Egg Haven Cafe

To put it simply, I'm not usually a fan of breakfast, so I hope I'm not oversharing here.Recently, the restaurant was acquired by a chef friend of mine--someone I've worked with on several occasions. He's kept the original menu but has been elevating it with fresher ingredients and improved techniques. I visited to check out his take on the place, knowing it wouldn't be his exact recipes, but trusting he'd bring his A-game.I ordered the special, which I knew would be his creation, and it did not disappoint. He also gave me a sneak peek of some of his upcoming ideas.What I can say for sure is that this is a place to keep an eye on. They may change the name, or they may not, but the talent behind the kitchen is undeniable. This is top-tier work--I'll stand by that.

This is a delightful spot for breakfast lovers! The cozy atmosphere and friendly staff make you feel right at home. I had the country breakfast, it was delicious.Portions are generous, the food came out quick, definitely will be coming back!!

First time back in a good while but we don't go out to breakfast that often. Seems like the prices went thru the roof! Queen Bee got bacon and eggs which is now $10+ as opposed to maybe $8 just a year or so ago. I probably shouldn't quibble since prices everywhere are doing this. One receives better value with breakfast here than at some fast food joint...Anyway Nikki sat us as soon as we walked in. For a Saturday morning at 8:15, the place was nearly empty: only 3 other tables occupied! I dunno how these people can make a living like that in an area overloaded with breakfast/lunch spots. One thing Nikki (or anyone else) did NOT do was to police the seats before sitting us. The cushion on my side of our little booth was full of crumbs, etc. Same with the floors; bits and pieces of food and trash were scattered about underfoot here and there. I saw the busboy wander about a couple of times and noticed how his work seemed to lack diligence or urgency...fruit of his labor is the meat of my observation. Good help is truly hard to find. At least Nikki was a good bit more enthusiastic and engaged in her duties, proving to be a good server.I already told you what the Queen Bee ordered. The bacon on her plate was pretty good stuff; not too salty and properly cooked thick slabs of porcine pleasure. Eggs were properly over medium too. Crisp rye toast and home fries with onions rounded out both our meals. We each received butter packets on the side so we could butter our own toast. That's my preference, at least, and am glad I specifically asked for it that way.I chose the Philly steak omelet, which is loaded with said protein and peppers, onions and mozzarella added in. The Philly meat was very well seasoned and chopped nicely, with well done pepper and onion that still bore a lil crunch, too. Home fries were nicely crisped too, with enough onion and seasoning to give 'em decent flavor without being salty either.By the time we finished, the place started to get busier and a few more tables became occupied by what I hope were equally satisfied diners. One last observation is the little condiment caddy at each table. Not only did they contain the requisite grape and strawberry jams, but they also had apple butter! You don't find that very often, like when either one of us was younger....well: at least here in FL.Anyway: by the time all was said and done, we both received well cooked fresh meals presented by a lovely waitress. The bill came to a bit under $23. All in all, it seems a very reasonable amount given all the above factors. Beyond that, the place was fairly clean (busboy needs to be a bit more thorough however), albeit a bit noisy. They tuned in a radio station playing '80s and '90s stuff which was a bit loud causing many of our neighbors to speak even louder. That to me is an annoyance as I like to eat in peace rather than listen to noisy old biddies or an inconsiderate idiot talking on the phone (speakerphone no less)! This joint still deserves a good 4 stars from me and the Queen Bee. The other waitress seemed to be on the ball too. She seemed particularly adept at handling one of our neighbors who was VERY picky about what she wanted. Her food came out just as we were leaving, and interestingly enough she didn't start babbling a litany of complaints! I do hope this little gem can hold its own as time goes by. The competition around here, as I stated, is pretty fierce among the breakfast/lunch category. One day I'll hafta return to try a lunch offering or two to see what kinda mettle they can muster. I look forward to it!

Everything I had here was absolutely delicious! The pancakes were so fluffy and perfect, the eggs were cooked perfectly, and the flavors all went so well together. The service was great and it wasn't super crowded which was nice. It's a great place for Sunday breakfast/brunch and has a cute vibe. You can't go wrong with the skillets or the pancakes!

Food was terrific and lots of leftovers, service was polite and helpful, and the restaurant was clean and cheery!

100% will be back. The food choices and service were spot-on. Huge portions and everything was fresh. So good! Nikki took time to introduce us to the menu and she was wonderful. We particularly loved the wide open atmosphere and clean, bright ambiance. 5-stars!

Yummy patty melt and the food came super quick and the servers were super nice 5 stars

I recently visited here by myself since it's so close to home and brand new.Pros: 1. Great food (variety of options, large portions, tastes delicious). 2. Good service (got waited on quickly by a blondish haired lady, was asked if everything was good). 3. Atmosphere (nicer on the inside than outside, but that's ok, nice decor on the wall, inviting atmosphere, comfortable & cushy booths with nice table, silverware, ketchup, salt/pepper, and sugar/creamers on table, clean restaurant).Cons: 1. A bit pricy, but realistically some fast food is just as pricy and this food is WAY better, plus you'll have leftovers like I did.2. Some staff may not speak English well, but that's ok because they're doing a great job. For example, I asked a staff member (not sure if she was a waitress) that was going around pouring coffee & cleaning up tables (she was wearing a bun on her head) if they served Gluten Free options and she just stared at me-just stared. At least she could have done is get my original waitress.3. They don't offer Gluten Free options. I asked my original waitress and asked if they had GF hamburger buns (for lunch another day) and she said nothing there is GF. With that being said, we probably won't come as a family as one family member can only have GF not by choice.4. I wish staff, waitresses, etc had name badges on. I like to call people by their first name and I could have referred staff here by their first name instead of "blondish haired lady" & "was wearing a bun on her head."Overall, I would go here again, but not with family as a whole.

Very Good...if You Know Your Way Around the MenuI've had breakfast at the Egg Haven Café in St Petersburg. There I found the grits to be terrible and the fruit cup to cheaply contain only melon and a few grapes. Nevertheless, some items were very good and another branch of this local chain deserved a chance.I do wish restaurant owners realize that the experience starts before entering. The exterior around the entrance is dirty and all the paint is flaking. The atmosphere of the interior is neat and tidy and bustling on this Sunday morning. The staff were helpful and efficient.For our breakfast we had the "Ham Carved off the Bone" properly seared and delicious. It came with a couple of eggs and a good biscuit. It also came with a side of fruit. This time they added a couple pieces of pineapple. Maybe my last review had a little impact. We also had their nice Very Berry Homestyle Cinnamon French Toast--the thin kind, so it's cooked all the way through. It was topped with lots of banana, strawberries and blueberries.If you know what to get and what to avoid, Egg Haven Café can be very good. Just try to ignore the entrance.

I had the cheeseburger with fries, and it was one of the better burgers I've had in a restaurant these days. Fries were cooked perfectly. Burger was cooked more than the request medium, and as it got cold, it dried out. My wife absolutely loved her veggie omelet, but the country potatoes were covered with pepper. She ate my fries. The English muffin was stone white, and nobody seems to toast their English muffins.