6.01.2009

Restaurant Review #219: Eggs N Things, Simi Valley


Scrambled eggs, bacon, and potatoes O'Brien

There are a variety of reasons why I don't really like to go out for breakfast. I am not a morning person. Breakfast is cheap and easy to make at home. I don't like to eat right after I wake up. I hate the smell of bacon.

Perhaps worst of all is that it's impossible to get through a meal without those near-invisible traces of syrup that are on the menus and the edges of the table finding their way onto your fingers, elbows, and shirt. You can never see the stuff until it's too late. I don't understand why the servers and busboys at most breakfast joints can't do a better job of cleaning up. It takes a little more attention to detail and a little extra elbow grease to track down and clean up all the sticky spots and shifts are often fast-paced--I get it. But shouldn't a sit-down restaurant have higher standards of cleanliness than your average fast-food restaurant?


Crepe appetizer

So one of the things that I liked so much about my experience at Eggs N Things is that there were no traces of leftover syrup on the menu or the table. The dining room is sparsely decorated except for the country-kitsch yellow wallpaper. Sunlight pours in through the large windows lining the front of the restaurant, and though the view of nearby Target's parking lot leaves something to be desired, at least there is plentiful free parking. While the staff seemed fairly brusque, they were generally prompt. What they lack in charm is perhaps made up for by the free crepe that starts your meal--hot off the griddle, bathed in melted butter, topped with berry jam and dusted in powdered sugar. If I go back, I'll probably order the crepes for my meal.


Blueberry pancakes

Being a newcomer, however, I ordered the blueberry pancakes. While fluffy and perfectly cooked, they could have had more blueberries and more moisture. I prefer IHOP's pancakes, which seem to border on greasy but don't need to be drenched in syrup to be swallowable.


Omelet with hash browns

I didn't try the food that the other people in my party ordered, but I can say that everything looked properly cooked, the portion sizes were generous, and everything is reasonably priced. On a weekday at 11:00 a.m., there was no wait for a table. The restaurant is quite large, so I imagine they can even accommodate the weekend rush fairly well (though I can't say for sure, having only been there once). In the same week, I also went to Coco's, which just drove home what a superior breakfast joint Eggs N Things is--it's celebrating its 20th anniversary in Simi for a reason.

Eggs N Things
2955 Cochran St
Simi Valley, CA 93065
(805) 527-0055

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I could not agree more and can expand on how bad the customer service is. I have lived in Simi Valley all of my life and have eaten at many of the restaurants here and have eaten at eggs n things as well. My family likes it, I find it bland. I kept going with my family because of them, even though I have waited 45 minutes after a 30 minute wait to sit down for food. I should of learned. It was not until this week I really learned how wrong I was. My husband and I went in for breakfast/lunch on Friday about 12:30 pm. He order the chicken fried steak breakfast and I order the soup and sandwich. Reading the menu, I thought it would be a price of $5.35 with a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato. No fries, two slices of sourdough bread with one slice of swiss and one slice of tomato placed in the middle cut in half with a bowl of soup. I did not finish my soup so I asked for a cup to bring the rest home. When the bill came I was charged $8.95 with another $2.70 for upgrading to a bowl from a cup. Again this is for a grilled cheese sandwich with a bowl of soup, charge almost $12.00. My husband questioned the waitress and then asked for the manager. The "hostess" who has been there forever and as you stated likes to talk amongst themselves comes over and is rude and disrespectful to us. My husband tells her have the owner call him about the $2.70 because he is refusing to pay it and thinks the $8.95 is silly but will. She walks us to the register and takes off the $2.70 and is making rude comments the whole time. I have my left over soup in my hand, my husband pays and we walk out. As we leave, the "Hostess" makes a comment to other employees, loud enough for me to hear and the other patrons "Sure, she takes the soup and that is just stealing". I turned around walked back in and confronted her. She continued with her comments, again so everyone can hear. I handed her the soup and $2.70 (the money she refused to take) and asked for the owners phone number. She refused and refused finally giving me a "Corporate Fax Number" to send my compliant to. I came home researched Eggs N Things found a corporate number as well as a website where I could send a comment in. I called the number and left a voice mail and sent a comment in on their site, all by 2:30 pm Friday. It is now Saturday..........nothing...So, I guess we now know where the lack of Customer Service stems from. If you want your reputation tarnished and smeared, by all means eat there. I will not.