Eggs Up Grill — Restaurant in Georgia

• Editing my review after coming in on Sunday, April 13 to a very mixed experience. * Walked in to a lobby area full of people. Other people waiting suggested we write our name on the seating list. When I did, there were names crossed out on a dry erase page. The owner, Penny, played hostess, server, cook -- all part time and not well for any of them. Her husband stepped in and half-bussed, half hosted; it was gross to see food being taken off the table as people were being seated. I watched a young boy get his pancake, finish it, and begin playing with a toy on it when mom & dad's food came. Even the young boy told the waiter that mom and dad's meals were late. (I felt bad for the waiter who had been running all over doing his best -- I mean, what do you say to that?) We were told that staff was out for Spring Break which happens (though, the county school district had been back for a week -- there were a couple of proms that might have been the issue...still) but in that case, knowing you have a busy day, put a system in place and go with it. When things slowed down a bit, the owner took a coffee pot around and apologized to patrons as he refilled. It was so sad, I ducked my head in embarrassment. The manager did the same but thanked people for their patience -- what a world of difference. (I am a communication professional so I know the difference the right words can make.) My friend and I waited for seats at the bar until we couldn't wait any longer (we sat in a small booth instead) and were told later that the food delivery people (outside companies delivering Eggs Up food) were seated at the bar waiting for to-go orders. The people who had dedicated roles (busser, servers, cooks) had the same "thank you for your patience" energy. You could feel that change when the owners "helped" them. I get that. When I'm focused, and especially when I'm busy, I want to do my job and not have to take the time to explain what I've been doing/my process to someone else. I left a note for the owners suggesting that they trust their employees. People understand getting busy. Don't make excuses, make plans that include your customers. There's a whole blurb on the top of the menu from the owners about the family aspect of Eggs Up. Bring us into the family. Families give grace and understanding, especially if there is good food at the end of it!

*Reason why we made this our date place * I have been to Eggs Up twice and simply love everything about it. The atmosphere is fun -- perfect for waking up. I think the playlist needs to be publicized each month because it's always perfect; I love each next song. Brent is an excellent server. He knew just what to recommend even when I knew the crabcakes were going to be mine! I do wish they'd ask if you want regular or dark roast when you order coffee. It took me a minute to figure that out. But, everything is delicious, service is great, and the atmosphere is the perfect way to wake up.

** I forgot about the playlist. We were so hungry and the place was so busy, I must not have...

We've come here several times for breakfast and usually had decent experiences (last time we were there the edges of the tables were covered in sticky syrup - we sat at three before it was tolerable). We decided to stop in for breakfast on Saturday morning on our way out to do errands. It seemed much cleaner than our previous visit and the host was friendly. Our server was okay, but seemed a little stressed. It was 9am on a Saturday and they were mostly empty, so not sure why she was stressed but she was. We ordered and the food came out surprisingly quick. Unfortunately we didn't take pictures of the food - it was not what we were used to getting there at all. The sausage links were small and all shriveled up and unbelievably salty - so salty they were hard to eat. I choked mine down because otherwise I would have been starving - the potatoes on the plate were clearly uncooked and should never have been served. There was no way we could eat them, so we ordered some grits instead. They were also doused in so much salt I couldn't eat them either. The pancake, although it looked okay, was also extremely salty. I think the only thing that was decent with the whole meal was the biscuit my husband had. When we told the server about the issues not being normal, she left to go to the back and tell the manager. He or she never came out to talk to us, just told the server they would discount the meal. Overall a terrible experience at a breakfast spot that had so much potential when they opened - I guess there was a reason it wasn't busy on a Saturday morning at 9am. I wouldn't waste my time coming here - there are other breakfast spots around with loyal customers...

We were seated quickly, but then had to wait for the manager to notice that we didn't even have any waters and then overheard the servers trying to figure out who was "taking" us. By the time our server came to the table, we knew what we wanted and ordered everything at one time. I ordered a carafe of mimosas and my husband ordered a coffee. He received his coffee before our food, then our food arrived and I was told she was "still working on the carafe". I could see the bottle of champagne sitting on the counter. I ate a few bites of my food (Texican bowl, very yummy!) and realized that she hadn't brought me the side of sour cream and salsa. I still didn't have my drink either. I went to the counter asked for my sides and told her to cancel the carafe. When she came back to the table she said she could make me a single drink but that she "was waiting for someone to show her how to make the carafe and they got busy". No apology, no manager contact, no service recovery. I realize that we chose to eat out on a weekend of graduations and Mother's Day, but they weren't very busy when we came in and there is no excuse for poor customer service. As a manager myself, I was very disappointed. We will be returning to the Rucker Rd location...