Best of OSU: Hangover Easy reigns as Ohio State’s one-stop brunch spot

Chase-Anthony Ray, Sydney Riddle, Rachel Bules
Thu, 28 Mar 2019 03:20:56 +0000
Arts & Life, Best of OSU, News, best brunch, breakfast, brunch squad, chicken and waffles, Columbus, featured, food, french toast, hangover easy, Ohio, ohio state, Pancakes, restaurant, sausage skillet, top spot, winner

Hangover Easy, located on Neil Ave., features a variety of breakfast foods. Credit: Chase Ray | Arts & Life Editor

The Lantern brunch squad headed to best brunch winner Hangover Easy Wednesday morning to give our takes on Ohio State’s most popular stop for all things brunch. The local favorite is known for its cheap prices, huge delicious pancakes (that come in special seasonal flavors) and simple breakfast options, and overall we were all very satisfied.

Chase’s Pick: Sausage Skillet, $8.99, and Mango Sunrise, $5

Even though I consider my breakfast palate pretty low maintenance, some of my friends call me the “picky” eater (*cough* Syd and Rachel *cough*). I’m a big breakfast guy as it’s easily my favorite meal of the day. The options at breakfast are limitless, and you can get as creative as you want with whatever choices fit your taste buds.

This was my first time at Hangover Easy, and seeing a mix of students with local campus employees, the music memorabilia spread across the walls and a digital jukebox made me feel more comfortable than I’ve ever felt at any other breakfast spot I’ve been to.

I ended up choosing the sausage skillet because I wanted to try something I don’t typically eat for breakfast, like pancakes or French toast, but something that would have a variety of ingredients and be equally as filling. The sausage skillet was filled to the brim of the plate with farm fresh sausage, scrambled eggs, peppers, onions, tomatoes, HOE fries, mushrooms and topped with queso and a biscuit on the side.

I know this sounds like a strange concoction, but all of the flavors blended together so well that I barely noticed any of the veggies. My drink was heavily vodka and OJ-based, and it wasn’t too strong that it overshadowed the food — it was the perfect complement to my meal. Overall, it was a great and filling meal, and it’s definitely a recipe I will (horribly) try to recreate at home.

Sydney’s Pick: Chicken and Waffles, $9.99, and Spicy Bloody Mary, $5

The name “Chicken and Waffles” doesn’t do it justice. It’s more than fried chicken on top of a Belgian waffle. It’s hot sauce maple-glazed fried chicken on top of a Belgian waffle, and it’s delicious. Every time I eat at Hangover Easy, I act like I have self-control and arrive with the intention to try something on the menu other than the Chicken and Waffles, and every time I fail. It holds that kind of power over you. It encompasses everything I see when I envision my personal utopian brunch experience. I love to add a little kick to my food — I’m a huge fan of jalapenos and Sriracha — but I’m not a maniac who orders the hottest flavor wing sauce on the menu just to get their picture hung up on a wall at a Winking Lizard. I’m also a fan of sweet food — pancakes, waffles, french toast and so on — but need something savory to balance it out.

Hangover Easy does that for me. The sweet and spicy ratio is perfect, the waffle playing an Oscar-deserving supporting role to the heat of the chicken.

It’s also responsible for converting me from team mimosa to team Bloody Mary. Theirs is what I’d describe as chuggable. I get the spicy version and always add an extra dab of hot sauce and sprinkle of pepper. The only thing I don’t approve of are the two green olives that come as a garnish.

I’m not surprised Hangover Easy won. It covers every facet of brunch culture. It’s affordable, the physical space has a certain attitude people are drawn to, and, more importantly, it has the best chicken and waffles in the entire world. If you disagree, you’re wrong.

Rachel’s Pick: Whole Lotta Goodness, $8.50, and Kentucky Sunrise, $5

I love Hangover Easy — my usual order is the breakfast quesadilla, which is bomb. But for this, I wanted to pick something I’d never eaten before. I tried the “Whole Lotta Goodness,” and sorry, breakfast quesadilla, but I might never look back.

This dish consisted of all of my favorite breakfast items piled on top of each other. It was two slices of French toast topped with a sausage patty, a surprisingly good cheese spread, a sunny side egg and served with a side of HOE fries. I substituted the sausage patty for bacon because that sounded better to me. ?

I popped the yolk all over everything because that’s the only way you can eat runny eggs — egg yolk is nature’s multipurpose condiment — and taking a bite of syrupy French toast after a bite of potatoes and bacon really met all of my sweet and savory needs. I washed this all down with a cocktail I’d never tried called the “Kentucky Sunrise,” which was just a tequila sunrise (OJ and grenadine) with bourbon as the substitute of tequila. It was actually really good, but I wouldn’t recommend if you dislike bourbon.

Anyway, trying new menu items really just solidified my feelings for Hangover Easy, and I can confirm that this place rightfully earned the title of “Best Brunch.”