With a name like Egg-Spresso Cafe, you’d think eggs and maybe espresso are the go-to menu items. Au contraire, the Warsaw eatery offers way more than a chicken egg and a cup of Joe.
Egg-Spresso Cafe, in the seafoam blue building on Main Street in Warsaw, should be on everybody’s breakfast and lunch go-to in the upper Northern Neck.
I’d been wanting to try Egg-Spresso ever since I heard the owners, Jeans and Derrick Owens, were also the owners of Java Jacks in Tappahannock.
The Owenses opened Egg-Spresso in November 2023 after Jeans says “Warsaw made us an offer that was hard to turn down.” They made a few cosmetic changes to the building, which had been completely remodeled for the former establishment, Chesapeake Doughnut Company. They expanded the seating from five tables to a 60-person capacity, gave the interior a fresh coat of paint and built a coffee/service bar behind the counter. The town added a beautiful full-wall size mural. And of course, they added that Java Jack’s signature touch of linen table cloths.
I took a friend to Egg-Spresso for a late breakfast/early lunch a few weeks ago and was not disappointed.
I never turn down breakfast food, whether it’s morning, noon or night so was happy to learn the restaurant is open daily from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Oddly, enough, Jeans said if you want a burger at 8 a.m., they aim to please. Lunch items are available all day.
Wanting to try a variety, I ordered breakfast and coaxed my dining companion, Darlene, to order lunch. As a tasty treat, and surprise, Jeans sent out a colorful espresso flight for us to try. The flight, which includes four small cups, changes every few weeks. Ours included cherry vanilla, blue raspberry and peach almond and a white chocolate lavender chai made with tea. Darlene and I agreed the white chocolate lavender was our favorite. Just a hint of lavender didn’t overpower the chocolate. Of course, they were all yummy.
I’d had Java Jacks sausage gravy and biscuits. I fancy myself a sausage gravy and biscuit connoisseur—order it whenever I have a chance and have tried it in every state from here to Florida. The staple at both Java Jacks and Egg-Spresso is one of the better ones and definitely one of the most unique. They make a sausage flavored country gravy and put that over each biscuit half with a complete piece of sausage on top. It was a real surprise when I cut into it.
For something different, our waitress Michelle suggested the French toast. It comes either classic, chocolate chip or cinnamon and all three are smothered in a blanket of powered sugar with a side of bacon or sausage and fruit. I also added an order of corn grits with cheese, served surprisingly just the way I like them, slightly firm—think the consistency of stiff mashed potatoes. Just the way I make mine at home!
The breakfast menu includes all the favorites—omelettes, pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, chipped beef, steak and eggs, chicken fried steak and avocado toast. The homemade quiches include crab or spinach, mushroom and bacon.
A signature sweet treat is the basket of jacks. Another item we were surprised to receive. It’s six, solid but light and fluffy ‘donuts’, topped with powdered or cinnamon sugar. The perfect pairing with the restaurant’s signature drinks. Darlene paired hers with a large cappuccino.
There are two pages of speciality drinks, both iced and hot coffee based, plus teas and smoothies.
The lunch menu includes seasonal salads, taco salads, fresh Rappahannock River oysters, crab cake, Philly cheese steak, wraps, quesadillas and an enticing pimento grilled cheese. The variety of items created an ordering dilemma for Darlene. She chose the reuben panini which offered sliced corned beef with traditional sauerkraut and thousand island dressing, served grilled on fluffy, soft ciabatta bread. The beef can be subbed out for turkey.
With so many breakfast and lunch items to try, I can’t wait to go back.
Egg-Spresso
149 Main Street, Warsaw
804-250-2026
Egg-SpressoOpen daily: 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Customer favorites:
Breakfast: Benedicts • Omelettes • Sausage gravy
Lunch: Chicken salad • Hamburger • Pimento grilled cheese
Did you know? The owners decided to name the eatery Egg-Spresso after a Google search of sarcastic breakfast sayings.
“ The breakfast menu includes all the favorites—omelettes, pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, chipped beef, steak and eggs, chicken fried steak and avocado toast.”
