by James Coulter
Looking for a new place to have breakfast? Or lunch? Or even brunch? Want a place that’s different yet familiar? New yet well within your comfort zone? Then you can’t beat Lake Wales’s new diner, Eggs Up 27, serving up all the traditional all-American comfort food.
From burgers and fries, to bacon and eggs, and everything else in between breakfast and lunch, Eggs Up 27 serves traditional all-American diner food.
Their most popular breakfast platter is the Cowboy Breakfast with three eggs (any style) over home fries, onions, peppers, tomatoes, sirloin tips, and shredded cheese. Also give their Breakfast Skillet a try with home fries topped with any two eggs, gravy, and cheddar cheese.
As for their lunch menu, while their burgers and sandwiches can’t be beaten, their most popular (and original) dish is their marinated steak tips, with grilled beef cooked to perfection and drizzled with finger-licking sauce.
My boss Carl Fish and I have been having lunch there for the past few weeks. He’s even been nice enough to invite my step-father Mac to join us. We’ve had lunch together there twice, and neither of us has yet been disappointed.
Each time I’ve been there, I’ve ordered the usual: a jalapeno cheddar burger with a side of fries. During our latest get-together, I also ordered some buffalo hot wings. (In case you can’t tell, I like my food extra spicy!)
Every time I’ve had the burger, it was cooked to my liking: medium well with a tiny pink in the middle with enough juices to make it finger-licking good—and you certainly needed enough juices to quench the fiery jalapeno aftertaste.
As for the hot wings, while they weren’t as “saucy” as they were to my liking, they were nevertheless burning with fiery flavor, though I’d probably toss on some tabasco sauce next time to make them spicier and saucier. (Again, I like my food spicy!)
Both my boss and stepdad aren’t as big with anything spicier than mayo. So, Carl had a bowl of shrimp and grits, while Mac had the eatery’s signature Half-Pounder with no cheese. (The same thing he ordered at our first meal there together.)
Carl has eaten lunch at Eggs Up 27 ever since it opened. (It certainly helps they’re an advertiser!) He’s had everything on the menu. This time around, he decided to try the shrimp and grits, and they turned out fantastic. The portions were good, and the shrimp was cooked and prepared “perfectly.”
“I love to come and work with my advertisers who give good service and great food to their customers,” Carl said. “When they do things like that, it makes life our life so much easier to be their advertiser. I am very excited about that.”
As for Mac, he liked the Half Pounder on our first visit, and he loved it on our second. He considered the presentation excellent, the food very appetizing, and his burger cooked to perfection just the way he liked it.
“I have been to fast food eateries where all the food tastes the same,” he said. “This looks like a fancy eatery with a nice presentation. I am extremely happy, and I will be back again soon.”
Werner Gabriel, owner and manager, opened Eggs Up 27 more than a month ago. While the eatery had a “bumpy” start, it’s since grown in popularity with regular customers pouring into the dining rooms every day for breakfast and lunch.
“Things were bumpy at the beginning, but word of mouth has gotten out, and thanks to Daily Ridge…business has been pretty good every day so far, and we hope to keep it that way,” Gabriel said.
Gabriel started in the restaurant business working at several local eateries. After 10 to 15 years, he felt he gained enough experience to open his own eatery.
His first attempt was Main Street Diner. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic hit his business hard, and, like other businesses during that time, he eventually closed up shop.
He decided to give his venture another try. Opportunity arose with Eggs Up 27 in Lake Wales. Ever since then, his new business has taken off. He owes that success to the portions and quality of his food.
“What makes out food great is the amount of love you put into them, the amount of preparation you put into it, and the years of experience,” he said. “We offer quality food with good portions. We want to give people a bang for their buck.”
In the near future, Gabriel hopes to offer outdoor seating and ice cream and shakes on the menu. Until then, he hopes to continue meeting new customers and making them regular customers.
“[I love] meeting new people and making friends with customers,” he said. “It is a nice change rather than working for a company. This case, I can interact with customers and meet new people.”
Eggs Up 27 is located at 19301 US Hwy 27, Lake Wales, FL 33853. For more information, visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087972610281
