the egg & i

like a new restaurant!. i've been to this location before and wasn't always impressed.

upon my most recent visit i discovered that there was a new manager there. i didn't catch his name but you could tell he was involved in his restaurant. stopped by my table and chatted-dropped down to be eye level with my daughter- and just made us feel like we were genuinely appreciated for choosing his restaurant. the food was great too so it was a win win for me.

i visit the other egg and i restaurants in town - they're all so close and i'm always happy with my experience. i'll add the stone oak location back into my line up!


-----18 may, 2010-----

it's all in the recovery!. i went to the egg and i restaurant for a quick lunch break with two of my coworkers. i saw a special on their special board that sounded really appealing. so i ordered it...chop salad with all kinds of yummy ingredients. it came out just the way i ordered it with no red onions and no red bell peppers. unfortunately i was not a fan of the dressing. i picked through the salad and didn't complain to anyone until i was paying. i simply let the hostess know (who was taking my money for my meal) that it was okay.

this is where i got impressed...she asked me-just okay? was there something not right about your meal? i told her i just didn't really enjoy the taste of the dressing. she immediately got the manager and they made me a new sandwich (arizona turkey...mmmm) to go. they took the salad off my bill and sent me with a to go box so i wouldn't be hungry at my desk.

that is the kind ofserviceyou don't see everyday. i'll be a loyal egg and i patron from here on out!

totally love this place and with the exception of a few off times, the food andservicehas been exceptional...this visit was no different. we had to wait a bit and (thankfully) didn't get put in the back area (its where people go to be forgotten)...fernando did a great job taking care of our group and checked in on us numerous times. always friendly and helpful, he did a great job that day.

the food is very good, but if they are busy,serviceis really slow. they only had 1 person in the front. she was taking the waiting list, seating people, and cashing out people all at the same time. it made getting seated painfully slow.

we've eaten at a few e&i's in our hometown of houston, and have seldom been disappointed. noticed there were no recent comments, so i thought i would review this location, as we're in town visiting.
food andservicewere very good, and i have no problem with the price. if we ever get out this way, we'll be back.

great place to have your breakfast. i love this place not just because of the quality of food but also the interiors and the portions which are just right for a great breakfast.

food:

we ordered a veggie benedict and a berry cheesecake stuffed french toast (from the summer specials) along with coffee and kale cooler. veggie benedict was pretty cooked. egg yolk was closer to boiled than runny but the overall taste was brilliant. ranch potatoes, served along with the benedict, was perfectly seasoned and complemented the benedict very well. berry cheesecake stuffed french toast was good. what i loved was that it wasn't overly sweet, unlike other places there it stuffs your mouth with a handful of sugar. coffee was great and i had almost three mugs of it. kale cooler is a must try - extremely refreshing. overall, what i also loved was that the portions were not overwhelming and just right for a great breakfast. while you want a heavy breakfast but not a one that will make you fall asleep again.

ambiance:

i loved the ambiance of the restaurant. while it is a nice and quiet place with a patio option, the interiors are amazing too. inside, on one of the walls, there is one large message board that said, "mother always told you to eat good breakfast!", and how true is that!! very good ambiance.

service:

the lady attending us, lexus, was quite polite and friendly. the food arrived just in time.servicewas good and quick.

great food, great atmosphere, great location. we eat here almost every week for the past 5 years. although they had a rough spot a couple years ago, everything is back on track and the food andserviceis outstanding. we love coming here and enjoy the blueberry pancake and mexican skillet, but i've had almost everything on the menu. you can't go wrong with anything here. love it!

not what it used to be...... over the past year our visits have become less and less pleasant. long waits when there are open and unbussed tables, open tables and yet a wait because the kitchen is behind, etc. the quality ofserviceas well as cleanliness overall is not what it once was. condiments such as syrup for pancakes and waffles forgotten and no check in by the waitstaff until halfway through the meal to rectify. half empty carafes of old coffee brought to the table. dirty silverware.

very disappointing and the way the restaurant is run needs to be addressed. i no longer recommend the egg & i to others nor will we bring guests.

perhaps the current management would benefit by visiting magnolia pancake haus and observing how they manage a busy operation where customers will gladly wait up to an hour for great food and service.

9/3/12 edit - attempted to go to magnolia pancake haus & found they are were closed today for labor day (pretty cool they gave the staff the day off, but i digress). we then went to egg & i at 281 and thousand oaks. this location had none of the issues we've been experiencing at the sonterra location. the key learning experience is that the management and staff at sonterra needs some remedial training. if you want to experience the egg & i, make the short drive over to 281 & thousand oaks.

a twenty minute wait turned into 35 minutes while tables sat not bussed or seated. then it took 30 minutes to get an egg, bacon and toast. i liked the food but theserviceand staff are unorganized and rude.

it was meh... the food tasted decent. though i wouldn't have paid $10. 00 for the plate.. serving size was good od though, but taste was brought that down.servicewas pretty slow, food took about half an hour to arrive.. might try it again someday though.