Could the Next Big Thing in Fast Casual Involve Eggs?

The rise of fast casual dining has pushed American diners’ palates to unexpected places over the last few decades. Had you told me a decade ago that I’d be a dedicated consumer of savory-yet-spicy tofu, I’d have done a double-take — but now, I freely acknowledge that Chipotle’s sofritas are, in fact, delicious. Now, a very different chain is getting its moment in the spotlight: Eggholic, with locations across the United States and Canada.

Eater is the latest publication to cover the restaurant, with a feature from Khushbu Shah. Last year, The New Yorker‘s Hannah Goldfield chronicled a visit to an Eggholic location — an article that inspired me to make the first of multiple visits to their Edison, New Jersey location. Full disclosure: I’m a fan of the menu there and don’t hate the idea of Eggholic becoming as ubiquitous as other fast casual establishments.

Shah’s article in Eater provides a good overview of what diners can expect at Eggholic, which draws its culinary inspiration from Gujarat, in western India. “The plan is to be in every market,” co-founder Lay Patel told Eater — and the chain is making steps towards that very goal, with 12 new locations set to open this year.

The New Yorker‘s dispatch from Eggholic explores the differnent ways the restaurant uses eggs. Goldfield describes a few of the options available there: “an omelette called lapeti is filled with boiled egg shredded as finely as cheese; for the Lava Pulav, an omelette is left unfolded and topped with a volcano-like mound of turmeric-steamed basmati rice and shredded egg, a ladle of tomato sauce spooned into the middle.”

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As the Eater article points out, the owners of Eggholic have sought to expand to regions with large populations of South Asian descent; they’re also not the only restaurant chain drawing inspiration from savory egg dishes. And if the phrase “savory egg dishes” piqued your interest, you may well have a new culinary destination to add to your list.