Snooze is a self-described “A.M. breakfast and lunch restaurant” that has made its way to San Diego from Colorado (snoozeeatery.com). Since their arrival to La Jolla in 2017, Snooze has generated a following due to their creative menu, which offers a variety of sweet and savory items, and their fun atmosphere. Due to my high expectations for Snooze, the experience left me quite disappointed. Fortunately, the restaurant does offer a handful of tasty options.

   On Snooze’s official website, they take pride in their restaurant’s “energetic atmosphere,” and this “lively” vibe was made apparent very quickly (snoozeeatery.com). After a 45 minute wait, my company and I were seated inside the bustling restaurant. In addition to the expected noise of a crowded restaurant, obnoxious E.D.M. music was playing loud enough that I was nearly shouting to have a conversation with the person across the table from me. From where I was seated, the atmosphere felt more headache-inducing than energetic.

   Snooze offers a seasonal menu, so many items are offered only temporarily. A new addition for this season was their “Sweet Cannoli Cakes.” These buttermilk pancakes originally sounded appealing, with their sweet ricotta, chocolate syrup, mocha crumble, and pomegranate seeds. But after a few bites, the medley of flavors intended to replicate an Italian cannoli tasted more like a frappuccino with unnecessary bits of pomegranate. The Cannoli Cakes were a creative addition to the menu, but the plate ended up being overly ambitious.

   The “O.M.G. French Toast” was the saving grace of my stay. The fluffy brioche toast filled with mascarpone cheese soaked up the vanilla creme and syrup beautifully, and the strawberry slices paired with the coconut flakes added a fresh contrast to the sugary sweetness of the rest of the dish. Sophomore Jayden Berke agreed, recommending the french toast dish as a great option for diners with a sweet tooth.

   The breakfast joint also serves a variety of savory breakfast/brunch specials, including a classic “3 Egg Omelette,” which was fairly customizable to the eater’s preferences (offering spinach, ham, cheese, etc.), accompanied by a side of hashbrowns and toast. But everything about the dish screamed mediocracy. The omelette definitely could’ve used some seasoning to add some flavor to the underwhelming plate. The side dishes were adequate, but the meal as a whole severely lacked any sort of flavor. With Snooze advertising themselves as a place of “innovation” on their website, one would expect them to add a little bit of novelty to classic dishes (snoozeeatery.com).

   My experience at Snooze was fairly underwhelming. The restaurant is crowded and all too celebrated for providing generally mediocre food (with some exceptions), and the atmosphere as a whole was perturbing. If you’re looking for a breakfast place to try out, I would recommend pressing the snooze button on Snooze.