Ryan F.
Yelp
Grabbed a late breakfast at Wagon's West on Sunday afternoon. Shared an order of French Toast, a half order of Biscuits & Gravy, and the Wagons West Steak Benedict.
Quality
Wagon's West is an old-school diner that serves up all your favorite breakfast foods. We started with the French Toast, thick slices of bread covered in powdered sugar, served with a heap of butter. Once buried with maple syrup it is all you could ask for. A half order of Biscuits & Gravy comes with two good-sized biscuits soaked with a hearty sausage gravy. It needed a bit of salt and pepper sprinkled on top, but otherwise was a solid dish. Finally there is the main event, the Wagons West Steak Benedict. Potatoes, diced onions, tomatoes with sliced skirt steak, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce on top. It is a huge helping and comes with a side of toast. Even thinly sliced, the skirt steak comes out cooked perfectly, tender and tasty. The different elements of the dish blend together well and the hollandaise while light was a perfect topping.
Quantity
No matter what dish you order it is going to be massive. This is a diner steeped in tradition and they know that no customers should leave until they are full.
Value
Wagon's West is known for its breakfast and all of the items on the menu are a bargain. The huge Wagons West Steak Benedict comes in under $15, and considering it had a good 6-8oz steak sliced up on it, a wonderful deal.
Ambiance
Wagon's West is a country themed diner located in a strip mall down in Kendall. It is a cramped space built around the kitchen. On the weekend expect a wait, but they do have chairs set up and a two man band performing country songs. Inside the seating options are a row of booths along the right wall or sit at the bar along the kitchen side. We were put into one of the strangely lifted booths. It requires a step up in order to get into the seat. Every wall in the restaurant is covered with old advertisements, comics, antlers, photos, and any other item you would expect to see at a yard sale. They have several tiny televisions placed near the ceiling, but they were all on random channels showing news shows and telenovelas. I believe music was on in the background, but it was drowned out by the crowd and the sounds of the kitchen.
Crowd
Wagon's West is a popular breakfast spot on the weekends. It was about a ten minute wait when we arrived, but they have chairs and a band while you wait. The guests are primarily older folks, likely long-time patrons, and families. Crying children is a common sounds once you are inside.
Service
Our waitress had no time to even waste a word on us. She took our order and was off and on her way, which I feel like is pretty standard for a classic diner. The bigger issue, one also too common at diners, was the cleanliness. Dirty plates, plastic glasses old as time, and a syrup container caked with stickiness. While I would not expect the world, it should definitely be better.
Parking
Parking is no problem with a large lot for the strip mall. It is oddly arranged, so make sure you are going the right direction when you turn in.
Extra
The reason to visit Wagon's West is the delicious food. You can expect a wait, staff that are pushing you in and out, and less than pristine place settings, but you can also expect some of the best breakfast food in Miami. Make sure to order the namesake benedict.