Los Angeles, CA (The Joy of Food) — Eggslut is squarely in the middle of a trend I loathe: the hipsterfication of food, where what you eat is just as ‘edgy’ as the ripped jeans of the clientele, where the casual post-gourmet fare hits the same note as the punk rock over the loud speakers, and where eating to see and be seen is more important than the act of eating itself.
Even now, years after first opening, Eggslut is still popular in any glossy round-up of the L.A. eating scene. And if you spend much time looking at food on Instagram, you have probably seen a few close-up images of the fare here, dripping with things like chipotle ketchup, chimichurri, and dijonnaise. But the food at Eggslut also has something of a solid reputation, and the cooking has always survived the hype.
Somehow, in the middle of the busy Grand Central Market, Eggslut manages to carve out an unmistakeable line, passing Fat and Flour on the right, Lucky Bird on the left, and ending squarely in front of Clark Street Bread. It’s a little absurd, actually, particularly on a weekend. This was the company’s original brick-and-mortar location, born out of a food truck where it quickly earned a cult following for its brand of porn food — giant sandwiches overflowing with stuff like tri-trip steak, cheese, bacon, and the almighty egg.
The Slut is what I’d recommend, a specialty concoction of pureed potato and a runny coddled egg garnished with chives and sea salt, all encased in a glass jar with toasted baguette slices on the side. The egg and potato come together sous-vide-style with a 2-to-1 parts potato-to-butter ratio, a clear homage to the late, great Joël Robuchon and his famed purée de pommes. To enjoy, you might subscribe to a philosophy of dipping, dunking, or scooping your bread into the jar, or for maximum yum, swirl the egg and potatoes together and then spread like amplified butter across the bread slices.
The rest of the menu is similarly tasty and exponentially heftier, those photogenic sandwiches ranging from a simple over medium egg-topped cheeseburger (the aptly named Cheeseburger) to the Fairfax, Eggslut’s marquee sandwich, a melding of scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, Sriracha mayo, and caramelized onions, all held together by a squishy, warm, locally made brioche bun. Many entrees are simple and have five or fewer ingredients, always of the fancy and impeccable kind. But they sure are delicious.
Still, the positives outweigh the negatives and even with my inherent bias against the whole casual high-end dining scene, I do believe that the food here really is all it’s cracked up to be.
Written by Joy
Thanks for reading. The Joy of Food blog celebrates eating well, traveling often, and living la dolce vita. San Diego, California is home base, but thoughts are from all over. Reviews and photos help to highlight wonderful (or not) food experiences from around the world.
Leave a comment below or get in touch with me via my About page.
You had me at overflowing tri-tip steak. Bummer you have to drive up to LA. I hate the traffic up there.
A San Diego location would be great but they’ve only done international expansion outside of home base (Europe, Asia, etc.). And I hear you about traffic. The older I get the more that I dislike driving. 😂