Chris V.
Yelp
Some sources suggest that the name may derive from a Latin word for "rival." They do rival other breakfast spots in very specific aspects.
Emilia's Cafe is a nearly 24/7 spot in The Pass, a local Henderson casino on Water Street. We had received food comps from the casino within the past week (valid for 7 days) and decided to try the restaurant since it's the only breakfast option here.
The service was okay. They warned us up front that there was only one server for today, so I was fine with the delays. However, a nearby table pointed out that they could've cross-trained other employees to take food orders. That's some food for thought. I also was confused that nobody came to settle our check until asking someone and learning that you had to walk to the register. What is this, a Cali Viet joint?
That aside, I did appreciate that the employee who took our drink orders offered lemon with our water, and we were able to flag someone down later for to-go boxes.
I was feeling carby today, and that craving earned me some surprisingly tasty and filling bites. I'm starting to think that Henderson secretly has a competitive Biscuits & Gravy ($5.99) scene after a nice experience not too far from here, and this version was delicious too. The biscuits were huge and fluffy, and the white gravy had plenty of sausage bits while not tasting too salty. I also picked up one buttermilk Pancake ($1.99), which was huge, surprisingly thick, crispy on the edges, and fluffy throughout. It's close to being flavorful enough on its own, but I enjoyed adding both the spreadable butter and regular syrup.
Savory is not their forte, unfortunately. I tasted a Mushroom Swiss & Sausage omelette ($11.99), and there may not have been any salt added at all. The Swiss was nicely melted, but that's all it had going for it. The buttered wheat toast almost helped the eggs enough, and the hash browns were okay. It's nice that they provide all kinds of condiments on the table, but you gotta have a good baseline flavor profile.
The Coffee ($3.49) wasn't too bad, and they even provided refills when you could flag someone down. They also have half n half singles in addition to the expected non-dairy creamer.
If you're a Henderson local, then definitely stop by Emilia's to use food comps to load up on breakfast carbs. Don't drive across town, and don't go if you want a decent omelet. Maybe I'll end up trying other things if I have the incentive to return regularly.