Eggspectation: false advertising brought to a new level

Don't let the title deceive you. As you walk into this new restaurant in Downtown Silver Spring, you may expect to be overwhelmed with eggs-but there are burgers, chicken wings and other standard dishes. Though the first thing you see in the menu is a line that says "We are a company committed to innovation and excellence," be forewarned that you shouldn't expect anything spectacular.

The restaurant has a quirky and awkwardly charming motif. The shelves overflowing with books create the feeling of entering an intellectual tavern. The lights are dim and the lopsided stain-glass chandeliers and pictures of random people plastered across the brick walls are strange. The theme of the restaurant is unclear.

Be daring and try one of the smoothies from the juice bar. The black beauty, a blueberry, blackberry, and yogurt concoction blended with cranberry juice and ice ($4.49) lulls the taste buds into a pleasurable experience. The only problem with the beverage is no care is taken to remove the seeds, which prevents you from completely enjoying the fruit mixture.

There are a medley of ordinary appetizers and they are served in generous portions. One of the standard choices on the appetizer menu are the hot and spicy chicken wings for $6.99. The crab and salmon soup of the day is also a good choice. Made with crab, salmon, carrots, and broccoli, the soup is thick and courts the taste buds with its smooth blend of seafood and fresh vegetables.

The major negative aspect about the dining experience is the main focus of the restaurant, the eggs, aren't at all what they're cracked up to be. The choices are varied, with a omelets, eggs benedict, or a set of odd eggcentricity dishes that customers can chose from, but the many abundance of egg dish possibilities does not make up for the poor quality of the eggs themselves. The bacon and cheese omelets for $7.49 is bland and flimsy at best, seemingly half filled with air, and the eggs are watery and lack substance. The dish is made tolerable by the addition of grilled potatoes enveloped in tasty spices, with slices of orange, cantaloupe and toast as side dishes.

Despite the second-rate qualities of the eggs, there are some positive aspects to Eggspectation. For example, the kitchen is in plain view, so you are able to see the cleanliness of the area and be sure about the safety of the dining experience. Another good thing is the moderate prices, with the crab dishes being the most expensive at
about $15.00.

Eggspectation, located on 923 Ellsworth Drive, is situated between Red Lobster and Austin Grill in downtown Silver Spring.