Every now and then you stumble upon a hole-in-the-wall diner that if you didn’t Google “food near me” when you are nearby you wouldn’t know it exists. That’s exactly what happened the first time we tried Maryanne’s a couple of years ago. We were going to see some friends in Mexico, NY and our original breakfast plans got nixed because the diner we were supposed to eat at messed up our reservation and they were booked out for two hours. No big deal, we head towards Mexico from Camillus and Google “breakfast food Phoenix NY” along the way because there ain’t much in Mexico and we have to pass through Phoenix to get there. And thus, we discovered the hidden majesty that is Maryanne’s Country Time Café tucked away in a small Plaza with some other random businesses just off a main road in Phoenix.
Ever since that first time, we’ve been hooked. It’s our favorite breakfast joint around for some delicious, home-style cooking. The place is tiny and seats 56 people packed in and is covered in kitschy decor and pink walls, but don’t let the looks deceive you. These guys and gals know what they are doing. Maryanne is on the floor at all times taking tables and bustling around as if she didn’t own the place and I was amazed to learn that they had been open for over 30 years, but that just speaks to the testament of how good everything they do is. We’ve been back several times since that first accidental visit in the pre-Covid days and have seen the same people working every time we come in, cooks included.
We wanted to get breakfast on Sunday and I needed some old-school sausage gravy and biscuits in my life, so we went out to Maryanne’s because they have the absolute best sausage gravy and biscuits breakfast I have ever had. I will judge the absolute hell out of a restaurant on their sausage gravy and the first time I had theirs I knew it was true love. Only available on the weekends and it sells out quickly, their sausage gravy is absolutely perfect. Thick, creamy, flavorful white gravy loaded with crumbled breakfast sausage heaped over two massive house-made biscuits and a large portion of home fries, this plate is absolutely intimidating. As someone who has been cooking his whole life, I cannot fathom how they are able to practically give away food in such massive portions for the prices they charge. I have ordered this dish probably 7 or 8 times and I have finished it once. The gravy is always a perfect thick and gooey consistency with just the right amount of salt. The biscuits are dense and flavorful and have such a perfect sear to the bottom that even smothering them in gravy they still hold up the light crunch. The home fries add a nice layer of saltiness and texture to go with the gravy and are always perfectly crispy on the outside and tender in the middle. I add two over easy eggs to my order every time because the savoriness of the runny yolk just melds perfectly with everything and every time the eggs are absolutely spot on. This is a mountain of heavenly bliss on a breakfast plate.
Chelsea decided to go with a simple breakfast of their Breakfast Special #1 of three slices of French toast, extra crispy bacon and a side order of their house-made bread. Oh yeah, did I mention they MAKE THEIR OWN BREAD? And it is incredible. It’s dense and mildly chewy compared to standard white bread, but it is packed with so much delicious flavor and generously buttered with each order. Unfortunately they don’t sell it by the loaf, trust me I have tried on several occasions to leave with an entire loaf and have yet to succeed. One of these days…. But yeah, back to the French toast. The house-made bread is only served as toast, but the French toast is made using big ol thick Texas Toast and has the perfect amount of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla in the egg batter. It’s always perfectly cooked, never coming out dry or overly wet. Chelsea’s bacon was cooked perfectly to her extra crispy heart’s desire. She dipped the house-made toast in my sausage gravy in between bites of her French toast while we washed it all down with freshly brewed coffee.
As we went to head out with our bellies full and half of my breakfast in a to-go box, we decided to get some of their house-made pie and cookies to take home. Because that’s a thing they do as well. Chelsea decided on a slice of cherry pie while I opted for butterscotch pie and we ended up with one massive chocolate chip and one massive oatmeal raisin cookie. I did not see the pies got boxed, so imagine our surprise when there was literally 1/6th of a pie in each container. The pies have a perfectly cooked crust and are thick with filling. The cookies, much like the bread, are dense and mildly chewy but have the right amount of sweetness and aren’t too sugary. Overall, with two breakfasts, two coffees, two pieces of pie, two cookies and 25% tip, we walked out paying $65. That’s unheard of in this day and age compared to the amount of food we got. Add in impeccable service, insanely friendly staff who recognize their regulars no matter how long it’s been since you’ve been in and the most relaxing, comfortable atmosphere regardless of how packed the place is and you’ve got a recipe for success. Maryanne’s Country Time Café is easily in our top 3 breakfast places in the greater Syracuse area. Try the sausage gravy and if you are feeling brave, tackle one of their omelettes because they consume the entire plate just like the sausage gravy. 10/10, you absolutely cannot go wrong eating here.
23 County Rte 6, Phoenix, NY 13135
(315) 695-6605