One thing all high schoolers have in common is their love for food. Whether it be a quick morning breakfast fix or a study date at a nearby cafe, going out to breakfast is a great way to start the morning. A couple of well known breakfast places in Kane County are Egg Harbor Cafe and Buttermilk. Both are very popular restaurants with a wide variety of items on their menu, but when comparing the two, which one overrides the other?

Buttermilk:

With a mix of old home cooking and a dash of culinary intelligence, Buttermilk has a wide ranging menu that is sure to please even the most picky eater. Buttermilk’s motto starts off by aiming to make every customer come back for more. They open at 7 a.m. and close at 2:30 p.m. everyday, which is a perfect time range, especially during the weekends, for any breakfast enthusiast.

In 2015, Buttermilk, which has a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, opened to the public. It is located in downtown Geneva off of State St. and is less than 20 minutes away from Kaneland. Whether it’s a gathering for a family of 4 or a romantic brunch for two, Buttermilk is the perfect option for any occasion.

Using the highest quality ingredients available, their menu includes a variety of biscuits, eggs, omelets, skillets, benedicts, pancakes, french toast, crepes, waffles, grains and an assortment of sides. Not to mention, they also have a coffee bar menu that includes 12 flavors of blended espresso beverages, known as B-Milkaccino’s. And if your mouth isn’t watering yet, they also have specialty items such as panini’s, smoked salmon, croissants and southern egg pies. They also offer a gluten free menu, along with a kids menu.

If we had to choose our top 3 go-to items off the menu to recommend, they would for sure be the ‘B-u-t-t-e-r-m-i-l-k pancakes’, the ‘Wake-up Call Waffle’ and ‘The Cheeser’ omelet. Although they do have a delicious palette, the prices can add up pretty fast, especially for teenagers in high school. They have skillets and omelets ranging from $8 to $15, pancakes for almost $10 and their B-Milkaccino’s start at $4.95. In our opinion, $15 for a meal plus the price of a drink is a bit much if you ask us.

However, the food and the service never fail to disappoint. Along with the expensive pricing, it is very rare to go to buttermilk and not have to wait to be seated. Depending if you go on a weekday vs. a weekend, the wait list may differ. Almost every time the two of us have gone to Buttermilk, the line has almost and has been out the door.

On the bright side, this is a great sign that people really enjoy what the breakfast restaurant has to offer. However, waiting an hour to eat breakfast might be frustrating to others. Whereas at Egg Harbor Cafe, it isn’t always as busy as Buttermilk and you don’t feel obligated to get-in and get-out due to the never ending line of hungry customers.

However, in our opinion Buttermilk won this battle. It may not be a weekly breakfast choice because the prices will add up, but every once in awhile, it is the perfect breakfast fix. In the long run, it is so worth the wait and the money spent.

Egg Harbor Cafe:

As soon as you walk through the door, the homey smell of eggs cooking hits patrons on arrival. Since it’s opening in 2003, Egg Harbor has been a popular destination for people of all ages. Located about 20 minutes from Kaneland, it’s a little bit longer of a drive, but definitely worth it. Starting their day at 6:30 AM, Egg Harbor feeds the morning birds their delicious array of food.

Focusing mainly on eggs, Egg Harbor has plentiful ways to serve. Some of their dishes include scramblers, skillets, and omelets. In addition to their egg dishes, they serve griddles along with breakfast bowls. To go with their endless choices, they have multiple sides. Ranging from yogurt to bacon they make sure that their customers leave the restaurant waddling from all the all the food they’ve eaten. To the benefit of those with allergies, there’s a gluten free menu.

For those who are worried about the treatment of the animals producing the popular eggs, Egg Harbor has said that they’re eggs are, “100% free range certified-humane eggs from hens who eat a high quality diet containing no antibiotics or hormones.”

A dish I’d recommend is the ‘Matt’s Meaty skillet’. Topped with bacon, ham and sausage, the skillet will surely agree with tastebuds craving food more on the meat side.

More on the vegetarian side of the spectrum is the ‘Garden Scrambler’. With mushrooms, spinach, tomato and jack cheese, the scrambler has numerous tastes that complement one another. With a dollop of sour cream on top, the entire dish is brought back together, creating a great taste.

While the prices do seem somewhat expensive with an average of $10 or $11 a dish, it’s worth the cost for the amount of food you get. So, really people are paying that much for about a meal and a half.

As an older breakfast place out of the two, the wait is usually not nearly as long. Every time I’ve been there the wait has only been about 15-20 minutes at the most. With only about a 20 minute wait on the weekend, the wait during the week is even shorter. Even if you have a wait, the restaurant is conveniently located in the middle of downtown Geneva. So, during your wait you can always walk around the block and go window shopping.

Even though Egg Harbor is an older breakfast place, the homey feeling invites high schoolers in to try any of their older or modern dishes. So, if you’re looking for a short wait time and some really delicious food, Egg Harbor is the place for you.

Winner: Buttermilk