They say, 'everything
is bigger in Texas'. This is true when it comes to breakfast from Ham and
Eggs.
When our family lived in
the Lewisville, Texas area from 2001 - 2013, oftentimes we would frequent Jackie's Ham and Eggs for breakfast. We took many of
our family members and visitors there, too!
We would warn them not to
let their eyes be bigger than their stomach because the food was ginormous, but
oftentimes that statement was ignored by many. Even so still today...!
I recall a time that my
parents had come into town from Amarillo, Texas. We took them out for
breakfast. Dad wanted a short stack of pancakes. I told him, only to order what
the menu indicated because they would cover his plate. When his plate arrived,
the hotcakes were hanging over the edges and the look on my dad's face was
priceless!
This is one of many
memories I have of visiting Jackie's Ham and Eggs with our guests. Let's fast forward to
2020.
A few weeks ago, our
friends David and Glenda Cates had invited us to breakfast to celebrate David's
birthday. My husband was unable to make it, but David, Glenda, and I ventured
out to Lewisville to enjoy the hearty breakfast.
Earlier in the week, I
had contacted the restaurant to confirm they were open during the Pandemic our
world is experiencing now and to inquire about their hours. Their response was
quite timely. I notified Glenda and we planned to drive out there.
The day we decided on did
not go as planned and we had to wait for another day to enjoy the hearty
breakfast Eggs and Ham is known for. That was good though because now my
husband was able to join us.
This last Saturday, we
all ventured out to Lewisville to partake in great conversation and hearty
food. We were not going to leave hungry which was guaranteed.
My husband and I arrived
first. We both recalled many wonderful memories of living in the Lewisville
area. While we waited for our friends, we walked around the shopping center.
The first thing that caught both of our attention was the American Flag as well
as other flags from the different Branches of our Military.
David and Glenda arrived,
and we all went inside donning our masks! We were immediately greeted by one of
the employees. She seated us, handed us our menus, and took our drink order.
Her name was Linda.
A few minutes later, Ms.
Linda returned to our table to ask if we had any questions about the menu and
took our order. She was on point each time she came to our table ensuring our
drinks were always full.
As we studied our
individual menus, my husband chose the Country Breakfast Specialty consisting
of Ham-N-Eggs (Texas-Sized Slab of Ham). Now mind you, on the drive
over he indicated he was not very hungry and would probably get something
small, like biscuits and gravy. That did not last long... which I knew it
wouldn't.
David settled on one of
the Texas-Sized 4 Egg Omelettes with Grits and Glenda also
chose one of the Country Breakfast Specialties of Country Sausage. Finally,
I also chose one of the Country Breakfast Specialties consisting of
Bacon Lovers Breakfast (4 slices) with Grits.
While we waited for our
food to arrive, we talked about many different things. From time to time, Ms.
Linda would stop by our table to inquire if we needed anything extra
(additional condiments, drinks or just to share a friendly smile). She was
awesome. Her cheerful expression, her warmth, and her caring attitude was
radiant. I thought to myself, I sure wish I had this kind of service every time
I visited a restaurant. To me, that is particularly important especially these
days when so many people are not getting out and about. It is nice to know that
even during a pandemic, people have something to smile about! Thank you, Ms.
Linda!!! YOU ROCK!!! At one point, we asked Linda how long she had been with the
restaurant, her reply, "16 years".
A few minutes later, Ms.
Linda arrived back at our table with our Texas-sized plates in
her hands. David expressed the biscuits were even bigger than what he
remembered and told us, wait, and see!
Oh my, indeed they were...Ronnie
was anticipating his biscuits and gravy and Ms. Linda exclaims, "can't
have a biscuit without gravy in Texas, it's illegal". We all
laughed...!
As Ms. Linda handed each
one of our plates of deliciously good food, I could not wait to dive into my
grits! I am the only one in my family that likes grits. I am not sure where my
love for them comes from, but if I have the choice between grits or potatoes, I
will choose grits every time.
As I indicated above, I
chose the Country Breakfast Specialties consisting of Bacon Lovers
Breakfast (4 slices) with Grits. Does it not just make your mouth
water?
Ronnie's choice of
the Country Breakfast Specialty of Ham-N-Eggs (Texas-Sized Slab of
Ham) looked amazing too. He said the ham was awesome!
This is Ronnie's biscuit. The
photo I previously posted above was his biscuit in comparison to the size of mine. His was
ginormous!!!
David's choice
of the Texas-Sized 4 Egg Omelettes with Grits above also looked amazing. I may just have to try one of their Omelettes the next time we eat
here.
Glenda's choice of
the Country Breakfast Specialties of Country Sausage also
impressed me. I am funny about sausage, but I could probably eat these!
As you see, none of us
left hungry. I think our eyes were bigger than our stomachs - but isn't that
the way it usually works? As we sat there finishing up our meal, Ms. Linda
visited our table again. This time, she also shared with us a tidbit about
Ms. Jackie's Ham and Eggs. She went on to share the story
about a Dallas Cowboy player who had come in to eat at Jackie's Ham and Eggs told Ms.
Jackie, "that's a lot of food" with his hands held apart...Jackie
looked at him and said, "do I tell you how to kick a football"? We
all got a kick out of this story and our chuckles rang through the
restaurant.
Looking at the decor in
the restaurant, it is obvious that several of the Dallas Cowboys have enjoyed
the restaurant on many occasions in the past.
They also have specials
they run from time to time. The ones that were offered when we visited were the
following:
Upon our completion of breakfast, Glenda and I asked Tom if it
would be possible to get a photograph with the staff of Jackie's Ham and Eggs. They all
joined in on the photo op. In the end, we all shook hands and indicated we would
be back soon!
I give Jackie's Ham and Eggs 5 stars on their hospitality, their good food,
and the ambiance of the restaurant. Everything IS bigger in Texas!
I would highly recommend Jackie's Ham and Eggs if you like eating the most
important meal of the day. Their hours have been changed a little bit due to
the COVID, but they are open for business and would love to see you and your
family visit their restaurant. You will not be disappointed.
Currently, their hours of operation are:
Monday - Thursday: 7 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Friday - Saturday: 7 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Sunday: 7 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
They are located at:
297 W Round Grove Rd.
Lewisville, TX 75067-8104
In closing, I would like to share a post I found on Jackie's Ham and Eggs Facebook page. It was written by Tom Guana in 2019.
A Survivors Story
A Survivor’s Story
In 1985, Josephine “Jackie” Shields and her Husband Bob Shields opened Ham- N – Eggs in Lewisville, Texas. Jackie’s desire to open a restaurant came out of adversity she faced early in her life. In 1942, Japanese forces invaded Manilla, Philippines. Jackie at the time lived in Manilla as her father served as a high-ranking military officer. For three years, two months, and fourteen days of World War II Jackie, her sister, and mother were held captive by Japanese forces. There Jackie and her family were starved and tortured among many other prisoners of war. “Putrid water, rice, and fish heads were all that we were fed. “, Jackie Said.
The internment camps in the Philippines produced some of the harshest conditions. Of those held captive in the Philippines, one-third of the 13,966 civilians and 39,700 soldiers who were interned by the Japanese died before the war ended according, to Australian historian Gavan Daws. Of those many casualties was Jackie’s father a survivor of the Bataan death march who later died upon returning stateside of complications from malaria and other diseases. “He stood 6 – foot – 4 but weighed only 86 pounds. You can imagine what a sight he was.” Shields told. From those experiences, Jackie vowed to never let anyone go hungry again!
Deep in the heart of North Texas Ham-N- Eggs quickly became a popular spot to dine and developed a following among professional athletes. Ham—N—Eggs has attracted the likes of Dallas Cowboy and Dallas Star greats like Troy Aikman, Mike Modano, Daryl Johnston, Mark Stepnowski, Chad Hennings, Emmitt Smith, Tony Romo, and Mark Tunei. Known for our ginormous pancakes, friendly service, and former owner Jackie Shield’s larger than life personality. Ham- N- Eggs has been serving up the community for over 34 years.
Jackie Shields ruled the roost for over 22 years until her passing in late 2007. To keep her legacy alive Jackie’s son Jody Rice and her loyal staff continued to spread Jackie’s mission. To honor Jackie Ham – N – Eggs was renamed to Jackie’s Ham – N – Eggs. In 2016, Jackie’s son Jody Rice passed away and his sons located in California took ownership. Around the same time Ms. Margaret, Jackie’s longest-tenured employee was rehabbing a torn rotator cuff. “It was a tough period for Jackie’s.”, Ms. Margaret said. “All I wanted to do was be there and when I was there, I had to take a step back from my normal duties.”
In mid-2019, the Rice family approached Ms. Margaret about taking over Jackie’s Ham – N – Eggs. Over the years Jackie and Ms. Margaret had developed a special bond. The Rice family viewed Ms. Margaret as the most suitable person to continue their grandmothers’ mission. Apprehensive to take on such a large business venture by herself, Ms. Margaret enlisted the help of her son Tom Gauna and brought back their loyal kitchen staff, led by Domingo Ramirez and Rigo Castillo. Together with our loyal staff and passion to serve our guest Jackie’s Ham—N—Eggs continues to strive to give our guests an eggcellent experience you won’t soon forget. In the words of Jackie, “Happiness is something we like to share. It takes work. It takes going the extra mile.” We look forward to feeding you and thank you for being our guest.
-Tom Gauna-
Co-Owner and General Manager
********************************************
Now that you have an appetite, are you ready to
visit Jackie's Ham and Eggs? Drop me a comment and a photograph when you visit their
restaurant. I would love to hear your thoughts!
Like they say, EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS!
What are you waiting for?
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