The Broken Egg Cafe: a review

When our children were still at home, I usually packed sandwiches, fruit, and cookies for lunch if we were going to be in town in the middle of the day. Now that I drive to town alone, I often treat myself to lunch somewhere. Recently, I've been enjoying meals at Panera Bread, a chain restaurant noted for its "clean", nutrient-rich food. Today I wasn't near that location when my tummy began to rumble, so I decided to try a restaurant I've never been to before: The Broken Egg Cafe, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Located on Government Way, one of the busier north-south streets in town, this is a classic hometown cafe. There is nothing posh about it, anywhere. The waitress knew many of the patrons by name, leading me to believe the restaurant has its share of loyal regulars. She even gave a discount to one of those fellows, because she was quite sure the pork chop wasn't nearly as large as it usually is.

There is a general color scheme to the decor, mostly shades of green and red. The paint on the tables is comfortably chipped. The windowed wall separates the eatery into two rooms. The heater wasn't working in the first room, so I didn't sit there. It was a very chilly day, and I wished to be warm.

The decor is a bit haphazard, yet manages to be interesting. More pics below.

I ordered a half serving of the special of the day: hot turkey sandwich, seasoned red potatoes, corn, and cranberry sauce. I was so hungry, it didn't occur to me to take a photo of it. I just ate it! It was decent, ordinary food, hot like it should be, and filling. The seasoning on the potatoes inspired me to try something like that at home sometime.

Since I opted for the half-order of lunch, I had just enough room to tuck in some Peach-Blueberry Crisp. The waitress wisely suggested I eat half now and take the other half home, which I did. The texture was a bit gummy, but the flavor was quite acceptable. I did remember to take a picture of that before I had devoured all of it.

I always have mixed feelings about eating in a restaurant. I am a very good cook, so I usually avoid ordering anything I might make at home, knowing I could probably make it better. (Not bragging, just telling it like it is.) On the other hand, as the "chief cook and bottle washer" in my own house, I am happy to eat almost anything somebody else prepared. In this case, the food was far from spectacular, but entirely edible. I doubt that I will return often to this restaurant, but I would like to get there in time for breakfast some day.

All photos taken on my Android phone.