Egg House (Lombard)
This week we hit up Egg House in downtown Lombard. Remember that each week, the person selecting the restaurant prepares a conversation-starter question. This week's question was what movie or series you could watch again and again, which felt fitting for a place with 1,300+ reviews of people clearly coming back for their favorites. We’re now among them.
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QUICK STATS
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
Price Range: $$
Best For: lovers of memorable, mouth-watering and dream-worthy bakery creations
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BEHIND OUR RATINGS
Food Quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
The baked items completely lived up to the hype. Churro French toast, banana waffles, stuffed French toast, all SUPERB. Easily on par with the best we've had this year. The savory side (omelets, skillets) is perfectly fine, but clearly not the reason 1,300 people keep coming back. Bacon was the one weak spot, it was just okay (kinda fatty).
Coffee is a lighter roast, a true diner-coffee with good flavor.
Service: ⭐⭐⭐ [3/5]
In what was a bizarre first for us, our server was kind of oblivious to their strengths, and definitely wasn’t much of a salesperson. She didn’t offer her name but she was a young woman with red hair.
Me: Is there something we could try while we decide – like an appetizer or a flight or something? (I knew there was, I’d looked at the reviews and seen everything they offer)
Her: Nope, we’ve got nothing like that. It’d be too big, you wouldn’t want it.
Me: Well, what about these 4 mini-waffles? There’s four of us.
Her: (reluctantly) Yeah, I guess you could do that…
(later, as we’re enjoying the mini waffles)
Me: Ok so what’s the BEST thing here?
Her: (standing amidst a sea of tables with the most decadent, artful French toast – featured in 1300+ reviews by people that travel for it) Skillets and omelettes.
Court (reading menu): Ooh! What’s a “malted” pancake?
Her: Nothing. They’re just regular. They just say that.
It’s not like she was Debbie Downer. Nor was she rude at any point, just entirely unaware of (or uninterested in) what we believe to be the menu's strengths.
Coffee refills were slow, I think they are handled by a separate coffee runner rather than our server.
Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
Small corner diner, nothing fancy about the decor, but it works. The parking lot is tight and gets busy fast. We went early on a Saturday and had no trouble getting a booth. One restroom for women, and it's a tight squeeze. There's a second room that looked unused during our visit; not sure if it opens later or is reserved for events.
Noise Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
Packed as it was, we had no trouble hearing each other. Noise wasn't a factor.
Value for Money: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
Prices are on par with other places we've visited, and portions are generous.
Wait Time: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
We went early on a Saturday and were seated right away. Parking was the bigger hurdle than the wait itself.
Kid-Friendly: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [5/5]
Sunny broke his chicken fingers streak this week and went with chocolate chip waffles instead, which he loved.
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WHAT WE ORDERED
To start, the table shared the 4 mini waffles. They were marvelous. The banana waffle was the standout of the bunch (get it?).
Court ordered the caramel apple pecan malted pancakes. They were good but he (and everyone) said the churro French toast was hands-down the best thing at the table.
Kay ordered the caramel pecan apple stuffed French toast: three big slices topped with apples cooked in caramel, with just a hint of cream cheese between each layer. She liked it, but it was a lot, and she took most of it home along with some of Bridget's churro French toast. Bacon was not great.
As for me (Bridget), I had the veggie skillet: lots of cheese and mushrooms, eggs cooked just how I like them. It was good, but let’s get to the show-stopper: I upgraded my side for the churro French toast (graham crackers, strawberries, a wonderful sauce) which was enormous and the stuff of legends..
Sunny broke his usual streak this week and skipped the chicken fingers for chocolate chip waffles. A plus!
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THE BOTTOM LINE
Our Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [4/5]
What Made Us Smile:
The churro French toast. One of the best items we've had this year.
What Could Be Better:
By no means was service bad, but it was the weakest part of the experience.
Will the SSBC Be Back?
Absolutely, in a heartbeat.
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Well, that's a wrap from your SSBC! Thanks for reading and please endeavor to be as gracious a guest as you expect of your establishment. Mind your manners, tip well, and if you linger during peak times (as we sometimes do), order lots and tip even better.
If you'd like to recommend a place for us to visit, drop us a line on our contact page.