, if you do the staples well, it says something. The hash browns were good. Note to pancakes connoisseurs: these are just a bit crispy, just enough to be unique and distinguish them in that capacity. Kudos!
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THE BOTTOM LINE
Our Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
What Made Us Smile:
It makes us smile to see this place packed. It's a favorite in our rotation, and while it means sharing our best-kept-secret, we're A-OK with that. Also, fun fact: we realized that we came up with the idea for SSBC here!
What Could Be Better:
Not (yet) a ding against them, just a caution: as this place grows in popularity, they should ensure they're equipped to handle it.
Will the SSBC Be Back?
It is a certainty.
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Well, that's a wrap from your SSBC! Thanks for reading and please endeavor to be as gracious a guest as you expect of your establishment. Mind your manners, tip well, and if you linger during peak times (as we sometimes do), order lots and tip even better.
If you'd like to recommend a place for us to visit, drop us a line on our contact page.