My son and his buddy, who had stayed overnight - both Fifth graders at Ross Elementary - were way too loud for me and my wife Saturday morning. I figured I needed to shut the kids up with food, but not just good food - great food - great breakfast food to be specific! I knew just the place for the job: Joe’s Rusty Nail in Bellevue. 

It was on that pretext, we packed the Jeep Wrangler and headed from the Ross Township Siebert Rd.-McKnightmare Rd. area and drove to our neighbors to the west in Bellevue. There, we filed into Joe's Rusty Nail, a long-standing American cuisine restaurant situated in the heart of quaint Bellevue.  

The comfy-sized restaurant was packed but we were lucky to get a little table to the right of the main area. Immediately, upon meeting our server, I knew this was a place where friendly service comes as naturally as a side of bacon with sunny-side-up eggs. She chuckled when my son’s friend, again in Fifth grade, ordered a coffee! 

"A coffee?" She asked, her eyebrow-raising. "How do you take it?"

"Cream and sugar," he said, smiling confidently. 

"Wow, you are a little young for coffee, aren't you?" replied the clearly amused waitress. 

Now, the staff was in for another surprise when both kids declined the kid's menus and opted for grown-up menus. They quickly opened those menus and salivated over the Country Breakfast, which is what I had my mind on soon as we got into the car earlier. 

Mind you the Country Breakfast at Joe’s Rusty Nail is a solid argument for Pittsburgh’s best breakfast and among those in that category, I would put Pamela’s, Kelly O’s, and several others. 

Upon learning my son and his friend both wanted a Country Breakfast, the waitress was wide-eyed. Of course, I agreed on confirmation that boxes would be available for both the potatoes and kids that would need to be packed after this gargantuan meal. 
 

My son's friend made her laugh again when she had asked him what style of eggs he wanted and he answered, "hard-boiled." 

The Country Breakfast comes with eggs, pancakes or French toast, home fries, a side of bacon or sausage, toast and needs to be delivered on two plates! So, for me and the two fifth-graders at the table, we had six plates of food.

(Editor's note: You can see the curious hard-boiled eggs as a side in one of the accompanying photos)

Heavenly, is how my son described his pancakes. In monk-like silence, the two kids were quiet and went to work on their four plates. I did as well. 

They were silent. Half done. Both managed the entrees, pancakes, but had to save the potatoes for later. Still, they were quiet.  

That silence speaks volumes about the quality of the breakfast we all enjoyed at Joe’s Rusty Nail in Bellevue that morning. 

If there is any criticism of this place, it is a minor one. I wish the venue offered a bit more elbow room, but otherwise, there is nary another thing to complain about. They also don't take credit or debit cards, but there is an ATM machine in the restaurant, so problem solved, and good for me because I am not much of a dishwasher and only had brought my debit card.  

Joe’s Rusty Nail is open mornings to seven PM daily, opening a tad earlier on the weekends. Suffice for this pie hole to utter, I highly recommend Joe's Rusty Nail. Yes, it gets busy, but be patient. Joe's Rusty Nail is well worth the wait and you will never feel rushed once you sit. 

The food is high quality and service comes, as stated before, as natural as a side of bacon with sunny-side-up eggs. The pancakes are as golden as the silence of the two fifth-graders who finally had nothing to say!