Rats

Oh Rats! Broken Pipe Sends a Flood of Rodents Into Green Eggs Cafe

Ummm… ew!
Ummm… ew! Photo: Yortw/Flickr

Philly’s a city, duh, and like every other urban center, both large and small, there are a tremendous number of creepy critters, crawlers and other unwelcome hoi polloi from the animal kingdom wriggling, writhing and scurrying about behind the walls and beneath the floors everywhere. And occasionally acts of man and nature send swarms of the them out into the spotlight to remind us of their repugnant reign over the city. And that appears to be case at the Center City outpost of Green Eggs Cafe, where a broken sewer pipe sent a flood of big-ass, nasty rats scampering about the closed (for obvious reasons) restaurant’s dining room on Sunday.

Photos, video and endless twittering over the last 36 hours — not to mention, full court press coverage from local media — have amplified the ick factor to a fever pitch. But the real horror here isn’t so much the gaggle of rats that were seen holding court at Green Eggs, as much as it is the damage the whole situation has dealt the mini-chain of otherwise reputable breakfast an lunch spots.

You’ll recall that when the OG TV sleuths from Inside Edition blew into town in March of 2011 to expose rat infestations at Cosi, Ted’s Montana Grill and other Center City restaurants, a pest control expert interviewed in the piece, said that due to the city’s sprawling networks of 100-plus year old pipes, that sealing rodents and other unwanted guests out of the place where we eat here is essentially impossible. So, this unfortunate incident could have literally occurred at any of Philly’s restaurants. And probably does more than anyone will ever admit. Here’s hoping the Green Eggs crew can overcome this black eye.

VIDEO: The Green Eggs Cafe Rats [Foobooz]
Earlier: Inside Edition Goes on Rat Patrol in Center City

Oh Rats! Broken Pipe Sends a Flood of Rodents Into Green Eggs Cafe