Scrambling for service, by Jackie Castellese

If you’re looking for copious amounts of breakfast food, look no further than Scrambler Marie’s on Ford Road in Canton. Open from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, this usually jam-packed restaurant serves everything from bacon and eggs to endless French toast and pancakes.

You may, however, be turned off immediately as you walk in the door to find a heavy gathering of patrons in a ridiculously small waiting area. The hostess desk sits hidden behind the crowd, and by the time you finally reach it, the wait has extended to an hour and a half. (But it’s Sunday, and iHOP has a two-hour wait.)

During our time on the five-foot bench, we have little to gaze upon to keep occupied. Between the double glass doors, a bulletin board holds posters of people who have conquered excessive amounts of endless breakfast food. Twelve pancakes? Really?

If the lobby is any indication, the restaurant that lies beyond it does not provide enough seating for the number of people who are eager to dig into Marie’s scramblers. My name is finally called, and the hostess guides us to an entirely too-big booth that could easily fit you, your family, and the cast of Game of Thrones. She takes our drink order and returns swiftly with a carafe full of ice water, my dad’s coffee (described as “same as any other cup o’ joe”), and a large bowl of creamer. All restaurants should uphold this practice because it keeps the customers subdued until the server can make his or her way to the table.

“Are you ready to order?” our waitress asks, visiting our table for the first time, half an hour after we’ve been seated. We had plenty of time to peruse the menu, glancing over the generic omelets, obligatory “healthy” foods, and those meals that you would only find in a fancy French restaurant. Of course I instead opted for the Bottomless French Toast, because why wouldn’t you? And it’s only $6.49! And it’s bottomless! Even the omelets were $9.

So our order has been put in with the kitchen, and we resign to wait…again. Looking around the restaurant does not provide much entertainment. It’s a standard eating environment; there’s nothing special to look at.

When our food is placed before us 20 minutes later, we gaze upon our enormous portion sizes. My French toast slices are neatly arranged on an oval plate that is at least ten inches long. My mom ordered the same, but my dad went for the pancakes. He was brought a stack of three man-hole covers! They certainly don’t want you to order any more than they give you. Everything came with an ice cream scoop of butter on top, leaving you with a wasteful amount left over.

I cut into one of the toast triangles and shovel the first bite into my mouth, smothered in butter and dripping with syrup. The slight bitterness of the cinnamon mixed with the sweetness of the syrup create a delicious sensation when combined with the sourdough bread.

I look over to see my dad working his way through his pancakes. He chose to have blueberries included in the batter, and they came on top as well. He’s almost halfway through, and it doesn’t even look like he’s made a dent. “I’m already full,” he says noncommittally, “but that won’t stop me.”

We have all finished, and patiently await the return of our waitress so that we can order another round. The last time we were here, we vowed to put in another order as soon as our food came, but of course, we forgot. (I would highly suggest doing this if you want to get more within half an hour.) Our waitress finally shows up again, we put in the order, and sit for another 30 minutes waiting for food to come out. This must be where they make their money. They tell you it’s bottomless, but because they make you wait so long for the next order, your food settles in your stomach and you don’t want to eat anymore. By the time the food surfaces, we just barely have enough stamina left to finish it.

The only time you don’t have to wait is when you pay. She’s right back out with your change as soon as you pay.

The food is pretty good, but there is too much waiting involved at Scrambler Marie’s. If you can handle at least an hour of waiting, you might enjoy eating here.

Contact Scrambler Marie’s at (734) 844-1569 or online at scramblermaries.com