By Hand and Fork

Looked up breakfast places and this got good reviews. Didn't realize till I looked at the menu that this is a chain and I've been to another location before. (I did wonder as I pulled in, the name and the blue coloring seemed familiar.) I usually like to try new places and not eat at chains. But I loved that place, and I loved this one, so it was fine.Big menu, with all the usual options plus some good twists. I was tempted by several things, but went with the basics, their haystack: a biscuit with sausage gravy, two eggs, hash browns. Came out pretty quickly. The gravy is from a can, which is a bit sad- they could bring it up to the level of the rest of their good pretty easily. I mean, I've made sausage gravy. It's not hard or expensive. Still, it was fine on this breakfast platter. The eggs were cooked as requested, and the hash browns were and gave the whole thing a nice texture contrast.When I asked for hot sauce I was offered three choices, always nice (though they should just leave some on the table.) Service was great the whole way through. Prices are reasonable. The place is bright and clean, decorated in a "country" theme. Someone said it is upscale and it is, a bit, for a breakfast place, but not fancy or stuffy. And not expensive. I came at 8am on a Saturday and worried it would be packed, but it wasn't, though when I left at 830 it was definitely filling up.Glad I accidentally found a place I'd already tried and liked. I don't know how big the chain is, but it seems pretty welcoming and not corporate. I'd come back, to any location.

This is the best breakfast & brunch meet up spot in Muncie! Ball State students and mocals all love it. Their service is always good and quick. You never have to wait long for food once you're seated. There are many tables and lots of staff, so they are able to fit a lot of people and get people seated quickly. It's cute diner vibes on the inside and they also have a nice covered patio out back where people sit as well. The food is always good! I have eaten there many times and it has always been tasty. Their pancakes are the best I have ever had. They are so soft and I love the taste of vanilla in them!

1 St time visit: Arrived on a very busy Saturday Morning about 10.30 Am. We were greeted and seated to a comfortable table and chairs. A young lady named Mercedes assisted us with drinks and allowed us time to check out menu. Mercedes answered all are question and took order. Within 15 minutes she delivered are order Hot, Tasty and as ordered. Everything was wonderful. She checked on us several times for refills. If I had to find something I did not like it was the low lighting. My mom and others had to use there phones light to read menu.We enjoyed our meal and enjoyed the staff and food. Will definitely return when in area. Excellent customer service by Mercedes

Only sentence. Food was delicious. Will have to try it again. Always too late as it closes at 3:00pm!

After nearly a month on the road, I decided it was time to treat myself to something besides the breakfast the hotel provides, so I headed off to Muncie and a restaurant called, "By Hand and Fork," in search of a meal and a mimosa (or two).I arrived to find a place that looked like a former Denny's... but with a VERY full parking lot, which was promising and yet intimidating. "No matter," I said to myself because it was, after all, a day off.Walking in the door, I was greeted and seated almost immediately; a pleasant surprise. My server came right over and took my order for their "Flight of Mimosa": a split of sparkling wine with three smaller carafes with juices of your choice. I picked OJ, cranberry and papaya. Others including pineapple were also available.For my entre, I chose the Smoked Salmon Benedict, which I expected would be eggs and Hollandaise atop cooked, smoked salmon. SURPRISE! The smoked salmon was more like a gravlax, which was not what I expected but delicious!It came with either hashbrowns or fruit, and I went for the potatoes. All freshly prepared and tasty in what must be the area's largest kitchen because, despite the large and growing Sunday morning crowds, food was coming out quickly!One observation and one criticism.The observation is that it isn't as up-scale as you might expect if you visited its website before heading out for Muncie. It's a little bit Hobby Lobby-kitschy, with signs on the walls with the slogan of the moment, but it's clean, staff is friendly, and they keep things looking tidy.My criticism is the flight of mimosas. If you make your mimosa half sparkling wine and half juice, there's only enough sparkling wine for TWO drinks, not three you might have assumed because you had a choice of three juice. And for $15 for the "flight," that seems wrong. If you want a mimosa or two, you'll do better to order them by the drink rather than the flight.At $12.99, the smoked salmon Benedict was a very good deal. No complaints: hot fresh and flavorful. What more could you ask for?The extensive menu has other offerings like chicken and waffles, corned beef, eggs, pancakes, and a range of desserts. It's only open until 3 p.m. but if it's breakfast or lunch you crave, "By Hand and Fork" gets my nod of approval!

I search out new places to eat breakfast and I am always on the hunt for the best. By Hand and Fork is one of the best in Muncie, IN. By Hand and Fork is not a diner. It is more upscale but not pretentious. Parking can be difficult to find so get there early.The staff is friendly and professional. They are patience with you when you have a lot of questions about the menu. The menu is pretty extensive and I had a hard time deciding on what I wanted. I settled on a 'bowl'. If you know me, you know breakfast 'bowls' are my go to! While we waited for our food, I sipped on my coffee, which is pretty darn good, and looked around. We were sitting in the back of the restaurant and I got the sense the building was originally a popular chain restaurant. I just couldn't put a name to my thoughts. By the time that thought was leaving my mind, our food arrived. Hot, plentiful are two adjectives that I would use to describe By Hand and Fork's food. My bowl was lined with hash browns, vegetables, meat, and cheese, with two over easy eggs on top. I enjoyed every bite and barely put a dent in my breakfast, so I took the leftovers home. I usually (always) take photos of the menu and my meal where ever I go but aparetnly I didn't this day. My bad.Overall, By Hand and Fork is a gem in Muncie. It is close to Ball State University and shopping. It is easy to get to. The staff is great and the food pretty darn good. Think close to The Original Pancake House good. It won't break the bank either. Go give By Hand and Fork a try!

Not bad, service was very good. My chicken was a bit dry, but the waffles were nice and fluffy.

TL;DR Huge portions. Be patient. If eating breakfast, go for egg dishes and avoid the Chicken and Waffles. Stopped in on a Sunday shortly after 10. Put our name in and was told 10-15 minute wait. 30 minutes later we were seated. I ordered the chicken and waffles which weren't good. The waffles were supposed to be spicy and they weren't. The chicken was tough and dry, difficult to cut with a butter knife. The flavor was ok. My fork bent under load while trying to cut. The menu hyped them up to sound very than they were. Others in my group liked their skillets. The server was super pleasant but slow. Everything was slow, from coming to our table to bringing our food and drinks to the check. The entire dining experience was an 1:20. Oof. My butt go sore sitting there. Man, I wanted to like this place, because my son raved about it. Perhaps I just got the wrong thing to eat and went on an off day. They serve Pepsi products.

The food was really good, which obviously is what you are really after. We had a Belgium waffle and a pork tenderloin sandwich. Both were very good! The food arrived quickly and service was also good. The spicy Bloody Mary was tasty as well. The restaurant was overly warm to the point of being uncomfortable. The restroom was outdated. I would go back!

As usual, By Hand and Fork delivers. Wonderful, high quality food and great service. The seasonal mimosas are not to be missed! When you want real diner breakfast and/or lunch make the trip. You won't be disappointed.