West Egg Café

Jennifer and Ben Johnson both left their law firms to give Atlanta a handful of fine dining establishments, including West Egg (and General Muir, another Atlanta favorite). And we’re so glad they did. In Atlanta’s Westside neighborhood, but with the feel of a small town cafe, West Egg is a bright, bustling place serving all-day breakfast. There’s also a separate bar with locally-roasted Batdorf & Bronson coffee and delicious looking pastries (including the famous Coca-Cola cupcake).

We opt to sit down in the expansive dining room. There are plenty of beverages to start with, from cocktails to coffee drinks. I try an almond milk matcha, which is frothy and slightly sweet.

The menu is in all-red caps and features a variety of dishes, from oatmeal and tofu scrambles to Belgian waffles and pimiento cheese omelets. Once we order, our server brings over a wooden drawer with just the right amount of napkins and silverware for the table.

Thick-cut fried green tomatoes drizzled with horseradish dill sauce come layered with pimiento cheese and bacon. The tomatoes are great on their own, with a crunchy cornmeal crust. The cheese, cream, and bacon add an interesting touch.

We have to try the Jekyll Island Shrimp & Grits Festival winner, which is a soupy take on shrimp and grits, with pan-roasted okra and spicy andouille sausage over creamy grits with melted tomato-white wine butter and a pretty poached egg.

Salty sour cream pancakes are thick and cakey, served with spiced butter that tastes of cloves. A drizzle of maple syrup adds the right touch of sweetness.

Fried chicken hash is a delicious mixture of red onion, roasted corn kernels, portobello mushrooms, potatoes, and green pops of Swiss chard. Drizzled on top is Tabasco aioli that’s not quite spicy. The chicken is good, if just a tad dry.

From the lunch menu, we get avocado toast, which is a very thin slice of crisped rye topped with pastrami-smoked salmon and whole grain mustard vinaigrette. The flavors are subtle; everything is fresh and tasty. For a side, I get the most deliciously fluffy biscuit with spicy sweet hot pepper jelly.

Named after the parvenu town in The Great Gatsby, West Egg is a delightful way to start any morning and a good meeting spot any time of day. There’s something for any craving; the service is warm and friendly; and the atmosphere is relaxed.