Mansfield has no shortage of brunch spots. Many of them are family-owned and well-beloved (a moment of silence for Joe’s Family Restaurant, which barely survived the horrific traffic construction on Broad Street only to fall victim to the vicissitudes of COVID-19). However, it’s rare for these non-chain spots to serve up ample breakfast options, a full-on lunch, and a generous cocktail menu –– and that’s what sets 360 Brunch House apart.
The menu offers literally anything you could want for a morning meal (eggs, omelets, pancakes, French toast, waffles), along with burgers, panini, and sandwiches. This meant that my table of three sat and pondered our choices just a tetch too long –– the restaurant requests that all diners depart within an hour due to social distance requirements. The social distance spacing inside the restaurant looked to be adequate, with multiple empty tables between the occupied seats.
Our Eggs Benedict snob picked the steak Bennie from among six options. The “tender” filet mignon was described accurately –– the meat cut easily with a fork. I liked the robust seasoning, but if you’re a literal steak-and-potatoes person, you may find the flavors a bit fancy. What was odd was the hollandaise sauce: I’ve never tasted sweet hollandaise before. Lemony or redolent with spices, sure. Here, the nicely thick yellow sauce that clung to the slightly too-done eggs was definitely sweet and in need of salt.
The BST omelet was a delight. Finely chopped tomato and bacon, along with a generous amount of spinach and Swiss cheese, came folded into a generous omelet that could have easily served two. About a third of a perfectly ripe avocado topped the folded goodness, and it was lovely to fan out the slices for a bite of all the flavors. Both the omelet and the Benedict come accompanied by breakfast potatoes. Usually I can take or leave the one-inch chunks of spud (another reason I miss Joe’s: the secret menu deep-fried hash browns). Whether it was the sublime seasoning or the fact that I haven’t had a lot of potatoes lately, these hit the spot.
Pancakes always appeal, and we had high hopes for the cinnamon roll cakes. The top of the order of the three 4-inch diameter cakes was beautifully decorated with a sweet cinnamon icing and a cream cheese frosting. The bottom two pancakes had the hint of a cinnamon swirl in them but nothing elaborate. Fortunately, the generous icing on the first cake was enough sweetness, and the cakes themselves were moist enough not to require syrup. If you’re ordering one pancake as a side just to taste it, be advised that you might as well order the stack, which costs only about $6 more.
360 Brunch House has been open since last winter. Like other restaurants, this family-owned shop is slowly returning to what passes for normal in these times. The one complaint from the visit: the mask hygiene of the two guys tending bar. One had his traditional cloth mask pulled under his nose (effectively nullifying any droplet protection), and the other wore his gaiter jauntily around his neck. At least he sort of pulled the thing up when serving booze. This may not bother you — it certainly didn’t appear to bother the folks who cozied up to the outside bar counter. There’s apparently no regulating patio dining, and the pretty outdoor space was crowded.
Beautiful olive green banquettes and booths, along with glorious green foliage hanging from the ceiling and globe lights, create a seductive, big city vibe in a restaurant that’s just off Highway 360 and Broad Street. Unfortunately, like many Fort Worth restaurants, 360 Brunch House suffers from a shortage of available parking, at least in the front of the strip mall, where the joint shares parking access with a nail salon, a hair salon, and a couple of other chain restaurants. Even if you’re not up for splitting a mimosa flight ($40, serves you and five buddies) on the patio, odds are you’ll find something tasty on the lengthy menu.
360 Brunch House
Steak Benedict $15
Cinnamon roll pancakes $10
BST omelet $10
Side pancake $4
