Nayhely’s Place

Old School

This neighborhood restaurant is open every day from 7 a.m. until mid-afternoon, making it a breakfast/lunch joint. It’s set far back from the street, deep inside a small business park called Maria’s Properties. As a result, there’s no curb appeal to draw people in. Anyone driving by and looking for a place to eat wouldn’t give this location a second glance. It doesn’t look like there’s a restaurant tucked back there among massage parlors, hair salons, and a computer repair shop. In fact, I accidentally drove past it even though I was using Google Maps. I assumed it had to be next door in the Ziegler Center with Blind Onion.

Inside is a well-lit, no-frills diner. Two men tag-teamed friendly interactions with the two other occupied tables. I ordered a side of biscuits and gravy, two over-easy eggs, and coffee. A carafe of joe was delivered to my table along with sugar. Surprisingly, the table was missing artificial sweetener, but I didn’t inquire because I always carry Splenda.

The biscuits and gravy with eggs met expectations, and I enjoyed them. The coffee was okay. It’s a pay-at-the-counter kind of place. I noticed the price for coffee was higher at the register than on the menu—$3.99 vs. $3.50—but I didn’t make a fuss.

The Verdict:
Being across town, I don’t see myself returning, but Nayhely’s Place is a good spot for people nearby to have a bite in a quiet setting. They don’t have a website, and their Facebook page is hard to find and hasn’t been updated in years. But that’s okay. Nayhely’s has a loyal following. Their regulars find it via muscle memory and probably don’t need the menu because they already know what they’re getting.