Squeeze-In Eastern
Coffee
Zweifel – Apples and Bananas Sauteed in Butter and Honey, folded into an Omelette with Peanut Butter and Bacon (+$1.59) plus Crispy Potatoes and an English Muffin
Salty Sweet Chocolate Covered Bacon
Sophia’s Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes – Short Stack with Blueberries (+$0.99)
Now featuring two locations in Southern Nevada, the concept out of Truckee California opening its first in July 2016 near the junction of Fort Apache and Tropicana, it was with morning business nearby that a stop was made at Squeeze-In on South Eastern Avenue near Truffles n’ Bacon Café, the restaurant known for the “Best Omelettes on the Planet” and a televised triumph over Bobby Flay showing consistency in the branding, but not in the overall customer experience.
Tucked into the back corner of a shopping plaza next to a Vegan Café, the shopping center jumping that morning thanks to a Tent Sale from a nearby Home Goods vendor, it was just past eight in the morning that two aliens were passed en route to the door, a smiling hostess greeting patrons and offering seating amidst a room decorated in kitsch and guest comments written in Sharpie on the wall.
Not the sort of restaurant going all-in on the Artisan idea, but rather the sort of place with a colorful menu built on classic diner food updated with some twists, it was with particular items plus a $10 “Egghead Club” discount voucher that a seat was taken along the back window, the hostess inexplicably placing a loud family with a father who smelled like a freshly sparked joint directly behind me only a minute later despite plenty of room to spare.
Already having made decisions, a cup of Coffee poured and refilled only after verbal requests throughout the morning, it was shortly after seating that a three-part order was placed to the response of “you must be hungry,” the music playing overhead ranging from Pop to Classic Rock at a level that never grew too loud with Free Wi-Fi providing available to those who arrive during longer wait times, though there was barely time to log-in before Breakfast plates began arriving.
Taking the valued step of offering Pure Maple Syrup at a supplementary charge, though this uncommon local practice had already caused some to be brought from home, it was with all three dishes deserved simultaneously that photos were snapped and items dressed to taste, the Chocolate covered Bacon arriving ice-cold with a squeeze of Whipped Cream and Berries that were added to the Short-Stack, the flavor of the Pork mostly lost amidst the coating, and mostly detectable in the lightly saline finish.
Focusing next on the Pancakes, the body not quite as fluffy as the Jack Johnson inspired version tasted in August, it bears mention that for ninety-nine cents the amount of Blueberries present in the Batter was greater than one might expect even though the cup of Butter was quite small, the portion size of a dish entitled Zweifel far more substantial as three whole Eggs are folded around an admixture of softened Fruit, Honey and a creamy Peanut Butter with the addition of at least two chopped slices of Bacon providing a textural variance that was actually quite pleasant, the eggs admittedly lost in the background and almost acting as a ‘wrap’ in this instance while the Spuds were crisp and not oily, though something besides High Fructose Corn Syrup-laden Smucker’s would have been nice to have for the toasted English Muffin.
THREE STARS: Lacking the friendly and efficient customer service of the location on the West Side, but still providing a decent breakfast at a fair price, Squeeze-In on Easterm provides yet another alternative to the Egg & I’s, Cracked Egg and Baby Cakes of Sin City with a focus on Omelettes that come in an almost infinite array of possibilities.
RECOMMENDED: Zeifel with Bacon.
AVOID: Chocolate covered Bacon is a gimmick. The same flavor could be replicated with a sprinkle of Salt.
TIP: Yelp! Check-Ins yield a free Cocktail with Entrée Purchase while the Egghead Club offers discount vouchers based on Birthdays, Anniversaries and Points accumulated from visits.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
http://www.squeezein.com/las-vegas-nv/
