Granite City

72 West Towne Mall, Madison, Wis., 829-0700

Food: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: 3 out of 5 stars
Value: 3 out of 5 stars
Drinks: 3 out of 5 stars

Sometimes you just need a place to go and stuff your face full of food. If this is your preference, Granite City is a great value. This chain brew pub is located in West Towne Mall. It was crowded at 11 a.m., but we were able to get seated immediately with a smaller party. It's $15 brunch buffet includes a modest but well-prepared array of breakfast favorites as well as some roast beef and a creamy pasta that neither my dining companion nor I couldn't bring ourselves to sample.

My personal favorites from the buffet included the deliciously creamy Baked Reggianno Hash Browns, crispy thick-cut bacon, biscuits and gravy (and I don't generally fancy gravy at breakfast), a savory egg scramble and a cake-like french toast. My pal Kris favored the ample sausage links, her well-balanced mimosa and the savory egg scramble with ham. She also commented that she preferred french toast to be cooked on the eggy side, so we disagreed about the texture but both liked the flavor and the warm syrup.

While there was much to enjoy at this all-you-can-eat buffet, there were a few areas that could use improvement.

1. My $3.50 bloody mary was bitter with an almost watery consistency and the bock beer chaser tasted flat.

2. The "seasonal fruit" at the buffet consisted of some sliced cantaloupe and some large, but poorly prepped sliced strawberries with some leaves still attached.

3. It appears as though they get their baked goods from Sam's Club. The croissants were small and starchy and tasted as if they were previously frozen and the caramel rolls which are brought to the table without being requested were a step down from a Cinnabon.

The one unique item in the buffet was the Eggs Benedict bar. Diners can choose from a handful of Benedicts - from traditional to tex-mex to veggie. I opted for the veggie and while I liked the mushrooms, the overbearing Hollandaise sauce was a little gross. I do think it's a clever idea to keep a buffet line moving though, and if I went back I'd likely enjoy a plain poached egg on an english muffin.

Overall I'd say the brunch is good, but definitely not worth $15 unless you plan on eating a lot of meat, meat and sugar. I will probably still dream about their hash browns, which were fantastic, and I do appreciate the fact that they have a small amount of items that are well prepared (with the exception of baked goods) rather than a lot of items that are poorly prepared (a la Country Kitchen).

If you have a family a big eaters or want to treat Mom to a Mother's Day of brunch and shopping at the mall, this is a great place to get your fill. If you usually have a modest plate at brunch (1 or 2 eggs, some meat and toast) you'll probably feel like you paid too much.