"You can't go wrong coming here. Everything is excellent. It's not high-priced food but it's good food. That's what you want. A good meal you can leave and think - I should go home and go to sleep now," said Virgil Mixon, customer.
This breakfast spot is a popular place. It's called The Egg and I - a family-owned restaurant located along the Dixie Highway in Chicago Heights. About half the customers eat breakfast there on a regular basis.
"Five days a week, and generally back for lunch sometimes," said Keith Frank, loyal customer.
"The food here is just marvelous. I'm a 5/6 day a week patron. I've been doing it since they opened," said Dan Benzaquen, loyal customer.
With the regulars, you certainly get that folksy feeling here. If you go, you'll probably see Dan Benzaquen and his buddies. They sit at the same table every morning.
"We keep a grip on it. Nobody sits at this table but us. At breakfast - at lunchtime it's a different story - generally, at breakfast, we occupy this table," said Dan Benzaquen.
There are more than 80 breakfast and lunch items on the menu. Lunch includes fluffy croissant sandwiches and various chicken wraps.
Breakfast favorites include items, like this waffle, stacked with plump strawberries topped with fresh whipped cream and sprinkled with powdered sugar and a healthy bowl of fruit. Or you could get the monster-size omelets that are cooked to perfection!
And it's not just the food. The service is superb.
"I've never had a bad experience here....everyone is happy! They treat you with a smile....you get seated quickly and the food is here in 2 minutes. So you can't beat it," said Brian and Kim Washington, customers.
ABC 7 viewer Bob Rieke loves their food. His favorite waitress is Amy Lovely.
"When we come, she's got our coffee ready. She knows what we order regularly. She just takes care of us," said Bob Rieke, ABC 7 viewer and customer.
"Every time he comes in, it makes my day a little bit better," said Amy Lovely, veteran waitress.
And the staff is in sync. Amy has been here 10 years. Janet Ladalski, the manager, has been her 21. And it's been 13 years for Victor Hernandez.
"I like our boss. He's nice. He's been nice to me. That's why I stay here," said Victor Hernandez, cook.
The owner is Jim Garofalo. He used to be an accountant, but quit to get back into the family restaurant business. He bought The Egg and I from his father twelve years ago. His philosophy, may have something to do with their success.
"If something is not on the menu, we'll make anything you want. We'll try to do whatever we possibly can to get you what you want on a regular basis," said Jim Garofalo, Owner, The Egg and I.
Garofalo praises his staff.
"Without the staff, it wouldn't be The Egg and I. It's The Egg and I because of the staff," said Garofalo.
It is a winning combination that will have you coming back, time after time. Just ask the customers.
"If you are looking for a good meal, come on out to The Egg and I, and I guarantee you'll be happy," said Virgil Mixon, loyal customer.
Egg and I222 Dixie Hwy
Chicago Heights, IL 60411
708-754-0909
www.theeggni.com
