One may expect great things- or at least great food- from Eggspectations, a popular restaurant in downtown Silver Spring across from Borders Books & Music.
Eggspectations is large and crowded yet surprisingly charming. The decorations are fairly rustic and, according to the restaurant chain’s website, based on the theme “Les Cirques des Oeufs” (the circus of eggs). Bookcases with old, musty-looking books line the walls. Old-fashioned advertisements decorate the spacious rooms, as do murals depicting medieval scenes.
Much of the art and decoration heavily features eggs. Most striking of these egg-related pieces of art, perhaps, is a large metallic chandelier hanging in the entrance-way, which is designed with scenes of eggs in action.
The tables and booths of the restaurant follow the rustic theme, sacrificing comfort for atmosphere. The booths, for instance, resemble park benches, and while they complement the visual style of the restaurant, they are not the most comfortable seats. The visual effect is not aversely affected by the visible piping in the ceiling; somehow, it enhances the restaurant’s theme.
Eggspectations draws quite a crowd, and it is easy to see why. While the chairs may not be the most comfortable, the effect is charming, and, more importantly, the food is delicious.
The menu offers a wide variety of choices. While the primary focus is breakfast food, such as eggs and pancakes, many featuring punny names (such as the Egg-Chilada), Eggspectations also offers a wide variety of burgers, salads, sandwiches, pastas and meats.
Their “executive burgers” are tasty, flavorful and salty and accompanied with crisp, golden fries. Eggspectations offers burgers topped with a variety of toppings such as mangos, guacamole and, of course, egg slices. But the classic burger, with lettuce, tomato and onions, is sure to satisfy, even without mango slices on it.
Of course, the breakfast food is the best part of the menu. Their omelettes and eggs are delicious, but their French toast is superb. The Eggcitement, strawberry or banana-topped French toast flambé with orange brandy, is sweet, puffy and buttery. The initial disappointment that it is not actually served flaming is quickly replaced by pleasure at the way it tastes. The orange brandy sauce tastes only vaguely like brandy; it tastes sweet like honey and makes the perfect topping for one of the world’s most delicious French toast dishes.
Eggspectations also offers a wide variety of drinks, but buying a fancier beverage is probably not worth it. The smoothies are slightly overpriced, costing over five dollars, and while smoothies may be delicious, they are not worth spending that much money. In addition, Eggsoectation’s coffee tastes like typical restaurant coffee and their Caffé Latte has an odd taste to it, like spoiled honey.
The service, unfortunately, is spotty. At a recent visit to the restaurant, the waitress did not check on us the whole time we were eating, not even to see whether we needed refills on coffee, only filling up our coffee cups after we were finished with our meals.
Eggspectations is often crowded, but the waits are rarely that long. An average entrée costs between 10 to 12 dollars. The restaurant is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.
Despite its flaws, Eggspectations offers good food in a unique environment.