Egg Mann and Earl — Restaurant in Boise

Eggmann and Earl ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Located in a strip mall in South East Boise, Eggmann and Earl is known for their breakfasts. On 1/12/22, I visited for the first time. One of the reasons it’s taken me so long to get here is that I’ve heard about how busy it gets on the weekends. There are a number of chairs in front of the restaurant for those who have to wait. I visited on a Wednesday at approximately 12:30 PM. There were very few people in the restaurant. I was seated immediately and received prompt service.

I ordered one of their two most popular options, Eggs Benedict ($14.75) with a side of Earl’s Seasoned Red Potatoes ($4.25). The version of Eggs Benedict I ordered was the classic version, with the exception of the addition of wilted spinach. It was a toasted English muffin, split in two, topped with wilted spinach, ham, medium poached eggs and house made Hollandaise sauce. You can pay extra to get it with a sausage patty or salmon, instead of ham.

First up was the “complementary” scone. I would argue that while the scone is complementary in the sense that if you’re new to this restaurant and/or haven’t read the reviews, you don’t know it’s coming, given the high prices, you have in essence paid for your scone. This isn’t a true scone. It’s merely what passes for one in Utah and some parts of Idaho. It is a yeast bread dough that has been deep-fried. The scone was good, but not great. Years ago, I worked at a restaurant that is famous for their homemade “scones,” so I’m a bit picky. The edges of my scone were pointed instead of round and fluffy. If I had to guess, perhaps the dough wasn’t given enough time to rise. It was also served prior to properly draining it, which ended up leaving oil on the bottom of the plate. There was also some oil on the bottom from my plate, which smeared on the table when I moved it.

While my English muffin could’ve been toasted a bit longer, and I didn’t think that wilted spinach added anything to it, my Eggs Benedict was good. There was a generous portion of ham, the eggs were nicely poached, and the hollandaise sauce had good flavor. The potatoes were overly seasoned and too salty, to the point of being inedible. I say that as someone who really likes salt and often asks for it, if it’s not already on the table. I’ve had seasoned potatoes at many restaurants over the years, but I’ve never had any served to me that I couldn’t eat. When my server asked me for feedback and I mentioned the potatoes to her, she simply said she would share it with the cook and advised me to order the Hangover Hashbrowns next time. That’s all. There was no offer to redo the potatoes or offer me another kind instead. Also, the way she responded left me with the sinking sense that she had no intention of sharing my feedback. Despite this, and against my better judgment, I still left a 20% tip.

I don’t normally comment on price, but in this case, I would be remiss not to. Eggmann and Earl‘s pricing on their Eggs Benedict is noticeably higher than other local restaurants. For comparison’s sake, my favorite Eggs Benedict is at Goldy’s in downtown Boise. Goldy’s has been written up in Bon Appétit magazine as one of the best breakfast restaurants in America. Like Eggmann and Earl, their Eggs Benedict comes à la cart. It cost $8.95, which is almost $6 less. Their seasoned red potatoes are just $.25 more. The other restaurant whose Eggs Benedict I’ve been wanting to try are Richard’s Restaurant and Bar in Boise. Richard’s Eggs Benedict, which comes on top of a house made English muffin and includes seasoned red potatoes, costs $15.

The second most popular dish on the menu is Huevos Rancheros, which is hard to find in this area. At some point, I plan to return and order it.

If you want to avoid a wait, I recommend visiting this restaurant during the week, preferably around lunchtime.

Location: 650 E. Boise Ave.

Hours: Open daily from...

Egg Mann and Earl has been on my go to list for a hot minute. It's not the closest to where we live but we made the drive over. Waking in, I was pretty surprised at all the fun and funky decor. I didn't know what to expect but what I saw very unexpected. It was a pretty cool waiting area. All these different and fun things to look at. You couldn't be bored in that kind of waiting area. Too much stuff to play with.

Our server greeted us at the hostess stand. She asked for our names which threw me off since there wasn't a wait. Come to find out, she wrote our names on a little erase board. I thought it was pretty cool! We got sat at a neat booth. There were drawings and different wall art all over. The dining area is just as crazy and fun as the waiting area. Random art work, signs and different dining sets. Chase, our server, guided us through the menu and grabbed our drinks. Coffee was on point today.

For breakfast I ordered the Country Benedict. My daughter got the Huevos Racheros with a side of hashbrowns. While we were waiting for our food, we were given a complimentary scone. The scone came out hot! It was coated in cinnamon, sugar and powdered sugar. That baby was delicious! It could have used a dab of butter but without the butter it was still yummy.

Shortly after we finished our scone, our food came! Holy cow, my Country Benedict was massive! My daughter's huevos rancheros looked delicious! The hashbrowns were a pretty golden brown. It all looked good! Digging into my meal, one word to describe it is dense. The biscuits was huge but very dense. And then you add a very thick country gravy on top which made it overwhelming thick. I might have enjoyed it if the gravy wasn't so thick. The sausage was savory. My eggs were cooked perfectly. But with all of our combined, it was just too much.

Chase did a great job serving us today. She was very attentive and sweet. The restaurant itself is so fun and different. It's not your typical breakfast joint which makes it that much more neat. Overall, it wa a fun experience! I really wish the food would have hit the spot for me but maybe next time I can get...

When you walk into an establishment and they recognize you by face and most of the staff remember your name even though you don't show up too routinely, you KNOW you are in the right place!

I usually go for the Keep Calm and Scramble On, but today I was wanting to try something new. So I went for the Biscuits and Gravy. I asked how big the biscuits were and the waitress (Jackie!) let me know. I ordered one biscuit with gravy, three eggs scrambled, an order of bacon and my coffee.

The coffee kept coming. The complimentary scone is, as always, so scrumptious and melts in your mouth. The biscuit was heaven in food form! Super fluffy, roughly an inch and a half to two inches tall and smothered in the house made gravy. It was exactly what I was looking for this morning. This was one of the very few times that I have been able to finish everything I ordered when going to Eggman and Earl.

The service was perfection. Jackie and the rest of the crew made me feel like I was at home. They stop and check in without being helicopters. They happily answer any and all questions you have. The cooks in back are making tasty masterpieces there in the kitchen.

I have recommended Eggman and Earl so many times throughout the years. It truly is my favorite neighborhood place. Thanks for welcoming me in this morning! Can't wait for my next visit!!! The only thing I'd like to try sometime, since I'm not a person that appreciates sausage as much as bacon, is to have the country gravy with more BACON than sausage pieces. Either way, it is still super tasty and I will ALWAYS order the gravy!!!

Keep being amazing, guys!

And for those that are looking for what to order....I don't think you can go wrong with anything there. My mom recently had the sourdough pancakes and those were exceptional. I typically order the Keep Calm and Scramble On with Hangover Hash, peppers (green or red, mood dependent), bacon and onions as my three add-ins, and a side of gravy to dump on top! That is my favorite order. The biscuits and gravy....soooooo yummy! Everything I've ever tried at Eggman and Earl has been exceptional and...